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Evanten Farseeker is not your usual questor of Jaspree. Most of his kind have gone dashing off into the Wastes and the Badlands to try and heal the damage there. Evanten is taking a more organized, more methodical approach. He believes that in order to heal the land, we must understand the effects of the Scourge. He has thus devoted his life to cataloging the flora and fauna of current-day Barsaive, and comparing his work to pre-Scourge records. In this fashion, he expects to gain insight into the effects of the Scourge on Barsaivian life and possibly to discover the key to healing the land of its wounds. His work is the first attempt to produce a comprehensive guide to life in Barsaive since the days before the Scourge. -- Merrox, Master of the Hall of Records, Great Library, Throal
The kygren is one of the largest of the fish-eating birds that inhabit
the banks of the Serpent River. Its brilliant white plumage is set off
by black feathers at the tips of its wings and black edging on its tail.
Unfortunately, as far as appearance goes, its plumage is its best asset.
The kygren's head is narrow, coming nearly to a point at the apex, and
its beak is enormously long. The lower beak is but a frame for a pouch
of skin that can distend to hold many small fish or one very large one.
As a flier, the bird is at best passable. It frequently misjudges distances from its wingtips to the water or other obstructions, such as boats or other kygren, and the resulting collisions can be quite spectacular. On occasion, a kygren will become so intent on tracking the fish it sees just under the surface that it will fail to notice what is in its path until far too late. Kygren have been known to break windows and ports, punch holes in sails, entangle themselves severely in rigging and knock sailors overboard.
On land or in the water, the birds are no more dexterous than in the air. Bad landings with much tumbling and shedding of feathers are the rule rather than the exception. Taking off requires a short run. On land, this is simple enough, needing only a stretch of ground a few paces long with no obstructions -- trees, shrubs, rocks, other kygren. On water, this results in a comical display as the bird tries to pick up enough speed to rise out of the water, and then maintain its balance running across the top of the water until it reaches sufficient speed to become airborne. On occasion, the kygren will strike a wavelet or dip a wingtip into the water, lose its balance and tumble beak over tailfeathers.
Such an inept bird would normally not survive well, but given the vast amount of fish in the Serpent, finding food is not difficult. The kygren's size leaves it few natural enemies, its primary predators being the ufghant and a few species of lizard that find its eggs a tasty meal.
Kygren mate only for the season, but only with birds of their own generation, never with those of previous or later years. How they tell the age of a prospective mate is unknown at this time.
Both birds will attack viciously to defend the nest. In a fight, the
kygren will stab with its beak if on land or water, rising up on its legs
with much flapping of wings to balance itself before the strike. If airborne,
the kygren prefers a swooping attack with a strike from the beak.
| DEX: 4 STR: 5 TOU: 6
PER: 4 WIL: 6 CHA: 4 |
|
| Initiative: 5 | Physical Defense: 6 |
| Number of Attacks: 1 | Spell Defense: 6 |
| Attack: 9 | Social Defense: 8 |
| Damage: 8 | Armor: 0 |
| Number of Spells: 0 | Mystic Armor: 2 |
| Spellcasting: 0 | Knockdown: 8 |
| Effect: 0 | Recovery Tests: 2 |
| Death Rating: 36 | Combat Movement: 22/50 |
| Wound Threshold: 10 | Full Movement: 43/100 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 28 | Legend Points: 50 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None, although the eggs are edible... | |
The kyrell is one of the deadliest serpents of the Servos area. Its poison
can kill a troll in seconds, and its appearance is deceptively innocuous.
Attaining a maximum size of two feet in length and a girth no greater than
a human's last finger, its smallness leads Name-givers to underestimate
its lethality. The distinctive pattern of red and yellow bands on a black
background make the kyrell stand out in grasses or under rocks, but among
the flowering plants of the Servos it is easy to miss.
Like all snakes, the kyrell is fond of dark, damp places. It reproduces
by laying eggs, and the female broods on the nest until hatching, striking
instantly at anything coming within reach. Baby kyrells are hatched with
full venom sacs, and can slay a human right out of the egg. Travellers
in the region of the Servos should take note of the native habit of turning
over rocks and breaking up brushpiles from a distance, usually with a long
stick, and of shaking out clothing and boots in the morning before putting
them on. Picking up these habits could save a life.
| DEX: 3 STR: 3 TOU: 4
PER: 4 WIL: 4 CHA: 4 |
|
| Initiative: 9 | Physical Defense: 11 |
| Number of Attacks: 1 | Spell Defense: 6 |
| Attack: 14 | Social Defense: 9 |
| Damage: 6 | Armor: 0 |
| Number of Spells: 1 | Mystic Armor: 0 |
| Spellcasting: 21 | Knockdown: 6 |
| Effect: 15 (poison) | Recovery Tests: 2 |
| Death Rating: 28 | Combat Movement: 45 |
| Wound Threshold: 7 | Full Movement: 90 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 19 | Legend Points: 40 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
The Servos Jungle is home to a wider variety of small lizards than are
found anywhere else in the province. The heat and humidity, coupled with
the vast population of insects, have encouraged a burgeoning of the form
and diversification into the hundreds. While this plentitude can keep a
naturalist contentedly busy for months, perhaps even years, however, to
the common Name-giver it is no more than an annoyance. Possibly the most
annoying in everyday life of all these lizards is the spoogra.
Tiny and bright orange, not growing to over three inches in length, spoogras have infested every area where Name-givers live in or near the Servos. They have a love of salt, which leads them into many places where they are not wanted. Food must be locked up in stout wooden or metal boxes, especially travel rations which are normally dried and salted. The pests will chew on anything salt-bearing, which puts armor straps, shoes and dirty laundry in peril, as well as saddles and tack, documents written in saline ink, and even containers that might have something salty in them. The little beasts will chew their way into a bag on the off chance that it contains something tasty.
Dealing directly with spoogras is not terribly difficult -- just toss them out of the way. Their bite is no more than an annoyance to even the frailest of Name-givers. Killing them is another problem entirely. Spoogras are quick enough that even the deftest swordmaster will have difficulty striking one. They ignore most poisons, but are partial to cyanide salts for obvious reasons. So far, no-one has devised a perfect solution to the problem. The best offense seems to be a good defense, in this case. Lock up everything that the lizards might find attractive in containers that they cannot easily gnaw their way into, and hope that they do not slip past the barricades.
Certainly, Jaspree knew what he was doing when he created the spoogra.
If only he would tell the world his reasons...
| DEX: 8 STR: 3 TOU: 3
PER: 4 WIL: 3 CHA: 4 |
|
| Initiative: 12 | Physical Defense: 11 |
| Number of Attacks: 1 | Spell Defense: 5 |
| Attack: 10 | Social Defense: 10 |
| Damage: 2 | Armor: 0 |
| Number of Spells: 0 | Mystic Armor: 0 |
| Spellcasting: 0 | Knockdown: 4 |
| Effect: 0 | Recovery Tests: 3 |
| Death Rating: 20 | Combat Movement: 50 |
| Wound Threshold: 4 | Full Movement: 100 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 11 | Legend Points: 10 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
There is a good deal of debate as to the origin of this beast. Certainly
no sightings were documented before the Scourge, either in the Eternal
Library at Thera or in the Great Library at Throal. It is possible that
the ufghant could have evolved from the lesser river serpents under the
influence of the Horrors, and this theory is the most widely accepted.
Whatever its origin, the ufghant now fills a necessary niche in the ecological
structure of the Serpent River.
The ufghant has a slender, torpedo shaped body with a distinctive hump on the upper back. This hump is protected by tougher hide and dense bone, and well it should be, for the creature's brain is here, and not in either of its heads. Four paddle-like flippers propel the beast through the water. These limbs are totally unsuited for movement on land, and an ufghant removed from the water is effectively immobilized. It can, however, still attack. Extreme caution must be used.
The ufghant's two narrow, snakelike heads are supported on long, supple necks that provide excellent mobility. While its bite is painful, however, and it can strike the same victim twice in the time that most creatures can only strike once, its venom makes it a feared competitor for mastery of the river. The toxin affects breathing, the beating of the heart and the ability to move, retarding all severely. As well, Name-givers will find it difficult to concentrate, and thus to take complex actions or to defend themselves with magic. Healing magics are effective against this venom, but must be applied swiftly.
The ufghant's venom may be delivered by bite, or by projection; the creature can spit a stream of venom a good twenty feet with reasonable accuracy. The venom is a contact poison, and remains viable for up to an hour. If the ufghant can see its target with both heads, however, it can deliver a devastating crossfire of uncanny accuracy. It is this crossfire that the ufghant uses against its preferred prey, the large, fish-eating birds that nest on the banks of the Serpent. The ufghant will lie just below the surface, with only the tops of its heads exposed, and drift, waiting for a bird to pass within range. Then, quick as a snake, its heads rise up, and the bird is caught at the crossing point of the ufghant's venom streams and drops into the water, to become dinner.
Ufghanti have been known to attack riverboats in packs of up to 20, driven by an older bull. T'skrang boats are favored because of the crew's habit of swinging out over the water, and thus making good targets of themselves. The attack is led by the younger ufghanti, partially out of fear of the bull. If the bull can be killed, and this is no easy proposition, as he will stay at the rear of the attack and lie low in the water, the attack will disorganize and usually break off in the face of stiff opposition.
Ughant venom is a primary ingredient in poultices used against poisons,
and brings a high price - up to 300 silver for a small jar of preserved
venom, and up to 5000 silver for the intact poison sacs of an ufghant,
again preserved.
| DEX: 8 STR: 10 TOU: 10
PER: 5 WIL: 6 CHA: 4 |
|
| Initiative: 12 | Physical Defense: 10 |
| Number of Attacks: 2 | Spell Defense: 6 |
| Attack: 13 | Social Defense: 14 |
| Damage: 10 | Armor: 5 |
| Number of Spells: 1 | Mystic Armor: 2 |
| Spellcasting: 10 | Knockdown: 8 |
| Effect: 10 (poison) | Recovery Tests: 4 |
| Death Rating: 60 | Combat Movement: 50 |
| Wound Threshold: 14 | Full Movement: 100 |
| Unconsciousness Rating: 55 | Legend Points: 375 |
| Equipment: None | |
| Loot: None | |
| Notes: The ufghant's attack step is increased by 3 when both attacks are directed at the same target, to represent the effects of triangulation. A venom crossfire adds 5 to the casting step and 4 to the damage step of the attack. The bull of a pack has his physical stats increased by 2 steps and his mental stats increased by one. The brain hump is treated as having physical armor +4. Called shots to the hump are thus exceedingly difficult. The ufghant's venom is a paralyzing toxin, and if the victim fails his Toughness save, it subtracts half the victim's initiative step, and reduces all action steps by 4. Contact with residual venom is treated as having half its original damage and casting step. | |
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