Erumía

Huge celestial (spirit, shapechanger), lawful neutral

Armor Class 18 (opal-hard bell)

Hit Points 264 (23d12 + 115)

Speed 0 ft., swim 60 ft. (hover)

STR 20 (+5) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 20 (+5) · INT 16 (+3) · WIS 22 (+6) · CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +12, Cha +10

Skills Insight +12, Nature +9, Perception +12

Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks

Damage Immunities poison, lightning

Condition Immunities blindness, charmed, exhaustion, prone, poisoned, restrained

Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft. (water only), passive Perception 22

Languages Aquan, Kiwai; telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

Traits

Ever-living spirit. Erumía can’t be permanently slain. When she is reduced to 0 hit points, her body dissolves into harmless pink filaments. She reforms at full hit points in her reef at the next dawn unless a wish spell is used to bind her essence for a year and a day.

Aura of imunu. Creatures that start their turn within 20 feet of Erumía must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than Erumía until the start of their next turn. Friendly Kiwai who offer respect automatically succeed on the save.

Luminous dreamer. Erumía is always under the effects of foresight (no action required). Once per day she can cast dream without material components (save DC 18), always appearing as a vast jellyfish in coral-pink light.

Water form. Erumía can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. She can move through any opening at least 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Legendary resistance (3/Day). If Erumía fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack. Erumía makes three Tentacle Lash attacks. She may substitute Draining Filaments for one attack.

Tentacle Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 25 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) lightning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained and takes 10 (3d6) lightning damage at the start of each of Erumía’s turns. Erumía can grapple up to four creatures this way.

Draining Filaments. A restrained creature must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. Erumía regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Coronal Pulse (Recharge 5–6). Erumía releases a blinding flash in a 60-foot radius. Each creature of her choice in the area must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 45 (10d8) radiant damage and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a success, a creature takes half damage and isn’t stunned.

Legendary Actions

Erumía can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. She regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.

Move. Erumía swims up to 30 feet.

Tentacle. Erumía makes one Tentacle Lash attack.

Whirlpool Surge (Costs 2 Actions). Water in a 30-foot radius around Erumía churns violently. Each creature other than Erumía in that area must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet toward her and knocked prone.

Lore

A gigantic jellyfish, mother of all jellyfish and protector of all sea life.

Erumía is a gigantic jellyfish that the Kiwai people of New Guinea’s western coast revere as their chief guardian spirit, or oror aˊ rora. Her bond with the village of Mavata is so tight that outsiders sometimes call the residents “the people of Erumía.” In Kiwai mythology this jellyfish is more than a huge animal: she is the ancestress of all ordinary jellyfish (eˊde eˊde) and the overarching protector of all sea life. Villagers honor her, convinced that Erumía secures their luck at fishing. What makes her unique is that she is not an abstract goddess but a specific, living creature of the sea.

According to legend, Erumía’s home lies off the coast at Tere-muba-madja Reef near Cape Gesovamuba. Any violation of the codes of conduct in her waters brings certain death. Consequently, local fishers approach the ocean and its traditions with deep respect—everyone wants to sail home, not be dragged to the bottom by tentacles.

From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 32 · Fern Flower Press