Shark Spirits of the Southern Seas
Manu are dangerous shark-like creatures that live in the Southern Seas. They are sleek, colourful and have elaborately decorative fins, but they are deadly hunters. The Empire of Splendour called these creatures 'Shark Spirits', believing that they work for the Divine Minister of the Iridescent Pearl as enforcers and bodyguards. The Moa-Ruaki have a similar belief. They call them Manu-Pako-Mani, meaning 'Teeth of Ko'. The manu have a similar role in Moa Ruaki mythology as they do in Imperial myths, meting out punishment at the orders of Ko, the supreme deity in Moa Ruaki beliefs. In the Moa-Ruaki version, however, the manu-pako-mani are disobedient to Ko, and often kill under their own initiative purely for pleasure. In some Moa Ruaki stories the manu are said to be made from the souls of disobedient humans, hence their innate unreliable nature.
In fact, most manu encountered are little more than animals with one exception; they have the ability to influence emotion. Manu can emit empathic waves, which they use to induce fear or despair in their prey, often resulting in a swimmer panicking and drowning. Manu seem to prefer emotionally disturbed prey to eat, and if a victim of a manu attack is able to remain calm the manu sometimes pass by without feeding. They eat any meat, although the more intelligent the better (due to the richer range of emotions). Because of this, ti-kop of all kinds find manu to be a great problem and will hunt them down whenever they can.
Manu hunt in packs of 3-12, and gather to mate twice a year (roughly during 4th and 8th Month by the Imperial Official Calendar) in areas around the Tuuma Strait. This is a good time to avoid those waters since the manu are even more aggressive than usual. The females are larger (20-30 ft. long), stronger and more dangerous. The males are smaller (10-16 ft.) and they remain around the spawning grounds to guard the eggs and sharns, as young manu are known.
Greater Manu
There are many species of manu, with different colourations and variants on the standard manu as discussed above (but all similar in game terms). These are properly termed 'Lesser manu'.
Greater manu are more like the true 'shark spirits' that most people believe lesser manu to be. They are rare and powerful sea spirits; intelligent and magical with widely varying powers. Each encounter with a greater manu is a unique event. They can change their shape; commonly favoured forms are dragon turtle, human or gloppy. Moa-Ruaki stories often feature an evil shaman who worships the Manu-Pako-Mani. Such individuals are dangerous and powerful, but in the stories they usually end up getting eaten by their masters.
Lesser Manu, Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 7d10+7 (45 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: Swim 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+14
Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Blindsense, keen scent
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 12
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8, Swim +11
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair or pack (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 5
Advancement: 8-10 HD (Large)
Combat: Manu always use their spell-like abilities to instill fear and despair in their targets before swooping in with their bite attack. It is postulated that they prefer the taste of prey experiencing strong emotion.
Spell-like abilities (Sp): At will - crushing despair, fear. Caster level 7th. Save DC 14, Charisma-based.
Blindsense (Ex): A manu can locate creatures underwater within a 30 ft. radius. This ability works only when the manu is underwater.
Keen Scent (Ex): A manu can notice creatures by scent in a 180 ft. radius and detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.
Skills: A manu has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Greater Manu, Large Magical Beast (Shapechanger, Spirit)
Hit Dice: 14d10+70 (147 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: Swim 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+18
Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Bite +14 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Alternate form, blindsense, keen scent
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +7
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Listen +10, Sense Motive +9, Spot +10, Swim +14
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes
Environment: Temperate aquatic
Organization: Solitary, pair or pack (3-12)
Challenge Rating: 14
Advancement: 15-20 HD (Large), 21-30 HD(Huge)
Combat: Manu always use their spell-like abilities to instill fear and despair in their targets before swooping in with their bite attack. It is postulated that they prefer the taste of prey experiencing strong emotion.
Spell-like abilities (Sp): At will - crushing despair, fear, obscuring mist. 3/day - control water, shield of faith. 1/day - control weather, divine power, storm of vengeance. Caster level 14th. Save DCs are Charisma-based.Charisma based.
Spellcasting (Su): A greater manu is usually able to cast spells as per a 14th level cleric, druid or sorcerer. This varies from creature to creature.
Alternate Form (Su): At will, as a standard action, a greater manu can assume the shape of a human, a ti-kop or a dragon turtle.
Blindsense (Ex): A manu can locate creatures underwater within a 30 ft. radius. This ability works only when the manu is underwater.
Keen Scent (Ex): A manu can notice creatures by scent in a 180 ft. radius and detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile.
Skills: A manu has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
(c) 2007 The Creative Conclave.
Contact us.
