Umbral Shepherd

Umbral shepherds are often brought to Golarion by shadowcallers, where they serve as spies, puppeteers, and manipulators for the glory of Zon-Kuthon. Unwavering in their obedience to their lord, these entities ruthlessly possess mortal hosts to carry out their master's will.

The bond created by a shepherd's parasitic possession is antithetical to life. As the shepherd sustains themself with a mortal form, they drag the host's body toward its doom. This degeneration also risks the shepherd's existence, which depends on the host's continued life, so they must find a new host before the last fully succumbs. Those tracking an umbral shepherd often do so by following the trail of desperate and broken hosts this process leaves behind. The trail is rarely random. The shepherd is drawn toward the goal set by their divine master; it is often possible to identify a shepherd's next target if their ultimate goal is understood.

Despite this determination, a cornered shepherd is not above choosing targets of opportunity. If one of these parasites identifies its pursuers, its favorite tactic is to isolate the most vulnerable of the group and possess them, providing false leads or alerting allies to delay and even kill the rest of the hunting party.

In the Netherworld, umbral shepherds naturally resemble humanoid figures with an ashen torso and a twisted demonic face. No two shepherds are truly alike except for their lack of visible limbs; some bear marks of torture and open wounds, while others possess features that are more diabolic than demonic. They can also manipulate their own essence to manifest shadowy tendrils, burrowing bloodlessly through flesh with gruesome ease as their vile rot infects surrounding tissue.