Bestiary
Bestiary
Alghouls are a more powerful and dangerous variant of the common ghoul, distinguished by their larger size, increased strength, and the retractable spines on their backs. Like their lesser kin, they are undead creatures that feed on the flesh of the dead and occasionally prey on the living. They are often found near graveyards, battlefields, and other locations where corpses are plentiful.
Their ferocious appearance and deadly spines make them a fearsome opponent. The alghouls' spines can be extended or retracted at will, and they use them to deter would-be attackers or to inflict additional damage when grappling.
Like common ghouls, Alghouls are drawn to areas of conflict and tragedy, making them a common sight in war-torn regions. They are nocturnal creatures, preferring to hunt under the cover of darkness. Their increased strength and resilience make them even more dangerous than regular ghouls, and they are known to lead packs of lesser ghouls in coordinated attacks.
Alghouls are universally despised and feared by the living, as their presence often signifies disease, decay, and the lingering horrors of war. These creatures are considered an abomination, and few would
Drowners are monstrous humanoid creatures that inhabit the dark, murky waters of swamps, rivers, and lakes in a grim fantasy world. They are opportunistic predators that feed on the flesh of the drowned and attack unsuspecting victims who venture too close to the water's edge. Drowners are drawn to the scent of blood and are known to gather near sites of violent conflict or where bodies have been disposed of in nearby waterways.
These creatures have slimy, greenish-blue skin covered in patches of dark algae and muck. They possess webbed hands and feet, which allow them to swim with ease and navigate their aquatic environments. Their elongated, grotesque faces are filled with razor-sharp teeth, perfect for tearing into the flesh of their victims. Drowners have sinister, glowing yellow eyes, which allow them to see in the murkiest of waters and the darkest of nights.
Drowners are primarily nocturnal hunters, stalking their prey from the depths and striking when least expected. They are known for their ability to drown victims by grappling them and dragging them beneath the surface, ensuring a steady supply of food in their watery lairs. Drowners are also capable of surviving on land for short periods, making them a threat to those who assume they are safe from the water's edge.
While not particularly intelligent, Drowners exhibit a cunning and animalistic instinct for survival. They are known to coordinate their attacks, using their numbers to overwhelm and subdue their prey. Drowners are also known to be territorial, attacking other aquatic predators or even their own kind when food is scarce.
The presence of Drowners is often seen as a bad omen by the local population, and they are considered a menace by fishermen, travelers, and those who live near bodies of water. Drowners are despised and feared for their gruesome hunting tactics and the danger they pose to communities. Hunters, adventurers, and monster slayers are often tasked with eliminating these creatures to ensure the safety of those living nearby.
Dusk Stalkers are the restless spirits of those who died under traumatic or tragic circumstances, and have been unable to find peace in death. They are often associated with darkness and the twilight hours. Dusk Stalkers drain the life energy of the living, leaving their victims' minds shattered and broken. They feed on fear and despair, often paralyzing their victims before moving in to drain their life energy. They are feared and avoided by most sensible folk.
Adventurers should be cautious when dealing with a Dusk Stalker. Its incorporeal nature makes it immune to most physical attacks, and its despair and energy drain abilities make it a formidable opponent. Holy water, magic weapons, and spells that affect undead are known to be effective against Dusk Stalkers. It's also been known that helping the Dusk Stalker find peace, often by resolving the trauma or tragedy that led to their undead state, can put the spirit to rest permanently.
Endrega Workers are the foot soldiers of the Endrega colonies. They are incredibly territorial and aggressive, attacking any potential threat to their colony on sight. Despite their relatively low intelligence, they are adept at working together to bring down larger foes. They are also known to use their potent venom to subdue their targets, ensuring their prey can't escape. Knowledgeable individuals know to approach these creatures with caution, especially when in large numbers.
Endrega Warriors are the elite defenders of the Endrega colonies, significantly larger and more formidable than their worker counterparts. Their heightened strength, thicker exoskeleton, and pronounced mandibles distinguish them. With an aggressive nature, they protect the colony from threats, charging into battle with a fervor unmatched by the workers. Those who intrude upon an Endrega territory are often first met by these fierce warriors, who deliver debilitating venomous bites and overpowering strength in their efforts to protect their home.
The heart of any Endrega colony, the Queen Endrega is a massive specimen, notably larger and more powerful than even the fearsome Endrega Warriors. With a more developed intellect than the rest of her colony, she holds the strategic mind guiding her offspring's actions, ensuring the survival and expansion of her domain. Her potent poison and strong mandibles make her a formidable foe, but it is her ability to command and spawn her offspring that presents the greatest danger to intruders. The protection of the queen is paramount to the colony, and her pheromone lure ensures she is never without her defenders for long.
A Fenborne is a creature born of tragedy and twisted mercy. Once human, these beings have been remade by swamp hags, cursed spirits, or ancient wetland magics. Their bodies are knotted with creeping roots, slime, and half-petrified bone. Moss clings to their skin, and their limbs move with jerking, unnatural force.
Some Fenborne retain fragments of memory, faces they once loved, places they once called home, but these memories are blurred, like names spoken underwater. They roam the deep fens as hunters, guardians, or revenants, tethered to the will of the one who made them and the sorrow that birthed them.
Foglets are creatures born from thick fog and mists. They often haunt swampy areas or dense forests, using their natural camouflage to surprise their prey. Foglets are highly adaptable, able to shift between solid and gaseous forms, making them elusive and difficult to track.
The Foglet is a formidable opponent, capable of swooping down on its victims with its sharp teeth and draining their blood. It has a natural affinity for fog and mist, able to merge with them and manipulate them to its advantage. Additionally, foglets are known for their vulnerability to fire, which can cause significant harm to them.
A Foglet's presence is often signaled by the eerie mist and fog that surrounds it, making it a fearsome creature to encounter in the dark and gloomy corners of the world.
Ghouls are undead creatures that feed on the flesh of the dead and occasionally prey on the living. They are often found near graveyards, battlefields, and other locations where corpses are plentiful. These grotesque monsters have a hunched posture and are covered in pale, rotting flesh. Their long, sharp claws and teeth allow them to tear through flesh with ease, while their powerful legs enable them to pounce on unsuspecting victims.
Ghouls are known to be drawn to areas of conflict and tragedy, making them a common sight in war-torn regions. They are nocturnal creatures, preferring to hunt under the cover of darkness. Ghouls are also known for their foul stench, which sickens those who come too close.
Though Ghouls possess a low level of intelligence, they are cunning and opportunistic predators. They are known to follow armies and scavenge the remains of battles, as well as lurk near places where they can find an easy meal.
Ghouls are generally solitary creatures but may occasionally gather in small packs, especially in areas with an abundance of corpses. When faced with a significant threat, ghouls may exhibit a primitive form of cooperation, attacking in unison to overwhelm their enemies. However, their predatory nature makes long-term cooperation among them rare.
These creatures are universally despised and feared by the living, as their presence often signifies disease, decay, and the lingering horrors of war. Ghouls are considered an abomination, and few would hesitate to destroy them on sight.
Water hags are hideous creatures that dwell in murky swamps, marshes, and lakes. They have a twisted and bloated appearance, with sagging skin and long, clawed fingers. Water hags are known for their cunning and malevolence, using their spell-like abilities and underwater ambush tactics to overpower their prey.
The Water Hag is a formidable adversary. Its innate spell-like abilities allow it to weaken its foes, and read their thoughts. Water hags are also proficient swimmers, swiftly navigating through their aquatic habitats.
Encountering a water hag is a harrowing experience, as they are adept at hiding among the dense vegetation and murky waters of their environment. Their menacing presence is often marked by eerie sounds and disturbances in the water, signaling the danger that lurks beneath.
Leshens are enigmatic and ancient creatures, deeply tied to the primeval woods they inhabit. They are the embodiment of nature's wrath and protection, retaliating against those who threaten the balance of their territory. Their origins are a mystery, some believe them to be fey that have grown powerful and old, others think they might be nature spirits or demigods who have taken a physical form.
The Leshen's connection to nature is so profound that it influences the flora and fauna within its territory. Animals obey their commands, and trees bend to their will. It often uses crows as scouts and messengers, their cawing cries echoing the Leshen's own voice. They are capable of summoning woodland creatures to aid them when threatened, and the very forest itself seems to fight on the Leshen's behalf.
Leshens are solitary creatures, each staking out a vast territory as its own and defending it fiercely. They are intelligent and highly territorial, attacking any who invade their space with ill intent. The Leshen will not hesitate to use its powers to protect the forest and its inhabitants.
In terms of reproduction, it's believed that when a Leshen reaches the end of its long life span, it imbues a portion of its essence into a chosen tree. Over time, a new Leshen slowly forms and grows from this tree, inheriting the memories and territory of its predecessor.
Their ability to heal is as remarkable as their capacity for wrath. They can heal both animals and fey creatures, using their own life force to mend wounds and cure ailments. This has earned them a level of respect and reverence from forest inhabitants, with some even worshiping them as demigods.
The Leshen's form is a curious blend of animal, plant, and something more ethereal. They typically adopt the appearance of a humanoid figure made of intertwined branches, sporting a deer skull as a head. This, coupled with their ability to transform into a tree or a cloud of smoke, allows them to observe and guard their territory without being detected.
Despite their fearsome reputation, Leshens are not innately evil. They simply protect their domain with a fierce resolve, viewing any encroachment by civilization as a threat to be eliminated. To those who respect the forest and its laws, the Leshen can be a powerful ally and guide. However, those who would bring harm to the woods would do well to steer clear of a Leshen's territory, for they will find no mercy under the gaze of the deer skull.
Lost Souls are spirits that dwell in the Northern Wilds of Azopeth. These creatures vary greatly and many posses unique abilities. Each appears differently, many having a deformity that tends to do with their mortal death. Their presence here is believed to be the result of an ancient magical event that thinned the veil between this world and the spirit world. Although these spirits can appear at any time of day, they are most commonly seen in the twilight hours. While not all of them are intentionally malicious, many of them revel in inflicted pain and misery upon the mortals they encounter.
Defeating these spirits in combat is often merely a temporary measure, and most return to their haunts in a matter of days. The only proven method of permanently removing a Lost Soul has been to Consecrate the area, or in rare cases appease what torments the Soul.
Example Description: A man sized being that appears almost completely black in color, with little to no texture, or reflection of light. It’s eyes burn a fiery red, and several horn-like protrusions jut out of its body without symmetry. It has more than one mouth, one on its neck, and one on its side. They speak in unison like an eerie choir, and its many sharp teeth glisten in the moonlight.
Nekkers are small, vicious creatures that inhabit underground caverns and rocky terrain. They have a goblin-like appearance with sharp claws, teeth, and a hunched posture. Their skin is rough and leathery, often blending in with their surroundings, making them difficult to spot.
These creatures are known for their cunning and pack mentality. They are highly territorial and will attack any creatures that encroach on their lairs. Nekkers are nocturnal hunters and will venture out of their lairs at night to scavenge for food, often preying on small animals or unwary travelers.
Although not particularly intelligent, Nekkers are skilled ambush predators, using their burrowing abilities and knowledge of their surroundings to set up traps and surprise attacks. They will often work together in groups to overwhelm their prey, using hit-and-run tactics to wear down their opponents.
Nekkers are feared and despised by local populations, as their presence often signifies danger and unrest. Adventurers and monster hunters may be tasked with eliminating these creatures to ensure the safety of nearby settlements.
River Nixies are more powerful but far less sociable compared to their bog counterparts. They are known for their enigmatic and deceptive nature, often found lurking in the treacherous depths of rivers and lakes. These nixies are fiercely territorial of their aquatic domains, using their enhanced spell-like abilities not only to safeguard but to ensnare and beguile. They take a grim pleasure in luring unsuspecting travelers to their watery demise, reveling in the deceit and control they wield over those who stray too close to their domain. River Nixies, while capable of granting minor wishes, often do so in twisted ways, turning would-be rewards into cunning traps for the unwary, furthering their reputation as dangerous and unpredictable dwellers of the river wilds.
The Rustfire Witch is a spectral entity born from the haunted waters of the Ironwash Mire. It embodies the destructive power of rust and decay, with flames that burn a deep rust-red, mimicking the iron-rich waters from which it arises. This variant witchfire haunts the dense swamps, preying on the unwary, its form barely distinguishable from the mists that rise off the rust-stained waters. Its touch corrodes both flesh and metal, leaving behind little more than rust and despair. The Rustfire Witch's haunting presence is as much a part of the Ironwash Mire as the iron itself, a guardian of decay that stands sentinel over its desolate, beautiful domain.
The Fearborn Skeleton is a nightmarish creation, often arising in places saturated with intense terror or despair. Unlike typical skeletons, which are merely animated bones, Fearborn Skeletons are infused with the residual essence of fear from their previous life or the environment where they were raised. This gives them a ghastly appearance, with their bones appearing twisted and contorted into grotesque forms, sometimes with remnants of ethereal, ghostly tissue clinging to them.
These skeletons are not just animated by necromantic energy; they are also driven by the terror they once experienced or absorbed. This makes them more unpredictable and dangerous than their regular counterparts. Their eyes often glow with a faint, eerie light, and they emit chilling whispers or moans that can unnerve even the bravest of adventurers.
Fearborn Skeletons possess an uncanny ability to sense fear in their opponents, making them relentless in their pursuit. They use this fear to their advantage, often employing tactics that are designed to terrify their victims before moving in for the kill. In combat, they are known to suddenly appear from shadows or seemingly materialize out of thin air, adding an element of surprise to their attacks.
A Fearborn Skeleton's presence is often an omen of a tragic past or a lingering curse. Their existence is a testament to the powerful and corrupting influence of fear, serving as a grim reminder that sometimes, the most horrifying monsters are born from the very emotions that plague the living.
Carved from a single slab of dark gray stone, the Lesser Stone Golem possess uncannily detailed features that give them a stoic, almost lifelike visage. Despite their stone-cold eyes, there's a menacing spark in them—a sign of the arcane forces that animate these constructs. Their heavy limbs end in broad, sledgehammer-like fists capable of delivering crushing blows. Slower but sturdier than their flesh-and-blood counterparts, these golems are resistant to most forms of damage, making them highly effective guardians for those with the resources and knowledge to create them.
These creatures are completely silent and nearly invisible in forested environments. Their webs are made of plant matter as well, and can easily be mistaken for natural growth.
Triders are unique creatures of flora and fauna, born of the fusion between arachnid and plant life. These creatures are found predominantly within forested areas, their plant-like bodies allowing them to blend seamlessly with the surrounding foliage.
The diet of a Trider consists primarily of insects and small animals. Unlike typical spiders, however, triders also gain nourishment from the sun and soil, photosynthesizing like the plants that comprise their bodies. This dual nature allows them to survive in environments where prey may be scarce.
Triders are solitary creatures by nature, but can be found in small colonies around areas of abundant food sources. They weave intricate webs from their own plant matter to ensnare prey, these webs often mistaken for natural growth by the unobservant.
Reproduction occurs in a unique and fascinating manner. A mature Trider will lay seeds within a cocoon of plant matter. These seeds then grow, feeding on the nutrients within the cocoon until a new Trider sprouts forth, fully formed.
Their plant-like constitution grants them immunity to several conditions that would affect typical animals, but also makes them susceptible to ailments that affect plants.
Triders, despite their arachnid appearance, are typically passive unless threatened or hunting. The introduction of the blight into their ecosystem has seen an increase in aggression and unpredictability among these creatures. The blight-infected Triders, marked by their grotesque growths and unusual proportions, pose a significant danger to travelers and native wildlife alike.
Overall, Triders play a unique role in their ecosystem, functioning as both predator and part of the greenery. Their presence often indicates a healthy, thriving forest, but the blight's influence threatens to disrupt this delicate balance.
Wollywugs are plump, frog-like creatures, small in size, with a thick, rubbery hide varying in shades of green and brown, often speckled or mottled. They have large, bulbous eyes that protrude from the top of their heads, providing them with a wide range of vision. Their hind legs are muscular and powerful, aiding in sudden, swift leaps. A Wollywug's mouth is wide, capable of a surprisingly strong bite, and they emit a distinctive croaking sound, especially when agitated or in a frenzy.
These nimble and slippery creatures often raised like chickens by swamp villagers are a challenge to catch once they've escaped, capable of quick movements both on land and in the water. Their natural camouflage makes them adept at blending into swampy surroundings.