People of the Savage Coast
A Creature Crucible for the minor races of the West
The
aim of this article is to be a Creature Crucible, on the model of the
canon supplements PC1: “Tall Tales of the Wee Folks”,
and the others which describe non-human races, PC2: “Top
Ballista”, PC3: “The Sea People”, PC4:
“Night Howlers”, about faeries, gnomes and races
of the air, underwater races and werecreatures. Similar articles have
already appeared in Threshold issues: #13 (Undead of Elegy Island by
Giampaolo Agosta, John Calvin and me) and #14 (Deep Hollow by
Giampaolo Agosta and John Calvin, about races of the Shadowdeep).
This time we will focus on the minor intelligent races of the Savage
Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix1,
detailing the places they inhabit in the Savage Coast and statistics
to use them as player characters under BECMI rules.
The
Compendium includes several intelligent creatures, but many of them
will not be the focus of this article because they have been already
detailed in canon Savage Coast products (or in the “Voyage
of the Princess Ark” series in Dragon magazine and
in the boxed set “Champions of Mystara”).
Therefore this article will not be about aranea, caymen,
ee’aar, enduks, gatormen, goatmen2,
lizardmen, lupins, manscorpions, phanatons, rakastas, tortles,
wallaras because they all have their countries in the Savage Coast
and the Arm of the Immortal and have been therefore already detailed
in several canon and fan sources. Instead, this article will focus
on fachan, sea hermits, jorri, kla’a’tah, krolli,
mythu'nn folk, neshezu, omm-wa, snappers and wurmlings, creatures who
appear in the Compendium but have not been detailed in other canon
products, and the mugumba mud-dwellers, which only appears on page 57
of the Explorer’s Manual book in the “Champions
of Mystara” boxed set.
This first part will describe the intelligent races which live on land, or mostly on it, in the Savage Coast and the Arm of the Immortals and therefore could be encountered in the region during adventures or while exploring the remote wilderlands in which they live.
Fachan3 are related to ogres and possibly to other aberrant giants such as cyclops, ubue and ettins. They inhabit barren mountains, often near to orc and ogre tribes. The area where they are more common in the Savage Coast is the region between Eusdria, Renardy and Dunswick, particularly the Niedegard mountains between Eusdria and the Texeiran Protectorado da Presa and the coastal mountains in tortle territory near Dunwick. They are often hunted by humans, lupins and tortles both for their aggressive behaviour and because some of their organs can be used to create magical objects.
The
strange nature of Fachan makes quite dubious players could be
interested in playing one of them, but as they are intelligent
humanoids the possibility should not be excluded, either for a small
fun section with a group of Fachan PCs hunting “civilized”
races or to play a strange, non-chaotic evil Fachan who will struggle
a lot more to gain acceptance among the civilized races than any
beautiful dark elf.
Fachan have a movement of 100 feet per turn
(33 per round) +2 bonus on strength with a minimal value of 16, and a
-2 penalty on dexterity and charisma.
Rarely, a Fachan may be intelligent enough to become a shaman or a wicca. Use the rules for humanoid spellcasters in PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folks, page 20. Fachan usually worship the Immortals followed by local orc and ogres, as Hel, Jammudaru and Karaash.
Fachan
have exceptional hearing and so they often learn skills which they
can use along their main ability, such as Disguise, Hunting, Nature
Lore, Signaling, Snares, Survival, Tracking (int), Danger Sense
(wis), Alertness, Hide in Shadows4,
Mountaineering, Stealth (dex), Endurance (con).
Fachan speak
their own language, which is however similar to Ogrish and Giantish.
They also normally speak the language of the humanoid or giant group
among which they live, if any.
Even if fachan do not produce
weapons more complicated than clubs, they love to obtain metal, steel
and red steel weapons, and this is usually the main reason for their
alliance with giants, ogres and orcs.
Fachan wear cinnabryl when
it can be found, and their hearing organs may be made into a potion
of clairaudience. The hide of a fachan's hand can be made into a
single gauntlet of fachan power (as gauntlet of ogre power, but just
on one hand). Potion of strength may also be produced using fachan’s
muscles. Some fachan spellcasters are intelligent enough to create
magical items. Girdles of giant strength created by a fachan
spellcaster could occasionally be in possession of a fachan clan
head. Fachan in the Legacy regions naturally acquire 1d4+1 Legacies5
and are always searching for cinnabryl, but many become afflicted as
they often do not acquire enough cinnabryl through raiding, trade or
mining. Therefore a large number of them is weak, stupid and has to
suffer deformities which make them even more strange and hideous to
other intelligent races.
Fachan typically do not claim any land as a people, but live in tribes formed by extended family groups, who can fight among themselves as often as they fight other races. Fights among fachan however are rarely to the death, and they often allies with local orcs, ogres and giants, accepting a sort of subordinate position as long as they can enjoy the protection given by a larger group. Fachan in fact do not care much for treasures and are happy to leave them to their humanoid allies, but are eager to obtain more food and weapons. Hunted to extinction in several regions of the Savage Coast, particularly after the arrival of the Espans, the land where fachan are more common now are the Niedegard mountains, where they can hide easily from Eusdrian and Texeiran hunters among ogre and giant tribes. Small groups also live in the hilly region of the Yazak Steppes, north of Eusdria and Renardy, among the Huptai hobgoblins. More live near the Dunwick coast, in small family group quite endangered by the hunt of the Lawful Brotherhood. A more numerous population inhabit the Forbidden Highlands of Wallara, where phanaton and chameleon men leave them alone. The aranea of Herath however often organize expeditions to capture fachan specimen to use for magical components. Fachan chiefs may be either males or females. As it happens among ogres, females can be as big and strong as males, or even stronger. Fachan normally build only crude huts and eat food raw as often as cooked. They have a good knowledge of edible and medicinal plants of the land where they live. They do not domesticate animals normally, but sometimes they learn to handle cows from ogres and wolves and bears from giants.
Uk’thrug (Fachan 9) is a smart fachan tribal leader who has managed to gather several clans and families together in the Yazak steppes, hoping to gain more bargaining power with his Huptai allies. The fachan of the steppes have no legacies, as they live outside the cursed region. Uk’thrug has heard something about his cousins to the south and would like to meet some of them. He plans to capture some people from the south to obtain their help, maybe by keeping one as an hostage while the others bring some southern fachan to him.
Sha’kam (Fachan 8/Wicca 5) is an intelligent fachan female who has great influence on several clans of the Niedegard mountains, including the Purple stripes Ogre tribe to whom the fachan are allied. She has also obtained a decent amount of cinnabryl to protect most of her people from the worst afflictions, and she plans a great raid on nearby Protectorado da Presa to obtain much more. She has the Bite, Disrupt, Meld, Plant Form and Stone Shape legacies, but no afflictions yet.
PCs could be captured by Uk’thrug and sent to meet Sha’kam, having a hard time to prevent the alliance between the two powerful fachan groups and their humanoid allies, which could bring to the fall of the mainland territories of Protectorado Da Presa or even a danger for Dunswick and Eusdria.
PCs could be sent by Dunwick to track and kill the last fachan in
the Tortle tribelands, from Mount Aa to Mount Utt. Some tortles may
object to the extermination of family groups, even if they are
fachan, and the PCs themselves could have moral doubt on how to
treat young fachan.
Even if they spend quite some time in the sea, the Jorri6 are considered land creatures because they dwell near the coasts and in particular in the proximity of rivers. Their dens are typically built on river shores and sea beaches. Some Jorri subspecies live also far from the sea along the main rivers of the Coast. Jorri have good relations with local sailors as they are known to help victims of shipwrecks, so many Savage Coast nations protect them and punish those who try to harm them. Slavers, tyrants, pirates and other criminals however may not be so thoughtful.
Jorri
are curious creatures and it is not unheard of for some of them to
try the adventuring career, even if they could have some difficulties
in adjusting to wearing clothes and bearing weapons. Jorri however
are intelligent and can learn quite fast. Still they inevitably wish
to return to their family and home eventually, if they have one.
Jorri-only adventuring groups are not recorded in any nation history,
but nothing says one will not exist one day.
Jorri have a
movement of 100 feet per turn (33 per round) on the ground, 180 feet
per turn (60 per round) swimming, and a +1 bonus on dexterity and a
-1 penalty on strength.
Jorri shamans and wiccas are quite rare, but druids are more common. Jorri do not lack the intelligence to become wizards and clerics, but their training is normally less formal than the one followed by humans and other more common races. Use the rules for humanoid spellcasters in PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folks, page 20. Many Jorri worship Protius, Sinbad or other Immortals connected to the sea. Djaes, Terra and Ordana are also worshipped in Jorri communities. Jorri are polytheist and can worship several of these immortals at once.
Jorri
are quite versatile creatures and can pick up any skill as
appropriate to their culture. They do not forge metal weapons and
live in simple den, but may have objects and weapons traded with
other races of the Savage Coast. Their preferred skills however are
those based on Dexterity (Acrobatics, Dodge, Evade, Harpooning, Hide
in Shadows, Hunting, Juggling, Rapid Fire, Rope use, Surprise).
Jorri speak their own language but commonly they speak, or at
least understand, Verdan. Many of them may also speak Espa and other
languages of the Savage Coast.
Jorri do not use clothes and do
not forge stone and metal weapons, but they have spears and bows, and
a particular kind of crossbow which can shoot three 1d4 projectiles,
to defend their homes if necessary. They also use spear-throwers to
fish underwater of fight against echyans and other monsters of the
sea. Occasionally Jorri spellcasters enchant such weapons for heroes,
adventurers and chiefs. Jorri rarely use armor, but often employ
enchanted bracelet or necklaces which provide protection against
weapons (bonus to AC) or against particular elements or attacks.
Jorri have just a small chance to develop Legacies (10%), even if
many of them live inside the Legacy regions. If a Jorri develop a
Legacy, he or she may choose to accept the Affliction if it isn’t
very severe, but the community will mobilize to acquire cinnabryl to
heal a Jorri severely impaired by an Affliction.
Jorri
communities are common in several regions of the Savage Coast. Many
Jorri live in Cape Korcula between Zvornik and Hoja. Some of
them have escaped from the northern coast controlled by Hule, as they
refused to act as spies for the Master. They are often allies of the
City States, Vilaverde and Texeira against Hulean plots in the
region.
Several Jorri live in the Guadalimas coast north
of Narvaez, which they left refusing to submit to the state religion
of the barony. They often provide assistance to rebels and afflicted.
A great number of Jorri lives in the Delta de Pozaverde in
Gargoña and all along the rivers which flows into it, in
Guadalante, Saragon, La Pampa Rica and Torreon, while few live in the
Rio Guadiana in Narvaez for the religion problems explained above.
A
relevant number of Jorri lives on the New Hope River from
Cimarron to the Orcish territories north of Robrenn. They usually
have neutral relations with humanoids but are willing to help humans
and other races which could find themselves hunted in the region.
Some more Jorri live also near the Bastião do
Tartarugas and have friendly relations with local tortles and
Vilaverdans. A few Jorri live along the coasts of Robrenn and
Eusdria, but many more in Helmet Bay, mainly in the Tortles
Coast and in the Ilhas Gémeas.
A few live along the coast
of Bellayne, but a much greater number among the many islands of
Terra Leaoça. Very few Jorri, if any, live in Herath,
as they fear the local wizards.
Even less survive on the coast of
the Dark Jungle, which was once a land heavily inhabited by them. Now
however most of the Jorri have migrated north to The Horn and
the Wallaran coast.
Many more Jorri communities live along the
Arm of the Immortals and the Yavdlom Peninsula.
Jorri have good
relations with Tortles and Omm-wa, but are enemies of Sea hermits and
Snappers. They know of the existence of other sea creatures and
occasionally come into contact and trade with merrow and kna. They
know of the existence of other Undersea races but they rarely have
relations with them. Due to their semi aquatic nature, the Jorri
however could be the ideal means with whom a DM could introduce
Savage Coast players to the people of the Undersea.
Jorri can
communicate with normal otters, seals and beavers and use them to
better surveil the area near their dens. Jorri youngsters often have
animal friends, including small amphibians and reptilians. Jorri
practice some agriculture near coasts and rivers but their main diet
is still made of fish, crustaceans and algae. They can eat raw food
but prefer to cook at least once a day in the evening. Jorri do not
use money or gems but they may have some for trading with other
cultures. Most of their culture is oral, but they are able to produce
some books in the shape of scrolls made with paper obtained from
algae. They also typically build tools made of wood and shells for a
variety of uses, as forks, knives and anything else they may need.
Jorri who travels among other races easily adapt to local custom,
wearing clothes and using money.
Sesialein
(Jorri 7/Shaman 5) is the leader of the Jorri of Helmet bay and
live with her familiar group in the eastern Ilha Gémea. She is
particularly active in fighting Sea hermits hunters along the Dunwick
coast and is trying to establish an alliance with local omm-wa,
tortles and Dunwick and Texeiran authorities.
Toshirin
(Jorri 8) is one of the few jorri who drive and command a ship, the
Sea Otter, with a crew composed of jorri, tortles, lupins, rakasta,
neshezu, wallaran and humans. He is very active against Herathian and
Hulean ships and Dark Jungle orcs and for this reason he is protected
and even financed by other Savage Coast nations, particularly Texeira
and Vilaverde.
PCs could meet a rare group of Jorri adventurers tasked with retrieving an important artifact which was stolen from their land. The Jorri will need assistance to speak, travel and live in an unfamiliar land, and also some help against powerful enemies.
PCs are travelling on a ship targeted by Toshirin. Probably the Jorri pirate has a good reason to do so: maybe the ship, unbeknownst to the PCs, is carrying slaves, a captive, a Hulean agent or something else morally ambiguous the PCs will have to face.
Krolli7 are winged lizardmen native to the Arm of the Immortals. They live mostly in the mountains around Aeryl and south of Eshu. They have good relations with many races, not only Ee’aar elves and enduks, but also with wurmlings, pegataurs, dragons, other lizardkin and humanoids. Many Krolli are trained as warriors, but they are very interested in trade, so they prefer to maintain cordial relationship with everyone, when possible. Krolli may be related to pteryx8, a winged reptilian race that now mostly survive only in remote areas of Davania, the Hollow World and the Hollow Moon.
Krolli
may be easily encountered in the Savage Coast as followers and
bodyguards of wurlings or enduks. Most of them are interested in
trading rather than adventuring, but they could be also encountered
alone or in a group during a mission for their masters. Some sages
speculate that krolli are so willing to serve other races just to
learn more about other lands and then establish their own trade
networks. It is possible they are indeed doing the same in other
regions, such as Gombar and Suma’a or the Yezchamenid empire.
Krolli have a movement of 100 feet per turn (33 per round)
walking and 180 per turn (60 per round) flying, and a +1 bonus on
constitution and a - 1 penalty on charisma.
Krolli can become wizards, clerics or druids, but most of their spellcasters are clerics of Ka. They are indeed almost monotheistic in their devotion to the reptilian immortal, but also pay homage to other immortals, mainly Ixion, Ordana, Djaea, Ilsundal and Palartarkan. Almost 5% of the Krolli population are clerics.
Krolli’
preferred skills are those based on Strength, Constitution and
Wisdom, given that their culture is heavily influenced by warriors
and clerics, mostly Intimidation, Muscle, Ram, Rip, Wrestling (str),
Alertness, Bravery, Danger Sense, Detect Deception, Healing, Self
Control (wis), Endurance, Resist Exhaustion, Stamina, Quick Charge
(con).
Krolli have their own language but often speak at least
two others, commonly Elvish, Enduk, Wurmling and Espa, at least those
who travel around the world.
Krolli prefer to use their four
claws and their bite to attack, and rarely use weapons. When they
have weapons, they prefer spears, to be thrown at their enemies while
flying. They often use shields, as they understand how useful they
can be against magic and missile fire.
The most common magical
items Krolli carry are enchanted shields and amulets of protection.
They only wear light armour, if any, to not hinder their ability to
fly.
Krolli live outside the Legacies Regions, so they normally
do not develop Legacies or Afflictions, but they know about the Red
Curse and always require the needed amount of cinnabryl for
protection, if travelling in the cursed nations.
Krolli
live in the Arm of the Immortals, in communities called eyries
which are typically on the tallest mountains. They live in the
Yezchamenid Empire only in small numbers, as they always refused to
serve in its armies, differently from Pegataurs. They are more
numerous in the unclaimed lands of the peninsula, particularly south
of Eshu. When possible they try to get along with other races living
in the same region, including dragons, mountain and cloud giants,
hivebroods, rakasta and humanoids. Their best relations however are
with elves, enduks, the tanagogre of Gombar and Suma’a, the
gyerians of Adilli and the wurmlings of the east (for Krolli, i.e.
the Yalu bay and the Savage Coast). They do not trust either the
Tanagoro humans of the south9,
the humans of Nastoreth10
and the Jakar rakasta, and therefore few Krolli live in the Southern
part of the Arm.
The krolli eyries are quite complex structures
built mostly with woods on the tallest mountains, and all the eyries
of a region normally communicate with one another through light
signals, to trade, to warn others of dangers or simply to chat.
Krolli practice some horticulture on their mountains and can forge
metals, even if they use little weapons and armors, and do not use
coins among themselves. Krolli domesticate animals, mostly different
species of birds and small pterodactyls which live in the Arm. They
get along with rocs, griffons and hippogriffs, but have sometimes
violent confrontations with the more aggressive manticores, chimeras
and hydras.
Vadruk
(Krolli 9) is a powerful warrior that normally lives in Richland,
Yalu Bay, in the Haze area but outside the Legacy regions. He is the
krolli who helps other of his race find employment with wurmlings or
other races, and intervenes personally if he finds out a krolli is in
danger or has been cheated by someone. He appreciate the philosophy
of the Lawful Brotherhood and has helped the organization many times
in the past, as much he is considered something of an informal
member.
Ashak (Krolli 5/Cleric 8 of Ka) lives in Um-Shedu,
the Nimmurian city occupied by the enduks. She mostly coordinates
krolli who do not work as bodyguards but are rather employed by the
enduks for delicate missions in the Savage Coast.
PCs could get in the way of a wurmling crime lord in Eusdria or in another Savage Coast nation and meet krolli warriors for the first time. The next time they meet krolli on a different agenda, bodyguards for the Lawful Brotherhood or the enduk, they may find difficult to believe not all krolli are “evil” or hostile.
PCs could encountered a wounded and afflicted krolli abandoned by
his/her former employee. If they help him or her get home, they
could have a chance to visit the mysterious western lands of the
Arm.
Kasturi is the name these creatures use for themselves, and they do not like much the name given to them by Yavdlom inhabitants11. They do not like much either that the name given to beavers in thyatian and mileanian (castor) is so similar to their own, while they call normal beaver “sikastri” meaning “small, minor kasturi”. Contrary to a widespread belief, kasturi do not live only in the Serpent Peninsula, but also in many other regions of Brun12 and, possibly, Skothar and Davania. They have a matriarchal, peaceful and reclusive society.
Kasturi
rarely become adventurers. They led a peaceful life and normally they
value too much their work in the native community to leave it for any
reason. However outcasts exist and accident happens, as do attacks of
hostile people, therefore some kasturi adventurers do exist,
motivated either the need to learn or find something for the
community, to track a missing family member or an hated enemy13.
Kasturi have a movement of 120 feet per turn (40 per round) on
the ground and a initial 60 per turn (20 per round) swimming, and a
+1 bonus on intelligence and no penalty.
Kasturi have spellcasters, mostly female clerics of Ordana, Terra or Djaea, but clerics of other Immortals, druids and wizards are not unheard of, males included. The kasturi society encourages the development of such abilities for the benefit of the community. The worship of entropic immortals however is strongly discouraged, and extremely rare.
Preferred
kasturi skills are Engineering, Hide (int), Swim and Woodcutting
(dex) but they can also learn any other skill. They speak their own
language and often they do not learn others, due to their relative
isolation. However kasturi adventurers or travellers will be provided
with some magical mean to understand and speak foreign languages or
will quickly learn what they need.
Kasturi prefer to use wood and
stone weapons, but they know metal is stronger and are able to work
it into weapons, even if they may have little if any in their
wetlands home and could be forced to obtain some through trade. The
axe is their preferred weapon, but they also use bow and arrows. If
necessary they wear armour made of algae and weed which can be thick
as leather armour or even as chainmail. These items can also be
enchanted by the spellcasters in the community if a kasturi
adventurer needs them.
Many kasturi communities are outside the
Legacy Regions, but also those who are inside them rarely develop
Legacies (only a 5% chance, even less than jorri). Anyway kasturi
clerics and druids in the region know of the Red Curse and the
appropriate spells to keep it at bay and cure afflictions.
Kasturi
communities can be found in all the wetlands of the Savage Coast, the
Yalu Bay and the Arm of the Immortals. Differently from jorri who
live on the coast and are commonly known by sailors, kasturi
typically have isolated inland communities, and therefore may go
unnoticed by nearby human nations. Kasturi have normally good
relations with jorri, rakasta, lupins and torles, while the relations
with other inhabitants of the wetlands, such as lizardmen, caymen,
gatormen and frogfolks vary from region to region. Small kasturi
communities exist in Las Ciénagas, the marsh east of
Torreon, in the Guadalimas north of Narvaez and in the Delta
de Pozaverde in Gargoña. Others live along the New Hope
River west of Cimarron and north of Robrenn. Like the jorri, they
try to remain on neutral terms with the local goblins, gnolls and
orcs as much as possible. The western territories have big swamp who
are inhabited by relevant kasturi populations. One is in Ator,
where the local kasturi have submitted to gatormen rule, providing
tools and engineering skill to defend the bayou if necessary. Another
is in the heart of the Dark Jungle, where the local kasturi
have no choice but to lend the same service to the dragon lord Pyre.
Two more are in Forbidden Highlands, in the swamps east of
Nimmur: the local kasturi have established friendly relations with
phanatons, wallara and the enduks of Um-shedu, but they do not fight
against manscorpions unless they are forced to defend their
communities. More kasturi live in the big Yazak swamps between
Richland and the city of Yazak. They are often caught in the local
struggle between the Lawful Brotherhood and the Chaotic Sisterhood,
even if they would very much prefer to be left alone. Lastly two
important communities live in the eastern Arm of the Immortal, in the
Rot Swamps west of Porto Maldição and in the
Grubb Nest Marshes of the Western Orclands. Despite being
menaced by trolls, orcs and hivebroods, in the first case, and by
orcs, manticores and hydras, in the latter, they have managed so far
to survive and preserve their independence.
Kasturi society is
matriarchal and matrilineal, with the communities ruled by sisters
who oversee the complicate hydraulic operation the kasturi love to
have around their villages. Such pools are created to have food and
clean water in otherwise hostile swamp environment, to keep pests and
predators away and to defend the community from floods and enemies.
It is therefore extremely hard to attack a kasturi community without
falling prey to some “water trap” they have prepared. The
kasturi also use normal beavers, copyu and other local rodents as
allies and sentries. They do not keep animals for meat and milk but
practice aquatic and semi-aquatic agriculture and eat fish, snakes,
eels, and many plants (roots, fruits, berries, and nuts), which are
often farmed inside or around their pools. They are wary with
foreigners and slow to grant their trust, but can become very
reliable friend if they decide a visitor is not a threat to their
community.
Caption: Woods felled by kasturi workers
Sho’trok
(kasturi 5/wizard 9) is a rare example of kasturi adventure, very
world wise, who can often be encountered in Richland but is known to
travel from the Serpent Peninsula to the Arm of the Immortal, and
sometime employ adventurers of other races for his purposes. Even if
it is hard to pinpoint his true age, Sho’trok seems quite old
and experienced.
Jei’akila (kasturi 4/cleric 5 of
Djaea) is a kasturi female travelling with a kasturi male bodyguard,
Ko’kriom (kasturi 8), to find knowledge and help in Robrenn,
Eudria and other nations of the Coast on benefit of her people under
the yoke of Pyre in the Dark Jungle.
The New Hope River is Cimarron is noticeably drier than normal in the middle of the spring, after many days of rain. The Earl sends the PCs to investigate and they soon discover a Kuttai chief has enslaved the kasturi of the Sierra Desperada, forcing them to create an enormous dam to flood Cimarron and raid the Country after the disaster. The Kuttai are too many to be fought by the PCs alone and there may be not enough time to raise an army in Cimarron. But maybe the Blue Feet goblins and the Long Legs gnolls could be open to bargain.
Porto Maldição has been invaded by kasturi refugees from the Rot Swamps. An army of trolls and hivebroods have pushed them out of their homes, and the former Vilaverdan colony will be the next to fall, unless help can be obtained or the mastermind behind the enemy army can be stopped.
Mythu’nn14 are tiny creatures only 6-9 inches (15-23 cm) tall. Their ability to become invisible and cast dimension door at will make them more similar to sprites and pixies than other races, so sages speculate they may be related to pookas. Mythu’nn live in the highest mountains around Aeryl, the homeland of the Ee’aar elves in the Arm of the Immortals, but reports of several travellers mention them in all the Endworld line highest peaks and possibly even in the Black Mountains.
Mythu’nn
are curious creatures and love to travel, so they are known to
accompany good natured adventurers, especially Ee’aar elves.
They may be more cautious to trust adventurers of other races, unless
they have proven to be respectful and trustworthy. Being accompanied
by a mythu’nn will grant a +3 on the reaction table to any
adventurer encountering elves, treants, faeries or fairy folks.
Mythu’nn PCs or companion will want to return to their original
home after a year or so of adventuring, to return to their family and
narrate their experiences in the wider world.
Mythu’nn have
a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) when walking but have a
Sprint special ability, meaning they can run at 360 feet per round15
for a maximum of 5 rounds, then they have to rest for 5 others to run
again. Mythu’nn have a +2 bonus on charisma and a -1 penalty on
constitution and strength. Their maximum strength is 11.
Mythu’nn normally do not become spellcasters and do not worship Immortals, as they normally consider their innate magical abilities more than enough to escape any trouble. However some mythu’nn becomes wizards, clerics (of nature immortals) or druids and usually there is almost one in each community. These mythu’nn spellcaster almost never leave their community as they provide any magical service the rest of their people may need, but their apprentices often travel with adventurers to learn more of the world.
Mythu’nn
have a high dexterity (+5 to the roll, 8 to 23, average 16) and can
run at a very high speed for 5 rounds, so they have great advantages
in any Dexterity skill. They also have an advantage of +3 when using
Charisma skills with humans and demihumans (including “demianimals”
as lupins, rakasta and others, but excluding humanoids), beside their
reaction bonus toward elves and fairy folks, due to their “cute”
appearance. They have obviously at a disadvantage if they try to use
Strength skills on creatures bigger than them, but they can learn
normally any Intelligence or Constitution skill.
Mythu’nn
have their own language but they have to speak very slowly for it to
be understandable by other races. Sprites and pixies can partially
understand the mythu’nn language. They quickly learn other
languages however if they travel with other races.
Mythu’nn
normally carry little equipment if any, but those who defend their
mountain homes or travel with adventures often have magical spears
with metal points and defensive amulets, created by the spellcasters
in their communities. These objects will hardly be usable by human
sized creatures.
Mythu’nn never acquire legacies or
afflictions and have no need of cinnabryl, even when travelling the
Legacy regions. This property is not yet widely known in the Savage
Coast, but it is imaginable that Herathian and other nations wizards
could be very interested in studying a mythu’nn to understand
why they have this particular resistance.
Mythu’nn live mostly near Aeryl in the Arm of the Immortal and in other peaks of the Endworld line, but small communities would be also present in the Black Mountains and on the most remote peaks of the Eusdrian mountains. Mythu’nn are ignored by giants and dragons, as they are too small to be of any concern. Likewise humanoids rarely know of the existence of the mythu’nn and if they do, they do not bother them out of superstitious fear. Yet mythu’nn have enemies. In the Arm of the Immortals the worst is the tyminid and other flying predators, such as griffons, manticores and chimeras, may also occasionally hunt the mythu’nn. In Eusdria and the Black Mountains the most serious dangers could be giant bats, hawks, owls, rats and weasels, centipedes, spiders and scorpions, but mostly only if the mythu’nn venture to lower heights, or adventurers hoping to profit from the mythu’nn’ magical capabilities.
Ikchi’v’lin
(mythu’nn 2/wizard 2) is a young apprentice now in Dunwick with
a group of local adventurers which includes a Ee’aar elf. Most
people will mistake him for a familiar, but Ikchi’v’lin
is willing to explain who he is in the right circumstances (for
example, to people who have helped his group overcome some obstacle
or defeat some enemy).
Se’ish’v’kla
(mythu’nn 5/cleric 7) is a rare example of experienced
mythun’nn spellcaster which live outside her community. She is
indeed a sort of ambassador among the phanatons of Jibarù, who
regards highly her and the mythu’nn. Se’ish’v’kla
has another reason to be in the region, as her son went missing in
some unspecified place of the Savage Coast during an adventure, and
she is gathering all possible clues to track and save him.
PCs visiting Jibarù could meet Se’ish’v’kla and receive from the task of finding her missing son. The young mythu’nn could be lost in the Badlands or Terra Vermelha, or even in the Dark Jungle, captured by Pyre and his orcs.
PCs
could be sent to the Arm of the Immortal in search of the reclusive
mythu’nn. Maybe their employer is an Herathian mage in
disguise, who wish to discover and exploit the magical secrets of
the diminutive folks.
Neshezu are intelligent forest dwellers vaguely similar to orangutan, goblins and orcs. They are described as evil in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium entry16, but that could be considered a biased description from Herath, as they are the true masters of the western Herathian forest. Neshezu could be only a subspecies of other monkey and ape-like creatures living in Mystara. Rock baboons appeared in the original red D&D Basic Set and in the Rules Cyclopedia: they are described as more organized than animals, but not enough to form a complex society. However the Vanara from Indian mythology appeared in D&D 3ed Oriental Adventures and the Hadozee appeared in the D&D 3ed supplement Stormwrack. Vanara are curious, honest and loyal creatures modelled on Eastern mythologies, while Hadozee are described as a seagoing people. Cold dwelling ape-like creatures, the Taer17, appear in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, similar to but more intelligent than the Snow Apes and White Apes appearing in the red D&D Basic Set. While Vanara and Taer would be more appropriate in Skothar or other lands, Hadozee could be used as the coast dwelling and seafaring neshezu. They could also be present in northern Davania, in either way not unknown in the Savage Coast.
Neshezu
do not leave often their jungle, but adventurers may exist, either
exiled by some powerful chief, or survivors of clans wiped out by
Herathians or a rival neshezu clan, or captives captured by
Herathians or Dark Jungle orcs. The DM may also decide to use the
same statistics for Hadozee, which should be more similar to
chimpanzee in appearance. Hadozee could also simply be the name of
the coastal dwelling and seafaring neshezu.
Neshezu have a
movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) walking and 150 per turn
(50 per round) brachiating. Neshezu have a +1 bonus on strength and
constitution and a -1 penalty on wisdom and intelligence.
Neshezu can become spellcasters, normally each tribe has at least a shaman or a wicca with one or two apprentices. These spellcasters are often female, as such studies fit well with the poison lore which is exclusively pertinence of female neshezu. Neshezu druids are always female and expert in poisons, but they will also defend the jungle from Herathians, orcs and humans. Neshezu worship several immortals, mostly Hel, Masauwu, Talitha, Jammudaru and Karaash, all known with their local neshezu names. Worship of other immortals, mainly Ka, Ordana, Djaea, Terra may occur too among individual rebellious neshezu or whole tribes who hope to gain an advantage against competitors. Coastal dwelling neshezu (hadozee) often worship Protius and Calitha.
Neshezu
of the jungle often learn the most useful skills for their
environment, such as Lumberjack, Wrestling (str), Hunting, Nature
Lore, Odour tracking, Orientation, Snares, Survival, Toolmaking,
Tracking, Woodsmith (int), Alertness, Animal empathy, Danger Sense
(wis), Acrobatics, Blind shooting, Climbing, Dart, Dodge, Evade, Find
traps, Net making, Surprise, Treewalking (dex) Endurance, Stamina
(con), while neshezu of the coast (hadozee) may also pick Navigation,
Sailing, Shellworking, Shipbuilding, (int) Fishing, Weather (wis)
Harpooning, Knot tying, Net making, Rope making, Seamanship, (dex)
gain trust, persuasion, singing, storytelling (cha).
Neshezu have
their own language and those living in the jungle rarely learn
another, but the most intelligent ones living near Herath or the Dark
Jungle may be able to learn Herathian or Orcish. The Hadozee of the
coast normally know also Verdan and Espa, and they may also know
Herathian, Bellaynish and Renardois.
Neshezu do not normally use
armour, or only leather, but sometimes use shields and they always
use weapons, scimitars, daggers and even wheellock pistols. They
normally obtain the latter from merchants on the coast or through
hadozee piracy, but have their own forges to produce steel weapons,
even if they often have to buy iron on the coast or through Nimmur or
the Forbidden Highlands. Scimitars, daggers and shields may be
enchanted by neshezu spellcasters. Blowguns with poisoned darts too
are used by the neshezu and are sometimes enchanted too.
Neshezu
live outside the Curse area, but they do not acquire Legacies even if
travelling in the affected regions.
Western
Herath is a huge region of more than 24,000 square miles which is
claimed by the magocracy in name only, but is in truth the region
inhabited mostly by neshezu. Other races may inhabit this jungle too
(rakasta, lizardmen, manscorpions, wallaras, phanatons, aranea and
orcs) but neshezu are the dominant power almost everywhere. Western
Herath has a small coastal area of about 16 miles which is inhabited
by hadozee and a safe port for pirates of the whole Savage Coast.
Small groups of neshezu also inhabit the forests of Nimmur and
Jibarù, the Dark Jungle, the Wildwoods of
northern Herath, the Wyndham forest of Bellayne and the
forests of Shazak and Cay. These group are often endangered or
subject to the main local population. Some hadozee inhabit the coasts
of the Arm of the Immortals.
Neshezu of the jungle are aggressive
and often behave like pirates, using ambushes, hit and run tactics,
poisoned weapons and darts, traps and nets to rob or capture members
of other races. They have infravision and prefer to attack at night
and hide during the day. Neshezu villages are built in the treetops
on platforms of wood and woven vines, and they move through vines
when possible.
They do not care much for money and gems except as
bargaining tools, and prefer to take weapons and other equipment.
They also take captives, to ransom them with weapons and other useful
equipment, such as iron ore, red steel, liquors or jewels. They are
capable of forging their own weapons if needed, but prefer to steal
or buy them when possible.
The hadozee of the coast are willing
to trade and share bounty with the neshezu of the interior, but they
have a much less aggressive attitude toward strangers, alternating
piracy with legitimate trade with Texeiran, Vilaverdan and other
nations’ ships.
Shavla
(Neshezu 5/ Shaman 9) is the matriarch of the Purple Sabers tribe,
who live just beyond the coast and have therefore privileged access
to hadozee and human traders and raid in Herath and the Dark Jungle.
A great expert of poison, Shavla has become chief of the tribe after
the death of her husband many years ago, defying neshezu’s
patriarchal customs. Her tribe grows in power daily and she is
contemplating the unification of the whole Western Herath under her
absolute rule, forcing the Herathians and other nations to recognize
her dominion.
Kushu (Hadozee 7) is a pirate king and
trader on the coast, with different personalities as appropriate to
the situation. Sometimes he is a legitimate trader with Espa and
Verdan ships, sometimes he is a pirate or a privateer, captain of the
Blood Monkey, and sometimes the owner and manager of Cutthroats
Haven, a cove for pirates, a village and a inn on the Herathian
coast. Kushu is willing to ally with Shavla, thinking he can use her
rise to his benefit.
PCs could meet representatives of Shavla on a diplomatic mission to Bellayne, arrived to propose an alliance to the rakasta kingdom. Shavla hopes Bellayne will support and recognize her dominion to gain an advantage over Herath. If her representatives fail, they will go to Vilaverde. Anyway, much espionage and ambushes will happen.
PCs could be hired to retrieve a captive or an important object supposedly taken by the infamous hadozee ship Blood Monkey. If they will manage to track Kushu they will have to bargain with him. What if the object or the person has already been sold to a neshezu tribe of the interior jungle?
Wurmlings are a strange, ancient race of intelligent worms who can grow to 50 feet of length (15 meters) and 15 tons of weight18. They have a brown, leathery hide. They are highly intelligent and are masters of subterfuge and blackmail, so in the Savage Coast they are often leaders of Thieves Guilds and other not completely legal organizations. Wurmlings can live up to 1,500 years and are hermaphroditic. Even if they aren’t social creatures, they often they have a younger offspring with them and several retainers and underlings, up to 200 or more.
The
most probable wurmling PCs will be a “young” who just
turned 100 years old and therefore has left his parent and is now out
in the world to establish his own lair and gain his followers. This
process could be an interesting adventure in its own right. Despite
their size, wurmlings can move quite fast, either slithering or
rolling.
Wurmlings have a movement of 240 feet per turn (80 per
round) slithering or rolling, 30 feet per turn (10 per round)
burrowing in loose ground. They have a +2 bonus on intelligence and a
-2 penalty on dexterity.
Being highly intelligent, wurmlings can become excellent wizards, thus becoming even more powerful and dangerous. They rarely, if ever, become clerics or druids, or maybe they have clerics and druids only in their mysterious underground homeland. If the wurmlings worship the Immortals, or one in particular, no one knows nothing about that.
Wurmling
have thief abilities as a thief of equivalent level, and are immune
or resistant to many illusion and mind altering abilities. They also
learn many skills, in particular those related to intelligence and
charisma, such as Appraising, Bargaining, Gambling, Knowledge,
Negotiation, Poisons, Science, Signalling, Snares, Torture,
Trapbuilding (int), Danger sense, Etiquette, Philosophy, Lore,
Self-control (wis), Forgery, Lockpicking (dex), Deceive, Gain Trust,
Oration, Persuasion (cha). They have their own language, but rarely
have cause to use it on the surface, and rather learn local
languages. They normally speak from 5 to 7 languages, usually Espa,
Verdan, Renardois, Bellaynish and others.
Given their power and
intelligence, wurmling often acquire a variety of magical items,
mostly protection and scrying items, and a wurmling in danger will
surely have at least a teleport, dimension door, turn rock to mud or
an invisibility spell to go away as quick as possible. Their vaults
are indeed extremely rich in coins, gems, jewelry, cinnabryl, red
steel and magic, but to enter into such vaults is never an easy task,
and typically involves facing multiple traps and guardians.
Wurmlings gain permanent legacies as Inheritors and normally have
5 to 7 of them, and require cinnabryl to support them. The most
common legacies among wurmlings are Anti-Poison, Crimson Fire,
Digging, Farsight, Red Shield, Shape Stone, and Temperature.
The only widely know wurmling lives in Eusdria, maintaining a contraband trade of red steel from Withimer to the Heldannic Knights, even if the Eudrian authorities have not been able to pinpoint on him any illegal activity. Sages speculate wildly about the nature and the presence of wurmling in the Savage Coast. They are suspected to be in control of many undercover organization dealing with contraband and illicit activity in all the main cities of the region, but in a way they behave as a lawful and honorable organization, upholding their word and demanding the same to their “customers”. Therefore some say they are in truth the “shadow branch” of the Lawful Brotherhood. For others, they are instead the forefront of a vast underground civilization who is trying to take control of the whole Savage Coast. Others suspect they may be secretly agents of Hule or the Chaotic Sisterhood, Herathian spies, or pawns of some power in the Dark Jungle or the Immortal Arms. Others say they are already the true mastermind of the whole region and they always have been, as they are the most ancient race living here. No one knows the truth about the wurmling, except them, and they do not tell it to anyone.
Hujav (Wurmling 8) also simply known as “The Leader” is the head of the underground organization which dominates contraband and other illicit activity in Withimer, Eusdria, but also maintains a legitimate business operating both in Withimer and in the capital Gundegard, and in other cities too. Hujav supplies small quantities of red steel to Heldannic Knights and Thyatians
A young wurmling could employ the PCs to help him establish his new lair in a Savage Coast city not controlled yet by one of his race, if the PCs are willing to take any job without moral problems. If they are instead more law abiding, they could receive the same task from the Lawful Brotherhood, which for some unknown reasons prefer the wurmling to the existing Thieves Guild, on the paycheck of Hule or the Chaotic Sisterhood. Otherwise the PCs could be hired to avoid the establishment of the wurmling lair. But what if the wurmling’s enemies are much worse than him?
In a rare case, a immature wurmling much younger than 100 years old (and with much less than 10 HD) could join the PCs if his parent and his organization have been completely destroyed. Such a young wurmling could need assistance from other members of his race, but would they be willing to give it? And if yes, at what price?
This section details the intelligent creatures living in the seas around the Savage Coast seas, Trident Bay, Yalu Bay and the Western Sea. Other intelligent inhabitants could well be present in the local seas, as the creatures detailed in PC3 The Sea People (Tritons, Merrows, Acquatic Elves, Sea Giants, Kna, Kopru, Nixies, Shark-kins and Devilfish) and other intelligent creatures of the sea (Acquatic Beholders, Crabmen, Marine Decapus, Noble Dolphins, Shimmerfish dolphins, Sea Dragons and Dragon Turtles, Mesmer, Narwhal, Velya, Wereseals).
Sea hermits are creatures of the deep sea19, their underwater kingdom lies hundreds of miles from the coast and hundred of feet deep. They are also shapechanger and sometimes they dwell on the coast to capture land dwelling creatures. They are not exactly slavers, as the reason why they capture people of the surface is to study them, learn magical secrets and anything that can be useful to them in competition with other aggressive undersea races.
It may
be hard to imagine why a Sea hermit, or many of them, should ever
decide to become adventurers or travel away from the coast. They can
hardly travel far from the sea in their natural, big crab form, so
they would have to do it in humanoid form, leaving their precious
shell unguarded and hidden. However there can be many situations in
which such a thing may occur. Either some young sea hermits were left
stranded and shelless by an enemy attack, or the mysterious sea
hermits civilization decided to send one or more of their people to
learn something about the lands farest from the coasts they know.
Sea hermits have a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) on
the ground, or the same of their humanoid form. They have a movement
of 120 feet per turn (60 per round) swimming in their natural form.
They have a +2 bonus on intelligence and a -2 penalty on dexterity
and charisma (only in their natural form).
The more commonly encountered sea hermits, sent to collect “specimens” in the dry lands, are commonly spellcasters, more commonly wizards than clerics. Druids rarely if ever leave the underwater kingdoms. Sea hermits worship several immortals of the sea, commonly Protius, but also Gorrziok and Crakkak, Malafor, Sharpcrest and Calitha, Saasskas and the Water Elemaster. Even if the rest of the world know nothing about this, deep divisions runs into the sea hermits kingdoms, cities and society about different philosophies and the ways to deal with outsiders. Something that could be quite useful for air breathers taken to sea hermits kingdoms.
Sea
hermit are highly intelligent and can pick up any skill known to
intelligent races. They also have a special ability which allows them
to a 20% chance of being able to use the spells and skills of its
previous prey. For the same reason, they may possess in humanoid
form, or stored in their shell, any equipment taken from previous
captives, including magical items.
Some parts of a sea hermit's
natural form can be used in magical preparations to obtain water
breathing and shapeshifting. A tortle wizard had one of their
majestic shells enchanted to act like Daern's instant fortress. All
this is not yet common knowledge in the Savage Coast, but soon
adventurers could be quite interested in capturing a sea hermit, thus
turning the predator into a prey.
Sea hermits never gain Legacies
and do not require cinnabryl, but they may still be interested in
acquiring red steel and other connected substances to study and store
them.
Sea
hermits kingdoms lie under the sea at a far distance from
surface lands, yet the fact they have been spotted several times in
the Savage Coast and the Arm of Immortals lead to think their
kingdoms, at least some of them, must lay somewhere between Brun and
Davania.
Other sea hermits kingdoms could exist in all the
Mystaran sea, but they do not need to be identical, as each may be
dominated by a different philosophy or Immortal and have a very
different attitude toward surface races.
All the sea hermits
kingdom anyway are advanced civilizations, which have learnt much in
magic and technology both from their ancestors and from the study of
other races. Traditionally they are suspicious of other people and
hardly accept them in their territories, but more tolerant sea
hermits may exist which have found a way to coexist with other
intelligent people of Mystara.
Shug
(Sea hermit 11/Wizard 11), if this is his real name, is a powerful
wizard which has taken an orc form and has come to dominate a whole
clan of the Yamekh orcs in the Western Orclands of the Arm of the
Immortals. No one knows of his true nature and no one could ever
learn of his true motives, whatever they may be. If he becomes more
powerful he will probably be noticed by the Yamekh king Furul
Fire-breath and possibly also by Pyre himself, who has agents in the
region trying to gain control of the western tribes.
Tivaksha
(Sea hermit 12/Cleric 13), is a powerful cleric of Protius operating
on the shores of Terra Leaoça. Vilaverdan authorities do not
have a clue about her existence, but the local jorri rightfully
suspect her of kidnapping some of their people. Tivaksha true goal
however is learn all she can about Herath, and possibly capture an
Herathian noble.
PCs could be hired by Herathian nobles to investigate the disappearance of one of their own, an accomplished wizard who was visiting Terra Leaoça. The herathian has been kidnapped by Tivaksha, who is ready to move him to her underwater kingdom, where she, and the sea hermits, will learn about the true nature of the herathians. Herath will obviously stop at nothing to avoid this, and will go out of its way to erase any trace and destroy potential liabilities after the matter is resolved (such as the former employees, the PCs, if the herathians learn they have discovered the secret too).
One or two sea hermits, members of a disgraced group, stranded on land and without a shell, such as followers of Malafor or Calitha, could hire the PCs to get help and return to their underwater home. This could allow the PCs to travel under the seas and discover much about the undersea races living near the Savage Coast.
Omm-wa are a race of intelligent manatees20 who lives in a vast area along the tropical waters of South-western Brun and Northern Davania. Some explorers says that a related specie also live in Skothar. In the area of the Savage Coast, they are more common from Dunwich to the Yalu bay and on the eastern coast of the Arm of the Immortals, where the waters are warmer. Omm-wa breathe air but spend almost all their time in the sea or in rivers. They have normally friendly relations with jorri, tortles, merrows, nixies, sea giants and kna, and are normally neutral toward land people. They have instead bad relations if not open warfare with snappers, devilfish, kopru, sea hermits, shark-kins and gatormen.
Omm-wa
males often become warriors and are renowned for their bravery, while
females often become priests or thieves and are much more cautious,
but both sexes normally have strong ties to their community and
family, so leave it in search of adventurers only for very serious
reasons, such as a pressing danger or an unavoidable need. Recently
however omm-wa are trying to find more trade partners to escape the
monopoly the Herathians had with them for a long time, so they are
multiplying their contacts with other people, primarily Vilaverdan
and Texeiran.
Omm-wa have a movement of 30 feet per turn (10 per
round) crawling on the ground and 180 feet per turn (60 per round)
swimming. Males have a +1 bonus on strength and constitution and a -1
penalty on dexterity and wisdom, while females have a +1 bonus on
intelligence and wisdom and a -1 penalty on strength and dexterity.
[Table: Omm-wa Character Class]
There many priests among female omm-wa, normally worshipping Terra, and less commonly Ordana, Djaea, Calitha, Malafor or Protius. The cult of Terra, which is called Mother Ocean among the omm-wa, is indeed almost monotheistic, but exceptions exist. Males sometimes become battle priest of Thor, which is called Dugong by the omm-wa. Druids are relatively common among the females, while wizards are much more rare, but some exist both among males and females. Omm-wa wizards often have relations with Herathian wizards, obtaining spells from them in exchange for informations and items about the undersea lands and people.
Omm-wa
can learn any skill appropriate to undersea people, but they rarely
master dexterity based skills due to their bulk. Strength,
constitution and intelligence based skills are more common.
Omm-wa
have their own language but usually they speak at least another
undersea language and a land dwelling language, depending on who are
the nearest people with which they have contacts.
Omm-wa do not
wear clothes but they often have belts for weapons or tools and
necklaces of beads which are really their way of writing, so commonly
contain a message, an official function or a statement. Such belts,
necklaces and beads, beside the weapons and tools themselves, can
also be enchanted. Omm-wa warriors sometimes use shields too and some
may also have light armour made with algae, improving their natural
AC from 6 to 4.
The omm-wa living on the coasts near the Legacy
regions develop legacies. Usually afflictions are keep in check by
clerical magic, but some omm-wa also wear cinnabryl and have red
steel.
Omm-wa
are relatively common along all the coast from Dunwick to Richland
and from Preuve to the south in the Arm of the Immortals. They
are less common along the Orc’s Head peninsula where they have
been harassed by local orcs, and more common in Herath, where
they trade with the local inhabitants, in Wallara, where they
have good relations with the locals, and in Ator, where they
often fight against the gurrash. They are now becoming more numerous
in the areas of the Vilaverdan and Texeiran colonies, as they would
like to develop commercial relations, and near Dunwick and the Tortle
coast, for the same reasons.
Omm-wa have a matriarchal society
where female priests rule. Males can be aggressive if they perceive a
threat, so they do not always listen to female counsel. Omm-wa do not
really build houses but only shelters, preferably in small inhabited
islands and coral reefs. They build however extensive aquafarms and
create messages and art on the sea floors they inhabit with pebbles,
shells, corals and beads, so their communities can be easily noticed
and are a wonderful sight to behold. They create tools and weapons
and can smelt iron and mine metals from seafloor nodules.
Omm-wa
knows of the existence of wereseals and are usually tolerant with
them, considering them possible allies to communicate and trade with
humans.
Saa-gaa
(Omm-wa 5/Priest 8) is the matriarch and leader of an extensive clan
she has just moved from eastern Herath to Terra Leaoça. She
has established already friendly relations with local jorri, tortle,
rakasta and humans. The sea hermit Tivaksha (see above) is spying on
her and the two could well start a war if they come to have opposing
goals.
Oth-won (Omm-wa 12) is a powerful warrior, assisted
by a younger brother, Ko-wom, who is also a powerful cleric of Dugong
(Thor). Together they have successfully defended their tribe from
gatormen attacks and they are considering to turn the war for
defensive to offensive. Their mother and matriarch, Sha-wan, is
having a hard time trying to keep them at bay.
PCs are hired to find survivors of a human expedition lost in the Dark Jungle. Omm-wa, jorri and some phanaton living in and around the Forbidden river could be the only allies the PCs could find in the terrible jungle.
Omm-wa and tortles of the Dunwick coast are attacked by snappers and shark-kins. Local tortles or maybe even the Dunwicker authorities hire the PCs to help them and preserve the safety of local sea trade. The true masterminds of the attacks could be even more dangerous creatures, such as kopru, velya, mesmer or sea hermits.
The so called snappers21 consider themselves just sea dwelling tortles, but they despise their land dwelling cousins, blaming their weakness for the proliferations of invaders in the Savage Coast and their cowardly for selling out ancestral tortle lands. Snappers think to themselves as the true, original inhabitants of the land and have labelled almost any other race (with few exceptions such as wallara, kna, kopru, shark-kin and sea dragons) as invaders. They maintain they have been forced to escape to the sea by invaders who took their lands, so they are glad to jump at any occasion to attack humans, orcs, rakasta, lupins, tortles and many other races.
Snappers
breath air and can walk on land as tortles, but they are much faster
and effective on water, where they can also hold their breath for up
to two hours and reach impressive depths. Therefore snappers PCs
should be more common in underwater adventures and campaigns, but a
group forced to tread on land for some serious motive can exist.
Snappers can easily disguise themselves as tortles in the presence of
other races, but true tortles will immediately recognize them and
become suspicious about their motives.
Snappers have a movement
of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) on the ground like tortles, but
are much faster in water moving at 180 feet per turn (60 per round)
swimming. Snappers have a +1 bonus on constitution and a -1 penalty
on dexterity.
Snappers can become wizards and priests, and druids too. They often worship the more violent immortals of the sea, such as Slizzark, Gorrziok, Crakkak and Sharpcrest, but some also worship Protius, the Water Elemaster and even Malafor or Calitha. Snapper chiefs are usually warriors and spellcasters are typically their counsellors, but some spellcasters have risen to lead warbands and tribes.
Snappers
can learn any skill appropriate to sea dwelling people but often have
skills related to hunting, tracking, survival and resistance.
Snappers have a language very similar to the Tortle one. They
rarely bother to learn the language of other races, but they may
speak kna or shark-kin, as they often have neutral or friendly
relations with such races. Snappers do not wear clothes, but they
build tools and weapons. Their favorite weapons are nets, tridents
and spears, and their spellcasters are well capable of enchanting
them. Sometimes they use shields too and amulets of protections.
Living in the sea, as far as possible from the inhabites coasts,
snappers rarely if even develop legacies, but they are vulnerable to
them as the tortles are, and so would require cinnabryl or magic to
ward off afflictions.
Snappers
are still air breathers, so they need lairs near land, ideally on
coral reefs or inhabited islands. This is the reason why they
are often at odds with the omm-wa. Even if they do not strictly
number the omm-wa among the “invader races”, they compete
for the same ecological niche. The same happens sometimes with jorri.
Snappers know of sea hermits and would like to establish a
cooperation with them, but have failed so far. They have established
alliances with shark-kin and kopru, but probably the latter are just
controlling snapper clans for their own purposes.
Snappers are
more common in all the regions where tortles also live, in the
southern Yalu bay and on the eastern shores of the Arm of
the Immortals. Several isolated islands in the sea between Brun
and Davania are also heavily inhabited by snappers. Snappers are
normally organized into warrior clans dominated by a male leader, who
can be often challenged by other males. However it happens that a
powerful female, particularly if she is a wizard or a priest, can
come to dominate a tribe.
Snappers when possible try to gain the
help of sea dragon, dragon turtles and cläu-rin, often becoming
vassals of such powerful creatures. Snappers train and ride into
battle their own nikt'oo22
mounts.
Kwoken (Snapper 11) is a powerful chief who is trying to unite several different clans in the sea several miles south of Presa. To this end he has in the course of years obtained the help of several dangerous creatures: a clan of shark-kin, unscrupulous kna traders, a dragon turtle and a cläu-rin, and even an aquatic beholder. So far, Kwoken has been able to play the latter three against each others and to his clan gains, but the game could easily explode into his snout. Or he could succeed and become a major threat to shipping in the region.
PCs could be hired to investigate about suspiciously successful undersea pirates targeting ships leaving Dunwick, sinking them the night after they leave the port. Tortles working in the city are in league with a clan of snappers with the intent of disrupting trade and creating instability, to obtain more power for their race.
A non human nation of the Coast (could be Herath, Renardy, Bellayne or even Ator) seems to enjoy a strange immunity from the usual dangers at sea (pirates, monsters and storms), gaining an unprecedented advantage over other nations. PCs could discover that the nation has established an alliance with a very powerful clan of snappers, who is now busy attacking ships of all the other nations.
These
giant and highly intelligent sea turtles23
are powerful protectors of tortles and snappers. Their true origins
are mysterious, and the exact number of such creatures is unknown
too, but at least two are known to exist, and they have appeared in
the past to protect endangered communities of tortles and snappers.
The most recent sightings have been in the Dark Jungle, where a
Cläu-rin destroyed an entire clan of orcs which was preying on
snappers breeding grounds, and near Presa, where a Kla’a’tah
sunk a pirate ship who had enslaved an entire village of tortles.
Cläu-rin and Kla’a’tah, big as they may be, are
less than a third of a much more powerful dragon turtle. Yet they
somehow are capable of directing dragon turtles attacks away from
tortles and snappers targets. For some reason, sea dragons too
respect Cläu-rin and Kla’a’tah and never attack them
and the people under their protection.
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Whelp |
-192,000 |
7 |
4d8+1 |
1x1d6 kick or weapon |
1
Legacy |
Youngster |
-88,000 |
6 |
5d8+1 |
1x1d8 |
+1 Legacy (max 2) |
Teenager |
-44,000 |
5 |
6d8+1 |
1x1d10 |
Hurling
rocks 1d4+1 |
NM |
0 |
4 |
8d8 |
1x2d6 |
Hurling rocks 2d4+2 Surprised
only on a 1 |
1 |
192,000 |
|
9d8 |
1x2d6 |
|
2 |
492,000 |
|
10d8 |
1x2d6 |
|
3 |
792,000 |
|
11d8 |
1x2d6 |
50% chance +1 Legacy (max 6) |
4 |
1,092,000 |
|
12d8 |
1x2d6 |
|
5 |
1,392,000 |
|
13d8 |
1x2d6 |
|
6 |
1,692,000 |
|
+2 hp |
1x2d6 |
|
7 |
1,992,000 |
|
+2 hp |
1x2d8 |
50% chance +1 Legacy (max 7) |
8 |
2,292,000 |
|
+2 hp |
1x2d8 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
3 |
+2 hp |
1x2d10 |
|
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Teenager |
-1,200 |
6 |
1d8+1 |
4x1d2 claws /1x1d3 bite or weapon |
Hold breath 10 minutes Swim 120’(40) |
NM |
0 |
5 |
2d8+1 |
4x1d2/1x1d3 |
Lock bite (See SCMC) |
1 |
1,200 |
|
3d8+2 |
|
|
2 |
3,600 |
|
4d8+3 |
|
|
3 |
8,400 |
|
- |
|
|
4 |
18,000 |
|
5d8+4 |
|
|
5 |
37,200 |
|
6d8+5 |
|
|
6 |
75,600 |
|
7d8+5 |
|
|
7 |
152,400 |
|
- |
4x1d3/1x1d6 |
|
8 |
306,000 |
|
8d8+5 |
|
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
4 |
+2 hp |
|
|
[Table:
Krolli Character Class]
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Child |
-4,000 |
3 |
1d8 |
2x1d4+1 claws /1d2+1 bite or weapon |
Jump |
Teenager |
-2,000 |
4 |
2d8 |
2x1d6+1/1d4+1 |
Glide |
NM |
0 |
5 |
3d8 |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
Fly Airborne attack Acute sense |
1 |
4,000 |
|
3d8 |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
|
2 |
12,000 |
|
4d8 |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
|
3 |
28,000 |
|
- |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
|
4 |
60,000 |
|
5d8 |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
|
5 |
124,000 |
|
6d8 |
2x1d8+1/1d6+1 |
|
6 |
252,000 |
|
7d8 |
2x1d10+1/1d8+1 |
|
7 |
508,000 |
|
- |
2x1d10+1/1d8+1 |
|
8 |
808,000 |
|
8d8 |
2x1d10+1/1d8+1 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
|
+2 hp |
2x1d12/1d10 (progresses to 3x1d12 at level 15, 3x2d8 at level 25, 3x2d10 at level 35) |
|
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Child |
-3,000 |
9 |
1d8 |
2x1d2 claws |
Swim 60’(20) |
Teenager |
-1,500 |
7 |
2d8 |
2x1d3 |
Hold breath |
NM |
0 |
6 |
3d8 |
2x1d4 |
Engineering |
1 |
3,000 |
|
3d8 |
2x1d4 |
|
2 |
6,000 |
|
4d8 |
2x1d4 |
|
3 |
12,000 |
|
- |
2x1d4 |
Camouflage |
4 |
24,000 |
|
5d8 |
2x1d4 |
|
5 |
48,000 |
|
6d8 |
2x1d4 |
Swim 120’(40) |
6 |
96,000 |
|
7d8 |
2x1d6 |
|
7 |
192,000 |
|
- |
2x1d6 |
|
8 |
384,000 |
|
8d8 |
2x1d6 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
|
9d8 +2 hp for each level after |
2x1d18 (progresses to 2x1d10 at level 15, 2x2d12 at level 25) |
|
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
NM |
0 |
3 |
1d4 |
1d2 with weapon or unarmed combat |
Invisibility Infravision 120’ Sprint 360’ Good luck to friends (see SCMC) |
1 |
3,000 |
|
2d4 |
1d2 |
|
2 |
6,000 |
|
3d4 |
1d2 |
|
3 |
12,000 |
|
4d4 |
1d2 |
|
4 |
24,000 |
|
5d4 |
1d2 |
|
5 |
48,000 |
2 |
6d4 |
1d4 |
|
6 |
96,000 |
|
7d4 |
1d4 |
|
7 |
192,000 |
|
- |
1d4 |
|
8 |
384,000 |
|
8d4 |
1d4 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
1 |
9d4 +1 hp for each level after |
1d6 (progresses to 1d8 at level 15, 1d10 at level 25, 1d12 at level 35) |
|
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
NM |
0 |
6 |
1d8 |
1d8 (sabre) or other weapon or unarmed combat |
Hide
(forest) |
1 |
1,000 |
|
2d8 |
1d8 |
|
2 |
2,000 |
|
3d8 |
1d8 |
|
3 |
4,000 |
|
3d8 |
1d8 |
|
4 |
8,000 |
|
4d8 |
1d8 |
|
5 |
16,000 |
|
5d8 |
1d8 |
|
6 |
32,000 |
|
6d8 |
1d8 |
|
7 |
64,000 |
|
6d8 |
1d8 |
|
8 |
130,000 |
|
7d8 |
1d8 |
|
9 |
260,000 |
|
7d8 |
1d8 |
|
10+ |
+200,000 |
|
+2 hp for each level after |
1d8 (progresses to 2 attacks at level 15, 3 attacks at level 25, 4 attacks at level 35)
|
|
[Table:
Wurmling Character Class]
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Whelp |
-1,024,000 |
8 |
4d8 |
1x2d4 bite/1x1d4 tail or weapon |
Roll over 4d4 Spell
immunities 1 Legacy |
Youngster |
-480,000 |
7 |
6d8 |
1x2d6/1x1d6 |
Roll over 6d4 Magic resistance 12% 3 Legacies |
Teenager |
-240,000 |
6 |
8d8 |
1x2d8/1x1d8 |
Roll over 8d4 Magic resistance 16% 4 Legacies |
NM |
0 |
5 |
10d8 |
1x2d8/1x1d8 |
Roll over 10d4 Magic resistance 20% 5 Legacies |
1 |
1,024,000 |
|
11d8 |
1x2d8/1x1d8 |
Roll over 11d4 Magic resistance 22% |
2 |
1,324,000 |
|
11d8 |
1x2d8/1x1d8 |
|
3 |
1,624,000 |
|
12d8 |
1x2d10/1x1d10 |
Roll over 12d4 Magic resistance 24% +1 Legacy |
4 |
1,924,000 |
|
12d8 |
1x2d10/1x1d10 |
|
5 |
2,224,000 |
|
13d8 |
1x2d10/1x1d10 |
Roll over 13d4 Magic resistance 26% |
6 |
2,524,000 |
|
13d8 |
1x2d10/1x1d10 |
|
7 |
2,824,000 |
|
14d8 |
1x2d12/1x1d12 |
Roll over 14d4 Magic resistance 28% +1 Legacy |
8 |
3,124,000 |
|
14d8 |
1x2d12/1x1d12 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
3 |
15d8 |
1x2d12/1x1d12 |
Roll over 15d4 Magic resistance 30% |
[Table:
Sea hermit Character Class]
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Whelp |
-64,000 |
3 |
4d8+2 |
2x2d3 pincers |
Shapechange |
Youngster |
-48,000 |
2 |
6d8+3 |
2x2d4 |
|
Teenager |
-32,000 |
1 |
8d8+4 |
2x2d6 |
|
NM |
0 |
0 |
10d8+5 |
2x2d8 |
Spell
use 20% (see SCMC) |
1 |
64,000 |
|
11d8 |
2x2d8 |
|
2 |
192,000 |
|
11d8 |
2x2d8 |
|
3 |
448,000 |
|
12d8 |
2x2d8 |
|
4 |
748,000 |
|
12d8 |
2x2d8 |
|
5 |
1,048,000 |
|
13d8 |
2x2d10 |
|
6 |
1,348,000 |
|
13d8 |
2x2d10 |
|
7 |
1,648,000 |
|
14d8 |
2x2d12 |
|
8 |
1,948,000 |
|
14d8 |
2x2d12 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
|
15d8 |
2x2d12 |
|
[Table: Omm-wa Character Class]
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Child |
-3,000 |
9 |
1d8 |
1d4 weapon or unarmed combat |
Swim
180’(60) Hold breath 20m |
Teenager |
-1,500 |
7 |
2d8 |
1d6 |
|
NM |
0 |
6 |
3d8 |
1d8 |
Burn Legacy or other |
1 |
3,000 |
|
3d8 |
1d8 |
|
2 |
6,000 |
|
4d8 |
1d8 |
|
3 |
12,000 |
|
- |
1d8 |
|
4 |
24,000 |
|
5d8 |
1d8 |
|
5 |
48,000 |
|
6d8 |
1d8 |
|
6 |
96,000 |
|
7d8 |
1d8 |
|
7 |
192,000 |
|
- |
1d8 |
|
8 |
384,000 |
|
8d8 |
1d8 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
|
9d8 +2 hp for each level after |
1d8 (progresses to 2 attacks at level 15, 3 attacks at level 25, 4 attacks at level 35) |
|
Level |
XP |
AC |
HD |
Damage |
Powers |
Child |
-3,000 |
9 |
1d8 |
2x1d4 claws/1x2d2 bite or weapon |
Swim 180’(60) Hold breath 2h Infravision 60’ |
Teenager |
-1,500 |
7 |
2d8 |
2x1d4/1x2d2 |
|
NM |
0 |
5 |
3d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
Possible Legacy |
1 |
3,000 |
|
3d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
2 |
6,000 |
|
4d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
3 |
12,000 |
|
- |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
4 |
24,000 |
|
5d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
5 |
48,000 |
|
6d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
6 |
96,000 |
|
7d8 |
2x1d6/1x2d4 |
|
7 |
192,000 |
|
- |
2x1d8/1x2d6 |
|
8 |
384,000 |
|
8d8 |
2x1d8/1x2d6 |
|
9+ |
+300,000 |
|
9d8 +2 hp for each level after |
2x1d8/1x2d6 (with weapon progresses to 2 attacks at level 15, 3 attacks at level 25, 4 attacks at level 35) |
|
|
[Image:
Bestiary]
|
|
|
[Image:
Fachan] |
|
|
[Image:
Delta] |
|
|
[Image: Jorri
mariner] |
|
|
[Image:
Kasturi pirate]
|
|
|
[Image: Kasturi
woods] |
|
|
[Image:
Mountains] |
|
|
[Image:
Jungle] |
|
|
[Image:
Neshezu] |
|
|
[Image:
Wurmling] |
|
|
[Image: Savage Coast East]Original work by author, modifying Thorfinn Tait composite map of the Savage Coast |
|
|
[Image: Savage Coast West]Original work by author, modifying Thorfinn Tait composite map of the Savage Coast |
|
|
[Image: Arm of the Immortals]Original work by author, modifying Kal’s map of Brun |
|
|
[Image: Sea
hermit] |
|
|
[Image: Common
manatee] |
|
|
[Image:
Omm-wa adventurer]
|
|
|
[Image:
Common sea turtle]
|
|
|
[Image: Rocks
on the sea] |
1Official TSR product which used AD&D statistics, only released online and available here in the Vaults of Pandius: http://pandius.com/sc_monst.html
2They were not detailed in the original “Voyages of Princess Ark” series. but more recently Bruce Heard wrote quite a detailed description of them and related subraces, goatlings, ovinaurs and caprines, in his blog: http://bruce-heard.blogspot.it/2012/05/goatmen-of-kavaja.html
3See their entry in the compendium here: http://pandius.com/fachan.html
4See complete list of BECMI Skills including those appearing only in Gazetteers and other supplements by Pasi Anias and Mischa E Gelman in the Vaults http://pandius.com/skills.html
5See the chapter about The Curse and The Legacies in the “Red Steel” boxed set or in the “Savage Coast” Campaign Book, Characters of the Savage Coast, also available in the Vaults of Pandius http://pandius.com/svgecst.html. A list of Legacies is on page 59 of the “Red Steel” boxed set or page 70 of the “Savage Coast” Campaign Book.
6See their entry in SCMC: http://pandius.com/jorri.html
7Their entry is in the SCMC under lizardkin http://pandius.com/lizadkin.html
8See original entry by Sharon Dornhoff http://pandius.com/pteryx.html and more material in Threshold issue #5 and #9 and in others “Once in a Blue Moon” articles by Chimpman in issue #2, #4, #10 and #13
9See the article “The Southwestern Arm of the Immortals” by Atila Pires dos Santos in the previous issue of Threshold.
10Created by Geoff Gander, see its description in the Vault of Pandius http://pandius.com/nastorth.html
11See their description in the 3ed conversion by Jamie Baty in the Vaults http://pandius.com/mugumba.html and BECMI statistics for Mugumba PCs by Havard http://pandius.com/mugumba2.html
12See also the discussion on the Piazza forum here https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f%3D3%26t%3D2331%26start%3D550%23p188660&sa=D&ust=1515416430997000&usg=AFQjCNFcmHpA928B14U5LqawAX2RfZ2dIw and here https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f%3D3%26t%3D2331%26start%3D550%23p188673&sa=D&ust=1515416430997000&usg=AFQjCNEgX1IDhXjhGxe1dNEI-TZnIFiL8w about the possibility of placing a community in Glantri too.
13The Mugumba character class was created by Havard http://www.pandius.com/mugumba2.html but here I eliminated the water breathing spell-like ability at level 7.
14See their entry in the SCMC at the Vault of Pandius http://pandius.com/mythunn.html
15Mythu’nn movement is indicated as 60 feet per turn, but the description says they can run so fast it may be hard to see them, hence I decided to give them this special ability.
16The original entry in SCMC http://pandius.com/neshezu.html
17See their description in the Forgotten Realms wiki http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Taer
18See their entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/wurmling.html. Wurmlings are clearly inspired by the Hutts of Star Wars http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Hutt
19See their entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/seahermi.html
20See their entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/ommwa.html
21See the Tortle and Snapper entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/tortle.html
22See their entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/niktoo.html
23See
their entries in the SCMC http://pandius.com/klaatah.html