Predathos

Predathos
Official art of Predathos, by Tyler Walpole.
Deity information
Type	Unknown
Title	The God Eater The Red End The Progenitor The One Who Sleeps The Beating Heart The Dreamkeeper
Pronouns	it/its
Home plane	Tengar (originally) Material Plane
Realm	Ruidus (formerly)
Appearances
First seen	"The Eve of the Red Moon" (3x81)
Last seen	"A New Age Begins" (3x121)
Stream	Campaign 3 (7 episodes)

“

The Red End stirs in its slumber. Do not let it wake.

”

– 

The divine warning about Predathos.

[!h]

Predathos is an entity that arrived on Exandria during the Founding, chasing its divine prey. Predathos is also referred to as the God Eater, by the gods as the Red End, and by the Ruidians with epithets such as the One Who Sleeps, the Beating Heart, or the Dreamkeeper, since they avoid saying its name.

Description

Initially when Bells Hells entered the Hallowed Cage, Predathos appeared as a soft, glowing teal-white light, an unfocused mote. Gradually, it took shape as a small child of glowing light. It was vaguely humanoid, with long thin limbs and a head crest similar to the Reilorans, the physical children born in its image. When it finally manifested a physical body it initially resembled its vessel, Imogen, while retaining some Ruidian features, as well as four arms; after she escaped from that form, the head changed to resemble a reilora again, although bigger and more exaggerated. Its actual body was much bigger and the crest on its head faded into the teal color of the crystals surrounding it.

The Red End's behavior, even during its slumber, was childish, but eerily and increasingly intense and insistent. In its most primal form, bigger and more monstrous, it behaved instinctively, aggressively attacking perceived threats instead of following strategies.

History

Predathos came from somewhere among or beyond the stars, in a cosmic nothingness. It fed upon and required the divine energy of gods in order to exist, and was driven mainly by this need. At some point, it apparently found the entities that became many of the Exandrian pantheon in their original home of Tengar, consuming many before they fled. The gods' own mythos told that Predathos was created when one of them plucked a fruit from a new tree born in the Orchard of Possibility.

Official art of the creation of Ruidus, by Wesley Griffith.

Predathos pursued the fleeing gods, and eventually found them in their new home on Exandria, where it descended on an island city and created twisted life forms. The gods recognized this entity and feared it. It resisted the divine magic of the deities who were already on the planet, devouring first Ethedok the Endless Shadow, god of darkness and winter, and then Vordo the Fateshaper, god of fate and order. After losing two of their own, the remaining deities struck an agreement with the elemental forces of Exandria, and together they imprisoned Predathos, trapping it (and the still-inhabited island) within a piece of the planet marked with gigantic runes. They attempted to send this imprisoning shell far away, but it clung to the world and settled into orbit as a moon that would be called Ruidus. The satellite was surrounded by a guardian divine latticework, similar to the one that would become the Divine Gate. The gods then "agreed to create a tale about Ruidus to conceal its alien origin from the mortals of the world, informing them that it was a moon of ill omen, and its magical influence was always to be avoided."

During Ludinus Da'leth's time living in Molaesmyr, he discovered information about Predathos and managed to contact it during a flare of the red moon. Interested in this entity, the wizard started working to create better communication with it using the flare of the apogee solstice of 585 PD and the energy he was taking from the crystal well under the city, possibly also using in the process an Aeorian relic. While he managed to successfully contact Predathos, his plan caused the corruption of the city and the surrounding Veluthil Forest, although due to the secrecy of his scheme neither his involvement in the fall of Molaesmyr nor Predathos's existence were revealed.

As of 843 PD, Predathos and the two deities it destroyed had been nearly forgotten. Only a few documents in Vasselheim acknowledged their existence, but the authorities of the city wanted to keep that knowledge hidden and forgotten, not only to maintain the faith of the followers of the Prime Deities, but also to protect Predathos's prison. Thus, when the Grim Verity stole the documents, Vasselheim sent judicators to chase those who possessed this dangerous information.

According to Tuldus, a member of the Ruby Vanguard, Ludinus Da'leth is able to communicate with Predathos, and has put plans in motion to release it. During the extended apogee solstice of 843 PD the gods were frightened by the possibility of Predathos being freed from its prison thanks to Ludinus' plans, so they urged their mortal followers to prevent it. According to Liliana Temult, Predathos needs an Exaltant "vessel" to carry it past the boundaries set to imprison it within the red moon, and its chief desire is to be awake, free, and able to seek vengeance against those who imprisoned it.

In a dream, Imogen Temult traveled to the core of the Moon of Ill Omen, appearing in a dark space where she felt an immense and powerful presence that made her feel at home, and leaving her with a desire to find that place again. While the party was on Ruidus sheltering from a storm in a cave, Imogen tried to connect with Predathos again and her consciousness was pulled toward it against her will. She heard its voice asking to be awakened, but she managed to resist the pull and returned to consciousness.

The Weave Mind is a Ruidian council of extremely old and powerful reiloran mystics that act as a conduit to Predathos's mind for the inhabitants of the red moon. Willmaster Edmuda revealed that the reilora aspired to free Predathos because if they did so and it devoured the gods, Exandrians' ability to oppose reiloran immigration to the Blue Promise would be greatly reduced.

When half of Bells Hells were in the Colloquium of Candescense inside the Prime Pillar Chetney Pock O'Pea used his Grim Psychometry while touching the Ruidian glass branching into its walls, getting flashes of red and stone crushing, as well as feelings of anger, hunger and loneliness. In an arcane laboratory within the Colloquium, the adventurers found a theoretical representation of Ruidus showing that its core was made of teal glass (forming 30-40% of the total), with pillars piercing upwards out of it in various locations across the moon. Evoroa later confirmed that the glass veins were remnants of the God Eater's last form before being sealed and that the material itself was part of the prison, acting like a shell holding a second adamantine-like layer infused with divine magic. Athion Zathuda called this prison "the Hallowed Cage".

Fan art of the Red End's child form, by Elaine Tipping.

Ludinus attempted to physically reach Predathos by using the power he stole from Liliana Temult, but was defeated by Bells Hells, and Imogen Temult, an exaltant Ruidusborn, penetrated the boundaries guarding the spherical Hallowed Cage. The God Eater presented itself as a shadow of its full being, a child-like entity asking to be freed, whose single-minded desire was to feed itself. Should it be prevented from escaping with their aid, it could create more of its "kin" by causing Ruidian flares that created more Ruidusborn. Although Bells Hells tried to reason and negotiate, the Red End became more insistent and impatient, and threw Chetney against a wall when he tried to put himself in front of Imogen and Fearne. Seeing that Predathos wouldn't wait much longer, Imogen reached toward it and the entity took her as its vessel, unleashing a storm inside of her. Imogen started floating, with her body slowly changing, while Fearne held onto her and tried to connect to her using the Ruidusborn connection to act as an anchor for her friend and prevent Predathos from erasing her.

Fan art of Predathos and Bells Hells, by @zhellers.

Predathos rapidly created a new body for itself around Imogen using their power and the crystals of the cave, announced it was time to wake up and started moving. A battle ensued, and the adventurers tried to weaken it while the Red End channeled its own power, as well as that of Imogen, Vordo, and Ethedok, to attack. Simultaneously, Imogen fought inside and freed the essence of one of the devoured gods, Vordo, depriving Predathos of their abilities. Thanks to Fearne's connection to Imogen, the latter was eventually able to break free of Predathos' body, although keeping their connection as its vessel. Eventually Dorian Storm managed to destroy the entity with a thunderous Chromatic Orb, its entire body turning into Ruidian glass crystal before shattering; even then, its presence was felt, and suddenly more crystals started emerging from the ground as the Red End's actual body appeared surrounding them as a part of the cavern itself.

Fan art of Ashton's hammer jammed in Predathos' mouth, by @zhellers.

Its head and multiple limbs appeared during the ensuing battle, causing massive damage in which several of Bells Hells almost died as the Red End raged. Although it successfully swallowed Imogen at one point, Ashton Greymoore rescued her from inside the entity's throat, and she, using the Ring of Remembrance, cast a thunderous Meteor Swarm that destroyed its physical body. Predathos, reduced once more to a faint light form asking if they could leave, was absorbed by Imogen, the vessel, who despite being in control noted that the Red End would regain strength eventually. With Predathos gone, its prison immediately started collapsing, so the adventurers left and returned to Exandria with it, with the reluctant permission of the gods.

Bells Hells, with the help of the Matron of Ravens, then met with the rest of the pantheon. To prove to them what she was carrying, Imogen allowed some of the power of the God Eater to manifest as red and blue energy around her, scaring the gods, who turned into less physical forms. Using Predathos as a tool to negotiate (combined with the fact that it was regaining strength the more time passed), they managed to convince the deities to accept the Rites of Catatheosis and become mortal, and thus invisible to the eyes of their predator. After the gods disappeared to be reborn, the party went to the Heaven's Stair Mountain to release Predathos away from the city, since its pain inside Imogen was growing. Only then, Imogen reached out to the child-like entity inside her. It complained about its hunger, but when Imogen said its food had already left, it became monstrous and started pressuring to come out of her. Despite the fact that Laudna and Fearne were holding her, Imogen began to contort due to the magical energy coursing through her, although with some effort she managed to redirect it until finally Predathos left her body, like a strange mist emerging from the orifices of her head. With an immense body that defied shape and physics, the God Eater started spreading everywhere, with its consciousness checking every corner of Exandria hoping to find some of its prey; when it failed, Predathos sighed and returned to the stars.

Abilities

Even from its prison within the Hallowed Cage, the God Eater was able to influence and communicate with Ruidusborn that were close enough (physically and/or psychically). The DC for the Wisdom saving throw to resist its influence was between 15 and 18.

First form

At the beginning of the being's hostile encounter with Bells Hells, Predathos was an amalgamation of powers absorbed from the two gods it had consumed (Vordo and Ethedok) together with its own innate powers. It had some of the appearance of its vessel, Imogen Temult.

• Lair Actions: Each round, the crystals imbedded within Predathos flickered and changed color, shifting part of its essence. They were first golden (from the god Vordo), then teal (Predathos' natural coloration), then black (from the god Ethedok). When Imogen consumed the remnant of Vordo within it, Predathos' golden crystals cracked and it lost access to the abilities powered by it.
  • Oppressive Awareness: All players starting their turn within 30 feet and failing a Wisdom saving throw have disadvantage on attacks on the creature, and the creature has advantage on attacks against them, for one round.
  • Resistances: While Predathos' crystals were golden, it was resistant to radiant damage.
• Legendary Resistances: 3
• Legendary Actions: Three, renewing on its turn each round.
  • Cerebral Shock Blight: On a failed wisdom save, the target takes ~32-36 psychic damage and the contagion spreads to another party member. On a success, the damage is halved and the blight does not spread.
  • Claw Strike: 1 claw attack doing ~20-40 slashing damage
  • Skein of the Golden Order: Available while Predathos' crystals were golden, it took 2 legendary actions to create a large cone in which all players failing an Intelligence save were moved as Predathos wished and suffered minor radiant damage.
  • Telekinetic Evisceration: Uses 2 legendary actions. On a failed Wisdom save, the target takes ~48 points of psychic damage and is thrust 30 feet away, or on a failed Charisma save, takes ~29 points of force damage and is restrained..
  • Touch of Piercing Winter: Available while Predathos' crystals were black, it took 2 legendary actions to target a player. On a hit, the target takes about ~38 points of cold damage, and on a failed Constitution save is stunned.
• Multiattack: Reaving Claw plus another ability
  • Reaving Claw: 2 claw attacks, each doing ~20-40 slashing damage
  • Exploit Fate: All those within a 30 foot radius around the entity suffer a 1d4 penalty to attacks and saving throws, and Predathos has a 1d4 bonus to saving throws, for one round.
  • Chasm of Eager Darkness: Available while Predathos' crystals were black. On a failed Constitution save, all creatures in a cone area take ~49 cold damage and are blinded. On a success, half damage and no blindness.
  • Miracle Devourer: Used twice during the battle, apparently both to suck healing used by the party and to keep one of its spells or effects up.
• Telekinetic Vacuum: As a bonus action, the target is pulled 60 feet toward the entity on a failed strength save
• Vulnerabilities: Thunder damage
• AC: 22
• DC: 20
• Hit points: About 700

Second form (Predathos the Evolving)

When the original form assumed by Predathos was defeated, it assumed its second form, becoming part of the room itself with the head and two hands initially visible. During the ensuing battle more limbs appeared as part of the head's turn, disappearing when cut down, each with its own pool of hit points, actions, and reactions. Predathos remained able to access the special abilities powered by the god Ethedok still held within it.

• Lair Action: On initiative count 20, the head and hands moved underground to appear where Predathos wished, the number being moved determined by a dice roll.
• Vulnerabilities: Thunder damage

Head

Predathos' head had a pool of "special actions" from which it could select, both on its turn and as its three Legendary Actions per turn. Half of any damage done to its hands carried over to the head, which regenerated a pool of 50 hit points each turn and dealt psychic damage of ~3-8 upon being attacked from melee.

• Multiattack: During each turn, the head performed one of its special abilities, performed Miracle Devourer, and also rolled a d6 to determine if either one or two new arms activated. On a 1-3, one limb activated; on a 4-6, two. This activation could involve the appearance of a new limb, or an action by an existing one.
• Special actions:
  • Activate Limb: (1 legendary action) Predathos activates a limb and attacks with a claw, on a successful attack doing ~22-32 slashing damage. Crits on an 18-20.
  • Maw of the Red End: (2 legendary actions) On a successful attack roll by Predathos, the target takes 8d8 piercing damage. On a failed strength save thereafter, the target is swallowed and begins taking damage from the digestive juices.
  • Meteoric Slam: (1 legendary action) Predathos activates one of its arms to make an attack roll against all creatures within 5 feet. If it hits, the creature takes ~26 bludgeoning damage and is blasted back 5 feet.
  • Screech of the Ravaged Mind: (2 legendary actions) Predathos let out a piercing psychic screech hitting those within 30' of the head, doing ~24-35 necrotic damage on a failed constitution save, half damage on a success. It also imposed disadvantage on concentration checks to maintain spells. Must roll for a recharge after use.
  • Shriek of Oblivion: (2 legendary actions) Black energy emits in a line from the head, doing 5d12 plus 30 points of necrotic damage on a failed dexterity save, no damage on a success. Must roll for a recharge after use.
  • Telekinetic Vacuum: (1 legendary action) On a failed strength save the target is pulled into melee with Predathos.
• Miracle Devourer: Regenerates 50 hit points at the start of its turn and steals half the healing from healing spells. Rolls to see if the ability recovers each turn.
• Condense Glass: As a reaction, gains 20 temporary hit points.
• Legendary Resistances: 3
• AC: 22
• DC: 22
• Hit points: Over 1500

Hand

• Meteoric Slam: Makes an attack roll against all creatures within 5 feet. If it hits, the creature takes ~26 bludgeoning damage and is blasted back 5 feet.
• Catapulting Blow: On Predathos' successful attack roll, the target takes ~25 bludgeoning damage and on a failed strength save is thrown.
• Ruinous Claw: On a successful attack roll, the claw does ~22-32 slashing damage. Crits on an 18-20.
• Reach: Varied between 15-30'
• AC: 20

Appearances and mentions

Depiction of Ruidus, by CoupleOfKooks from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep.

• Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep (unnamed)
• Campaign Three: Bells Hells
  • "Axiom Shaken" (3x43), mention (first mentioned)
  • "Bawdy Basement Belligerence" (3x44), mentioned only
  • "Night at the Ligament Manor" (3x46), mentioned only
  • "The Aurora Grows" (3x49), mentioned only
  • "Red Moon Rising" (3x50), mentioned only
  • "The Apogee Solstice" (3x51), mentioned only
  • "Far From The Others" (3x52), mentioned only
  • "Hope Within History" (3x55), mentioned only
  • "Escape From The Past" (3x58), mentioned only
  • "Somewhere Out There" (3x59), mentioned only
  • "Faith or Famine" (3x60), mentioned only
  • "Crisis of Faith" (3x61), mentioned only
  • "A Long Walk of Reflection" (3x62), mentioned only
  • "Reunited" (3x64), mentioned only
  • "A Path of Vengeance" (3x65), mentioned only
  • "For The Tempest" (3x68), mentioned only
  • "Phantasmal Parley" (3x72), mentioned only
  • "Roots Between Worlds" (3x74), mentioned only
  • "The Promise and the Price" (3x77), mentioned only
  • "The Eve of the Red Moon" (3x81), in a dream
  • "Ruidus" (3x83), in a vision
  • "Red Rural Revelations" (3x84), mentioned only
  • "Intense Interrogations" (3x85), mentioned only
  • "Doorways to Darker Depths" (3x86), mentioned only
  • "Arrival at Kreviris" (3x87), mentioned only
  • "Seeking Sedition" (3x88), mentioned only
  • "Divisive Portents" (3x89), mentioned only
  • "Mission Improbable" (3x90), mentioned only (indirect)
  • "True Heroism" (3x91), mentioned only
  • "Broken Roads" (3x92), mentioned only
  • "Bittersweet Reunions" (3x93), mentioned only
  • "Where The Red Fearne Glows" (3x94), mentioned only
  • "Gathering of Needs" (3x95), mentioned only
  • "The Nox Engine" (3x98), mentioned only
  • "Downfall: Part One" (3x99), mentioned only (indirect)
  • "Reconciliation" (3x102), mentioned only
  • "Cages" (3x103), mentioned only
  • "The Cradle's Convocation" (3x104), in a vision
  • "Collecting Legends" (3x105), mentioned only
  • "Under the Arch Heart's Eye" (3x107), mentioned only
  • "Looming" (3x108), mentioned only
  • "The Assembling of Legends" (3x112), mentioned only
  • "To the Arx Creonum" (3x115), mentioned only
  • "The Weave Mind" (3x116), mentioned only
  • "The Hallowed Cage" (3x118) (first appearance)
  • "Predathos Awakened" (3x119)
  • "The Red End" (3x120)
  • "A New Age Begins" (3x121)
• Specials
  • "The Mighty Nein Reunion: Echoes of the Solstice" (Sx79), mentioned only

Quotations

• (to Imogen) "Welcome home. Join us. Wake us."
• (Liliana Temult, about Predathos) "It's real tired of being here [in Ruidus] and it's real angry at those who put it there, and it's real hungry."

Trivia

• Its name seems to combine the Latin prefix preda- (referring to predators/predation) and one of (or both) of the following suffixes:
  • Athos, referring to a giant in Greek mythology. In myth, he is indirectly responsible for creating a mountain named after himself: in one telling, he attempted to throw one at Poseidon but missed (depending on the variants, it either landed in the sea and became the mountain there, or Poseidon then used it to bury Athos). In other tellings, Poseidon threw the mountain at Athos first.
  • Thos (θώς), an Ancient Greek word meaning "jackal" that may be related to an earlier root meaning "to eat".
• This article uses "it/its" pronouns for Predathos until further confirmation of its gender expression. So far the only time Predathos has communicated it has spoken as a collective, using "we", but other people refer to the entity as "it".
• Even if Predathos doesn't communicate verbally in dreams and visions, the emotions it shares are processed in the brain as words.
• Members of the Grim Verity have theories and hypotheses about the creation of Predathos's prison, having correctly guessed it could have been originally a landmass on the surface of Exandria. They also theorize that the most powerful Ruidusborn, called "Exaltant" or "Scions", could be receiving their power from the entity in the red moon, who might want to use them as anchors.
• Matthew Mercer confirmed that the Moon of Ill Omen occasionally "notices" specific lycanthropes, influencing them and forcing them to change.
  • It was also confirmed, however, that the Weave Mind are the ones "directing" that attention most of the time.
• The gods coming from Tengar share a specific type of divine spark of indescribable color, which Predathos can sense, and hungers for.
• Matt confirmed that technically the Red End doesn't need consent in order to take a vessel, and had Bells Hells taken too long, it would have lost patience and try to force them to give them one.
• The threads of fate become visible in the presence of Predathos, with those connecting the Ruidusborn turning red.
• When using a host, Predathos manifests abilities similar to those of that individual, the same way it manifests the powers of the deities it has consumed.
• When naming Matt's different ideas of various outcomes for the gods at the end of Campaign Three, he said that there was a way to destroy Predathos that involved a Luxon beacon.

References

Art: