Emkrah

Emkrah

(Creature)

Type

Aberration

CR

9

Environment

Any

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: The Jackal's Price, pg(s). 80–81

A foul creature spawned directly from the ejecta of Rovagug, an emkrah is a tentacled beast of destruction that seeks to destroy everything it comes across.

Appearance

Emkrahs appear universally alien owing to the monstrosity that is their father. The specifics of their form and size vary wildly, with the number and arrangement of tentacles and eyes, their strange colors, and other mutations appearing differently between individuals. Generally, the main body of the creature appears to be a round ball of transparent slime. Within this ball is what appears to be a fleshy yet deformed head. The entire head is centered in the middle of the transparent slime sac that serves as the creature's main body. This head connects to the base of the sac by a series of long intertwined tentacles that resemble a flesh-covered spine; this connects to the maze of tentacles that make up the base and legs of this strange creature. Below this sac and running up around the base of it, are a maze of dark flesh-coloured tentacles, which support the creature like legs.

One emkrah known as The Hatchling has green slime, and its head has but a single vast, hollow, empty eye socket; its nose just a gaping hole above a small mouth full of sharp, needle-like teeth.

Habitat and ecology

Life cycle

Emkrahs have a bizarre life cycle, even by the standards of aberrations. All emkrahs begin their life as Rough Seeds, horrible ejecta from the body of Rovagug himself. These seeds, or perhaps eggs sacs, remain indefinitely dormant until exposed to a being or creature of destructive power, typically aberrations, evil outsiders, or powerful vermin. To such creatures, a Rough Seed has an irresistible draw, and if the being is sufficiently powerful, the seed will siphon some of its essence over the course of weeks. Over this period something begins to grow within the seed until the side of its shell peels away, forming the tentacles that support the newly emerged emkrah. The emkrah then consumes the remnants of its own egg-shell before seeking out more food. Its "parent" may seek to aid it, as many creatures have unusual relationships with the emkrahs created from their essence, but this in no way excludes them from the emkrah's potential menu. All emkrah begin their lived hungering for flesh, though some are picky eaters and prefer to dine on the flesh of sacred animals or creatures of a particular race, and a few even hunger for inanimate objects of value. Eventually, physical matter ceases to satisfy them and they begin to consume souls. This process destroys souls entirely and allows the emkrah to progress to its next stage. After consuming souls, an emkrah condenses into itself and spends several days in a chrysalis-like state before emerging larger and with greater power.

Some, particularly cultists of Rovagug, believe that with enough time, enough feeding, and enough molts, an emkrah can metamorphose into an adult form: a true Spawn of Rovagug. Fortunately for the world, this is untrue. Emkrahs lack the particular connection to Rovagug that creates his Spawn, and they can never become more than particularly large and powerful examples of their ilk; however, some writings do indicate that such examples play some role in the creation of true Spawn.

On Golarion

Emkrah can be found across the face of Golarion, and anywhere there is a cult dedicated to Rovagug, there is a chance of finding emkrahs. Many cultists of Rovagug vaunt the emkrahs as living connections to their god and seek to find Rough Seeds and facilitate their growth into emkrahs. In the rare cases such a cult manages to find a Rough Seed and hatch an emkrah, they then feed it and begin the futile task of trying to aid in its transformation into a Spawn of Rovagug.

When not in the company of a cult, they can most commonly be found in the windswept depths of Casmaron surrounding the infamous Pit of Gormuz. Many of these Rough Seeds were dropped millennia ago when Rovagug still roamed Golarion, and since then have lain buried until they have the chance to hatch and reap destruction on the world. The rest were spewed from the Pit of Gormuz after Rovagug's imprisonment. Beyond the Pit, emkrahs prefer to lair in areas victimized by violent disaster, whether that disaster is a volcanic eruption or social turmoil.

Abilities

Emkrahs have the following abilities:

Acid Spittle

Emkrahs can spit a globule of acid a short distance at their foes.

Acidic

The fluid sac that makes up the emkrah's body is highly acidic and damages any weapon that strikes it.

Doom Gaze

The gaze of this strange beast damages any it focuses upon.

Etymology

"Emkrah" is the Kelish word for "wrongful birth."