Imugi

Imugi

(Creature)

Uncommon

Large

Amphibious

Dragon

Water

Level

7

Images of imugi

Source: Tian Xia World Guide, pg(s). 287

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Imugi (pronounced em-moo-ghee) are draconic serpents that have the potential to become imperial dragons.

Appearance

An imugi resembles a serpent with a head that resembles that of a small imperial dragon.

Abilities

Imugi have powers over water. They can apparate flooding waters and manipulate precipitation into a natural form of concealment, though they lack absolute control over the weather.

Ecology

Each imugi's life revolves around the egg of a koi fish, preferably that of a long-finned koi. To ascend to the form of an imperial dragon, an imugi must care for their chosen koi egg for a millennium. At the end of this period, the egg's hatching releases enough power to transform the imugi through a draconic ascension ritual, and the remaining energy transforms the hatched koi into a new imugi, perpetuating the cycle.

Exposure to an imugi's transformation can imbue nearby creatures with memories or knowledge from the imugi's life, including new skills, details about lost techniques, and the ability to craft certain items.

Their potential transformation leads many imugi to consider themselves to be a higher form of life despite being relatively weak when compared to an imperial dragon. Many are benevolent beings, with a few supplying villages with vital rains for agriculture. However, they can be of any temperament, lash out when annoyed, or become arrogant toward those they consider to be lesser beings.

On Golarion

Many, though not all, of Tian Xia's imperial dragons were once imugi themselves; some were born into their mature form. Tian koi farmers breed long-finned koi in separate pools from other fish due to the amount of water and fish that an imugi displaces in order to snatch a koi egg for its ritual.

References

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