Vincuvicar

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Vincuvicar
Phylacator1E
(Creature)

Vincuvicars, also known as phylacators,1 are a type of velstrac who serve as jailers, torturers, and executioners.2

Appearance

A phylacator's skin is midnight blue, hairless, and has the texture of rough-hewn stone. Their eyes are steel gray and lack pupils. Phylacators stand seven feet tall and weigh approximately 350 pounds. They often wear black armour and writhing manacles as belts, and wield a serrated flail.2

History

Phylacators claim to have exploited the weaknesses of the prison of the velstracs in Hell and facilitated their exodus to the Netherworld. Because of this and their intimate knowledge of prisons, they were chosen as wardens of Xovaikain, the prison of Zon-Kuthon, and have maintained an absolute vigilance for ages.2

Ecology

Phylacators are familiar with the suffering of imprisoned mortals and are capable of provoking maddening desperation among them. They sometimes mislead a particularly intelligent prisoner into thinking that they have found a way to escape, letting them plan for years before catching and torturing them for entertainment and as a warning for others.2

Phylacators can form bonds with the prisons where they serve, holding a thorough knowledge of all chambers, passages, locks, bars, and the habits of their colleagues.2

Every night, a phylacator must remove its armour and sit in an iron chair, a spike-covered dull metal throne, to shed its blood in tribute to Zon-Kuthon. This device is often secluded or hidden in plain sight.2

Since phylacators are often responsible for keeping prisoners alive, they usually use brutal and efficient non-lethal tactics like knocking foes to the ground with their flails or throwing their magically animated manacles to incapacitate them.2

Society

Unlike other velstracs who tolerate its use, phylacators loathe the use of the exonym kyton for their species; they insist on the use of the endonym velstrac instead. Anyone calling their species kyton after being corrected once will deeply anger any phylacator.2

Phylacators can be bound to high-security prisons in the Universe as jailers, as long as the prison holds at least 100 good or chaotic creatures and the corpses of those executed under the phylacator's jurisdiction are given over to it. A phylacator serves willingly for at least a year, or more if the prison population is larger or if it is given more sadistic authority.2

On Golarion

Most phylacators on Golarion serve evil dictators or cults, notably the Nidalese government. A few non-evil employers secretly use them to lock away dangerous criminals: the church of Abadar staunchly denies rumours of a phylacator being employed by their taxmasters beneath Oppara.2

References

  1. James Jacobs. (May 24, 2023). Product Discussion for The Destiny War, Paizo Store.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Kate Baker, et al. “Bestiary” in The Six-Legend Soul, 88–89. Paizo Inc., 2018