Nue

The Japanese chimera, the monkey-faced, tiger-bodied, snake-tailed nue is a creature that haunts dreamers and the vulnerable from within a black cloud.  The nue is particularly nasty for a magical beast: CR 10, stealthy, two bite attacks (one featuring energy drain, the other poison), and magical abilities.  So detective-minded players tracking down possible murder suspects might be shocked to find out the animate dream or wicked oneiromancer they are hunting is actually “just” a beast.

The Temple of the Apes is a site of healing in Pon Kat, and the augmented apes and monkeys that haunt the temple grounds are reputed to bring magical herbs to those who offer food.  An ambush of nues now takes advantage of this, following home the invalids with large families—whose later death at the nues’ hands will radiate the most misery.

The lamia noble Miyatar relies on pet nues as her spies and assassins.  Adventurers wishing to take her on would do well to consult the kitsune arcane archers of the neighboring valley, who are specially trained against nues, vargouilles, and other exotic cursed malefactors.

Are nues the reincarnated spirits of cursed children?  Sages say it is hard to know.  But when a chorus of attic whisperers begins to plague a town, the culprits are revealed to be a night hag and her nue sidekick, preying on the fears, bodies, and souls of local children so badly that even their spirits cannot rest.

—Pathfinder Bestiary 3 204

This, courtesy of justjingles, is exactly right.

Sammy’s For Your Ears helped me write this post.  Listen!  (Link good till Wednesday, 2/27, at midnight.)