Rhu-chalik

*Thin tendrils trail from this misshapen ovoid. Its underside holds a gray orb that resembles a bulging, lidless eye.*

**Rhu-Chalik CR 6**

**XP 2,400**

CE Small aberration

**Init** +7; **Senses** darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +10

**DEFENSE**

**AC** 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 size)

**hp** 68 (8d8+32); fast healing 2

**Fort** +6, **Ref** +5, **Will** +8

**Defensive Abilities** all-around vision; **Immune** cold, disease

**OFFENSE**

**Speed** 5 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)

**Melee** 4 tendrils +11 (1d4+3 plus pain touch)

**Special Attacks** pain touch, project terror, void transmission

**Spell-Like Abilities** (CL 10th; concentration +12)

**Constant**--mage armor

**At will**--detect thoughts (DC 14), invisibility, share memory (DC 14)

**1/day**--modify memory (DC 16)

**STATISTICS**

**Str** 16, **Dex** 16, **Con** 19, **Int** 13, **Wis** 14, **Cha** 15

**Base Atk** +6; **CMB** +8; **CMD** 21

**Feats** Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (tendril)

**Skills** Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Fly +13, Intimidate +10, Perception +10, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +10

**Languages** Aklo; telepathy 100 ft.

**SQ** compression, no breath

**SPECIAL ABILITIES**

**Pain Touch (Ex)**

A rhu-chalik secretes an enzyme that coats its tendrils. When this enzyme comes into contact with a living creature, it causes excruciating pain. Any creature that comes into contact with the enzyme must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks for 1d4 rounds. If a creature is affected by multiple pain touch attacks, the duration stacks but the penalty doesn’t. This is a pain effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

**Project Terror (Su)**

As a standard action, a rhu-chalik can harness the fears of any creature on which it has successfully used detect thoughts within the last minute. This effect creates terrible, nightmarish visions in the target’s mind; the target must succeed at a DC 16 Will save or be frightened and take 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

**Void Transmission (Su)**

If a creature takes an amount of Wisdom damage from the rhu-chalik’s project terror ability that equals or exceeds the creature’s Wisdom score, the creature falls unconscious as normal. At that point, the rhu-chalik can take 10 minutes to copy and absorb the creature’s entire consciousness and send that consciousness through the void of space to its waiting masters. If the creature’s Wisdom damage is healed and the creature is revived prior to the end of this process, this effect fails. If the creature’s Wisdom damage is healed after its consciousness is successfully transmitted, the creature awakens disoriented, and takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks for 24 hours. This effect otherwise doesn’t harm the target, as the target’s consciousness isn’t eliminated, only duplicated and transmitted.

**ECOLOGY**

**Environment** any

**Organization** solitary

**Treasure** none

A rhu-chalik, also called a void wanderer, is an alien entity that scouts through space on behalf of its conquering masters. In addition, this aberration also collects the memories of interesting creatures in the universe into a vast repository of knowledge that their masters use to slowly unravel all the secrets of existence.

Rhu-chaliks serve their masters tirelessly, and are as patient as they are long-lived. They rarely make an uncalculated move, and seek only the most prized intellects to cast into the dark beyond for their masters’ delectations. When exploring distant worlds, rhu-chaliks are not social beings, and they avoid other rhu-chaliks so their predations won’t cause too much overlap in the mind collections of their masters. However, back in their native space, rhu-chaliks number in the billions, and the creatures feed off a countless number of disembodied minds.

A rhu-chalik is approximately 3 feet across and weighs only 30 pounds.