.Sneak Peek: The Akashic Seeker
A Free Preview From Legacy of the Dragons

Akashic Seeker
Large Magical Beast

Hit Dice: 6d10+12 (45 hp), dying/dead -3/-15
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 feet
AC: 20 (-1 size, +3 Dexterity, +8 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+13
Attack: Claw +8 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +8 melee (1d6+3), bite +6 melee 1d8+1 plus memory damage)
Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet (Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/10 feet)
Special Attacks: Memory damage, improved grab, pounce, rake 1d6+3
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, akashic tracking
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +6
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 19
Skills: Listen +6, Search +14, Sneak +11, Spot +10
Feats: Iron Will, Light Sleeper, Multiattack*, Skill Focus (Spot)

Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or Pack (3-8)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large); 13-18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: +3

* Denotes a feat from the MM.

The akashic memory pervades the world and its people. Sometimes it seeps into certain areas in greater amounts, congealing into akashic nodes. Born of these nodes, the akashic seeker is a terrible catlike beast that feeds on memory and guards akashic nodes like another creature might watch over a favored watering hole. This quadruped might look like a huge wolf or dog from a distance, but up close its grotesquely large head and mouth betray its strange and dangerous nature.

"Creatures born to evil," the akashic Neverad Nosk terms them, but his opinion seems biased. Akashics have a particular hatred of these beasts, for obvious reasons. Seekers drain memories by tapping into another creature's link with the akashic memory. They also make exploring nodes extremely hazardous. They favor remote and forgotten nodes, such as those in the Vnaxian ruins in the Southern Wastes of Zalavat. Tales of their attacks against explorers looking for a node are grisly and meant to terrify would-be adventurers. Nevertheless, the tales speak the truth. A pack of akashic seekers can end an expedition into a ruined city very quickly.

Akashic seekers can see the akashic memory in a way that only the most learned akashic could begin to understand. They use this sight to find akashic nodes and to track specific creatures as they pass through the world and into akashic memory. Because of the way this ability works, they can track only a creature who is being perceived (and thus entering the akashic memory). This does not include a creature's perception of itself—the seeker tracks a subject using only the memories of others. This ability leads some powerful individuals to desire the seekers as allies. The belligerent creatures rarely show any desire to work with others, though, and cannot be bribed with food or treasure. A few successfully petition an akashic seeker with promises of a plentiful supply of its desired prey: akashics of any race.

Akashic seekers despise dream hunters (see Chapter Four in The Diamond Throne) and attack them on sight. Even though they are most known for haunting the ruins in Zalavat, they have been encountered in almost every clime and terrain—but almost always in or near an akashic node. Seekers make their lairs in caves, gullies, or ruins. Seekers with lairs attract mates—a pair usually has a litter of three to six cubs, which mature in about a year. Aggressive and cantankerous, akashic seekers often fight among themselves. Only a strong pack leader can keep a pack in line.

Akashic seekers measure 6 feet high at the shoulder and about 8 feet long. Their tough hides bear a strange mixture of dark blue scales and white fur, and their eyes are a piercing reddish brown. The creature's broad mouth is filled with curved, hooklike teeth meant more for holding prey than for killing. An akashic seeker does not digest slain foes, so its lair may well contain decaying corpses of varying ages (and whatever equipment they carried).

Akashic seekers are always Unbound.

Combat

These creatures are always in a bad mood, ever spoiling for a fight. The akashic seeker pounces on foes when it can, usually from surprise. It often does not attack to kill, however—or at least, not kill quickly. The longer its prey lives, the more memories it can drain. Its ideal attack involves grabbing its wounded prey in its jaws, where it dies a slow death.

Memory Damage (Su): Foes bitten by the akashic seeker must make a Will saving throw (DC 18) or lose a small part of their memories. Characters drained of memories suffer a -1 competence penalty on all skill checks, as well as 1 point of temporary Intelligence damage as they forget what they once knew. They also lose one prepared spell (if they prepare spells), starting with the highest-level spell prepared. Each time they suffer memory damage, they take another point of Intelligence damage, suffer an additional -1 penalty on skill checks (the penalties stack), and lose another spell. Once a character suffers damage from this attack equal to half his Intelligence score, he loses use of all his feats (where applicable).

The skill check penalty diminishes as the victim regains Intelligence points. The save DC is Charisma based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, an akashic seeker must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can inflict automatic bite damage and memory damage on subsequent rounds. Due to its hooked teeth, the seeker gains a +2 competence bonus to offensive grapple checks.

Pounce (Ex): If an akashic seeker charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +8 melee, damage 1d6+3

Akashic Tracking (Su): With a successful Charisma check (DC 15), a seeker can tap into the akashic memory and learn the location of any creature of which it is aware. This ability allows the seeker to track invisible or even ethereal foes if it is aware of them, as long as their location is known to someone. Akashic tracking also helps the creature find hiding foes, a hated enemy, or prey that has fled.

Akashic Seeker Encounter (EL 8)

Three akashic seekers hunt in a pack near the site of a long-forgotten city. All remnants of the city have vanished, but an akashic node remains there, and thus the seekers do as well. Two of the pack members are a mated pair with a litter of young hidden in their lair, a small cave near a river. The pack used to be larger, but some adventurers recently came to the site looking for the node and slew four of them. The pack finished off the adventurers, however, and draped their corpses across a large rock in the center of the node.

Enter the player characters. Passing through the area on their way somewhere else, they find the grisly remains of the dead explorers. Whether they investigate or simply loot the bodies, it doesn't matter. It's a trap. While the PCs are distracted, the akashic seekers move in to attack. They've developed a real hatred for humanoid adventurers, due to their recent experiences and cantankerous nature, and are looking to kill more. If either of the mated pair suffers more than half its hit points in damage, however, both retreat to their lair; the third belligerently fights to the death. If the PCs follow them, they fight to the death protecting their cubs. If the characters do not follow the seekers, the creatures wait and heal their wounds—perhaps even a few months—and then track down at least one of the PCs. The pair brings along two to four of the newly matured young (all of whom suffer a -1 hit point penalty per Hit Die and a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls due to their age, but otherwise they act as fully grown individuals).

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