Seetangeist
Level 12Abilities
60 feet. A seetangeist secretes foul fluids into the surrounding water, poisoning it. A creature that enters or starts its turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 29 fortitude save or become Sickened 2 (Sickened 3 on a critical failure). Creatures that breathe water take a -2 circumstance penalty to this saving throw. As long as a creature remains in the aura, it can't reduce its sickened condition below 1. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune for 1 minute.
Each enemy in the seetangeist's space takes 3d6 slashing 3d6 poison (DC 32 reflex). A creature that fails this save also takes 1d12 persistent poison.
Seetangeists are composed of the bloated corpses of marine life, encrusted with bleached coral and wrapped in rotting seaweed. Although occasionally created by water-breathing necromancers, seetangeists most often arise when an aquatic ecosystem collapses, resulting in the deaths of countless creatures. Bound by spiritual trauma, these corpses merge together, forming a writhing school of flesh and decaying plant matter that seeks out and consumes what life remains in the region.
The disasters that lead to the creation of seetangeists are typically caused by mortal interference: overhunting, ecological overexploitation, pollution, or necromantic magic and experimentation.
When disaster befalls the natural world, a different kind of undead may rise, entirely unlike risen humanoids. Most plants, fish, insects, and other animals don't possess a psychology complex enough to experience the emotional catharsis required to return as undead without intervention from an outside force. Mass extinction can serve as that outside force.
Humanoids clear-cutting an entire forest or a seaside community wiping out a species critical to their ecosystem can spawn a verdorite. The collective spiritual energy and emotional distress of a dying biome powers these undead, formed as conglomerates or representatives.