#Bestiary 6

[dailycharacteroption]

Roleplaying Races 15: Munavri

(art by Catilus on DeviantArt)

On Monday we looked at the caligni, and now it’s time to look at one final example of Azlanti survivors that were changed by their exodus. However, unlike many such survivors, the muavri were not corrupted or degenerated by the transformation, and are a rare bastion of good and righteousness in the often cutthroat world that is the Darklands.

Descended from Azlanti sailors that were ambushed and abducted by the alghollthu in the wake of Earthfall, they were dragged down into the depths along the Braid, a supernatural waterspout that connects the Arcadian Ocean of the surface to the Sightless Sea in the Orv layer of the Darklands below.

Though no doubt the alghollthu had sinister plans for these abductees, perhaps planning on turning them into something similar to the azarketi gillmen, these Azlanti escaped and made use of their skill as sailors to ply the dark ocean aboard violet-sailed vessels made from carved ivory, where they settled on floating islands of a strange, jade-like substance.

This jade is highly psychically reactive, which made it unbearable for the alghollthu and many of their minions to approach, making it a sanctuary for these survivors. Over the generations, they adapted to the darkness and constant psychic power around them, becoming powerful and canny mystics in their own right as they prove a nearly inassailable nuisance to drow, alghollthu, urdefhans, and other villainous cultures in the depths.

Munavri look mostly human of Azlanti ethnicity, but their skin and hair is bleached of all color, making them seem at first glance to be albino. What’s more, their eyes radiate light from their natural psychic power. They typically wear jade armor chipped form the very gemstones they reside on, as well as leathers tanned from subterranean beasts.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the munavri represent the best of response to hardship a society can have, forging close-knit communities that are there for each other and treat each other like family beyond the bonds of blood, and forgoing brutality for carefully organized resolution of conflicts between their own. They also typically worship the various empyreal lords, with three spiritual leaders, each representing the empyreal lords of a particular celestial clade. Meanwhile, large family units are led by a protector-marshal that governs in the best interest of their people. That’s not to say that there are not dissenters or no room for individuality, but they often do focus on community first and foremost. Additionally, they treat friendly outsiders very well, and are eager to hear about the world outside their lightless nautical realm, especially the surface world.

As beings descended directly from the incredibly hale and brilliant Azlanti, the Munavri boast superior minds and bodies (particularly agility) with the exception of their strength, which is on the weaker side.

They also possess exceptionally long-ranged night-sight as well.

This, however, is coupled with a sensitivity to bright light.

Imbued with psychic magic, munavri have a knack for reading the psychic echoes on objects in particular, gleaning information from them.

They are able to take this even further, however, by reading the memories of how the object was used, allowing them to use unfamiliar weapons and tools with a surprising level of competence for a short while.

Like many Darklands residents, they also possess a bit of innate spell resistance as well, making them hard to affect with hostile magic.

Their psychic abilities also grant them telepathy, though it is limited to communication with other munavri only.

With having a positive bonus to every single stat except for strength, munavri characters can literally excel at any class or archetype combination, even strength-based stuff like barbarians with a little work. Which… will give a lot of GMs pause, and I can imagine many straight-up banning the ancestry outright because of that, or at least restricting it to games where everyone is playing something similarly powerful or higher-level games where such traits are less of an issue. If you do get to play one, consider that nautical options are appropriate for their life on a sunless sea, as well as various classes and archetypes that grant psychic magic as well. But again, they can excel in pretty much any field, so feel free to pick any class combination you like!

[pangur-and-grim]

memento mori

2. relics, but with extinct animals in place of saints

3. memorial portraits

4. pre-historical children's drawings

5. scientifically inaccurate bestiary art

6. close-ups from the Tapestry of Flowers and Animals

7. fossilized soft tissue

8. bad taxidermy

9. Ukiyo-e cats

10. cave drawings

[maniculum]

scorpion in the 'buch der natur' by konrad von megenberg, alsace, c. 1440 (Stuttgart, Landesbibl., Cod. med. et phys. 2° 14, fol. 243v). interesting detail: the german text starts with the typical description of the scorpion as a snake with a pretty woman's face. over this passage, somebody added in latin: "non est ita" = "it's not like that". lmaoo. a paradigm shift. to ME

[Image ID: an arthropod with some odd tripartite mouthparts, a sort of neck raising its head from a beetle-like body, eight legs that end in pincers, a row of nodules along its back, and a fishhook-like tail. It is shown in an outdoor scene that makes it look gigantic.]

(Sorry for the delay on this. I've had deadlines keeping me busy, but they're done now and I'm trying to catch up on various things that fell by the wayside.)

Some remarkable stuff here. I absolutely love someone writing "it's not like that" over the description, and I really have to wonder (not that an answer is likely forthcoming) about the context. On one hand, the idea that someone is just straight-up (correctly) disputing the claim that a scorpion is a serpent with a woman's face is pretty funny. On the other hand, I also like the idea that this comment is meant to be juxtaposed with the illustration: "hey, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the giant rampaging monster you've drawn here does not have a woman's face. it's not like that."

Also, I know the scale is often not meant to be representative in these illustrations, but wow that's a big scorpion. We're back to prehistoric vibes, but this time our scorpion looks more like an actual dinosaur than any other thing I can think of. I suppose that's just my only referent for an armored creature of that size. It looks like it's a serious challenge for 4-6 mid-level adventurers.

No idea what's going on with those mouthparts, also. They need to be acknowledged, but I don't know what to say about them.

Anyway, points:

Small Scuttling Beaſtie? ½, definitely looks like it scuttles but is not small in the least

Pincers? eight on the ends of its legs rather than as a separate pair of limbs, but sure, ✓

Exoskeleton or Shell? ✓

Visible Stinger? ✓

Limbs? 8

As for vibes, I am enjoying this one. I don't want it to be near me, but it has a certain majesty when observed from a distance. Like this:

Yeah, we're still on the dinosaur comparison. 4 / 5.

And that means that this is officially the Best Scorpion So Far, coming in at a total score of:

8.3 / 10

Our bestiary illustrator was so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (They absolutely should.)

[drconstellation]

The Golden Lions of Heaven

S2 has several prominent lion symbols in it, and at first watch they don’t appear to have anything to do with the main story line. But there are lions in both seasons, and they are all connected.

Lions are intrinsically linked with royalty, and are often called King of the Beasts or King of the Jungle. They also symbolize courage, nobility and strength.

Whenever lions appear in GO they are always coloured gold, which is associated with Heaven. Nearly all the angels have some bit of gold on them somewhere - unless they have just discorporated.

In Christian iconography Jesus is represented as a lion upon his return. When he was crucified he was a sacrificial lamb, but the Second Coming is a time when he returns to reign again. As a descendant of the royal house of David, it therefore seems quite logical to assign this symbol to the king of kings.

There is also this paragraph from the Medieval Bestiary:

“In Christian allegory, the three main natures of the lion each have a meaning. The lion erasing its tracks with its tail represents the way Jesus concealed his divinity, only revealing himself to his followers. The lion sleeping with its eyes open represents Jesus, physically dead after crucifixion, but still spiritually alive in his divine nature. The lion roaring over his dead cubs to bring them to life represents how God the father woke Jesus after three days in his tomb.”

There is also an often misquoted line “when the lion shall lie down with the lamb,” but it’s not that at all. The full verse is:

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” [Isiah 11:6]

It is referring to a time of peace that should come once Jesus returns. Somehow I don't think we are going to get that in S3.

The Two Lions in the Dirty Donkey

There are two large golden lions sitting on the ends of the bar in the Dirty Donkey. Because one of the underlying themes in S2 is about the Second Coming, even if its not obvious until the end, its fairly easy then to interpret these two as being connected to this event. The Dirty Donkey itself can be seen in several ways: a simple donkey that needs a wash, or a black horse. Both are relevant to referencing Jesus. In the former, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem the first time to signify he came in peace, but the second time he arrives will be like on the back of the black horse of a conqueror come to rule. One lion for each occurrence.

The Lion under the lamp in Jimbriel’s room

While there is some argument for Jim’s character in S2 re-creating parts of the life of Jesus from two thousand years ago, such as the cleansing of the temple and facing temptation from demons. I think we shouldn’t also forget that this is also Gabriel the Herald, and he was doing some ominous heralding of doom at various points in S2 that in hindsight we can see were warning us about the Second Coming. So this lion at the base of the lamp Jimbriel is playing with has to alert us to Jimbriel’s connection with Jesus. (I will probably revisit and add/rewrite this one in the future, I think there is a bit more to it)

The Lion Rampant on Aziraphale’s Ring

At the end of S2 we learn that Aziraphale has been manipulated into going back to Heaven to run the Second Coming by the Metatron. In hindsight, its hard to see how he wouldn't be involved, somehow. What is surprising, however, is that this expert in prophecy didn't see it coming - but then he didn't expect to see Jimbriel arriving either!

Usually the first thing we notice about Aziraphale's ring is the stylized lion rampant on the shield. We know it's definitely a lion because it upright - if it was down on all four paws it would be referred to as a leopard. The upright tail tells us its on guard.

There are more elements to the ring that also add to the story here, it's a much more complex ring than Michael's. The crown on the top is a symbol of victory and sovereignty, and also a connection to God, who considered the "King of all." On either side of the shield are two stylized sprigs of laurel, reinforcing a picture of triumph and fame.

Then there are a fringe of feathers, banded in sharp triangular spikes. Feathers signify willing obedience and serenity of mind in heraldry, so I would tend to lean towards the former. The triangles represent celestial rays, so they reinforce his obedience to the will of Heaven.

You might think, "well this makes sense, Aziraphale is a Principality, he's a protector, that's why there is a lion," but I think it more complicated than that. It tells us something about both the past and the future at the same time. The purpose of the rings remain a mystery to us at the moment, in that we don't know why some angels have them and others don't, or if they have any function. Aziraphale has a tendency to touch his when he is feeling troubled or worried (its easy to miss if you aren't paying attention,) so perhaps it helps to strengthen his connection to Heaven somehow, or is a reminder of his duties.

There is another connection Aziraphale has to a lion, and that is through his past status as a cherubim in the Job minisode in S2E2.

As pointed out in this post, the pattern is stylized to represent the four wings that Cherubim are said to have, with a pearl in the center for an eye. These Cherubim also have four faces: an ox, an eagle, a lion and a man. Well, we sort of get all of those with Aziraphale at some point in the wider story. And the angel set at the eastern gate of Eden with the flaming sword was supposed to be a Cherubim, too. Yes, Aziraphale changed rank from Cherubim to Principality, we just don't technically know whether it was a step up or down...

The Honolulu Roast Lion

There is a lion you don’t see in S2 – the lion logo for the Honolulu roast coffee, mentioned briefly on a blackboard in the background of a shot inside the coffee shop.

The islands of Hawaii were a kingdom up until 1893, when a commercial coup took them over and allowed them to be annexed by the US. You can read more about it here. While the op in that post relates it the Eldritch Ball in S2E5, it still connects a lion to royalty.

The lion at the beginning of S1E1

Right at the beginning we have a lion as well – a real live lion! After Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden they meet a big lion out on the dunes. As Aziraphale and Crowley watch and talk atop the walls of the Garden, Adam confronts the lion with the flaming sword Aziraphale gave him and eventually kills the lion before he walks away with Eve.

What are we to think of this? I've see one op suggest that it was Aziraphale "throwing them to the lions" as his first act. To me it seems more like Adam has just slain God instead to gain their freedom.

The Lions on Crowley’s “throne”

There are two lion heads on the arm rest of Crowley’s “throne” (I don’t know what else to call it, really) in his Mayfair flat in S1. If I understand correctly, this should first be viewed as a homage to the US show Supernatural, as this chair is the exact copy of the one the demon Crowley in that show sits in, only his one is black. But if I’m to look at it in terms of GO symbology, my brain keeps going [error 503: Server cannot process the request due to a system overload; should be a temporary condition...] because I can’t quite believe what its telling me. And I should, because I’m the one running around touting a list that is now 22 items long for why Crowley was once a very powerful archangel and written a batshit-crazy meta on King Arthur themes presenting in GO. So I’ll just present my quandary this way: There are lions, they are golden, of course, so they are connected to Heaven, and a symbol of royalty – but they are being used by a demon in a residence paid for by Hell…(too.much.gold...! what were they thinking?)

Further reading: The Golden Lion by Cobragardens

[monstersdownthepath]

Milestone Monster: Ragathiel, General of Vengeance

CR 26

Lawful Good Huge Outsider

Bestiary 6, pg. 114-115 (image taken from the cover of Chronicle of the Righteous)

There are many things in common between this Empyreal Lord and the last one we looked at on this blog. In most ways, Ragathiel and Vildeis couldn't be more different; Vildeis was born a perfect angel, while Ragathiel was born a devil and fought against his own nature and his very being to become one. Vildeis was so traumatized by the existence of Evil that she tore out her own eyes so she wouldn't have to see it, while Ragathiel's only wound of note was caused by his father, the Archdevil Dispater. Vildeis bears her scars openly and eschews any armor but the miles of bloodstained bandages over her form, while Ragathiel shields himself in gleaming golden armor to give the impression of an impervious, faultless soldier. Vildeis wields a simple dagger with terrifying effectiveness against single foes, while Ragathiel wields a dramatic two-handed, flaming blade.

But at the end of the day, both of them have the same goal: The eradication of Evil. And they both have the same problem: They're worryingly single-minded about it. Other Archons even worry about Ragathiel's bloodlust, something possibly justified considering how unfortunate his Divine Obedience is, demanding a death every time it's invoked. Despite whatever worry they may have for him, though, Ragathiel seems wholly committed to the battle against fiends of all forms, but especially against the devils and their ilk, whom he executes with impunity and without mercy. His mission is tireless, but one he performs without hesitation or regret. So long as Hell continues to reach its greasy little hands beyond its borders, Ragathiel will be there to stab at its fingers until it retreats... and, on occasion, venturing into the infernal lands to strike it directly.

The General of Vengeance is among the fiercest of all the Empyreal Lords, not afraid to lead his armies from the front at every opportunity, but his approach has some key differences from Vildeis'; she tirelessly wanders with no home or lair of her own, striking down Evil as it crosses her, effectively launching spontaneous campaigns which last only as long as they must in order to eradicate immediate foes before moving on to the next target. Ragathiel is more careful and arguably more thorough, retreating to a grand military base in Heaven to carefully plan his every assault to maximize its impact and the length of time it will take Hell to make another move. He's noted to be a brilliant tactician whose plans have rarely failed, but his prowess truly shines on the battlefield. Once he's landed in the fray he's a sight to behold, as though holy fire itself took up a sword to burn away the corruption trying to infect the world.

Let's see just what that looks like...

Let's start with the basics, since I feel like I have to bring it up every time I spot it: as an angel, Ragathiel projects a 20ft Protective Aura which shields everyone inside (himself included) from the forces of Evil, granting a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus to saving throws against them. The aura also hedges out Evil summoned creatures, grants additional saving throws against charms and compulsions, and blocks hostile spell effects if they're 3rd level or less. No Fireball, no Slow, no Magic Missile, no targeted Dispel Magic, Blindness/Deafness, Silence... The list goes on, with both Ragathiel and any of his nearby allies benefiting from the protection.

It goes without saying that his allies aren't restricted by this; they can throw out all the Fireballs they want! In fact, Fireball specifically is encouraged, but we'll get to why in just a moment...

For now we'll continue with the basics, and it's hard to get more basic than Ragathiel. You take one look at him, and you can immediately tell what he is and what he's going to do: respectively, he's an angelic Paladin in specialized full-plate (Golden Armor, in fact; +5 full-plate with no downsides to his speed or checks!), and he's going to hit you very, very hard with a very, very big sword. His +5 Evil-Outsider-Bane Flaming Burst Holy Bastard Sword is a paragraph of a weapon created for the express purpose of beating devils back to Hell, dealing 3d8+21 damage at base, +2d6 vs Evil creatures and an extra 2d6+2 against Evil Outsiders specifically, and 1d6 Fire damage (1d10 if the sword critically hits, and it threatens a critical on a 17 or higher) as a ribbon on top. In addition to swinging his sword upwards to four times a round, he's got five Burning Wings that can be used as part of his Full-Attack, each one dealing 1d8+5 plus 1d6 Fire damage per hit and forcing a struck enemy to succeed a DC 39 Reflex save or burst into flames for 1d6 more damage a round.

And of course, he wouldn't be a Paladin if he didn't have Smite Evil. He's got it 7 times a day, in fact, and any of his allies within his Primal Aura can expend 2 uses to give all of his allies within the 30ft aura the benefits of Smite Evil against a single target. That's +9 to AC, +9 to attack rolls, and +20 to the first damage roll a given creature makes each round for a whole battalion against one specific target, +40 to damage if the target is an Evil Outsider (and ONLY Evil Outsiders; Ragathiel doesn't get bonus damage against Dragons and Undead!). If the General of Vengeance is leading a charge against a specific diabolic power, all his allies need to do is invoke his Primal Aura, and suddenly even meager footsoldiers can be hitting the main boss as hard as a Barbarian five levels above them! With health to match, as he can freely use Shield Other to help tank hits his more fragile companions would normally fold to.

Even if he has no reinforcements to invoke this power, he's got Gate 1/day to open a doorway right to Heaven to bring them in, shielding and empowering them with his auras. A quick Time Stop also lets him run around and use his 3/day Blessing of Fervor with no lost time to give two dozen plus Turbo Hastes out with each use, and throw out his 3/day Quickened Blade Barrier between each use to trim the battlefield into something more accommodating and prevent an easy enemy retreat.

Ragathiel fights best when surrounded by allies, for more reasons than just his long list of buffs and auras. His Righteous Mantle directly notes his bloodline relation to a demigoddess of fire, granting him numerous fiery blessings; namely, he absorbs Fire damage, treating all incoming Fire damage as healing instead, AND his Fire damage completely ignores any Fire Resistance and Immunity possessed by devils while dealing double damage to them! This is an INCREDIBLE ability... and would be far more useful in a vacuum if he had more than just token Fire damage on his attacks. Indeed, Ragathiel has only one bit of fire in his kit that isn't attached to his wings or weapon, a 1/day Meteor Swarm he's incentivized to drop directly into his own space once he's in melee with a bunch of devils, damaging them (and everything around them) while restoring a good chunk of his own HP. It also means his allies can freely throw Fireballs, Walls of Fire, Meteor Swarms, and other such effects of their own directly at him, which not only harms enemies, but restores his health!

No, his at-will Fire of Judgment doesn't deal any Fire damage, I checked; it burns an Evil creature for 1d6 (1d10 if they're an Outsider, Dragon, or Undead) damage each round with 'cleansing positive energy.'

At the very least, absorbing Fire damage means a great deal of devils suddenly have portions of their arsenal taken from them... though it, ironically, doesn't aid him against his own father, Dispater, who has no Fire damage in his kit. Rather, his Devil's Bane kicks in; this ability gives him +4 to caster level checks against devils, to his own saving throws when saving against diabolic magic, and to the save DCs of all his spells when a devil is being targeted, and this bonus becomes +8 when against Dispater. Dispater actually cannot affect Ragathiel with any of his spells thanks to this, and the General himself has a small chance of landing his own abilities against his father's otherwise towering saving throws!

And while we're on the topic of resilience, why not see how sturdy Ragathiel is? Because, as you may have guessed, the man's nearly impossible to harm in a way that matters. His DR 20 can't be pierced unless the weapon is Epic and Evil, while his Regeneration can only be suppressed by the powers of a deific or Mythic being. He's got the Demigod Suite of status immunities (notably NOT immune to disease, fear, paralysis, stun, or sleep, but those will be rendered non-issues soon) as well as immunity to Acid and Cold damage, and though his saves are ALREADY high, just look back upwards at everything he's got to bolster them!

And then. there it is, the penultimate quality listed on his statblock right before it gets into the rest of his abilities: Lay on Freaking Hands. 10 times a day as a swift action, Ragathiel can give himself an encouraging slap on the chest to restore 17d6 health to himself. Except it's not just 17d6! Righteous Mantle grants him +2 HP per healing dice rolled whenever he magically regains any health, which has no effect on his own healing spell (because it's freaking Heal at 3/day), but it means every LoH use grants him 17d6+34 HP. He can also apply ANY Paladin Mercy to his ability without restriction! And... well, here's the best part:

He can use Lay on Hands no matter what. There is NO condition or effect in the game which prevents him from using this ability as a swift action to wipe away whatever is inhibiting his actions. This means even if he's nauseated, stunned, paralyzed, asleep, staggered, or unconscious due to HP damage, he can wipe the condition off with all the difficulty of a particularly stubborn scab. Thanks to his empowered Lay on Hands and his own demigod immunities, there is NO status ailment in the game besides outright death that can inhibit him unless all 10 of his uses for the day are burned through, because he can use his swift action to break himself out of the effect and still have his entire turn afterwards.

It is probably not surprising that most of Ragathiel's enemies view him as an unkillable juggernaut, ridiculously durable even by the standards of demigods. In high level Pathfinder, rocket tag is ever-prevalent; you need to be able to shut down your enemies before they do the same to you. Well, when battling the General of Vengeance, it's likely you can't. He's all but guaranteed to get his round off, especially if he's high in the initiative order. Unless, I suppose, you put him to sleep, then nauseate, stun, and paralyze him in a single round, since as-written he can only wipe off one a round. Good luck with that, especially if you're a devil!

You can read more about him here.

[cryptids-of-spielzeit]

Spielzeit Bestiary #7: The Spielzeit Fae

Tales of fairies have been passed down from generation, with various descriptions of what they actually are. Some stories depict them as small, flying humans with the ability to grant wishes, others say they are beings not to be messed with, to never tell your name to, lest they steal it.

But in the case of the town of Spielzeit, their fairies are somewhat mischievious. The Spielzeit Fae, sometimes referred to as "The Smiling Fairies" or "The Giggling Sprites" by locals, are a group of creatures that supposedly roam the woods near Spielzeit, particularly near common picnicing areas or fields.

The actual appearance of these creatures varies greatly from one another. According to locals, there are 8 variants, each with their own personalities. The few common traits in all 8 are their huge, believed to be never changing, smiles and their childlike laughter.

[DISCLAIMER: THESE DESCRIPTIONS ARE BASED ON PUBLIC SUPERSTITION AND RUMORS, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE]

1. Welpe: The Welpe Fae are described as being small, orange Cocker Spaniels, surprisingly similar to the appearance of another piece of Spielzeit folklore, the Sun Dog. Welpe Fae are commonly seen playing with the other fae, and in some cases coordinate pranks and heists for the other fae.

2. Jungtier: Jungtier Fae are described as small, red Bear cubs. Jungtier Fae are said to be incredibly clingy to other fae, and in one case, humans. They seem to show a form of affection through this clinginess.

3. Hase: Hase Fae are described as small, bright green bunnies. Hase Fae have been said to be incredibly energetic, and in some claimed "heist" encounters are the ones said to run off with whatever it is they stole.

4. Huhn: The Huhn Fae are said to be similar to baby chicks in appearance. Huhn Fae, according to locals, usually try to "one up" the other fae in their activities. What this entails is up for debate.

5. Ferkel: Ferkal Fae are said to heavily resemble a common piglet. Ferkel Fae, in most encounters, are usually the first seen, eating whatever they have stolen from the poor sap that crossed them.

6. Kalb: Kalb Fae are described as being small, sky blue elephant calfs. These fae are said to have a great memory. According to local baker Annie Puntz, she gave a Kalb a piece of cake, and the next month, it brought her back a flower.

7. Eins: Eins Fae are commonly described as being very small unicorn-like beings, with white fur and pale blue manes. Eins fae are theorized to be incredibly artistic, as a few locals described witnessing an Eins fairy using the cherries from a cherry tree in the town's Fruit Basket area to paint a rock.

8. Kätzchen: Kätzchen Fae, strangely, are said to highly resemble a tiny version of The Grinning Cat, down to the deep purple fur color and the big grin. Another interesting comparison to note is their tendency to "sleep". Encounters with Kätzchen fae usually start with the witness finding it asleep before waking it up, causing it to run away.

More often than not, groups of fae contain more than one variant, if not all 8. The first documented sighting of the Fae came from the late Dave Fitz, who described having a picnic with his grandchildren, when suddenly a Welpe and a Kätzchen appeared, trying to steal food. Mr. Fitz shooed them away, only realizing later that night that that was a mistake, as he found a huge group of the Fae ransacking his home.

Since then, it has become tradition to leave a piece of food out for the Fae during picnics, even if they never show.

Ranger Angelo Floros was asked about if he believed the Fae were real.

"I, personally, find these rumors to be a load of bologna. Fairies only exist in fairy tales. As for the supposed laughter, there are plenty of children here who love to spook their elders, and this idea of laughing fairies is perfect for them! I have no further comment."

Whether they exist or not, the Spielzeit Fae have become a big part of their folklore, even serving as one of the many creatures celebrated during their Summer Solstice festival, along with the Sun Dog.

All we ask you is...do you believe?

[thecreaturecodex]

Quintessivore

Image © Paizo Publishing

[The quintessivore is a weird monster in a number of ways. For one thing, its PF2e category is "beast", when both its bizarre anatomy and unusual diet would make it seem to be a shoo-in for aberration status. Although maybe that's a result of the art; those proportions and placements of the limbs are truly bizarre, and I'm not sure if that was the original intent. For another thing, the Bestiary 3 entry is mostly taken up with explaining what quintessence is for readers not immersed in PF lore, leaving the actual flavor text for the monster rather thin on the ground. So I had room to expand, and to explain some things that the original entry leaves without comment.]

Quintessivore CR 10 NE Aberration This creature has a head like a deep-sea fish, with pointed teeth and beady eyes. It has four many-jointed limbs—two of them ending in three-fingered claws, and two of them ending in bladed appendages. Its color is a sickly gray, and its body is studded with short spines, ridges and strings of fibrous material.

Quintessivores are strange creatures that feed on quintessence, the raw material of souls and the Outer Planes. They are roughly spider-like in proportion, having long limbs holding up a relatively small body. Their exoskeletons constantly slough off strands of tough fiber, similar in texture to silk but greasier. Quintessivores cannot weave webs as true spiders can, but use their silk as if it were paper, recording their spellbooks and other writings on their secretions. 

A quintessivore on one of the Outer Planes is often docile and talkative, as they have access to effectively infinite food. On the Material Plane, however, they stalk mortal beings in order to strip their souls and consume them slowly. While feeding on a soul, the quintessivore’s blade legs are faintly luminous, and patterns resembling waves, whorls and loops appear and disappear along their length. The process of feeding on a soul empowers their magical abilities, and souls that are more powerful grant longer lasting boons.

Quintessivores are despised by almost all outsiders, as their diet is soul-stuff itself. Psychopomps especially seek to eliminate quintessivores, and these aberrations typically flee from even rumors of psychopomp activity. On the other hand, daemons are rather fond of them, as their feeding reduces the net quintessence in existence, inexorably bringing the end of all things closer. Daemons still by no means respect these mortal creatures, and both the quintessivore and the daemon typically think of themselves as the superior partner in any allegiances unless the power differential between the two is obvious.

Quintessivore      CR 10 XP 9,600 NE Medium aberration Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +19

Defense AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 18(+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural) hp 136 (13d8+78) Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +13

Offense Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee 2 claws +15 (1d10+3 plus 1d10 negative energy and ability drain) Special Attacks ability drain (1d3 Con, Fort DC 22), feed, suspend soul Spells CL 10th, concentration +17 (+21 casting defensively) 5th—feeblemind (DC 22), passwall, vampiric shadow shield 4th—arcane eye, black tentacles, contagion (DC 22), enervation  3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, fireball (DC 20), protection from energy, ray of exhaustion (DC 20), slow (DC 21) 2nd—cat’s grace (x2), invisibility, scorching ray, see invisibility, web (DC 19) 1st—comprehend languages, expeditious retreat, feather fall, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement (DC 19) 0th—detect magic, mage hand, open/close, read magic

Statistics Str 17, Dex 22, Con 23, Int 24, Wis 17, Cha 16 Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip) Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Iron Will, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (necromancy), Stealthy, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +22 (+26 jumping),Climb +27, Escape Artist +26, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (dungeoneering, planes) +20, Perception +19, Spellcraft +23, Stealth +26, Use Magic Device +16 Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Daemonic, Infernal, Undercommon

Ecology Environment underground Organization solitary Treasure standard

Special Abilities Feed (Su) By spending 1 hour with a helpless living creature, or a formerly living creature no more than 2 hours dead, a quintessivore can consume its quintessence, keeping it from reaching the afterlife. A creature fed on in such a way cannot be returned from the dead, unless its soul is freed from the quintessivore by killing the creature. A quintessivore retains the soul bound to it for 1 day per HD of its victim, during which time it gains a +1 on all spell save DCs, and may prepare an additional spell of each spell level. Once this time is elapsed, the victim’s soul is gone forever. A quintessivore can only have one soul bound to it at a time. Spells A quintessivore can prepare and cast spells as a 10th level generalist wizard. It does not gain other benefits of the wizard class, such as a specialty school or arcane bond, unless it takes levels in the wizard class. Suspend Life (Su) As an immediate action, a quintessivore can suspend the life processes of a dying creature within 15 feet. A creature so affected must succeed a DC 21 Fortitude save or be unable to gain or lose hit points for 1 hour. During that time, if the creature receives magical healing, it can attempt another DC 21 Fortitude save to break the effect. The save DC is Charisma based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.

[thelittlemars]

Rating cows from Medieval manuscripts because I fucking love cows

I love cows and I love Medieval manuscripts. Is there something else I have to say to justify this post? I hope not.

Ashmole Bestiary. England, early 13th century.

This is a cow for sure. I love her soft lineart - the artist knew what he was doing. Her reddish coat is Accurate, but she has curly hair, for some reason. This cow doesn't seem ready for the hardships of motherhood. She looks worried that her calf misses her udder completely, chomping on something that should definitely not be chomped. I empathize with her, to some extent.

9/10

Ortus sanitatis. Germany, 15th century

A very skinny cow. She might be very young. This is probably the first time she's been milked, you can see from her face that she does not know what to expect, but she definitely does not like it. And tbh, I myself would not trust that little, lingering hand. However, I don't like that she's so skinny. Cows should be round, friendly and huggable. Her owners might be Poor, but Grass Is Free, you know? Let her eat something!

6/10 because it's not her fault.

BL Harley 4751, f. 23. England, 13th century.

A very common rendition of a cow. I have seen at least two other illustrations like this one. She is Accurate, but her horns are red too. That was lazy, my dear artist. I love her fluffy tail and her tongue too. Cows have beautiful tongues. However, she does not look soft, but very sleek. I give her an extra point for that 'vacca' in the caption - it makes everything 1000 times better. 'Vacca' is a very funny word in Italian.

8/10

SÁM 66. Iceland, 18th century

This cow is technically not Medieval, but she gets a free pass because I know her personally. Her name is Auðumbla. I usually love Auðumbla, but here she looks like she's pulling a gigantic prank on poor Búri by spilling all her milk all over the universe, and he doesn't seem to appreciate it. Bad Auðumbla. Apart from this, she looks Soft.

6/10

De natura animalium. Italy, 15th century.

If Auðumbla was not Medieval, this bad boy here is not a Cow. He is a Bull. However, if I was driving past a field I would still point at him and scream "Cow!!" to my mum, so he too gets a free pass. I love him. He has kind, expressive eyes. He seems very polite as if he would let you cross the street without honking at you. He also looks squishable but firm. He is probably the most beloved animal on the farm. I love you, Kind Bull.

10/10

Bohun Psalter and Hours. England, 14th century

This cow is literally me if I was a Cow. Wrapped in a blanket, with a book and flowers all around. This cow knows how to read. Cows should not be able to read, but I guess she followed her dreams and never gave up on them. Her eyes are so expressive, and kind. I cannot express the range of emotions this little Scholar Cow evokes in me. She also has a good sense of style. Good job, little Cow!

1000/10

 LJS 361. Naples, 14th century

Not sure what this is supposed to be. A cow? A horse? A 'corse'? Anyway, this looks like a little push cart with a stuffed animal on top. Really doesn't look like a cow. And why is she on a leash? Or maybe it is her who's keeping that square-headed creature on a leash? Is it, perhaps, her pet? In that case, we love our independent queen. But I still have to say: I have no idea what this is. Sorry, weird-looking maybe-cow.

1/10

---

This was all for today! I hope you enjoyed my little ranking of the Medieval beauties. Let me know which one of these is your favourite, pls I'd love to know.

To be completely transparent, I was inspired to do this by @cuties-in-codices 's beautiful posts on weird creatures in manuscripts. I love your blog so much.

Ha det bra, my fellow friends!

[pathfinderunlocked]

Bloodspatter Ooze - CR 6 Ooze

Don’t go in there.  There’s blood EVERYWHERE.

Artwork is official art of the Boilborn from Pathfinder Bestiary 4, by Mattias Fahlberg, copyright Paizo.

This creature is destined for a short life.  It’s appropriate to be summoned or used as a minion by some other more dangerous creature, or to be used as part of a trap in a dungeon.

I thought about letting them hurt each other when they explode; the potential for chain reactions sounded fun for the GM but awful for the players.  That kind of burst damage potential would theoretically balance out the self-destructive nature of these things, but it would just be way too much if the players were fighting these alongside a boss.  What’s actually supposed to balance out the self-destructive nature of these things is the fact that there are supposed to be a bunch of them to deal with alongside some other threat.  When a CR 14 boss has CR 6 minions, it’s fine if they die in one hit.

They have the stats of CR 7 creatures, so they’re taking a -1 penalty to CR from self-destructing. As an experiment, since they usually only get to attack once, which sounds similar to a trap, I calculated their challenge rating as if they were traps instead of monsters, and it still came out as CR 6.

Bloodspatter Ooze - CR 6

Like some taut pustule ready to burst, this globule of blood slides forward on the ground.

XP 2,400 N Small ooze Init +2 Senses blind, blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +0

DEFENSE

AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (Dex +2, size +1) hp 87 (7d10+49) Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +2 Immune mind-affecting effects, ooze traits Resist acid 10, negative energy 10 Weaknesses racial vulnerabilities

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft., swim 10 ft. Melee slam +8 (2d4+3 plus explode) or touch +8 (explode) Special Attacks death throes, explode

STATISTICS

Str 14, Dex 15, Con 24, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1 Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 18

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Death Throes (Ex) When killed, a bloodspatter ooze pops in a 15-foot-radius burst that deals 4d6 acid damage and 4d6 negative energy damage (DC 20 Reflex half).  The save DC is Constitution-based.

Additionally, the ground beneath the area of this burst is coated in acidic blood that deals 4d6 acid damage to any creature that enters it or ends its turn in it while standing on the ground.  A DC 20 Reflex save halves this damage.

These effects deal no damage to other bloodspatter oozes.

Explode (Ex) When a bloodspatter ooze succeeds on a slam or touch attack against a living creature with blood, it explodes, killing itself and triggering its death throes ability.  If the target is bleeding, the target immediately takes its bleed damage and the radius of the death throes is doubled, as the target’s blood explodes out of its body as well.

[uchivstheworld]

Final Fantasy Bestiary entry #6: Coeurl Print: inprnt.com/gallery/uchi/final-fantasy-bestiary-coeurl/

[dailycharacteroption]

Roleplaying Races 15: Naiad

(art by Celiarts on DeviantArt)

I’ve said it before, but there are a handful of playable ancestries in first edition which got a blurb in a bestiary, but was never really touched again.

This is technically true of today’s entry: the naiad, but Paizo didn’t completely forget about them, as they show up again in 2E… admittedly with monster stats and only the lore drop of them occasionally becoming adventurers, but no ancestry stats… not yet, anyway.

In any case, naiads!

In Greek mythology, Naiad are a type of nymph, minor female deities that preside over aspects of the natural world, either independently or in the service of a more powerful divinity that rules more generally over the nymphs more specific focus.

In particular, naiads were the guardians of all bodies of freshwaters with the exception of full rivers, which had their own divinities. Anything from streams to fountains to ponds and lakes. Anywhere that fresh water could be found was their domain. They were known to be healers and protectors to those that honored them, but also dangerous and sometimes jealous beings, but that’s true of many Greek divinities.

In Pathfinder, naiads are a form of lesser nymph, able to bond with any body of water, rather than just being stuck with one on their moment of birth. As such, they tend to wander much further afield than other nymphs (with perhaps the exception of their more oceanic kin.)

That wanderlust and keen interest in protecting waterways and sources of fresh water means that many naiad take up the life of adventure to grow in strength and defeat evil that seeks to pollute and corrupt.

As fey creatures, naiad have a decidedly otherworldy appearance, appearing as humanoids seemingly made of water, and often adorning their forms in clothing made of living aquatic plants. Despite their appearance, however, they are very solid beings, and can come in a variety of genders despite the stereotypes of supposedly being only female.

As both fey and wanderers, Naiads don’t typically have societies of their own, though they probably pay homage to more powerful nymphs and to local fey courts when they’re in the area. Their wanderings also place them in greater contact with mortals too, so they likely have a better understanding of the mortal mindset as they interact with and integrate with their societies. They still are fey, however so their worldview no doubt clashes sometimes. They do, however, share a love of music and performance, as evidenced by the nature of their blessing when bestowed on a mortal.

Naiads are agile and charming, though their bodies are somewhat weak.

Their fey nature also gives them good night vision as well.

What’s more, being in tune with nature lets them befriend animals easier and understand the natural world.

True to their nature as nymphs, naiads can imbue a small token of favor, typically a lock of hair, which grants a minor blessing to creativity and mental integrity to the one it is gifted too. What’s more, the link between the naiad and their token lets them keep tabs on the well-being of the recipient, and they can rescind this blessing at any time.

The other iconic ability of theirs is the ability to bond with a freshwater body of water. As long as they are within a minute’s run from this water, the naiad draws protection from it, warding them against mundane and supernatural attack.

Charisma and dexterity are fun bonuses to have, making these fey surprisingly good swashbucklers. As fitting for their nature as minor muses, they also make good bards and skalds, to say nothing of their mastery of sorcery, the talents of a rogue/slayer, and so on. What’s more, their tokens and ability to draw protection from water makes defensive magic and water magic good themes to explore as well. Their only real weakness is the low strength, but that’s easy enough to surmount.

That does it for today, but we’ll be ending off with one more ancestry orphaned by the bestiary book it was introduced in!

[delimeful]

helpless (6)

warnings: arguing, anger, mild misunderstandings

-

The journey was over.

His impromptu employers had reached their goal, a new stretch of forest that was close enough to a town that the humans could make the trip within a day to trade and barter, but far enough that they weren’t likely to have a repeat of what Patton referred to as the “Beary Bad Beartraps” situation.

His work here was done, his job complete, and his payment fulfilled.

And yet, Roman found himself idling around their new campsite long after Logan had pressed a sack heavy with coin into his hands.

“I mean,” he blustered upon receiving the third curious glance from Virgil, who was carefully stringing their more perishable goods up in a tree, “is my job truly done if I haven’t ascertained the danger of the destination? It would be disastrous if something happened before you even properly settled in!”

“Oh, that’s alright, I think your job is done!” Patton chimed in, clearing all the twigs and rocks from the ground where they would soon lay their bedrolls. “You should go now, so you don’t have to travel in the dark!”

Roman’s posture wilted slightly. “I mean, you all clearly have so much to do, I could at least help—,”

“Excellent,” said Logan, who clearly wanted to be sketching Virgil’s web patterns instead, “you can come take over in assembling the raincatcher, then.”

Brightening up immediately, Roman practically bounded over, too glad at an excuse to stay to bother complaining about the manual labor. Logan vanished and reappeared at Virgil’s side with his notebook in short order.

(Across the clearing, Patton’s shoulders went tight and bunched up for a moment before forcibly smoothing out.)

That set the tone for the rest of the week, each morning beginning with Roman stalling his departure for some vaguely-stated reason or another, and Logan easily assigning a portion of the day’s tasks to him. He was a surprisingly deft hand at delegation, Roman noted, for a scholar.

He was also under the false impression that Roman himself had a similar nature, for some strange reason.

Sure, Roman had taken to occasionally following Virgil around in a manner very similar to Logan, and yeah, he maybe spent some of that time pestering the drider for details on whichever monster from his travels jumped to mind, but that didn’t mean he was a nerd.

“It’s certainly refreshing to meet a fellow enthusiast,” Logan said in passing at dinner one evening.

“What?” Roman blurted, startled. “I— I mean, enthusiastic about… defeating them, maybe.”

Between them, Patton stoked the fire perhaps more intensely than strictly required.

Logan leveled an unimpressed look over the lenses of his glasses, rotating one of the skewers over the flames. “I see. The artwork you created based on Virgil’s description of basilisks was purely for destructive purposes, then?”

“You saw that?!” Roman squawked, his face growing hot.

“They were remarkably pictured, for someone who's never seen them. You would make a far superior bestiary illustrator than most I’ve witnessed,” Logan replied, unperturbed.

Roman ran a hand through his hair, and tried to change the subject. “You’ve got to be fair to them, most humans don’t go looking for basilisks, what with the unfortunate side effects.”

There was a concerning silence from Logan, who now seemed more intent on observing his in-progress kabob than ever.

“Logan,” Virgil said, his relaxed lounge turning into the weary tension he always got when one of the others said or did something unwise. “Tell me you didn’t try to track down a species that can kill you with a glance for the express purpose of looking at it?”

Logan cleared his throat. “I prefer not to tell falsehoods to my companions,” he managed, the faintest traces of embarrassment visible.

“Logan,” Virgil repeated, with a sort of agonized exhaustion.

“Oh, come on, Living Bitemare,” Roman interjected, trying to steer the conversation to lighter waters, “he clearly made it out alright, didn’t he?”

The drider dragged his hands over his face, muttering something about that not being the point, but he did seem somewhat appeased by the fact that Logan was right in front of him, safe and sound.

“Don’t call him that,” a voice interjected.

Roman looked up at Patton with surprise.

“Beg your pardon?” he asked, bewildered.

“Stop calling Virgil names,” Patton said, louder this time. He was still sitting, but his hands were clenched at his sides.

He sounded truly upset, and Roman realized that he’d never heard such a tone from the man before.

“Names?” he echoed dumbly for a moment. “Oh— The nicknames! I’m not— I only mean them as a manner of affectionate teasing! They’re not actually mean-spirited.”

There was a beat of silence in which Patton’s expression only darkened, and then—

“They’re not?” Virgil asked quietly, his voice barely more than a low whisper.

Roman wasn’t sure what his face did, but the expression must have been fairly visible, because Virgil’s shoulders lowered slightly.

“Of course not!” he finally managed to find his words, barely resisting the urge to jump to his feet. “They’re simply witticisms, wordplay, whatever I can think of in the moment. It’s a habit of mine, I promise you they aren’t maliciously meant.”

Virgil relaxed further, and after a moment, a small smile appeared on his face.

Roman grinned back, relieved and entirely unbothered by the fangs he could see poking out at the edges of the expression.

“I’m going to sleep,” Patton said, his expression carefully neutral. He rose and walked over to the bedrolls without another word.

There was a long pause, the three left behind exchanging worried glances before the conversation started back up again, more subdued than before.

“Regardless, I was wearing goggles with mirrored lenses, so the risk of looking directly into a basilisk’s gaze was relatively low.”

“And were these goggles tested before you used them in a situation where you would absolutely die if they didn’t work?”

“Well. That is to say…,”

Roman let the conversation roll over him, still staring after Patton.

Something was wrong, and he suspected it started with his own person.

—

The next morning, a quick word to Logan got Roman assigned to help Patton with the laundry, though it earned him a raised eyebrow of skepticism.

“Don’t worry about it,” Roman told him confidently, despite the fact that he had no real idea if this would help. “I’m certain I can get to the bottom of whatever is perturbing our dear Patton!”

The words didn’t seem to reassure Logan as much as he would have liked, but he agreed to the change in duties regardless.

The way Patton’s smile tightened into something almost painful-looking when Roman approached to carry one of the clothes baskets wasn’t promising, but it did prove that Roman was on the right track.

His small talk went almost entirely unreplied to all the way down the hill, and so Roman eventually let them sink into an awkward silence, trying to think of a way to broach the topic of Patton’s mood without offending.

In the end, Patton himself initiated it.

“Are you going to be leaving soon?” he asked with a pale imitation of his usual cheer. “I’m sure that an adventurer such as yourself must have much more exciting things to pursue than laundry.”

Yikes. Roman hadn’t heard the word adventurer spat with such distaste since he’d left home.

“I’m not certain,” he replied honestly. “I— I suppose I could come up with any number of excuses, but truly, I enjoy spending time here.”

“Do you?” Patton’s hands clenched tighter around the bundle of clothes he was swirling in the soapy water of the washbucket.

Roman glanced between the work and Patton’s face apprehensively, a bad feeling beginning to blossom in his gut. He wrung a pair of socks out halfheartedly before continuing.

“Yes, I do. I know I didn’t make the best first impression—,” Patton yanked a pair of overalls from the bucket, the water splattering them both, “—but I’m very fond of spending time here, with you all. I’ll likely feel the stirring of adventure again eventually, but until then, I want… well, I would like to stay here.”

“So, you’ll only leave to go hunt down and destroy monsters,” Patton said, a surprisingly brusque response to his heartfelt request. He was still washing the same pair of overalls. “I’m sure Logan will appreciate the extra pair of hands around here.”

Roman was beginning to sense a theme, here.

“I mean, yes, but…,” He turned to face Patton directly, a frown settling onto his face despite himself. “Look, to be fair to me, most of the monsters I run into want to kill me very much, all the time.”

“Maybe that’s because you tromp into their houses and try to attack them?” Patton bit out, scrubbing a pair of overalls with enough force that Roman was kind of worried about the buttons.

“Not true! Bounties are for when monsters are stealing all the goats or abducting travelers or, in one very weird case, sneaking into houses and tying like seven people’s hair together.” Short hair had become a necessity in that particular town. “That’s the definition of them leaving their houses to go do crimes!”

“Virgil didn’t do any of that!” Any trace of grime on those overalls had been well and truly obliterated by now. “He doesn’t hurt people.”

Roman persisted despite feeling like maybe he was going to be the next victim of that wooden washboard. “I know that now! I’m not going to attack Virgil again, I believe you guys! He’s a nice spiderguy, I’m convinced! We hang out! Why are you so hung up on this?”

Patton kept his head down for a long moment, dunking the spotless overalls underwater to get rid of leftover suds for a moment before wadding the garment up in his hands with sharp, furious motions.

Then, he snapped his head up and threw the ball of sodden cloth directly at him, the makeshift missile impacting against the front of his shirt with a wet splat.

It barely stung, but Roman jerked back in pure startlement so hard he nearly fell over. “Hey!”

“He’s my best friend, and you hurt him.” Patton was glaring now, his eyes shiny and red-rimmed. “He didn’t do anything wrong, and you made him feel like a monster, and you never even apologized!”

“I—,” Roman started automatically, and then abruptly shut his mouth. He’d— Things were fine between him and Virgil! They’d come to an understanding, they’d built trust! Sure, he’d been a jerk at first, but…

A flicker of memory; his hand on the hilt of his sword, his thumb tapping the guard the way he always did when nervous. Looking up to meet Virgil’s eyes and finding a face full of bitter resignation. Full of hurt?

Monsters didn’t usually care about what Roman thought of them.

But Virgil had proven to be the exception to the rule enough times, hadn’t he?

“— what everyone always does, you’re just like them, you only see what you want to see, it’s not right,” Patton was still going, though at some point he’d brought his clenched fists up to his eyes to try and rub the building tears away.

Roman stepped forward, reaching out to grab his hands and pull them down, meeting his eyes with all the sincerity he could muster.

“I understand,” he said solemnly. “I didn’t think of it like that. I’m sorry.”

Patton sniffed, trying to draw his eyebrows into a firmer frown with little success. “I’m not the one—,”

“I’m going to apologize to Virgil, don’t worry,” Roman told him. “But it seems like my behavior hurt you, too.”

Going by the way Patton’s face crumpled, he’d hit the nail right on the head. He pulled the shorter man into a hug, ignoring the dampness of the face against his shoulder.

The shirt was basically one big wet spot at this point, anyhow.

“I forgive you,” Patton said a few minutes later, his voice still slightly clogged up. The arms around him tightened a little bit. “‘M sorry for being mean to you instead of talking about it.”

“We got there eventually!” Roman announced in his grandest voice, making Patton chuckle. “… Do you think I should apologize to Logan?”

Patton snorted. “I think Logan already got his own version of penance from you. He’s been giving you all of his chores since day one.”

“Wait, what?”

[maniculum]

Another example from Der Natueren Bloeme, sent to me by @joeyportfolioey, who says:

The first of the manuscripts in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB KA 16 (ca. 1340-1350), you've already posted. It has another scorpion in its section on the zodiac (f. 19r), though. This one sticks out its tongue, which is fitting, because the bestiary text compares the scorpion to a man who will flatter you to your face, but will stick out his tongue when you turn your back.

Unusual choices in this drawing. First, the decision to add trees & grass but still have the animal floating in the air. I can't get after them for scale or perspective, because this is obviously an intentional stylistic decision, just an odd one. Maybe they're trying to represent the habitat in which this creature can be found? That would be a pretty good move on their part.

Second, the everything about this animal. You can kind of see how completely reasonable stuff combines together to have a weird effect. Top-down view? Sure, if I were drawing a scorpion for a bestiary, that's the most reasonable angle to get a good sense of what the animal looks like. I'm sure many modern diagrams of scorpion anatomy do the same. Sticking out the tongue? As pointed out above, this fits with the text, good job. Weird googly eyes? Look, eyes are hard, I get it; put that little black dot just a millimeter out of place and it looks wrong to us. All of that together, though, makes it look like someone ran this animal over. That thing has been flattened.

Also, one more thing before we get into the points. That's... a deer, right? Everyone else sees that? Not in the Old English sense of "a 'deer' is just a generic word for 'animal'", but like a deer deer. A cervid. Which really just makes the "flattened" thing worse, because deer get hit by cars pretty often, so this is just like... yep that's some roadkill there. Chrissakes, it has hooves. Okay, yeah, it has six legs, and the body & tail are more lizardy than anything else, but still, hard to look at it and not think "deer". Or at least "Appalachian cryptid". Anyhow, points:

Small Scuttling Beaſtie? ½ (the scale isn't clear, but the resemblance to a deer makes me think it isn't that small)

Pincers? ✘

Exoskeleton or Shell? ✘

Visible Stinger? ½, there's something going on at the end of its tail but I wouldn't call it a stinger.

Limbs? 6

This does manage to dodge the penalties, though, because I'm pretty restrictive about those. As much as I might look at it and think "deer", that is identifiably not a deer, so no penalty. And I've already committed to the "mammal" penalty only applying if it has four legs and fur, so the extra pair of legs exempts it. (I actually haven't seen any that fit that particular requirement; I just picked it as the most egregious way a medieval artist could draw the Wrong Type of Animal.)

Vibes... I do not like the not-deer. I'm also not thrilled with it looking like it had a bad encounter with a cartoon steamroller. It's not horrible, but I'm not a fan. 2/5.

Total score:

3.6 / 10

Show me one that hasn't been run over and I'll reconsider.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Destrachan

CR 8

Neutral Evil Large Aberration

Bestiary 2, pg. 83 (image from 2nd Edition's Bestiary 2, pg. 71)

These are one of my favorite creatures and I never did an article on them? Huh. I could have sworn I already did! Oh well! Here we go...

These sadistic stalkers always have an ear out for potential prey, as they're utterly blind and navigate entirely by sound and smell. They're willing and able to feed on whatever carrion they may stumble across, but they prize live meat--of course everyone who knows Golarion's predators will know the next sentence by heart--especially the meat of sapient creatures, as they draw immense amusement from hearing their screams. Almost as much as they love meat, they love fun, and their primary fun comes from stalking and tormenting potential prey, going so far as to know local languages just so they can better understand the pleas for mercy coming from their meals.

Within the tunnels and caverns of the Darklands, one must keep an ear out for the distinct trills and clicks they make as they echolocate, because by the time you hear it, it's likely heard you, and you have about 6 seconds to figure out what you're going to do about it. Their sense of smell is nothing to write home about (they lack Scent), but the true star of the show is their sense of hearing, a sense more acute than most creatures far above their own CR. The book notes that their ears are so complex that they can 'filter' unwanted sounds out while still catching others, which mechanically grants them Sonic Resistance 30 and heightened saves versus Sonic effects and spells. Lore-wise, this allows them to hear conversations being spoken over underground waterfalls, the skittering of mice over their own footsteps... and the hammering heart of a creature struggling to stand still and stay silent.

There is no hiding from one of these creatures; if you're near enough to hear it walking and breathing, that's far too late. If a Destrachan is acting like it hasn't noticed you, it's toying with you and relishing in your panic. With an incredible 100ft of blindsight and +27 to Perception besides, there's very few creatures that can evade the sensory radius of a Destrachan when it's searching for prey, and with +19 to Survival checks to track creatures who've managed to escape it, the only real way out of being hunted by one of these horrors is to either kill it, or hope some more amusing prey comes along.

Up close, Destrachan are just as lethal as they look. Their Claw-Claw-Bite deals 1d8+4 and 2d6+4 damage, respective, though they have Vital Strike available if prey is too mobile for them to make Full-Attacks against; especially easy, considering their tiny arms means they only have a 5ft reach instead of the normal 10. Of course, if prey is too mobile, they have another far more horrible attack at their disposal, one heard for miles around echoing through the tunnels of the Darklands: Destructive Harmonics. This incredibly flexible and dangerous attack is the Destrachan's bread and butter, quickly incapacitating or killing nearly any creature they encounter.

Destructive Harmonics has five modes, divided between two areas (an 80ft line or 30ft burst), two effects (Destruction and Pain), and one fifth category we'll get into later, and the horror can switch between them on the fly with zero effort or preparation. Unlike other breath weapons, this ability is usable at will and has no cooldown, allowing it to freely torment foes with a form of attack there's little defense against. The charmingly named modes of this attack, Destruction and Pain, both have different utility to the beast; Pain shocks a victim's nervous system with a shrill shriek so disorienting that it can stun any creature caught in the blast for 1 round and deafen them for 1d6 more if a DC 19 Fortitude save is failed, while Destruction is much more straightforward as a blast of 8d6 Sonic damage that a DC 19 Reflex save halves. If it so wishes, it can cause the damage to be nonlethal instead of Sonic damage, potentially knocking out prey so it can be dragged back to the Destrachan's nest and/or hungry packmates and enjoyed fresh.

Destruction has more to it than just pure creature damage, though. Normally, items caught in an AoE blast aren't considered unless the effect itself specifies they are, and even then items take half damage from all elemental effects, but these sonic lizards have ways around that. The Destrachan can target any item made of crystal, stone, metal, wood, or similar within 80ft of it and deliver an alarmingly precise blast of subsonic energy to that object alone rather than blasting an area with concussive force. The subsonic blast deals full damage to whatever it hits aside from whatever is subtracted by Hardness, and with an average damage of around 26, it can break through most impediments (and shatter most mundane equipment) in short order, leaving its prey defenseless. This power allows the horrors to play sadistic games with their prey, destroying their weapons before breaking every piece of cover they hoped to hide behind, all the while getting closer every round until it can practically taste them...

I like to imagine a party hiding inside a sturdy house or similar from one, only to hear it prowling outside, gently tapping on the walls with its claws to assure it gets the frequency right, then it steps away, giving the party some relief... and then they hear a strange sound that puts an unusual pressure on their ears seconds before the wall suddenly caves in, leaving them open to the next, far more harmful scream that's likely to tear them to ribbons. Do you think Destrachan have Skull Exploding Contests with each other?

You can read more about them here.

[cryptids-of-spielzeit]

Spielzeit Bestiary #6: The Grinning Cat

[DISCLAIMER: BEFORE READING ANY FURTHER, PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THE EXISTENCE OF THIS CRYPTID, LIKE OTHERS, IS DEBATABLE, THE EXPERIENCES AND PAIN DESCRIBED ARE REAL. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, GO INTO THE SPIELZEIT WOODS AT NIGHT.]

In the year 1865, Lewis Carrol published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Amongst the kooky cast of characters in Wonderland, one has stood out as the definitive image of this weird dreamscape: The Cheshire Cat. With deep purple fur and a gigantic grin, this mischievous feline has captured (and boggled) the minds of many. But, in the sleepy town of Spielzeit, they have their own Cheshire Cat. But it isn't what many would hope it would be.

The Grinning Cat. One of, if not THE most elusive cryptid said to wander Spielzeit's woods. Its commonly described physical characteristics are eerily similar to that of the Cheshire Cat. It is big, about 12-15 feet in height, 6 feet in length, with deep purple fur, glowing white eyes, and the most distinct feature, a great, big smile.

Strangely, many other features of this being are greatly varied depending on who you ask. Some say it is skinny, down to the bone, some say it has quills, some say it has fangs, some don't. But regardless, one other thing is common, and that is its supposed ability to put people to sleep.

Every single encounter with the Grinning Cat, from those who live to tell the tale, have always ended with them suddenly passing out, and then waking up in town, deep scratches all over their bodies. In some cases, these wounds have led to hospitalization, and even death.

One witness, Mr. Ronald Gates, a member of the Spielzeit forest rangers, told his story.

"I was called in due a bear sighting. Now, it was close to our town, and while we love the animals here it's still a huge risk to have a bear near anyone's house. So I go out to see if there were any signs of a bear, or at the very least, cubs. That's when I saw them, these prints, way too big to be a bear's. I had no idea what they were, but they led somewhere, maybe this is what I was called to do. I follow the trail, and it just stops at this big tree, had these huge punctures on them. And then I see it. This big cat, just laying on the branches, staring at me. I will never forget its face. Those eyes, that smile. You know, that thing talks, right? At least it did to me. Had a voice like the devil. It jumps down, its face literally inches from mine. It only said one thing. 'Leave.' And before I know it, I'm back in my cabin with a big cut on my chest. I know what I saw, and I hope to god no one else will have to see that thing too."

Ranger Angelo Floros refused to give comment.

If you or a loved one lives in or is planning to visit Spielzeit, never go into the woods at night. You'll never know if you'll see a smiling face in the darkness.

[thecreaturecodex]

Adaro

"Goblin Shark ~ Day 10" © Candice Sciortino, accessed at deviantArt here

[This is another "If I Ran the Zoo" monster--the adaro appears in Pathfinder 1e's Bestiary 3. But it's kind of dull. There's nothing wrong with making a mershark, but the adaro has weird magical powers in the lore of the Solomon Islands that should get some due. This is an unusual folkloric monster in that I read about them first in a D&D book, namely the 3.0 3pp Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary. There, they were evil counterparts to tritons, which informed my take, but this isn't a straight up conversion.

Also, this art isn't explicitly an adaro, but I hear "horned shark", I think goblin shark]

Adaro CR 3 NE Medium outsider (native) This creature has a humanoid torso, but the tail and dorsal fins of a shark. Its hands are webbed with long, spindly fingers, and a long horn grows from its face above snaggletooth jaws. It carries a spear in its hands.

In the belief systems of some peoples, the soul isn’t a single entity, but instead is a composite entity. The higher and more civilized soul is what passes into the afterlife for judgement, but the lower animal soul remains behind and incarnates into a new form. The adaro is an example of these incarnations—the distillation of id and impulse, transformed into a shark-like aquatic form. Adaros are selfish and violent, and enjoy bloodshed and suffering for their own sake. One of the few arts they practice other than cruelty is music. Adaros are excellent singers, and may even teach these songs to mortals in order for them to spread farther. Otherwise, they are dangerous creatures best avoided or appeased rather than confronted.

Adaros travel in schools, working together to sink ships, steal catches and otherwise torment those that ply the waters. They can and do fight with their teeth and horns, but prefer to soften up enemies from a distance by magically conjured, venomous flying fish. After a barrage of these poisoned darts, the adaros leap to the fight, charging through the air and creating a rainbow in their wake. In waters where adaros are common, rainbows are seen as an ominous, not hopeful, sign.

Adaros are carnivorous and have long lifespans. They do age and die despite their relationship to soulstuff, and the quintessence remaining in them dissipates directly into the Astral Plane instead of going to an afterlife.

Adaro   CR 3 XP 800 NE Medium outsider (native, water) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +7 Defense AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural) hp 30 (4d10+8) Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +4 DR 5/magic Offense Speed 5 ft., swim 50 ft. Melee masterwork spear +6 (1d8+1/x3), bite +3 (1d6), gore +3 (1d4) or bite +5 (1d6+1), gore +5 (1d4+1) Ranged flying fish dart +7 (1d6+1 plus poison) Special Attack rainbow leap Statistics Str 12, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 14 Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 18 (cannot be tripped) Feats Blind-fight, Multiattack (B), Point Blank Shot Skills Acrobatics +10,Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +11 (+15 hearing), Perform (sing) +9, Stealth +10, Survival +7, Swim +16; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception (+8 to hearing) Languages Aquan, Common Ecology Environment warm aquatic and coastal Organization solitary, pair, school (3-6) or frenzy (7-18) Treasure standard (masterwork spear, other treasure) Special Abilities Flying Fish Dart (Su) As a standard action, an adaro can create and throw a magical flying fish. This fish is treated as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 60 feet, and ignores all miss chances as if it was a seeking weapon. If it strikes a target, the creature takes 1d6 piercing damage and is exposed to the following poison: flying fish toxin—injury; Fort DC 14; duration 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d3 Con damage; cure 1 save. Regardless of whether it hits or misses, the flying fish turns into a mundane animal after being thrown once. The save DC is Charisma based. Rainbow Leap (Su) As a full round action three times per day, an adaro can move up to 10 times its swim speed by leaping through the air. It must begin its movement in a body of water. An adaro can use this ability in conjunction with a charge attack. When it uses this ability, a rainbow is created that passes through the spaces the adaro moved through. This rainbow lasts for one minute, and any character that moves through any of these spaces must succeed a DC 14 Fortitude save or be dazzled as long as they remain in the rainbow, and for 1 round thereafter. The save DC is Charisma based.