Sun Keld Rules v.3 : Bestiary

Anzud

keywordsDrylands, Twilight, Icelands, Very Rare

level6

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
17	15	10	12	25	15	12	45	8	8	8	6	1	3	156
Maul : A23 D15 Init6 damD10+9 Unbalanced. Long. Sacred. Mighty 3.

Anzud are enigmatic giant smiths that can be found, rarely, almost anywhere on Sun Keld. An Anzud stands twice as tall as a Keldian, and is heavily muscled and enormously built. Their flesh is rock hard and varies in colour from ochre to grey-black. All Anzud have huge shaggy manes of hair which spread across their shoulders and upper chests. Most also have beards, which they wear stiffly braided so that they jut out beneath their faces. It is not clear if there are male and female Anzud, or if all of the creatures are the same. Anzud children are equally unknown.

Anzud are legendary smiths, with a supernatural skill with metal and stoneworking. All Anzud have Mining 5, with 3 in each skill, as well as Warfare / Armoury 6. They are believed to guard and mine their own sources of metal, though active mines have never been found, and will sometimes come to Keldian mine workings in search of ore. They will occasionally trade for metal or stone, but are as likely to use their great strength and weapons to take what they wish instead. Most Anzud carry giant sized Mauls or Axes, as well as wearing metal armour (un-armoured they have Armour 4).

In tales told by Sages, Anzud usually only appear when some hero must seek one out to have a great weapon forged or repaired, or where some rare gem or cache of star iron is guarded by an Anzud smith. A few tales tell of Anzud who have sought out great smiths, usually to teach them their secret skills. Generally the smith in the tale must first impress the Anzud with some great deed of craftmanship, or a test of their stonecunning.

Magical constructs of great complexity such as the Copper Hunter are sometimes said to be the work of the Anzud.

Fetchsoul

keywordsTwilight, Spirit, Undead, Very Rare

level11

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
18	30	14	18	8	18	18	50	0	0	5	5	2	3	188
Touch : A20 D30 Init16 damD6 Spirit vs. Spirit or die. Ignores Armour. 1 corruption. Aura : damD4 Area 10. Fear 18. Ignores Armour.

The Fetchsoul is a horrid abomination, but thankfully probably a unique one. Stories claim that the Fetchsoul is the shade of the last King of Nammu, murdered in his mother's womb before he was born. Trapped by the curse of Ur, the spirit grew twisted and vengeful, accumulating strength over the centuries by leaching the life force of others. Some Sages suggest that other murdered souls have also become Fetchsouls at other times.

Those unfortunate enough to have seen the Fetchsoul tell of a spirit creature resembling a shrivelled pup or fetus, its eyes still shut as it blindly gropes for its foes. An aura of corruption surrounds it, capable of un-manning the bravest of warriors. Its paws are twisted into claws with which it grasps at the air, and at the life energy of its foes. As it appears and vanishes from the gloom that always accompanies it, the Fetchsoul whispers constantly of its revenge and pain.

Despite its appearance, the Fetchsoul is capable of moving with some rapidity, moving instantly between any area of shadow or darkness up to 20 legats apart. Bright light is uncomfortable to the creature (-4A/-4D) but not enough to repel it, and the aura that surrounds it will extinguish any normal light source in one round of exposure. Magical light sources are extinguished if a D12 roll is greater than the Rank of the spell that created them (roll each round for any source in range). This aura extends 10 legats from the Fetchsoul, and the creature cannot be seen (or targeted) from outside of it. Any Keldian venturing into this shadow suffers a Fear 18 attack as they begin to hear the terrible whispers of the creature, even if they have encountered and survived the fear before. Rolling a critical on this Fear test makes you immune to the aura of this Fetchsoul. The area inside the aura is almost complete darkness, though the Fetchsoul itself can always be perceived as if alone was illuminated.

When the Fetchsoul touches someone it drains their life-force. This may slay a target outright. If it does not the Fetchsoul still takes a portion of the creature's soul into itself. This empowers the abomination (add damage inflicted to Health), and also creates a link that the creature can exploit. An adult gains 1 corruption, and has -4A/-4Spirit when facing that Fetchsoul (don't apply this to the chance of death). A child, however, comes under the Fetchsoul's control, and the Fetchsoul preys first on innocent children, slipping unseen into their chambers as they sleep. When it touches these children it will sometimes slay them by accident, but if it does not it will turn them against their families, whispering constantly into their dreams. Children so influenced have set fire to their homes, or stabbed their siblings – killing whole families without the Fetchsoul ever being seen.

The Fetchsoul is always faced in areas of darkness and shadow, where its movement abilities mean it can never be pinned or surrounded. It will attack primarily with its aura of fear, and its touch, but can also use the following powers at will, once per round, as if it were a Black Order Mage of the 10th level : Shadowy Wall, Children of Shadow, Crossing the Broder, Shadow Sending, Power of Command, Darkseeing, Icestorm.

Gatherer of 20

keywordsDemon, Flying, Spirit, Very Rare

level7

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
13	17	12	13	10	15	11	40	0	0	4	0	4	1	126
Force Blast : D20 Init16 Cone, 10 legats long, 5 wide. Roll Agility vs. 15 or stunned for 15 - Spirit rounds. Roll Phys vs. 15 or knocked down. Rend : A16 D17 Init15 damD8 Spirit Ignores Armour. Mighty 1

The Gatherer of 20 is a foul and terrifying beast from beyond the world. Some whisper that it comes from the Passing, others that it belongs to the great dark beyond the sun. Physically, the Gatherer (there may only be one) resembles a sort of pale many-segmented crustacean, held aloft by many jointed legs that curl around its body and are constantly in motion. Nine or ten whip-like tentacles surround the Gatherer's mouth, extending as much as two legats in front of it, while smaller cilia form a ring between the tentacles. Above the tentacles are two black oval eyes, while the other end of the Gatherer's body ends with a flaring prawn-like tail. While the Gatherer appears to be larger than a Keldian it can easily change its size to enter small spaces. The sight of the Gatherer is terrifying (Fear 15).

The Gatherer is so known because once it appears somewhere on the world it proceeds to murder and devour twenty Keldians before it vanishes again. The Gatherer appears to derive sustenance from consuming the spirits of living creatures. Its Rend attack does no physical damage, instead reducing Spirit. If a target is reduced to 0 Spirit by this attack then it is devoured by the Gatherer and dies. This heals the Gatherer 10 Health, and allows the creature to steal its victim's body. The Gatherer can curl itself inside the corpse and animate it, using it as a shell to get closer to its next target. While hidden inside a corpse, the Gatherer cannot be damaged until the body is destroyed, at which point it bursts free in one round. A Gatherer controlled body has Health 10.

The Gatherer does not devour any Keldian it comes across, but appears to select targets based on some unknown criteria (which may differ from visit to visit). To get at its chosen target it will use deception while inside a stolen body. If faced with physical threat it can unleash an invisible shock wave of force which can knock down or stun anyone caught in it. It will then make its escape, or swoop down on its chosen target.

Once the Gatherer has devoured its 20th spirit it vanishes.

Mother of Stars

keywordsTwilight, Aquatic, Very Rare

level9

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
11	27	12	8	40	15	20	110	4	8	7	0	3	2	238
Smash : A28 D12 Init10 damD12+8 Can smash up to 6 targets a round. Sting : Phys vs. 15 or D10 Stun

The Mother of Stars is an almost legendary relation of the Crown of Stars (or perhaps it is simply a Crown of Stars grown to enormous proportions), a vast, many-armed, starfish like creature of the One River. The Mother of Stars is over 30 paces from tip to tip, though it can withdraw its arms to fit into narrow channels. Its rubbery body is violet, blue and grey, translucent at the tips, and slightly luminescent. It is capable of causing the small bumps on its surface to emit hypnotic patterns of light, which lure aquatic creatures close enough to eat. Keldian boats are sometimes drawn to these underwater patterns and similarly destroyed. Mothers have no interest in treasure, but their hides are often studded with weapons and other objects that have been absorbed into their flesh.

In combat the Mother of Stars can strike up to 6 targets a round with some of its many arms (others are always involved in swimming and feeding). These blows cannot be parried or blocked, they are capable of smashing ships into matchwood, but they are slow, and usually easy to see coming. Attacks against the arms (use the Smash stats) do not harm the Mother's body, but each arm can only sustain 15 Damage before being severed or withdrawn.

Once a target has been knocked into the water it will be stung many times by the fine tendrils that hang under the main body, and then consumed. A stunned target will automatically be eaten in d4 rounds. Should the Mother be seriously harmed it will withdraw its arms and commence to rotate under the water, creating a whirlpool that automatically damages any ship that remains close. Each captain must make a Travel roll to get their ship to safety, resisted by a 16, or sink.

It is not clear how intelligent the Mother is. Sages record legends of how a Mother has blockaded the harbour of a city, or relentlessly attacked a shipping route, for weeks, before vanishing as quickly as they arrived.

Naga King

keywordsDrylands, Twilight, Naga, Very Rare

level9

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
20	23	15	14	22	20	17	75	12	12	6	0	4	3	202
Bite : A24 D22 Init19 damD10+4 Poison. Spi vs. 18 or charmed for 3D4 minutes. Breath Weapon : Init14 damD10 Fatigue Range 8. Ignores Armour. Ag vs. 15 for half.

A Naga King is a huge and impressive example of Naga kind. Its upper body is shaped rather like a terrestrial cobra, complete with flaring hood, while the lower body has the many clawed legs typical of Naga kind. The Naga King's skin is covered with glittering metallic scales, that shimmer red silver and gold in the sunlight. A King is 12-15 paces in length, rearing higher than a standing Keldian. Their heads are crowned with six glassy eyes, with which they can see invisible and spirit creatures (Observation 6), and look in all directions at once. Above this ring of eyes sits a golden crown, though this is not solid, but rather a magical projection of the King's presence. When the King flares its hood it reveals a number of gems set into the scales which glow with their own radiance.

Naga Kings do not like to fight, and prefer to have others do their fighting for them. The bite of a Naga King can control another creature's mind, charming them to follow the King's suggestions. A normal bite in combat charms for 3D4 minutes, but a King may inject more venom into a controlled or unresisting victim that extends this charm to 3D4 days. The King then uses such minions to enact its wishes, or to deal with their own comrades. A charmed Keldian can make a Spirit roll versus the King's Presence to try and break free of the control if forced to do something that harms their friends or companions (add bonuses for close relationships), or violates a closely held belief. If they fail they take the action anyway. The King can only communicate orders in person, giving a charmed subject more room to interpret instructions when away on a mission.

If confronted by a large number of foes the King will spread its hood. The hypnotic glow of the gems set into its flesh force any who see them to make a Spirit roll resisted by the King's Presence. If they fail then they are struck motionless, and will remain in a dreamlike state for 2d4 rounds, unless attacked. The King will generally bite one or more people in this state and have them deal with the rest. It can do this three times a day.

Finally the King can breathe out a cone of flickering multi-coloured light 2 times a day. This cone automatically hits anyone in the area of affect, inflicting fatigue damage (may make an agility roll to halve). Anyone falling unconscious from this attack is, of course, likely to be bitten.

As with all Naga, the Naga King seems to exist somewhere on the edge between Clay and Spirit. If slain, the Naga King can reform itself again in 7 days provided that at least one minion remains under its control. The King takes refuge in the mind of the minion. Normally the minion is unaware of this, but the King can attempt to direct their actions by winning a Presence vs. Spirit contest each time it needs to direct an action. When the minion is possessed in this way those with the ability to see magical things may notice a pale image of the King's crown above the head of the controlled minion.

Other Naga seem to acknowledge the Kings as superior, and will defend them in combat. Kings generally lair somewhere with other Naga close by, such as ancient ruins or treasure hordes (there is surely one in the ruins of Nammu for example), and may take these hoards from Naga of Eight Eyes and claim them for themselves. Naga Kings always wish to increase their hoards, and will use charmed servants and other Naga to do so. A King's lair contains a hoard suitable for its Wealth. In addition the gems set into the Naga's hood are enough for four Treasure 5s, while the metallic hide is a Treasure 7.

Night Wraith

keywordsUndead, Spirit, Very Rare

level7

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
17	15	15	12	14	14	16	50	0	0	4	4	0	4	146
Touch : A17 D15 Init15 damD8 Fatigue Aura : damD6+8 Area 1

A Night Wraith is the soul of a former Mage that was bound into a star Iron weapon which was then destroyed. After years of imprisonment they hate living beings and use their formidable powers, that of a 4th level Mage, to hunt it. A Night Wraith resembles a ragged version of the original Mage, its skin ebony and swirling dimly with uneasy energy. They are insubstantial and move through solid objects at will, and they are always utterly silent and can see in the dark. The sight of one of these creatures inflicts a Fear 18 attack.

Wraiths never carry arms, mere close proximity to one inflicts D6+8 wounds that are resistant to healing, a Stonetalker can restore only his level in Health. In addition actual touch inflicts D8 Fatigue, and the subject must roll Health or be rooted to the spot for 2 rounds. Wraiths often wear spectral amour and may use magic objects, but do not otherwise carry treasure or items, they have no interest in such material wealth any more.

Remnant

keywordsUndead, Spirit, Very Rare

level9

At	Def	Ag	Int	Phys	Pre	Spi	H	S	W	Ar	MD	Mv	Fer	Quick
14	14	14	15	5	15	5	40	8	12	5	8	1	2	151
Touch : A19 D14 Init15 damD4+1 Ignores Armour. Drain 2 points from Phys or Spi. Black Ray : A30 D14 Init15 damD12+1 Ignores Armour. Ranged 3.

As is the way of all creatures of Clay, all Keldians must eventually die. Even the most mighty magics of the Orders cannot prevent this, but there are always those so desperate to live that they will explore any means to do so. For some this means embracing the magic of the White Order, while others quest for the fabled Immortality Stone, or some artefact of the Ancients said to extend life forever. All such attempts fail, indeed many are themselves fatal, but sometimes they involve powers sufficient to rip the spirit from the body. Occasionally some part of the Keldian's spirit remains as a Remnant, a powerful Undead creature still obsessed with the quest for immortality.

Each Remnant has a different appearance, depending on what power or misadventure created them. Many are no more than shadows, inky figures with gaps or white lights for eyes. Others are twisted or animated corpses, or ghosts clad in shreds of their former body and clothing. Regardless of appearance they all have the standard immunities of Spirits.

Remnants are driven by the desire to escape their half-life and claim the immortality they feel they deserve. The touch of a Remnant drains the vital energy of living things, inflicting Physical and Spirit damage as well as (or if it wishes, instead of) Health. The Remnant then adds these points to its own Attributes, often growing some sort of body as it does so. Stolen points can be used to increase any Attribute, one for one. Reaching 10 Physical gives the Remnant a solid body which can pass for living if the Remnant's Spirit is also 10 or more. (The lower this Spirit, the more corpse-like the body looks.) If the Remnant currently has a solid body it can (and will) use weapons and armour. If the Remnant currently has a Spirit of 10 or more then it may use Red or Black Order magic as if it was a level 6 Mage (a given Remnant will use one or the other, not both). Stolen attribute points are not permenant. Each day a Remnant will lose 1 point from each attribute until it returns to its normal score.

Anyone who has lost Spirit to a Remnant may fall under its control if they fail a Spirit vs. Presence roll. The Remnant may spend Health or Spirit for 1 for 1 bonuses when making such rolls. Someone so charmed by a Remnant will follow its orders until such time as the drained Spirit heals. The Remnant will usually use this ability to send minions to steal secret knowledge, obtain artefacts, or prevent others from doing so, all to further its continuing quest.

Remnants may also dominate other Undead in the same manner, and are capable of using their touch even on immaterial creatures. When they do so they can redirect the usual urges of these creatures and co-opt them to their own. Remnant lairs are often guarded by other Undead, who may recover Spirit at a slower rate than living creatures. It is rare that a Remnant can drag itself away from its pursuits to fight intruders in person. When it does so it will generally attempt to drain and then dominate targets as quickly as possible. Only when this is not possible will the Remnant use its other combat abilities. Once per round, instead of making a touch, they can release a black ray that deals damage. Alternatively it can spend a round altering its attributes by moving points. Up to 6 points may be moved in one round.

Bestiary

7 entries found.