Drakauthix

From PathfinderWiki
Drakauthix
(Creature)

Level
9
Alignment
Adjective
Drakauthix
Source: Bestiary, pg(s). 129

Drakauthixes are floating fungi that terrorize the tunnels of the Darklands.1

Appearance

Drakauthixes are made primarily of a large bladder-like top with hooked, vine-like tentacles extending down, not unlike a sort of greenish-brown jellyfish. Sporelings of the creature are, by and large, fully formed-yet-tiny versions of the adult specimen.1

Abilities

Drakauthixes hunt by ambush. They float near the ceiling of large caverns waiting for the opportunity to hook onto unsuspecting prey below. The creature is, in some ways, a colony creature—that is, it "sees" through a network of spores it releases into its environment that allow it to know when food is nearby. After successfully hooking prey, the drakauthix will gradually absorb the target externally. Typically, once all nutrients have been absorbed, the husk will be expelled with a new generation of sporelings embedded within, ready to burst forth and begin the life cycle anew.1

Ecology

Drakauthixes live in the tunnels and caverns of the Darklands. The creatures are occasionally harvested by hryngars2 and the like for both their meat and to create ink from their burned corpses.1

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Logan Bonner, et al. “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 129. Paizo Inc., 2019
  2. Paizo referred to hryngars as duergar until the publication of Highhelm and the Sky King's Tomb Pathfinder Adventure Path.