Jah-tohl

Jah-tohl
Mind snatcher
Brain collector
Neh-thalggu

(Creature)

Uncommon

Large

Aberration

Level

8

Adjective

Jah-tohlian

Images of jah-tohl

Source: Monster Core, pg(s). 106

In Bestiary 46, jah-tohl were named brain collectors (neh-thalggus) and were chaotic evil.

Type

Aberration

CR

8

Environment

Any

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Adjective

Neh-thalggu

Images of jah-tohl

Source: Bestiary 2, pg(s). 197

Jah-tohl, colloquially known as mind snatchers and once referred to as brain collectors or neh-thalggus, are aliens engineered to serve as scouts by the Dominion of the Black, a malevolent coalition of beings from outside Golarion's solar system.

Appearance

A jah-tohl resembles a tail-less scorpion covered in transparent pulsing blisters filled with the brains they have collected. Their eyes peer forth from the joints of their legs.

Ecology

A jah-tohl collects the brains of intelligent creatures it kills—typically humanoids—and stores them in reddish blisters on its back. Although they are carnivorous, jah-tohl do not eat brains; they prefer to collect them to increase their intellect, or for analysis and occult vessels. These collected brains increase cognitive and magical abilities. After having collected enough brains and absorbed a critical mass of thoughts and memories from them, a jah-tohl undergoes a metamorphosis into a yah-thelgaad.

Habitat

On planets, jah-tohl take over caves or abandoned buildings and line them with a network of flesh, allowing them to control devices from anywhere within the lair.

Society

Jah-tohl view other lifeforms as harvestable resources, even when those lifeforms worship them as deities. They also do not worship any named divinities, instead venerating the primordial forces of space itself; their philosophers consume many captured brains in their unending quest to understand these innumerable and mysterious forces.

They communicate telepathically, speak many languages, and practice occult magic.

Technology

Jah-tohl have comparable technology to other starfaring races, but theirs differs by being primarily organic and using little metal. The components for their technology are sometimes bioengineered creatures, but they are more often sourced from creatures that are bred to be butchered for their organs. Jah-tohl technology likewise often retains the semblance of life, throbbing with biological sounds, reacting when used properly or not, and being healed by positive energy.

The few manually controlled jah-tohl devices are manipulated by poking and massaging pressure points, or by directly attaching to the user's nervous system through the skin, allowing them to draw power from the user who can control them as easily as if they were part of their body.

Jah-tohlian spaceships are living, tentacled creatures supported by a skeleton made from both metallic and organic bones, whose living processes produce fuel and serve as life support. Within each ship is a self-contained ecosystem that provides food and experimental material. When jah-tohl need to land on a planet, their ship produce organic drop pods via budding that decompose once they are on the surface.

While jah-tohl rarely need equipment for themselves due to their natural weapons and magic, they still produce it for their minions. Although made from flesh and bone, these items are functionally similar to their conventionally designed counterparts.

On other worlds

Jah-tohl are active on any of the planets of Golarion's solar system that are populated by humanoids.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.