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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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There is a Legacy version here.

Kagekuma (Lurking Nindoru)

A kagekuma exists in the periphery of society, lurking in the very shadows of their favored prey—the working class and downtrodden. Known in some regions as “shadefiends,” this nindoru's ability to appear as uninteresting figures in the crowd allows them to feed even in populated areas. A kagekuma appears as a hunched over humanoid with a long neck and a fanged mouth, but when wearing a bundle, the creature's head and neck tuck in tight between their shoulders to become entirely obscured. The kagekuma personifies the cycle of trust being built and broken over and over again through the course of a complex relationship.

Recall Knowledge - Fiend (Religion): DC 29
Unspecific Lore: DC 27
Specific Lore: DC 24

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak KagekumaCreature 7

Rare Medium Fiend Nindoru Unholy 
Source Season of Ghosts (Hardcover) pg. 334
Perception +14; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Common, Necril
Skills Deception +16 (+18 to Impersonate a peasant or laborer), Occultism +13, Society +15, Stealth +16, Survival +14, Thievery +16
Str +4, Dex +6, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +6, Cha +4
Items broken kusarigama
AC 23 (25 with bundle); Fort +13, Ref +14, Will +16
HP 115; Immunities death effects; Resistances void 5; Weaknesses silver 5
Soul Shred Creatures killed by a kagekuma are difficult to bring back to life or animate as undead. The kagekuma automatically attempts to counteract any attempt to resurrect or animate any creature that they've killed (counteract modifier +16, counteract rank 4). If the kagekuma who slew the creature is slain, the creature can be brought back from death or become undead normally.
Speed 25 feet (or 15 feet with bundle)
Melee [one-action] kusarigama +17 [+12/+7] (disarm, magical, monk, reach, trip, versatile B), Damage 2d8-2+7 slashing plus 1d6 mentalMelee [one-action] bite +16 [+12/+8] (agile, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d6-2+7 piercing plus 1d6 mentalOccult Innate Spells DC 24, attack +16 (-4 dmg); 4th rewrite memory, translocate; 3rd fear, veil of privacy; 2nd blur, item facade; Cantrips (4th) daze, message, telekinetic projectile
Manifest Bundle [two-actions] (concentrate, occult) Frequency once per hour; Effect The kagekuma manifests a large bundle of straw, reeds, rope, yarn, hair, or the like, all lashed together with cords and strapped to their back. The kagekuma's AC increases to 27 as long as their bundle remains manifested, but their Speed is reduced to 15 feet.Ruin Wielder When a kagekuma wields a broken nonmagical weapon (typically a kusarigama), they don't take any of the disadvantages of the weapon being broken. While the kagekuma wields it, the weapon becomes a +1 striking weapon that deals an additional 1d6 mental damage on a successful hit.Shadow Bite [two-actions] (occult) Requirements The kagekuma is casting a shadow; Effect The kagekuma targets an adjacent creature that's casting a shadow, then their shadow feeds on that creature's shadow. If the kagekuma has a manifested bundle, observers (including the creature whose shadow is being bitten) can notice the kagekuma's Shadow Bite only if they succeed at a DC 36 Perception check. The target must succeed at a DC 24 Fortitude save or become drained 1 (drained 2 on a critical failure).Shed Bundle [two-actions] Requirements The kagekuma has a manifested bundle; Frequency once per day; Effect The kagekuma causes its bundle to vanish, Strides, and then attempts a kusarigama Strike and a bite Strike. The target is off-guard against both of these Strikes.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Kagekuma Bundles

A kagekuma's bundle is more than just a disguise and armor—it's a physical indication of how many lives they've cut short and how many souls they've supped upon. Whether the bundle is composed of straw, ropes, hair, or other materials, the individual lengths symbolize a sort of “reaper's harvest,” with each strand in the bundle representing a metaphorical lifeline that the nindoru has severed and collected—to an extent that the multitude of lives taken overwhelms the nindoru's own presence in the world.

All Monsters in "Nindoru"

NameLevel
Akashti (Sobbing Nindoru)10
Argyrzei (Headless Nindoru)13
Guhdggi (Wandering Nindoru)5
Ijda (Forgetful Nindoru)6
Kagekuma (Lurking Nindoru)8
Meokdan (Hungry Nindoru)2
Shisagishin (Crooked Nindoru)12
Sojiruh (Shrieking Nindoru)4

Nindoru

Source Season of Ghosts (Hardcover) pg. 328
Nethys Note: This page contains HUGE SPOILERS for the Season of Ghosts Adventure Path. Read ahead at your own risk.

When an evil mortal soul that has been reincarnated multiple times is wrenched from the cycle of souls and corrupted, it can undergo a horrific transformation into a fiend known as a nindoru. A force for entropy and the breaking of cycles, nindorus are hideous creatures whose bodies often appear distorted, who wield weapons that have been shattered yet still function, and whose true face is often hidden from view. They display traits one might expect to see in an undead creature, such as decaying flesh or broken bones, yet nindorus are very much still alive.

Each nindoru epitomizes the fracture of a specific cycle, be it one from the natural world or from societal traditions. To nindorus, nothing is more delicious than the consumption of a creature who has reincarnated multiple times, with those who are theoretically about to ascend to true enlightenment presenting the tastiest meal. Those slain by a nindoru are themselves torn from the cycle—the lucky ones move on to the Boneyard for judgment, but many are instead corrupted to form more of these horrific fiends.

Followers of Sangpotshi find nindorus to be particularly abhorrent and count them among the greatest threats imaginable. Most commonly found in regions of the world where the reincarnation cycle is strongest, nindorus are, like rakshasas, associated most strongly with the Universe and not one of the unholy planes of the Great Beyond.