View source for Neria, Cetacea (3.5e Monster)

{{author
|author_name=Eiji-kun
|date_created=3-20-14
|status=Complete
}}
__NOTOC__

{{3.5e Monster Classic
|monster=Cetacea Neria
|size=Colossal |type=Giant |subtypes=Aquatic
|hd=22d8+462 |hp=561
|init=-2
|speed=5 ft, swim 50 ft
|ac=30 (-2 dex, +30 natural, -8 size) |touch=0 |flat=30
|bab=+16 |grapple=+52
|at=Slam +28 melee (4d6+20, 20/x2) or Mwk Longspear +29 melee (6d6+30, 20/x3) or Mwk Javelin +29 ranged (4d6+20, 20/x2)
|full_at=Two Slams +28 melee (4d6+20, 20/x2) and Mwk Longspear +29/+24/+19/+14 melee (6d6+30, 20/x3) and Mwk Javelin +29/+24/+19/+14 ranged (4d6+20, 20/x2)
|space=30 ft |reach=30 ft
|sa=Bellow (DC 41), Capsize, SLAs, Unmask (DC 26)
|sq=Amphibious, Blindsense 100 ft/1000 ft, Darkvision 60 ft, Deep Breath, Delayed Fast Healing, DR 20/magic, Fortified Body, Hibernation, Hidden Spirit, Low-Light Vision, SR 26, Telepathy 100 ft
|fort=+33 |ref=+5 |will=+33
|str=50 |dex=6 |con=50 |int=20 |wis=30 |cha=20
|skills=Concentration +55, Diplomacy +30, Listen +35, Knowledge History +30, Knowledge The Planes +30, Sense Motive +35, Spellcraft +30, Swim +28
|feats=[[SRD:Endurance|Endurance]]{{B}}, Steadfast Determination<sup>RoS</sup>{{B}}, [[SRD:Power Attack|Power Attack]], Brutal Throw<sup>CV</sup>, Improved Toughness<sup>CW</sup>, [[SRD:Run|Run]], [[SRD:Combat Expertise|Combat Expertise]], [[SRD:Blind-Fight|Blind-Fight]], [[SRD:Iron Will|Iron Will]], [[SRD:Epic Will|Epic Will]]
|env=Aquatic or Deep Aquatic
|org=Solitary
|cr=15
|treas=Standard
|align=Usually Lawful Good
|adv=By character class
|la=-

|monster2=Cetacea Neria Worldspeaker (8th lvl Druid)
|size2=Colossal |type2=Giant |subtypes2=Aquatic
|hd2=30d8+660 |hp2=795
|init2=-2
|speed2=5 ft, swim 50 ft
|ac2=30 (-2 dex, +30 natural, -8 size) |touch2=0 |flat2=30
|bab2=+22 |grapple2=+58
|at2=Slam +37 melee (4d6+26, 20/x2) or +4 Longspear +42 melee (6d6+40, 20/x3) or Mwk Javelin +38 ranged (4d6+26, 20/x2)
|full_at2=Two Slams +37 melee (4d6+26, 20/x2) and +4 Longspear +42/+37/+32/+27 melee (6d6+40, 20/x3) and Mwk Javelin +38/+33/+28/+23 ranged (4d6+26, 20/x2)
|space2=30 ft |reach2=30 ft
|sa2=Bellow (DC 46), Capsize, SLAs, Spells, Unmask (DC 30), Wildshape (Large, 3/day)
|sq2=Animal Companion (porpoise), Amphibious, Blindsense 100 ft/1000 ft, Darkvision 60 ft, Deep Breath, Delayed Fast Healing, DR 20/magic, Fortified Body, Hibernation, Hidden Spirit, Low-Light Vision, SR 30, Telepathy 100 ft, Trackless Step, Wild Empathy +13, Woodland Stride
|fort2=+40 |ref2=+7 |will2=+40 (+4 vs fey)
|str2=50 |dex2=6 |con2=52 |int2=20 |wis2=30 |cha2=20
|skills2=Concentration +55, Diplomacy +30, Listen +35, Knowledge History +30, Knowledge Nature +7, Knowledge The Planes +30, Sense Motive +35, Spellcraft +30, Survival +12, Swim +28
|feats2=[[SRD:Endurance|Endurance]]{{B}}, Steadfast Determination<sup>RoS</sup>{{B}}, [[SRD:Power Attack|Power Attack]], Brutal Throw<sup>CV</sup>, Improved Toughness<sup>CW</sup>, [[SRD:Run|Run]], [[SRD:Combat Expertise|Combat Expertise]], [[SRD:Blind-Fight|Blind-Fight]], [[SRD:Iron Will|Iron Will]], [[SRD:Epic Will|Epic Will]], [[Epic Prowess-CE (3.5e Feat)|Epic Prowess-CE]] x3
|env2=Aquatic or Deep Aquatic
|org2=Solitary
|cr2=19
|treas2=Standard
|align2=Usually Lawful Good
|adv2=By character class
|la2=-
}}

[[File:Ningen.jpg|390px|thumb|left|A rare image of a cetacea swimming in the depths.  Its facemask is barely visible.]]
 
''A colossal but undeniably humanoid shadow moves in the depths below you.  The boat shakes as it rises, towering over you with its pale skin, a giant white mask gazing at you with a seven eyed pattern.''
 
Just as giants exist on land, there are giants of the sea as well.  The neria are the giants of mer-kind, and cetacea neria are the greatest of them all.  One of the two descendants of the original primal oceanic neria, an old long forgotten race which spawned all neria.  In these times, a great war broke out over an unknown cause.  The cetacea won, driving the others into exiles into the depths and then... nothing.  History for the primal neria stops, and they seem to fade away only to be replaced by the soft spoken and long dreaming cetacea.  The cetacea embody passiveness, for they are subtle in all that they do.  For as large as they are, they are difficult to find as they patrol distant waters and swim as massive depths, or even simply hibernate and are forgotten.  Many have been surprised when an entire coral reef or part of an island chain wakes up and begins moving on its own, now grown on the back of a sleeping cetacea neria.

The cetacea neria are massive pale skinned giants which range from bone white to darker blue-grays, with humanoid upper halves and whale lower halves.  Their faces are universally covered with their strange bone white masks which seem almost to be part of them, and expose no eyes, no mouth, indeed nothing.  In spite of this the cetacea sees and eats plankton which seems to simply meld into the strange mask, and the mask can be removed.  Those that see a cetacea's true face can never recall what they have seen, for it is something impossible and unfathomable.  The closest descriptions have been "a hole", "nothing but light", "so many things watching", or even stranger descriptions which all seem to fall short.  The masks are rarely removed, for the safety of others and because the pattern on the mask is the unpronounceable true name of the neria, giving it identity.  Given this seemingly eldritch nature, and the worshiping habits of their ancient brothers the hadal neria, it would bring into question exactly what kind of society the primal oceanic neria had.

In any case, the cetacea are passive and only interfere when evil enters the sea, or when the stars are right.  They oppose the hadal and it seems they wake and move specifically to prevent the rise of their abyssal brothers from the trenches.  If these wars are carried out away from human eyes and a few hadal still surface, how many of their kind have been stopped at the trenches?

Cetacea neria speak in low, long, booming voices and take a great deal of time to think or say anything.  They are not dim, simply thoughtful, and not prone to sudden action.  They prefer to remain unnoticed, seemingly trying to purposefully fade from the world.

A cetacea neria speaks Common, Giant, and Aquan, and one more ancient tongues with their high intelligence.  They are the largest of the neria at a titanic 50 ft tall "standing" (100 ft from head to tail) and weighing 380,000 lbs.
Alignment	Usually Lawful Good +
Author	Eiji-kun +
Challenge Rating	15 + and 19 +
Environment	Aquatic or Deep Aquatic +
Identifier	3.5e Monster +
Level Adjustment	- +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Size	Colossal +
Subtype	Aquatic +
Title	Neria, Cetacea +
Type	Giant +