[ Sahkil ] [ Impostors | Lurkers | Stalkers | Tormentors ]
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Trigger warning — this fiend description contains themes of taboo and exclusion, so if you have concerns about content like that, I suggest you give this creature a miss
Lanak Sahkil
The Dread Enforcers (CR 5); poenaphobia — fear of punishment
Taking the form of a stooping humanoid bristling with sharp quills, the lanak doesn’t shape change or even try to disguise its bestial nature beyond donning a simple robe. From under its hood the bestial visage of a boar, wolf or bear will leer out, emaciated and menacing. You’d better believe that these sahkil are both hungry and judgemental. They lope with a hunched, stalking gait, lurking in the cities of mortals, hunting by night for their next victim.
They’re looking for rule-breakers—not because they themselves value laws, oh no—but because their sustenance comes from the fear mortals have of being punished for breaking taboos, flouting societal norms or transgressing laws. The more arbitrary the rule, the better. More than one of these bashers has pretended to be a bladeling and tried to join the Mercykillers. They’re always rooted out, for it doesn’t do the faction’s reputation much good to have literal embodiments of nightmares in the ranks—but you can see the attraction for them, I’m sure.
Lanak are drawn to those who have crossed red lines, relishing the opportunity to inflict both physical wounds and psychological trauma. Rather than seeking death, a lanak prefers to leave its victims alive, their minds and bodies scarred and their fear contagious among others in the community who might be tempted to stray. In authoritarian or isolated communities, lanaks thrive, sometimes forming cabals to reinforce the harshest taboos, or even acting as secret police at the behest of corrupt leaders. In combat, they rely on their quills as a defence, while they sow chaos and mistrust using their powers to manipulate negative emotions and turn allies against one another with loathing or infatuation, remorse or despair. With supernatural insight into the laws and taboos of their chosen community, lanaks are relentless hunters, punishing even minor infractions and ensuring that the fear of retribution lingers long after they vanish back into the shadows.
Source and Stats: The Creature Codex [PF1e] here
Other Sources: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The sahkil are a fabulously horrid type of fiend from Pathfinder lore, who make a great addition to the Ethereal Plane and Planescape lore generally. The Creature Codex has done an awesome job of expanding the number of sahkil massively too, and I’ve included all their creations here. Organising the sahkil into three sub-types based on their hunting style was my idea, because the list was unwieldy and their names are (deliberately) hard to remember, and this splits them up into bite-sized chunks.