#tenukh

[thecreaturecodex]

Tenukh

"DINOSAPIEN: THE DIGGERS" © deviantArt user Taliesaurus, accessed at his gallery here

[Sponsored by @glarnboudin. These are the antagonists from Dinosapien, a Discovery channel TV show after my time. They have three canon names, and I hate all of them. I've spoken before about my irritation with monsters that swipe names from mythology thoughtlessly. The unktehi is a horned aquatic serpent in Lakota lore, and this is 0 for 3. And since the term "digger" was used as an ethnic slur for a different group of native Americans, the name seems especially tone-deaf. If you're going to be making a TV show with Native terminology (misued), you should at least double check to make sure you're not using any slurs! A scientist character refers to them as "ornithosapiens", I guess because they're ornithischians, but that name should probably go to, you know, birds. I ended up creating my own name rearranging the letters of unktehi.]

Tenukh CR 4 CN Monstrous Humanoid This creature is a bipedal reptile the size of a bison. It is as broad as it is tall, with an armored carapace and a domed head. Its forelimbs end in clawed hands, and it carries a spear.

Tenukhs are cave-dwelling sapient dinosaurs, descended from ankylosaurians. They are insectivorous, and much of their lives revolve around tending to and harvesting colonial insects such as termites, ants, bees and wasps. They supplement these foods with other insects, roots and herbs, especially during the winter in regions where hives go dormant in cold weather. Tenukhs are clannish, xenophobic and territorial, and a creature that disturbs their hives (or worse, steals honey or larvae from them) may be chased to the ends of the earth.

Tenukhs are straight forward combatants. They typically fight in pairs, with one charging headfirst into melee with the other providing backup with a spear. They have short arms, and so have limited reach despite their size, so favor polearms when wielding melee weapons. Tenukhs are fascinated by explosives, and may beg borrow or steal to get them, even if they do not fully understand their use.

The tenukh language is spoken through the nose, as the creatures have complicated, muscular sinuses. They can learn to speak other languages with some effort, and especially intelligent or practiced tenukh may speak Aklo, Common, Dwarven, Goblin, or Undercommon.

Tenukh   CR 4 XP 1,200 CN Large monstrous humanoid Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +8, scent Defense AC 17, touch 9, flat-footed 17 (-1 size, +8 natural) hp 37 (5d10+10) Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6 Resist acid 10 Defensive Abilities fortification (50%); Weakness light blindness Offense Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft. Melee masterwork longspear +8 (2d6+4/x3), slam +2 (1d8+1) or 2 claws +7 (1d6+3), slam +7 (1d8+3) Ranged chakram +4 (2d6+4) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with longspear) Special Attacks powerful charge (slam, 2d8+4 plus stun), stun Statistics Str 16, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 9 Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 29 (33 vs. bull rush, overrun, trip) Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Martial Weapon Proficiency (chakram) (B) Skills Climb +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +2, Intimidate +8, Perception +8, Survival +8 Languages Tenukh Ecology Environment underground Organization solitary, pair or clan (3-12) Treasure standard (masterwork longspear, 3 chakram, other treasure) Special Attacks Stun (Ex) A creature struck by a tenukh’s slam attack on a powerful charge or a critical hit must succeed a DC 15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Strength based.