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 Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:59 am
Here There Be Monsters
My name is Silas Veru and what you see before you is the result of many years of study and field research. This book is the fruit of long hours spent laboring over volumes of lore, observing creatures in their natural habitats, and piecing bits of disjointed information and hearsay together. My hope is that I can bring some form of understanding to the speculation and rumor that surround the marvelous (and dangerous) creatures which inhabit our Sphere. Should you encounter any of these creatures face to face, I also pray this field guide spares you from certain death either by giving you the proper knowledge of how to deal with them correctly or avoid them entirely.
Like any naturalist, I believe in the power of taxonomy to place the natural world into perspective. The word "monster" is a misnomer and I dislike it's use in a scientific context. Monster is a word born out of fear and ignorance. I believe that we can understand these creatures as biological or magical entities without condemning them as beings to be feared solely on the basis of our own misunderstandings. As such, I will make every attempt to provide plausible explanations and accurate data recorded through observation above what I've learned from folklore...unfortunately, in many cases, folklore is all the information available about some species. In these cases, I will be sure to inform the reader of such.
My reliance on scientific methods of taxonomy has led me to classify the creatures I have encountered into seven distinct categories. Likewise, this book is divided into seven chapters, each devoted to the complete coverage of the beings therein. The seven species of monster are as follows; Artificials (artificially created beings such as machines or golems with no true mind or soul to speak of), Beasts (both the feral and intelligent animals of field, flood, and forest), Humanoids (those who walk upright and may be found in the physical shape of Man, though they possess not the spiritual or moral faculties of Man), Plants (intelligent and often predatory vegetation that grows in remote and wild parts of the worlds), Spirits (the intangible residents of the invisible world or “Limbo” as some texts call it; they are the ghosts, demons, and false gods of so many rural legends), and Undead (those who have leapt from this mortal coil only to be resurrected as abominations by dark, unknowable forces).
I hope my research will serve you well in your pursuit of scholarly understanding. May your encounters with the creatures listed henceforth be limited only to your encounters on the following pages.
~Sir Silas Veru, esq.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:03 pm
ARTIFICIALS
The term Artificial is used to describe any created being that does not have the capability to exist naturally; that is to say, it is created from various parts and animated either by technology, magic, or a combination of both. The two most widely known types of Artificials are golems and machines. Golems are assemblages of rock, metal, wood, or other inanimate materials. These beings are formed into a shape (most often humanoid) and animated with magic. Though few magicians today know how to create golems, this does not mean that the wizards of yesteryear were so ignorant. These hulking stone goliaths can be found wandering the ruins of their master’s former home or patrolling some dark corner of the earth, fulfilling a duty that has long since become obsolete.
Machine-like Artificials are either the remnants of a civilization that has long since died or the errant children of technology gone awry. The majority exists solely to fulfill whatever purpose they were originally designed for and they carry out their orders with cold efficiency. These worker drones often guard the passages of ancient ruins or meticulously fight the ravages of time, repairing whatever damages befall their particular sector. For whatever reason, a select few seem to somehow gain a measure of intelligence and rational thought. Those who do not become what modern Man calls Machina are doomed to continue wandering the dark corridors of their ruined cities, trapped in a broken state between programmed servitude and free consciousness.
Characteristics
Artificials have no mind, soul, or emotions
Artificials have no need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep and cannot be affected by poison, disease, fatigue, or mental attacks.
Artificials cannot be affected by Direct Magic nor can they cast magic themselves
The following serve to describe the specifics of an Artificial’s design:
• Size: How large this type of artificial most often is. There can be vast variations in form, however, if more materials are used in the creation of the creature. Of all the beings in this book, Artificials are the least confined to the sizes presented here.
• Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in.
• Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is.
• Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10.
• Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here.
• Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature.
• Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:05 pm
BEASTSWhat follows here are not only the mundane animals found throughout the wild lands of The Sphere, but also the more magical or exotic creatures that, despite their magical nature or reputation, can still be considered wild beasts. Most of these creatures shy away from human contact and their first response when threatened is to flee. However, when defending their territory or their young, they can become quite dangerous. Each animal behaves differently, however, and the wise traveler knows the best defense against any beast is knowledge. CharacteristicsBeasts have a basic mind, soul, and emotions Beasts must eat, sleep, drink, and breathe The following attributes describe the stats of various Beasts: • Size: How large the animal can potentially become. Younger animals are significantly weaker (subtract 2 from the creature’s Difficulty rating for a young animal and 4 for a baby – to a minimum of 1). • Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in. • Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is. • Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10. • Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here. Special Note: With Beasts, characters may apply their Wilderness score to meet the Knowledge requirement. • Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature. • Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author. Kero Lizard Kero Lizards are predatory creatures which dwell in the tops of trees looking for prey that runs along the ground. Though their diet typically consists of small jungle animals, they won't hesitate to attack larger prey, including Men, in groups of up to twelve members. They aren't particularly nimble or clever, but they are incredible climbers and jumpers, possessing a natural camouflage that makes them difficult to spot when traveling through the jungle. Kero Lizards are not built for close combat and prefer to injure their prey by spitting acidic digestive juices at them from a distance before moving in to finish the job. If forced into melee combat, Kero Lizards will either flee and return when their prey is less wary or fight with their powerful front claws and horn. Known AbilitiesChameleon: Kero Lizards can change skin color to suit their environment. Omni-Directional Sight: Their eyes are capable of seeing in all directions at once, though their vision is mostly peripheral; directly in front or behind their heads is where their eyesight is strongest. Leaping and Climbing: Kero Lizards have been known to jump over 20 feet vertically and can climb faster than most Men can run. Acidic Spit: Like marksmen, these lizards can spit their digestive juices with amazing accuracy at distances up to 40 yards. Stretching Tongue: Their tongues are able to stretch up to 20 yards and they often use this nimble, durable appendage as a rope to aid in climbing, ensnare prey, or lash foes from a distance. Size: 4 to 5 feet long, 3 feet high, 200+ lbs. Habitat: Jungles and tropical environments (native to Marabolous) Rarity: • Difficulty: 2 Knowledge: 3 with +2 Difficulty. 2 with +0 Difficulty if the character is from Marabolous. Experience: 6 Exp Silas' Notes: When surveying some of the creatures of Marabolous, I was informed by locals of a peculiar story. A group of settlers were traveling through the jungle, gathering food when they were set upon by some Kero Lizards. It looked like the settlers were finished but oddly enough, the Kero never closed in to attack. It turned out that one of the women had picked a flower she thought to be little more than a pretty souvenier...but the Kero are repulsed by its scent. I believe this flower is called the Dawn Lilly and it is fairly uncommon and highly sought after for its effect on predatory animals like the Kero Lizards.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:07 pm
HUMANOIDS
Humanoids are the creatures that walk upright as a man and possess one (or more) pair of arms and legs. However, these creatures are far removed from Man not only physically, but also in their moral, spiritual, and behavioral temperaments. Many were created by Malice as a mockery of Man or twisted by supernatural forces or demonic influence into hideous aberrations of their former selves. Whatever their origins, Humanoids are considered a sub-human species by modern naturalists. Though they have the potential to be every bit (if not more) intelligent, resourceful, and able-bodied as Man, their barbaric and brutal natures firmly establish them as monsters in the minds of most civilized beings.
Characteristics
Humanoids have a mind, soul, and emotions
Humanoids must eat, sleep, drink, and breathe
The following attributes describe the stats of various Humanoid creatures:
• Size: How large this Humanoid most often is. Though most humanoids stay within the 5-7 foot range, some species are very small and others are gigantic.
• Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in.
• Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is.
• Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10.
• Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here.
• Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature.
• Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:11 pm
PLANTS
The vast majority of plants on The Sphere are benign, unintelligent forms of life that grow up from the ground, fed by the water and nutrients therein. Some, however, feed not on what their roots can gather, but capture prey in unique ways. These predatory plants can be just as dangerous as any creature with a voracious appetite, yet they retain all the personality and reason of a plant…which is to say, none. Voracious plants are (in most cases) neither canny nor tactical. There are those, however, that have come to be possessed by both base and advanced spirits…these beings are often protectors of the woodland realm, though some have become bent by infernal energies towards darker purposes. In any case, dangerous plants are quite rare and inhabit only the wildest reaches of the worlds.
Characteristics
Plants do not have a mind, soul, or emotions
Plants need to breathe (carbon dioxide) and feed (water & nutrients from the ground or elsewhere)
Plants do not need to sleep
Plants cannot be poisoned by any means save tainting their food supply
The following attributes describe the stats of various Plant creatures:
• Size: How large this species of plant can grow to be. Some are as innocuous as wild flowers…others grow to be giant, towering hulks of trees and leaves.
• Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in.
• Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is.
• Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10.
• Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here.
• Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature.
• Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:12 pm
SPIRITSSpirits are the ghosts, gods, and demons that inhabit the invisible realm between life and death that many refer to as Limbo. Though the more powerful spirits are certainly capable of seeing us, only very special individuals are able to see them. Priests, mediums, and shaman all claim some measure of connection to such beings (both hostile and friendly) and many pagan rites are devoted to their reverence and worship. Whatever their nature, power, or personality, Spirits are strange, macabre beings that only a fool would trifle with. The best prescription for dealing with such intangibles is a healthy measure of fear and reverence…but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; if possible, avoid them all together. CharacteristicsSpirits have a mind, soul, and emotions but no body; they are essentially comprised only of mind, soul, and emotions Spirits, whether material or immaterial, have no need to eat, sleep, breathe, or drink – though many choose to imitate these acts for one reason or another. A Spirit cannot be affected by anything physical unless it becomes physical itself or that which would affect it becomes immaterial. Less powerful Spirits have a difficult time becoming physical and others (like elementals) are limited to artificial physical forms (treat as Artificials while incarnate). If a Spirit’s physical body is destroyed, the spirit becomes incorporeal for a time while it recovers. After it has recovered, it may again take physical shape. The only way to eliminate a Spirit is to destroy it on a spiritual level or to banish it to the other side of Limbo. The following attributes describe the stats of various Spirits: • Size: The shape and size this type of spirit tends to assume when it becomes physical. Spirits are the least bound to rigid physical forms and so this characteristic is mostly moot. • Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in. • Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is. • Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10. • Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here. • Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature. • Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author.  DarklingMade from inky black shadows and smoke, the Darklings are spirits of corruption which spring from places and people that have fallen into shadow. They move erratically and speak in a gibbering, muttering tongue that only other Darklings can understand. Though they aren't particularly powerful, they are very fierce and often travel in large numbers. They attack with lashing, shadowy tendrils which spring from their bodies and, if they can get close enough, rows upon rows of jagged teeth. Most frightening is their ability to evolve into more powerful forms as a fight progresses...though it seems that only other Darklings can cast the spells which cause their brethren to evolve. Darklings can spring from places or people that have been corrupted to the core. In the case of creation from a truly evil person, the Darklings will serving their master's wishes with their limited intelligence and resources. Known AbilitiesShadow Sink: It seems Darklings are able to become pure shadow in order to hide, escape from danger, climb up walls, and under doors. Dark Tendrils: The Darkling's primary mode of offense are these tendrils attached to the tops of their heads which lash about them when they attack. Jaws: Occassionally, a Darkling will lunge at its foe in an attempt to clamp down with its sharp teeth. Their bites have been known to break bones in a single chomp. Evolve: Darklings are capable of weaving a dark spell and casting it upon their fellows to induce an evolution of sorts, transforming them into more powerful versions of themselves. Darkvision: As far as we know, Darklings can see with perfect clarity in the dark. Their vision in daylight is unobserved as Darklings have never been spotted anywhere other than deep shadow. Size: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 feet tall, weighing no more than 20 lbs. Habitat: Ruined, corrupted places Rarity: •• Difficulty: 1 Knowledge: 3 with +0 Difficulty Experience: 4 Exp Silas' Notes: Darklings exhibit a phenomenal maleability for earthbound spirits. Not only are they capable of evolving one another into more powerful forms through dark magic, but their masters claim they can mold several Darklings into more terrible and powerful shapes. Or perhaps it is the Darklings who do they shaping and allow their "master" to think otherwise? I suspect they have a strong aversion to daylight and would either flee from its touch or vanish like the shadows they are if illuminated.
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Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:14 pm
UNDEAD
Undead are those horrible abominations whose life-forces, for whatever reason, remain trapped in their bodies long after they have breathed their last. Some are the product of dark magic. Others are the result of incomplete fates or the angry Po who roam the countryside in unabated anger. And a horrible few are the creation of Plague Lands that spread in blighted, dark areas. Whatever their unnatural origin, Undead comprise an unsettling and steadily growing threat among the monster population. They feel no fear or pain. Poison, fatigue, hunger, disease, and the elements affect them not. Many are the pawns of crooked death-mages who use them as fodder in their armies that wage war against all that are civil and ordered. Truly, the dead are a force to be feared and it is likely that any who encounter these walking corpses need any counsel further than their own fear in order to flee.
Characteristics
Most undead are mindless, soul-less, emotionless husks animated by dark energies. Those who do have minds, souls, and emotions are intelligent and cunning beings that still cannot be affected by any stimuli that prey on such mortal weaknesses.
Undead have no need to eat, drink, (though many devour the flesh and drink the blood of their enemies anyway), sleep, or breathe.
Undead have an aversion to sunlight; it causes them physical pain or discomfort. If at all possible, Undead will stay out of the sun as its touch can weaken (reduce the Undead’s Difficulty by 1 while in sunlight) or even destroy them outright.
The following attributes describe the stats of various Undead creatures:
• Size: The shape and size this of an undead. This roughly mirrors the size the creature once had in life, give or take some due to decomposition.
• Habitat: The kind of environment one can expect to encounter this being in.
• Rarity: How common or uncommon the creature is in their natural habitat. The more • assigned to this rating, the rarer the being is.
• Difficulty: A numerical evaluation of how easily a single character can defeat his opponent. Difficulty exists for the sake of roughly guessing how hard an encounter may be (though no actual numbers change). Difficulty is rated in a scale of 1-10.
• Knowledge: If a character has a Knowledge skill ranking equal to or greater than the numbers listed here, that character may make an Intellect+Knowledge feat at the specified Difficulty to know the basic facts about the creature given here.
• Experience: The suggested amount of Experience Points given for the defeat of this creature. Experience points are divided evenly among all characters that had a hand in defeating the creature.
• Silas' Notes: Special notes and thoughts about this creature made by the author.
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