Shira
The shiras, sometimes known as shir,1 are fearsome divs who revel in the joy of the hunt and in tearing their living prey limb from limb. They hunt only the most canny of foes, as they consider anything else to be a waste of their exceptional talent.2
Description
A shira resembles a 10-foot-tall, powerfully muscled, anthropomorphic lioness. Its head looks like a lioness's save for its eyes, which are pits of seething darkness that hint at its malicious intelligence. A shira's fur ranges between grey and light brown, but regardless of its colour it always sheds a cloud of irritating dust. Despite weighing over 1,000 pounds, a shira moves with the agility and silence of a hunting house cat.13
Habitat and ecology
Shiras, like all div, originate from the harsh wastelands of Abaddon. Unlike most div, however, they do not feel at home in their realm as it lacks their favourite prey: sentient humanoids.
Shiras are gifted with keen senses, physical power, and tremendous speed, making them formidable hunters and unstoppable assassins. As a result, shiras spend most of their time on Abaddon trying desperately to reach Golarion. While they prefer using gates or planar portals, they often try to persuade or corrupt mortal spellcasters into summoning them. When released on the Material Plane, shiras become living blights upon the land, hunting anyone they come across.
Like all div, they possess an exploitable weakness: their unwillingness to go for an easy kill. Shiras prefer to torment and play with their food, reveling in the thrill of the hunt. If attacking a group, they often target the most powerful member.
Shiras are not born, but instead emerge fully formed from the jungles of Abaddon. The only time this "birthing" happens is when another shira is killed, making the shira race effectively impossible to exterminate, though also unable to breed greater numbers. Shiras are generally solitary creatures, although one notable exception is the group known as Dami-Anaeshem.3
Abilities
When a shira strikes, it can drain the victim's life essence. A shira's pelt is filled with dust, and when struck, this dust sloughs off in a blinding cloud. If a shira strikes with both of its claws, it can rend the victim's flesh with devastating effect.1
On Golarion
A shira known as Agakiv claims the three central oases of Katapesh as her hunting ground, where she delights in slaying passing caravan leaders and arranging their bodies in grisly tableaux. She never attacks commoners or slaves, as she doesn't see them as a suitable challenge.3
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 . “Bestiary” in The Jackal's Price, 78. Paizo Inc., 2009
- ↑ . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 3, 90. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 . “Bestiary” in The Jackal's Price, 79. Paizo Inc., 2009
