Drifting like tattered remnants of lost caravans, these deceptively fragile creatures ride the relentless winds of the Sea of Silt, their broad, membranous bodies an insidious trap for the unwary.

A pirolaxia’s body is almost weightless, allowing it to ride the air currents with minimal effort. When the wind carries it through a swarm of insects, its slightly adhesive skin collects the tiny creatures, which it then consumes through a long, whip-like feeding tongue that emerges from the creature’s fleshy central protrusion. This same tongue, capable of piercing flesh, is used to drain the blood of larger prey when the opportunity arises. Though seemingly passive, the pirolaxia is an opportunistic ambush predator, capable of sudden aggression when food is scarce.

When hunting larger creatures, the pirolaxia will ride the wind toward its prey, using its claws to latch onto exposed flesh before wrapping its sail-like body around its victim. If it successfully ensnares a creature, it will tighten its grip, restricting movement and allowing its feeding tongue to pierce through its victim’s flesh, siphoning vital fluids. Weakened prey often succumb before they can break free, their lifeblood drained away before the wind carries the pirolaxia onward.

Pirolaxias rarely attack moving prey directly, preferring instead to glide unnoticed, appearing to be nothing more than debris until the moment they strike. Only when a creature lingers too long beneath them—wounded, weary, or unaware—do they descend, their membranous bodies folding over their victims like a burial shroud. The greatest danger, however, comes from their numbers—while a lone pirolaxia is a hazard, a swarm of them can overwhelm even a giant, pressing their victims into the silt while their tongues drain them dry.

Pirolaxias thrive where wind is strongest, rarely venturing beyond the shifting air currents of the open silt. When the wind dies, they collapse onto the surface, spreading themselves flat like discarded fabric, waiting for the next gust to carry them aloft. Some scavengers and nomads along the Estuary of the Forked Tongue have been known to harvest dead pirolaxias for their membranes, which can be tanned into lightweight items that retain a measure of their natural adhesive properties, making them useful for climbing gear.

While pirolaxias are not intelligent, its instincts make it an efficient and persistent predator. Once attached to a victim, it will not release its grip unless mortally wounded or torn free by force. Giants, in particular, consider them a plague, for their large bodies attract multiple pirolaxias at once, making travel across the Sea of Silt even more treacherous.

In the presence of larger silt creatures, the pirolaxia is more cautious. Silt horrors, for example, are known to tolerate pirolaxias, allowing them to land on their backs in exchange for ridding them of insects. Balican sailors and dockworkers often burn away pirolaxia swarms using tar-soaked torches and alchemical fire, knowing that even a single pirolaxia clinging to a crewman’s back can leave them weakened and vulnerable before they can cut it loose.

Those who venture into the Sea of Silt should beware - a shadow flitting overhead might seem harmless at first, but before long, it may become a drifting shroud, wrapping tightly around its next meal.

Pirolaxia

Several sheets of canvas seem to have been caught up by the wind blowing over the Sea of Silt. As one nears you, a toothless mouth opens from a bulge at its center, from which shoots a sharp-tipped tongue.

Medium Aberration (Air)
Hit Dice: 6d8+12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Fly 40 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+6
Attack: Tongue stab +7 melee (1d6+3)
Full Attack: Tongue stab +7 melee (1d6+3) and 7 barbed claws +5 melee (1d4+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with tongue)
Special Attacks: Adhesive skin, constrict (1d6+3), drain fluids
Special Qualities: Buoyant, low-light vision, silt glider, tremorsense 60 ft., wind-dependent
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +7
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +12 (+16 in silty environments), Listen +6, Spot +8
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative
Environment: The Sea of Silt
Organization: Solitary, swarm (2–5), or flock (10–30)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 7–12 HD (Large); 13–18 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

Combat

Pirolaxia prefer ambush tactics, drifting overhead and waiting for an opportune moment to strike. When prey is weak or unaware, they swoop down, latching onto exposed flesh and constricting their body around the victim. A pirolaxia does not release its hold unless mortally wounded or torn away by force.

Adhesive Skin (Ex): A pirolaxia’s slightly adhesive membrane allows it to collect small insects while gliding. Against larger prey, this effect makes a pirolaxia exceptionally difficult to remove once attached. Any creature grappled takes a -4 penalty on Escape Artist or Strength checks to break free.

Buoyant (Ex): A pirolaxia’s nearly weightless body allows it to float effortlessly when carried by wind currents or supported by light surfaces (such as the silt’s upper layers). If exposed to high winds, a pirolaxia gains a +20 bonus on Jump checks and may be blown up to 60 feet per round (at the DM’s discretion).

Constrict (Ex): If a pirolaxia succeeds on a grapple check, it automatically deals 1d6+3 bludgeoning damage as it tightens its membrane around the target.

Drain Fluids (Ex): Each round a pirolaxia maintains a grapple, its whip-like tongue stabs into the victim, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage as it siphons blood and bodily fluids. A successful DC 16 Fortitude save reduces this to 1 point of Constitution damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Silt Glider (Ex): While above the Sea of Silt, a pirolaxia may treat itself as weightless for the purposes of movement, allowing it to ride air currents or float on the surface of the silt without sinking as long as the wind is blowing. If the wind dies down, the pirolaxia collapses onto the surface of the silt, appearing like a discarded cloth until lifted again by air movement.

Wind-Dependent (Ex): Pirolaxias cannot fly without a source of wind. If the wind completely stops blowing, a pirolaxia must succeed on a DC 15 Jump check every round or sink into the silt at a rate of 5 feet per round.

Skills (Ex): Pirolaxias receive a +4 bonus to Hide checks in silty environments.

Pirolaxia Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Nature) can learn more about pirolaxias.

Pirolaxia Grip Wraps

Pirolaxia grip wraps are thin, treated strips of pirolaxia membrane, carefully cured to preserve their natural adhesion while still remaining flexible. Wrapped around the hands, forearms, or feet, they provide subtle yet effective grip enhancement, and are commonly used by thieves, acrobats, and gladiators.

A creature wearing pirolaxia grip wraps gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand checks or checks to grip or manipulate small objects, making them useful for pickpocketing, disarming, and catching weapons in combat. Additionally, they provide a +1 circumstance bonus on Balance checks, helping wearers maintain footing on uneven or shifting terrain.

Due to the fragile nature of pirolaxia membranes, these wraps wear out over time, losing their effectiveness after 1d6 months of frequent use unless regularly treated with oils to prevent them from becoming brittle. Exposure to open flames or fire-based attacks instantly destroys them.
Cost: 30 Cp; Weight: 1 lb