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Chuul

Also known as chu’ulothis, these large, armor-plated, crustacean predators lurk beneath the surface of pools, mires, and ponds, waiting to snatch up prey with their massive claws before paralyzing them with their tentacles. At that point, they begin to feed, eating their quarry alive.

Chuuls can live in fresh or saltwater, and indeed are found in aquatic environs the world over—even in subterranean oceans and lakes.

While chuuls are good swimmers, they prefer terrestrial prey. Their preferred method of hunting is by lunging out of the water, paralyzing their victims with their poison-coated tentacles, then gleefully dragging their twitching food into the water to drown if they cannot simply eat such morsels alive. Chuuls that dwell above-ground prefer to dine on lizardfolk, while those swimming in subterranean lakes readily eat anything but xulgaths, whose flavor and stink they find off-putting.

Chuuls are capable of speech and reason, but these creatures rarely speak with those outside their species except to taunt their food. Before it begins consuming its prey, a chuul often speaks in a gurgling, nearly incomprehensible dialect about how it will enjoy feasting on the creature’s flesh. Perhaps chuuls believe that insults and degradation lead to more tender and tastier food, but the truth will likely never be known; almost all chuuls stubbornly refuse any meaningful conversation, even when imprisoned and compelled by treats or pain.

It is unknown if a chuul society exists beyond their frenzied mating season. Chuuls’ intellects seem devoted only toward eating, causing psychological pain to sentient creatures, decorating their lairs with mementos of their favorite meals and victories, and breeding.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Bestiary (Second Edition) © 2019, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Alexander Augunas, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Adam Daigle, Eleanor Ferron, Leo Glass, Thurston Hillman, James Jacobs, Jason Keeley, Lyz Liddell, Ron Lundeen, Robert G. McCreary, Tim Nightengale, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Chris S. Sims, Jeffrey Swank, Jason Tondro, Tonya Woldridge, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

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