Abaia

Creatures from Melanesian mythology, abaias are magical and surprisingly powerful (CR 10) protectors of lakes, lagoons, and other precious bodies of water. Hailing from the land of the fey (in Golarion, that’s the First World), they use their power over water and the weather to punish those who overfish or otherwise abuse their homes.

Abaias are interesting because they can surround themselves with a sheath of water for short periods (which beefs up the utility of their endless coil attack because they can follow PCs on land) and because of their skill with spell trigger items.  Their eldritch gizzards mean that each abaia could manifest a vastly different power set depending on what mystical objects it has swallowed—a great excuse to dig out some of the more obscure magic items lists from your library.

On the world of Anguil, abaias are the historic enemies of aboleths.  Years of fighting aboleth thralls have made them distrustful of humans and most subterranean races.  They constrict first and ask questions later.

A visit to a fey demiplane reveals a wood dotted with pools.  Some pools cure or inflict wounds, some are portals to other realms, some are tended by korreds, and at least one holds a water orm.  An abaia tends these pools, stealthily appraising the characters of those who visit.  It torments troublemakers from hiding, courtesy of the staff of conjuration in its gizzard.

A nation of canals and locks, the windmill-dotted land of Elveers has long had a close relationship with the water.  This is reinforced by the people’s close relationship with the nation’s vodyanois and abaias, who use their hydraulic talents to raise and lower the canal levels, guide ships safely through the locks, and protect the low-lying nation from the worst storms.  What almost no one realizes is that abaias actually rule Elveers, secretly guiding the nation via a puppet constitutional monarch and select parliamentarians.  Their subtle guidance has kept Elveers quietly and modestly prosperous, but overexploitation, espionage, and saboteurs are always concerns.

—Pathfinder Bestiary 4 7

The letter A!  *Stares off into the distance, Kenobi-like*  Now that’s a letter I haven't seen in a long time.

I’m going to do my best to bring the blog back to its roots and be the thing that entertains me at work, not the thing that devours my nights.  Which may mean some shorter entries, but hopefully they’ll be no less fun or thought-provoking.  The fact that so many of the monsters are new this go-round helps, since there’s less bibliographical and philosophical ground to cover.

That said, some of you seem to like it when I spout off.  Thanks for the feedback!

PS: We visited Elveers back when we discussed the keketar.