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    Marakihau

    Large monstrosity, chaotic evil

    Armor Class 15 (scaled hide)

    Hit Points 60 (8d10 + 16)

    Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft.

    STR 18 (+4) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 15 (+2) · INT 11 (+0) · WIS 12 (+1) · CHA 10 (+0)

    Saving Throws Str +6, Con +4

    Skills Perception +3

    Damage Vulnerabilities lightning (see Water-dweller)

    Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks while the marakihau is fully submerged

    Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

    Languages Aquan, understands Common but can’t speak

    Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

    Traits

    Amphibious. The marakihau can breathe air and water.

    Master of the Deep. The marakihau’s swim speed isn’t reduced by difficult terrain composed of water. Opportunity attacks against it are made with disadvantage while it is swimming.

    Water-Dweller. If the marakihau starts its turn out of water, it takes 5 (1d10) necrotic damage. While out of water, it loses its Damage Resistance trait and has disadvantage on attack rolls.

    Water Camouflage. The marakihau has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made while it is submerged.

    Actions

    Multiattack. The marakihau makes two attacks: one with its Ngongo Tongue and one with its Bite.

    Ngongo Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) and pulled up to 15 feet straight toward the marakihau. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the marakihau can’t tongue-grapple another creature.

    Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

    Swallow. The marakihau makes one Bite attack against a Small or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the creature is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the marakihau, and takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the marakihau’s turns.

    • If the marakihau takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the marakihau must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the swallowed creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the marakihau. If the marakihau dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 5 feet of movement, exiting prone. The marakihau can have only one creature swallowed at a time.

    Bonus Actions

    Jet Surge (Recharge 5–6). The marakihau propels itself with a burst of water, moving up to its swim speed in a straight line without provoking opportunity attacks. Each creature whose space the marakihau enters during this movement must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.

    Reactions

    Tidal Drag. When a creature the marakihau can see within 20 feet of it hits with a ranged attack, the marakihau can force that creature to make a DC 14 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pulled up to 10 feet toward the marakihau.

    Lore

    Human-shaped beings with long tubular tongues capable of devouring people.

    Marakihau are powerful supernatural beings that dwell in deep bodies of water, sea caves, or the open ocean. They are dreaded sea monsters that actively attack anything alive, able to overturn canoes and devour people. Their lairs are deep underwater pools, submerged caverns, or stretches of coastline marked by treacherous currents and dangerous waves. Most tales belong to the Mataatua iwi traditions around the Bay of Plenty.

    In appearance, a Marakihau is a hybrid creature with a striking, menacing form—half human, half fish. From the waist up it resembles a stylized human figure; below the waist its body curves into a long tail tipped with a fish fin. Its most distinctive feature is a long, tubular, hollow tongue called a ngongo. Even stranger, the tongue ends in a cup-shaped tip. Early carvings depict triangular scales along the creature’s belly and on its head, underscoring its fully marine nature and limiting its time on land. In other words, if a Marakihau is ever stranded on shore it will die unless it can quickly return to the sea.

    From Oceanian Bestiary 5E, p. 44 · Fern Flower Press