Horzitoth

APPEARANCE

A thick mound of lumpy, tattered rags hangs suspended like a cloak over the blot of darkness in the doorway. Its two spindly arms end in long downward-facing knives, and a horse skull, with a wild green eye behind it, rests where a face should be.

Horzitoth CR 8/MR 3

XP 4,800
NE Medium fey (extraplanar, mythic)
Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +19
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 21 (+3 deflection, +8 natural)
hp 132 (12d6+90); dream eater
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +11
DR 10/cold iron and epic; SR 21

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (clumsy)
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d8+3 plus bleed)
Special Attacks bleed (1d4+1), mythic magic 3/day^MA, mythic power (3/day, surge +1d6)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +16)

• Constant—detect thoughts
• At will—quickened cause fear (DC 18), dancing lights, deep slumber (DC 22), ghost sound (DC 17)
• 3/day—dreadscapeha (DC 21)
• 1/day—night terrorsha (DC 23)

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 11, Con 21, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 25
Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 19
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting^MF, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (cause fear), Skill Focus (Stealth), Spell Focus (enchantment)MF, Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Bluff +19, Diplomacy +19, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (local) +11, Perception +19, Sense Motive +19, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Intimidate, +4 Stealth
Languages Aklo, Sylvan (can’t speak); telepathy 30 ft.
SQ astral reserve^MA, breed nightmares, overdraw dreams^MA, return home^MA, uninvited guest

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Astral Reserve (Su)

A horzitoth addicted to nightmares frequently engorges itself on much more than it needs and is able to build a bank of stored dream energy to fuel its strange powers. A mythic horzitoth can expend one use of mythic power to target and affect creatures with its Breed Nightmares, Dream Eater, and Persistent Nightmares abilities as if those creatures were asleep. This ability lasts for one round.

Breed Nightmares (Sp)

As a standard action, a horzitoth can target a single sleeping creature and pull its nightmares into the physical world. This acts as summon monster I. For every two Hit Dice the target creature has beyond 1 Hit Die, the horzitoth can use the next level of summon monster—summon monster II at 3 Hit Die, summon monster III at 5 Hit Die, summon monster IV at 7 Hit Die, up to the maximum of summon monster IX at 17 Hit Dice or higher. The caster level for this ability is equal to the sleeping creature’s Hit Dice. A creature targeted by breed nightmares cannot be targeted again for 24 hours.

Dream Eater (Su)

A horzitoth heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points equal to half its full normal hit points) each round that it remains within 30 ft. of a sleeping creature.

Overdraw Dreams (Su)

A powerfully addicted horzitoth draws more dream energy than is safe for the victim, and can leave effect that last longer than a single night. All sleeping creatures with 30ft. of the mythic horzitoth must succeed at a DC 23 Will save or take 1d4 point of Wisdom drain. Once per round, when a creature fails this save, the mythic horzitoth regains one spent use of mythic power, and that creature cannot be affected by Overdraw Dreams again for 24 hours. For the purpose of this ability, sleeping and unconscious creatures are not considered helpless and may roll their Will save normally.

Return Home (Su)

Once per day as a full-round action, a mythic horzitoth can expend two uses of mythic power to cast plane shift. The horzitoth cannot only use this ability while being observed or within a mile of any man-made structures. This ability can only be used to travel to and from the Material Plane and the horzitoth’s home plane.

Uninvited Guest (Su)

Three times per day, a horzitoth can use dimension door, transporting itself and one creature that it is grappling. The transport must begin and end in a physical door or doorway, or else the transport fails (but does not expend the ability for the day).

ABOUT

Environment any (around cities and villages)
Organization solitary
Treasure standard

A horzitoth is slightly shorter than an adult human and resembles a large pile of filthy rags hovering just above the ground. Its front exposes an impermeable darkness from which two long, scrawny arms protrude—each ends in a rusty set of long knives that point downward at a 90 degree angle. It wears a sun-bleached horse skull as a mask, and a green, bloodshot eye can be seen peering out from behind it. Unlike the fey seen on the Material Plane, horzitoth are born of supernatural forces from beyond the known planes. While they can sustain themselves on the dreams of sleeping creatures, they prefer the taste of nightmares and frequently foster them in their victims. Horzitoth tend to target children, appearing in their bedroom doorways while they sleep and quietly taking their fill of the night’s images. Although they hate confrontation and avoid it whenever possible, a horzitoth will cover its retreat with quasi-real nightmares and lash out with knife-like claws. Many horzitoth have been known to become addicted to the nightmares they feast upon. These horzitoth often exhibit much more aggressive behavior and less concern to leave their victim alive for later feasting.

Whereas most fey are born of local essence, these alien monsters appear to be directly connected to forces unseen on the Material Plane. Horzitoth can connect with a sleeping mind and extract energy from the Plane of Dreams as easily as one would tap a tree for its sap. Doing so allows the foreign fey to feed and nourish itself at the pain and expense of its target. Despite only needing to feed once or so a week, horzitoth easily become addicted to the nightmares they’re able to foster in the minds of their victims. As such, it isn’t rare that they’ll venture in homes in search of their nighttime fix more than for sustenance. Horzitoth that give into their cravings find themselves needing to foster more and more powerful nightmares in their victims just to find the same euphoric effect as before. A horzitoth on the Material Plane resides around populated areas and settlements. In cities, they’ll seek dark alleyways or sewers to make their lair, and in villages or farming communities, they’ll make their ratty home out in the wilds. These strange fey like to remain close enough to sneak into town and feed at night, but far away enough to not be disturbed while it rests in-between meals. Victims of a horzitoth can find no rest in sleep and always wake as weary as had they not even sleep at all. Worse yet, frequent visits from a horzitoth have been known to leave lasting nightmares that may keep a creature wide awake from fear of the haunting images that may follow if they close their eyes. In worst case scenarios, the horzitoth’s victims have been driven insane; unable to find respite from the nightmares that never cease to plague them. Unfortunately, since they prefer to target children, sighting of horzitoth are rarely taken seriously, and as such, these strange fey have an easy time coming back as often as they like for nourishment. Horzitoth that are particularly addicted to the nightmares they cause in others may find that they’re unable to wait till nighttime for their next fix. For this reason, horzitoth have sometime been known to abduct their victims and keep them in a deep sleep in their lair for constant feasting. Although horzitoth do realize that their captives need to eat as well, their alien nature has no idea what the denizens of the Material Plane sustain themselves on, and will often present their victim with bits of rubbish lying around in an effort to feed them.