Protean, ImenteshThis serpentine creature has the lower body of a snake, a humanoid torso, and a bird-like head and claws.Imentesh CR 10Source Bestiary 2 pg. 214, Pathfinder #22: The End of Eternity pg. 84
XP 9,600
CN Large outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, protean, shapechanger)
Init +7; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20DefenseAC 25, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+3 Dex, +13 natural, –1 size)
hp 123 (13d10+52); fast healing 5
Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +14
Defensive Abilities amorphous anatomy, freedom of movement; DR 10/lawful; Immune acid, polymorph; Resist electricity 10, sonic 10; SR 21OffenseSpeed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect), swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +19 (2d6+7), 2 claws +19 (1d8+7), tail +17 (1d8+3 plus grab)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks constrict (1d8+7), inflict warpwave, sneak attack +4d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +15)
Constant—detect law, tongues
At will—dimension door (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), make whole, major creation, shatter (DC 17), shrink item
3/day—chaos hammer (DC 19), dispel magic, slow (DC 18)
1/day—break enchantment, dispel law (DC 20), haste, polymorph any object (DC 23)StatisticsStr 24, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 23, Wis 18, Cha 21
Base Atk +13; CMB +21 (+25 grapple); CMD 34 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Persuasive
Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff +21, Diplomacy +25, Disable Device +16, Fly +9, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (planes) +22, Knowledge (any two) +19, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +15, Swim +15
Languages Abyssal, Protean; tongues
SQ change shape (greater polymorph)EcologyEnvironment any (Limbo)
Organization solitary, pair, or envoy (3–10)
Treasure standardSpecial AbilitiesInflict Warpwave (Su) As a standard action, an imentesh can inflict a warpwave upon any corporeal creature within 100 feet. The target can resist the warpwave’s effects with a DC 20 Fortitude save. If the imentesh wishes, it can use this ability as a swift action, but if it does so, it is affected by the warpwave as well unless it resists the effects with its own Fortitude save. See page 213 for a list of possible effects caused by a warpwave. The save DC is Constitution-based.DescriptionMissionaries of chaos and heralds of reality’s eventual unraveling, imenteshes are the proteans most likely to be encountered outside of Limbo. Despite their sometimes loquacious and courtly manner, imenteshes’ entropic agenda is ever at the front of their minds, and this inherent madness is evident in the soft, telepathic susurrus that constantly surrounds them, threatening to warp the minds of the weak-willed.
An imentesh is 15 feet long and weighs 1,200 pounds.Creatures in "Protean" CategorySource Bestiary 2 pg. 213
Beings of pure chaos, the serpentine proteans slither through the anarchic improbabilities of Limbo, remaking reality according to their whims. According to their own history, they were already here when the first gods pulled forth the other planes from raw chaos—and they have been battling against the indignity ever since. Hereditary and ideological enemies of Axis, Heaven, and Hell, and especially of the residents of those planes, all proteans see it as their sacred duty to return the bland, static expanses of mundane reality to the beautiful incongruities of Limbo, for the planes' own good and for the greater glory of their mysterious god, a dualistic deity which may be a living aspect of Limbo itself. They are Limbo's living, breathing immune system, rooting out infections of mundanity and replacing them with beautiful entropy.
Primeval in shape and philosophy, proteans are the race that most perfectly embodies the twin aspects of creation and destruction (although certain aeons might contest this claim). Even their language is mutable, evolving so quickly that few outsiders can understand it without magical aid. Ecological study is nearly impossible, as reproduction can take a wide variety of forms, from sexual union to fission to spontaneous generation. Despite their deceptively similar natural appearances, the two things that truly unify the protean race are slavish devotion to their strange god and a fervent desire for the dissolution of reality as we know it.
Proteans are organized into several sub-races or castes, each with its own individual abilities and roles. Other proteans than the four presented here doubtless exist, but they do not interact with other races nearly to the extent that these four types do.
Voidworms: Disowned by greater proteans, who find these tiny beings shameful, voidworms nevertheless retain all the characteristics of true proteans, and are frequently found swimming through Limbo in vast schools or serving as spellcasters' familiars.
Naunets: Possessing little in the way of culture, the powerful naunets are the most bestial of the true proteans, representing the lowest recognized caste. Naunets are the shock troops of the protean race, and patrol the borderlands between Limbo and other planes, seeking out lawful incursions and making daring, savage raids into the realms of their enemies.
Imenteshes: These cunning proteans seek to subvert the forces of order from within their own systems, whispering information and insinuations where they can do the most damage. Endlessly creative, they adore reforming the landscapes of Limbo to suit their fancies, but enjoy warping the vistas and creatures of other planes even more.
Keketars: Priest-kings and voices of Limbo itself, keketars rule their fellows in the name of their bizarre god. Though their forms are extremely mutable, keketars can always be recognized thanks to eyes that glow amber or violet and floating crowns of swirling and changing symbols that often appear above their heads. Organized into cabals called choruses, keketars seek only to understand and follow the will of entropy. Protean Lords While the keketars are the highest caste of the protean race, there exist a few scattered individuals who put even the mightiest chorus to shame. Equal in power to demon lords or empyreal lords, the beings known as protean lords are an enigma, far older than other proteans and perhaps spawned in a previous iteration of the multiverse or somewhere beyond the depths of Limbo. Disdaining direct leadership, protean lords act according to their own desires, occasionally appearing to advise their lesser kin or keep an inscrutable eye on entities whose powers rival their own. Warpwaves Many proteans, particularly the imenteshes, have the ability to create and manipulate ripples in reality known as warpwaves. Yet even a protean can't predict what effects a warpwave might have. When a creature is affected by a warpwave, roll 1d20 and consult the table below to see what effect the entropic energies have.
| d20 | Warpwave effect | | 1 | Target takes 2 Strength damage. | | 2 | Target takes 2 Dexterity damage. | | 3 | Target takes 2 Constitution damage. | | 4 | Target takes 2 Intelligence damage. | | 5 | Target takes 2 Wisdom damage. | | 6 | Target takes 2 Charisma damage. | | 7 | Target gains 1 negative level. | | 8 | Target is blinded or deafened for 1d4 rounds. | | 9 | Target is confused for 1d4 rounds. | | 10 | Target is entangled by filaments of energy for 1d4 rounds. | | 11 | Target becomes fatigued (or exhausted if already fatigued). | | 12 | Target becomes nauseated for 1d4 rounds. | | 13 | Target is stunned for 1d4 rounds. | | 14 | Target is sickened for 1d4 rounds. | | 15 | Target is staggered for 1d4 rounds. | | 16 | Target gains 4d6 temporary hit points. | | 17 | Target is affected by a heal spell (CL = protean's CR). | | 18 | Target is turned to stone. | | 19 | Target is affected by baleful polymorph (CL = protean's CR). | | 20 | Portions of target's body burst with energy of a random type (choose between acid, cold, electricity, or fire), dealing 4d6 points of damage of the appropriate type to the target. |
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