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Kyton, Libitinarii

Libitinarii Kyton CR 13

This willowy, blue-skinned figure wears robes of draped chains. Its exposed skin is pierced with lengths of razor-sharp, bloodstained icicles.

XP 25,600
LE Medium outsider (cold, evil, extraplanar, kyton, lawful)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +29

DEFENSE

AC 28, touch 17, flat-footed 21 (+7 Dex, +11 natural)
hp 184 (16d10+96); regeneration 5 (good weapons and spells, silver weapons)
Fort +16, Ref +17, Will +13
Defensive Abilities icy fiend; DR 10/good or silver; Immune cold; SR 24
Weakness vulnerable to fire

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.; air walk
Melee 2 claws +22 (2d6+6 plus 2d6 cold), 2 chains +22 (1d8+6)
Ranged 4 icicles +23 (1d8+6/19–20/×3 plus 2d6 cold)
Special Attacks perfect freeze, unnerving gaze (30 ft., DC 21)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +16)

Constant—air walk
At will—plane shift (from Material Plane to Shadow Plane only, self only)
3/day—cone of cold (DC 18), dimension door, ice storm
1/day—polar ray

STATISTICS

Str 23, Dex 24, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 22, Cha 17
Base Atk +16; CMB +22; CMD 39
Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Improved Critical (icicles), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot Skills Intimidate +22, Knowledge (local) +21, Knowledge (planes) +21, Knowledge (religion) +21, Perception +29, Sense Motive +29, Stealth +26, Survival +25
Languages Common, Infernal, Shadowtongue

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Icicles (Ex)

A libitinarii can use the icicles embedded into its flesh as thrown ranged weapons, with a range increment of 20 feet. It can retrieve up to four of these icicles per round as a free action. These icicles deal piercing damage equal to 1d8 plus the libitinarii’s Strength modifier (usually +6) plus 2d6 points of cold damage; they deal triple damage on a critical hit (although the cold damage is not increased).

The icicles aren’t considered magic weapons, but they are supernaturally hardened and count as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Once the libitinarii has retrieved icicles from its flesh, new icicles immediately form as a free action. If the libitinarii’s regeneration is suppressed, it also can’t form new icicles.

A libitinarii typically has 24 icicles embedded in its flesh at any time.

Icy Fiend (Ex)

A libitinarii’s body is made from an unholy union of soulstuff and the icy essence of the coldest reaches of the Shadow Plane. As such, the libitinarii is immune to cold, and it can treat any difficult terrain that results from magical or mundane ice as normal terrain, such as the icy terrain of the Frozen Tears, realm of the kyton demagogue.

Perfect Freeze (Su)

A libitinarii can harness the power of absolute zero and impose it upon the body of a living creature with a touch. The libitinarii can use this ability three times per day as a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. If the libitinarii’s touch attack is successful, the target takes 2d6 points of cold damage and 2d6 points of evil-aligned magic damage. A successful DC 23 Fortitude saving throw halves each type of damage. Additionally, creatures that fail this saving throw must immediately attempt a DC 23 Will saving throw.

Failing this second saving throw means that a creature has been frozen solid and has become a supernaturally frozen, mindless, inert statue and is considered petrified, per flesh to stone (if the creature is not made of flesh, this secondary ability has no effect). The creature can’t be turned back to flesh by casting stone to flesh spell, but it can be restored via casting break enchantment. If the creature isn’t returned to flesh after a number of hours equal to the creature’s Hit Dice, the creature dies and remains a frozen statue. It can be returned to life normally by casting raise dead or similar spells. This is a cold effect. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Unnerving Gaze (Ex)

A creature that succumbs to a libitinarii’s unnerving gaze becomes staggered for 1 round as it feels itself slowly freezing from the inside out.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Plane of Shadow)
Organization solitary, pair, or shiver (2–5)
Treasure standard

Libitinariis form from the souls of cold-obsessed spellcasters, wicked taxidermists, torturers partial to using frostbite to torment their victims, and other evil beings obsessed with inflicting pain through the perfect preservation of cold. They roam the Shadow Planes’ frozen reaches seeking to further their craft. Most serve the kyton demagogue known as the White Death, who seeks to preserve the fleetingness of perfection with his icy-fingered grasp. Indeed, the demagogue’s favored servants almost entirely consist of libitinariis.

Other libitinariis serve a demigoddess of dispassion, detachment, and pain, who many kytons believe was the infernal patroness that released their kind from Hell eons ago. In some cases, libitinariis pay homage to both unholy deities, for the two churches share more in common than not.

Libitinariis’ bodies seem humanoid, though their skin ranges in color from powder to navy blue. Their lips, ears, fingers, and toes are deep black, as if horribly frostbitten.

Libitinariis often wear robes of draping chains, though most prominent on their persons are the horrific icicles that pierce their flesh. Although they are as adept at wielding traditional weapons as any humanoid, they typically favor using these icicles as thrown weapons.

Libitinariis are roughly 5 feet tall and typically weight from 90 to 140 pounds.

Libitinariis are farsighted, dispassionate, and coldly rational. Many live in the realm of Frozen Tears, where they may spend centuries simply formulating a plan to please the White Death and advance their standing in his unholy court by a mere inch. Other libitinariis attempt to carve out small niches in the frozen wastes of Cocytus in Hell. Those libitinarii who call the Material Plane home typically do so as leaders of cults. Some, however, hide in plain sight among society, masquerading as normal—if unsavory— scholars and artisans while secretly working to torment, freeze, and preserve their enemies as fantastic trophies to their own wicked ingenuity.

Habitat and Society

Libitinariis are relatively solitary, but regardless of where they operate, they are ritual-minded creatures. Most enjoy tormenting victims to the brink of death with their razor-sharp icicles several times before finally using their supernatural abilities to freeze the creatures permanently. Some work profane religious aspects into these rituals of torment, and others seek specifically to secure frozen prizes for the glory of their patrons. If the libitinariis have a weak point, it might be considered their predictability in pursuing habits cultivated over decades or centuries.

An infamous libitinarii ritual is the Rite of Piercing, which is common practice in the realm of Frozen Tears.

In this ritual, libitinariis drive foot-long nails of ice through the flesh of victims they have determined to be morally pure. When the victims reach the point of death, the kytons then freeze them into icy statues and arrange them into unholy menageries.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Adventure Path #137: The City Outside of Time © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Amanda Hamon Kunz, with John Compton, Gregory Hanigan, and Mikko Kallio.

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