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Veiled Master

This monstrosity has a six-eyed face and six long tentacles–four ending in glowing spheres and two in what look like hands.

Veiled Master CR 14

XP 38,400
LE Large aberration (aquatic, shapechanger)
Init +10; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 30, touch 15, flat-footed 24 (+4 armor, +6 Dex, +11 natural, –1 size)
hp 200 (16d8+128); fast healing 10
Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +14
Immune electricity, mind-affecting effects; Resist cold 20; SR 25

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., swim 80 ft.
Melee bite +17 (2d6+6 plus consume memory and slime), 2 claws +17 (1d6+6 plus slime), 4 tentacles +12 touch (2d6+3 electricity plus thoughtlance)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with claws and tentacles)
Special Attacks delayed suggestion, mucus cloud
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +26)

Constant–mage armor
At will–detect thoughts (DC 18), dominate person (DC 21), hypnotic pattern (DC 18), illusory wall (DC 20), mirage arcana (DC 21), persistent image (DC 21), programmed image (DC 22), project image (DC 23), veil (DC 22)
3/day–dominate monster (DC 25), quickened dominate person (DC 21), geas/quest (DC 22), mass suggestion (DC 22)

Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 12th; concentration +18)

STATISTICS

Str 22, Dex 22, Con 27, Int 21, Wis 19, Cha 22
Base Atk +12; CMB +19; CMD 35 (can't be tripped)
Feats Arcane Strike, Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Eschew MaterialsB, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dominate person)
Skills Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (history) +21, Knowledge (nature) +21, Perception +23, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +21, Swim +33, Use Magic Device +22
Languages Aboleth, Aklo, Aquan, Undercommon, one more; telepathy 300 ft.
SQ change shape (any Small or Medium form; greater polymorph), runemastery, swift transformation

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Consume Memory (Su)

When a veiled master bites a creature, it consumes some of that creature's memories. The creature bitten must succeed at a DC 24 Fortitude save or gain one negative level. A veiled master heals 5 points of damage each time it grants a negative level in this way, and also learns some of the target creature's memories (subject to the GM's discretion). This is a mind-affecting effect. A veiled master can suppress this ability as a free action. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Delayed Suggestion (Sp)

Whenever a veiled master successfully uses dominate person or dominate monster on a creature, it can also implant a delayed suggestion that triggers when dominate effect ends. Typically, this suggestion (which functions as a spell-like ability, CL 20th, Will DC 19 negates) is for the previously dominated creature to seek out the veiled master again and submit to a new domination attempt, but sometimes, a veiled master implants other suggestions (such as a suggestion to attack the first person it sees).

Mucus Cloud (Ex)

While underwater, a veiled master exudes a cloud of transparent slime in a 30-foot-radius spread. All creatures in this area must succeed at a DC 26 Fortitude save each round or lose the ability to breathe air (but gain the ability to breathe water) for 24 hours. Renewed contact with this mucus cloud and failing another save extends the effect for another 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Runemastery (Ex)

A veiled master is particularly skilled at casting spells that create magical writing, such as explosive runes, secret page, or any spell with the word -symbol- in its name. It never requires material components or focus components when casting such spells, and the save DC of any of these spells increases by 1. A veiled master's symbol spells are difficult to disarm–the Disable Device DC for these symbols increases by 2.

Slime (Ex)

A creature hit by any of a veiled master's bite or claw attacks must succeed at a DC 26 Fortitude save or have its skin and flesh transform into a clear, slimy membrane over the course of 1d4 rounds. The creature's new -flesh- is soft and tender, reducing its Constitution score by 4 as long as the condition persists. If the creature's flesh isn't kept moist, it dries quickly and the victim takes 1d12 points of damage every 10 minutes. Remove disease and similar effects can restore an afflicted creature to normal, but immunity to disease offers no protection from this attack. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Spells

A veiled master can cast spells as a 12th-level sorcerer.

Swift Transformation (Su)

A veiled master can use its change shape ability as a swift action.

Thoughtlance (Su)

Four of a veiled master's tentacles end in glowing spheres of light. These spheres deal 2d6 points of electricity damage on a touch attack, and also blast a creature's mind with waves of mental energy–a creature touched by one of these tentacles (regardless of whether the touch deals electricity damage) must succeed at a DC 24 Will save or be staggered for 1 round. Additional touches increase the duration by 1 round. While a creature is staggered in this manner, it must make concentration checks to cast spells as if it were experiencing extremely violent motion while casting (DC = 20 + spell level). The save DC is Charisma-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment any water
Organization solitary or shoal (1 veiled master and 2–8 aboleths)
Treasure triple

The aboleths are among the oldest of the world's denizens, creatures that can trace back their presence in the deepest reaches of the world's oceans to times far before humanity came to dwell upon the globe–or before even most deities themselves turned their attentions to this tiny sphere of water and stone. In those ancient times, elder forces and eldritch entities knew of the world. While they were not gods as are known today, even they were dismissed and ignored by the aboleth race, for the aboleths knew that what the gods could accomplish, so could they, given time. And the aboleths have always had time.

During the era of the ancients, when the aboleths manipulated humanity like puppets, some of their kind walked among their pets in disguise, veiling themselves with magic to appear as humanoids. These were the veiled masters, and if one were to make the foolish attempt at imposing human constructions on this alien race, the veiled masters would be considered the nobility among aboleth-kind. In truth, while the aboleths do treat the veiled masters with utmost respect and defer to their decisions, they are not regarded as the rulers of the race–even stranger and more dangerous entities rule over the veiled masters in the deepest trenches below the sea.

Aboleths are without a doubt skilled at domination and illusion, but the veiled masters are the true experts of the arcane. It is they who engineered the deceptions and manipulations of the ancients' culture. Their hidden gifts and subtle coaxings did much to encourage humanity's first rise to glory in that age, and many of the ancients' nations had veiled masters walking among them, whispering into their leaders' ears. The people knew the veiled masters as powerful wizards, and there were murmurs that the mysterious cabal was more than human, but few suspected the truth for very long. The veiled masters handled such suspicions by doing violence to the bodies and minds of those who proved too curious. It was the veiled masters who first learned of the ancients' growing hubris–of their beliefs that they were greater than their patrons. At first, their punishments were minor, yet to the veiled masters' surprise and frustration, these acts only strengthened humanity's resolve. In the end, the ancients' were dealt with in a catastrophic fashion,

Today, the veiled masters live on. They walk among the humanoid races again, watching and waiting. The time to teach a new lesson draws ever closer.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Bestiary © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jim Groves, James Jacobs, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan.