GM Brief: The Soul-Hunger
The Soul-Hunger
The creature lurking beneath the ossuary was not always a monster. Long before the Veilbreaker began tearing wounds between the planes, it served Pharasma as a psychopomp named Selene. Prolonged exposure to the shard has twisted that purpose into an endless, unbearable hunger. It no longer guides souls to judgment. It consumes them.
Fragments of Selene still remain beneath the corruption. Certain names, familiar prayers, or reminders of the life she once knew can bring moments of painful clarity before the Hunger overwhelms her again. Those brief moments are the party's best chance to avoid a battle they are not expected to win—or to grant Selene the mercy she can no longer give herself.
GM Advice: Managing the Encounter
- Encounter Difficulty: At Level 6, the Soul-Hunger represents a Severe-to-Extreme encounter for a 4th-level party. Emphasize its size, cold aura, and shifting form early so the players recognize the danger before initiative is rolled.
- Forewarning via Recall Knowledge: A character who succeeds at a DC 22 Religion or Occultism check identifies the creature as a corrupted former psychopomp (specifically a former Yamaraj or Nosoi lineage) and realizes that her essence is anchored directly to the shard.
- Tracking Soul Drain: Keep careful track of the drained condition inflicted by Soul Drain. Remind players that drained reduces both their maximum HP and their Fortitude saves, making subsequent rounds against the creature's abilities significantly more dangerous.
- Using the Skill Track in Combat: Resolving the encounter socially during combat requires a character to spend [two-actions] on their turn. Remind players that they can use skill actions while staying mobile, but taking these actions provokes standard reactions if the creature is in a position to strike.