Stygira
Level 7Attacks
Abilities
As long as the stygira holds a gemstone, they can see through the gem with Darkvision and the effects of Truesight. A stygira is blind when they aren't holding a gem in a hand.
A stygira in an area of bright light is Sickened 1.
The stygira holds aloft a gem and gazes into the mind of a creature within 30 feet, infusing the creature's thoughts with visions of its own dead body slowly petrifying. The creature must succeed at a DC 25 will save or become Frightened 1 (Frightened 2 on a critical failure).
Wounds dealt by the stygira's claws leave the flesh bleached of color and turn the blood that runs from them dark gray. Each time a creature is damaged by the stygira's claw Strike, it must succeed at a DC 25 fortitude save or become permanently Slowed 1 (Slowed 2 on a critical failure) as its flesh stiffens like stone. If a creature is reduced to 0 Hit Points from the stygira's claw Strike and fails the saving throw against stone curse, it's petrified. A creature that spends 8 hours in direct s
These scarred, eyeless creatures appear as withered hermits wrapped in tattered rags. They can command strange secrets of the earth and interpret the fateful energies of the subterranean depths. In some regions, stygiras are worshipped as seers or even gods, although they lack the ability to grant spells to clerics and often aren't aware of their worshippers at all. In other areas, they have strange ties to the ancient empires of the cyclopes, frequently dwelling in the oversized ruins those creatures left behind long ago. To many stygiras, gemstones harvested from ancient cyclopean mosaics have even greater magical properties than other crystals.
Although technically blind, stygiras do have vestigial eyes hidden beneath the stony, scarred flesh of their faces. Capable of sensing bright lights even through their scars, stygiras are sickened and distracted by these flashing glimpses, so they keep to their caves during the day and only wander into the world above after nightfall. Far from benevolent, stygiras often waylay unwary travelers so they can reduce their victims down to the base chemicals and supernatural humors required to infuse their gemstones with the capacity to give them sight and magical power.