Mysterious Creatures and Dire Threats

How to Use This Information

The default D&D game makes certain assumptions about the world and the role of monsters in the world. These assumptions are not valid for this campaign setting, so this page attempts to enumerate the differences. In particular, in the default D&D setting, monsters are common; there are a great variety of them; and they are fairly well understood (or at least expected to exist). In this setting, all three of those statements are overturned. Monsters are rare (those that are common are thought of more like animals); many monster concepts that don't fit with the world have been removed, particularly intelligent or extraplanar monsters; and many monsters are featured only in myths and legends but are thought to be little more than that.

Ecology vs. Mythology, or Fact vs. Misinformation

For anyone living an adventuring lifestyle, the information below can be considered "common knowledge." That is, most adventurers know enough monster lore to know the information presented below. However: The information presented below may be false. Some monsters, such as pegasi, are integrated into society. Others, like the purple worm, are well-documented and known to exist. Others, like lycanthropes, are known to exist; but there's a lot of misinformation about them floating around (like, are they really vulnerable to silver? and do they change during the full moon? who knows). Others, like the dragon turtle, are rumored to exist, but no one knows for sure. And there are some listed below that may not exist at all. Of course, other monsters exist which are not listed.

Monster Roles and Society

Monsters fulfill four basic relationships with society.

Domesticated Animal: Monsters like griffons and golems, which can be domesticated and are usually treated like any other beast of burden.

Wild Animal: Monsters like ankhegs or bulettes, which are simply viewed as natural predators of the world, like lions or tigers.

Mythological Beast: Monsters like the hydra or sprites, which are featured in stories and legends and may or may not exist out in the wilderness. These differ from the Wild Animal role because they are more mysterious -- information about them is unreliable and they are viewed as at least somewhat magical. Celestial servants fall into this category too.

Monsters: Finally, creatures like most abberations, undead, and evil outsiders are simply monsters. They are viewed as evil and exist only to be slain. They differ from Mythological Beasts because they are inherently dangerous to people and society and are often viewed as less natural than Mythological Beasts.

Monster Categories

Abberations: Indistinguishable from magical beasts to most people, abberations are usually associated with demons.

Celestial Servants: If someone summons a deity's servant from another plane, it will usually be of the type listed here.

Extraplanar Creatures: These typically must be summoned to the material plane, or get here through a magical experiment botched. Portals to the plans never occur naturally, and must be opened from the material plane.

Fey creatures: Usually (but not always) of the fey subtype, these shy creatures cavort in the wilderness. They are considered highly magical and mysterious by most people and don't usually follow a human thought process.

Instinctuals: These tauric monsters were high-level druids who transformed themselves. Each represents some basic instinct or drive of living creatures.

Sacred Creatures: If a creature is sacred to some deity, the Church forbids anyone to harm it. There are exceptions, of course, such as self-defence. Killing the animal is thought to invoke the wrath of that deity.

Undead: Free-willed undead can retain the alignment and personality they had in life if whatever curse created them is put right (usually, this involves destroying the undead that created them). Most people don't care, though, and see all undead as evil.

Denizens of the MM

If a monster is not listed here, it is not known to exist (although it may exist, and no one knows about it...). Civilized races are not listed here.

ABOLETH

Found in remote dungeon complexes, these creatures are thought to be demonspawn from the depths of the ocean abyss.

ACHAIERAI

A demonic creature from the outer planes, thought to be a cross between a bird of prey and a hunting dog.

ALLIP

Undead created when someone is driven mad to the point of suicide. More common in recent years; blamed on arcane magic and demonic influence.

ANGEL

Celestials from the outer planes who occasionally visit this one. Angels are secretive and don't like to display themselves to mortals.

ANIMATED OBJECT

Created from a magic spell, these sometimes get loose and run amok.

ANKHEG

Vicious predators from the steplands, they can also be found in parts of Treothe and Highcaster.

ARANEA

Rumored to exist in the jungles south of Erindu. Largely dismissed as rambling nonsense.

ARCHON

Like angels, they tend to stay on the outer planes unless summoned. The Hound Archon is a celestial servant of the Huntress.

ARROWHAWK

These creatures nest amongst the clouds. Created by the Sky Lord to hurl lightning bolts at the wicked (although some sages proclaim that most lightning bolts have something to do with "static electricity")

ASSASSIN VINE

A dangerous plant found in deciduous forests, the assassin vine is said to trap the souls of those it kills.

ATHACH

The Athachs feature prominently in a particular Kresmayan myth used to scare children, but they are believed to be purely mythological.

AVORAL

A celestial servant of the Sky King.

AZER

A celestial servant of the Fire Master.

BARGHEST

These horrific creatures are born to goblin women who sleep with non-goblins. (At least, that is the common belief. In reality, the non-goblin must be a demon or posessed by one.)

BASILISK

A hungry monster that was once common in the Parthanian Mountains. Their gaze is a curse by the Trickster -- a dwarven criminal, hiding in the mountains, was persued by the beasts, and wished that they "only see stone." His wish was granted in a cruel way.

BEHIR

A predator of the desert and the nearby kingdoms, behir were a gift from the Judge of the Dead to the ogres on behalf of the Earth Mother. No tribes of ogre behir-riders remain, though, although a few individuals still practice the ancient art at the behest of wealthy nobles.

BELKER

A monster that forms spontaneously from polluting smoke. Dwarven forges must be particularly wary.

BLINK DOG

These clever yelping canines once ran free in Highcaster and Corsom, but are now nearly extinct, having retreated into heavily wooded hill and mountain regions.

BODAK

A horrifically evil undead sometimes summoned from the outer planes.

BRALANI

A celestial servant of the Keeper of Time.

BULETTE

Ill-tempered creatures that used to ravage the lands around the eastern reach of the Parthanian Mountains, bulette nest sites are systematically located and destroyed every year before the creatures can become a menace.

CELESTIAL CREATURE

Rarely encountered on the material plane, sometimes a holy person's animal companion becomes a celestial creature.

CENTAUR

A druid of the Old Ways who reaches 11th level can take a feat to transform permanently into a centaur. These Instinctuals represent feelings of nurturing and parenthood, so centaurs are typically compassionate, protective individuals.

CHAOS BEAST

Horrible creatures that usually result from magical transformation experiments gone bad, these things are far more common than is safe.

CHIMERA

A mythical beast that was sacred to the ancient Renlinean Empire and sometimes used as a steed. They have not been seen much in recent years, sticking to remote islands in the Renlinean Sea.

CHOKER

A nasty creature that lurks in old ruins and abandoned buildings. Thought to have originated as halflings cursed by the gods for demon worship.

CHUUL

Found on rocky, difficult coastlines and coastal marshes, chuuls have been driven away from most civilized lands. They are thought to have been servants of the Sea King who abandoned their master and dwindled to uselessness.

CLOAKER

A weird monster that lurks in remote ruins. According to legend, the Judge of the Dead created them when the Trickster was trying to steal his cloak, in an attempt to trick the Trickster. It failed when the Trickster stole the whole cloak rack and placed the cloaker in the Judge's chamber.

COCKATRICE

A scavenger that feeds on Basilisk kills in the Parthanian Mountains, cockatrice are now bred and slaughtered for magicants by dwarves of the Mountain Duchies.

COUATL

A mystical creature venerated by the Old Ways. Thought to be just a legend.

DARKMANTLE

Natural cave-dwelling predators common in the Parthanian Mountains.

DELVER

A creature from dwarven mythology, seen as a source of wisdom, but also a pain in the neck. Unknown whether or not they actually exist.

DEMON

Horribly evil monsters that sometimes possess people. Can usually only come to the material plane when summoned.

DESTRACHAN

Malignant, sadistic beasts that are fortunately rare. Those who manage to weasel their way out of a pact with a demon, or make a pack that works to their advantage, are usually assaulted by destrachans sent by the demon or its allies.

DEVIL

See demon.

DEVOURER

An undead that haunts planar travellers, including dreamers. It is said that the devourer cannot harm a balanced soul.

DIGESTER

One of the strange creatures that subsists in the Steppelands.

DINOSAUR

Fossils of these creatures can be found throughout the world.

DIRE ANIMAL

These creatures were once more common, but have largely been hunted to extinction by human settlers. Some still flourish in remote areas such as the Wyrwood and northern Jarlheim. Ogres often train dire animals -- the elkriders of Alluvan are mounted on dire elk.

DOPPELGANGER

Mysterious creatures thought to be evil spirits of dischord. It is unknown how many there are or the extend of their penetration into human society.

DRAGON

See sidebar, "Dragons."

DRAGON TURTLE

Massive beasts that are sometimes sighted in the distant ocean. Dragon Turtles increase in size every 6 HD instead of every 12, and can reach Colossal size.

DRAGONNE

A majestic creature that is the symbol of Renflour. They live all along the cost of the Renlinean sea and are thought to be sacred creations of the Sun Father.

DRIDER

A type of Instinctual (a high-level transformed druid). Driders are not necessarily evil; they represent the urge to build and nest, so they tend to be solitary and build elaborate lairs. Their spell-like abilities are web and poison, and they don't have any caster levels (except those granted by druid class).

DRYAD

A fey creature linked to a Mallorn (a great tree growing from a Magicant). The dryad is the tree's protector and caretaker. If she should die but her tree live, she will reform within 2d4 days. If the tree dies, she dies in 3d6 hours.

EAGLE, GIANT

A symbol of Chirmont and sacred creature of the Sky Father. They supposedly aided in the Great Rebellion against the Renlinean Empire.

ELEMENTAL

Creatures of pure elemental energy found in extreme enviornments. Air elementals live in the high sky. Water elementals live at the bottom of deep lakes or far out at sea. Earth elementals live deep underground. Fire elementals live in volcanically active regions.

ETHEREAL FILCHER

These strange creatures are a menace in many big cities. Thought to have been created by the Trickster.

ETHEREAL MARAUDER

Thought to be created by the Keeper of Time to eat ethereal filchers. Some wizards keep them as pets.

ETTIN

A mutant giant despised by everyone. Thought to be the decendants of those few giants who betrayed the truce between their race and the Prophet's followers.

FIENDISH CREATURE

Rarely encountered on the material plane, sometimes a demon can possess an animal, turning it feindish.

FORMIAN

Extraplanar creatures of unknown origin, rarely encountered on the material plain.

FROST WORM

Immense creatures that live near the north pole. Nobody really messes with them.

FUNGUS

These things are a menace and are usually cleared out of civilized lands. They do well in the Steppelands.

GARGOYLE

A magical creature associated with witchcraft. They are thought to be made of demon-possessed stone. Still, many decorate their castles and cathedrals with false gargoyles in the hopes of warding off lesser spirits.

GENIE

Popular in the lore of Treothe and surrounding lands, genies are thought to be spirits of the Old Ways who gave up their practice to follow the Prophet. Efreet turned from the Prophet, and were cast down with the demons because of it.

GHAELE

A celestial servant of the Moon Sister.

GHOST

Many an abandoned building is said to be haunted by a ghost, a restless dead that can't easily be exercised by clerical magic. Many people consider lesser undead like spectres and wraiths to be types of ghosts created under a curse; the "ghost" ghost is a natural haunting.

GHOUL

Someone who dies from Essence addiction or an Essence overdose will rise as a ghoul. They keep their former knowledge and often strike those closest to them, feasting on the flesh of people who's movements and lairs they know best.

GIBBERING MOUTHER

A creature found in the depths of the mines of the island of Lede. Reviled by all, its origins are a total mystery.

GIRALLON

Rumors persist of a creature matching this description deep in the jungles south of Erindu.

GNOLL

A recent expedition through the Steppelands was destroyed. The few survivors described hyena-like creatures now dubbed "gnolls." Many people doubt their story, thinking that these were human or half-orc raiders wearing hyena skins.

GOLEM

The Church has tradionally used clay golems to guard Magicants and important holy sites. Recently, wizards have created golems out of stone and out of body parts (which is illegal, of course). Supposedly, a dwarf wizard (some say Gloin Redbeard) is trying to build a golem out of iron, but this is just a rumor.

GORGON

A horrible creature that grazes in the western Renlinean coastal lands around Treothe. They are put down whenever possible but are wily at evading hunters. Local lore says they are the personal herd of the Judge of the Dead.

GRAY RENDER

A mysterious creature from the lands around the Misty Sea (Alluvan, Marshalle, Jarlheim). An Orthodox Pantheist hymn depicts the gray render as an animal that reaches a form of enlightenment and understands its true purpose.

GRICK

Grotesque scavengers that are a problem for dwarven miners.

GRIFFON

A majestic beast that is the symbol of Garland. They roost in the Parthanian Mountains and are sometimes used as mounts. Sacred to the Silver Knight.

HAG

See the sidebar, "The Scorned." A hag is a female troll. A hag has regeneration much slower than a troll's -- if she's not killed by fire or acid, she continues to heal normally, even when "dead."

HALF-CELESTIAL

Extremely rare creatures that are usually able to keep their origin a secret.

HALF-DRAGON

Extremely rare monsters that stick close to their dragon sires.

HALF-FIEND

Extremely rare creatures that are usually able to keep their origin a secret.

HARPY

Few harpies are the vile creatures depicted in the MM. They are birdlike creatures that have no singing ability. High-level druids transform into these Instinctuals, which represent territoriality or social dominance. Fortunately, most of them are fair-minded individuals and leaders, rather than bullies.

HELL HOUND

A dog from hell. Ancient Renlinean giant wizards used to summon them as companion animals.

HIPPOGRIFF

A majestic creature that is the symbol of Alluvan. Sacred to the Golden Princess.

HOMUNCULUS

Some wizard create these little monsters as helpers. The Church of the Pantheon hates them, and considers them objects that can be confiscated and destroyed.

HOWLER

A demonic creature that has been popping up near Treothe of late. No one knows how they are getting into the material plane.

HYDRA

A dangerous monster that lives in forests on the Great Isle and the lands around the Misty Sea. They are so prevalent in mythology that a DC 10 Knowledge (Arcana) or Int check can reveal the means of defeating their regeneration.

INEVITABLE

Extraplanar creatures that serve the Keeper of Time. They are sometimes summoned to the material plane by priests of the Church to hunt down transgressors.

INVISIBLE STALKER

Composed of animated air, a few wizards learned how to create these deadly assassins based on ancient Renlinean texts.

KOBOLD

There are rumors of reptillian humanoids in the jungles of the Velm river basin...

KRAKEN

Sailors tell of massive tentacled monsters that destroy ships, but most think that these stories are false.

KRENSHAR

A predator in Corsom, Kresmaya and Zoltar. Lore holds that they only attack humanoids who have escaped death, at the request of the Judge of the Dead.

LAMIA

Lamias are not evil and lack a wisdom drain and spell-like abilities. They are high-level druids transformed into Instinctuals. They represent the thrill of the hunt and predatory instinct.

LAMMASU

These sacred creatures factor into the lore of Treothe, Ombroten, and surrounding lands. Many heroes on holy quests stumble upon a lammasu who offers advice and wisdom.

LEONAL

A celestial servant of the Sun Father.

LICH

See the sidebar, "Liches."

LILLEND

A celestial servant of the Fire Mistress.

LIZARDFOLK

There are rumors of reptillian humanoids in the jungles of the Velm river basin...

LOCATHAH

There are rumors of fish-like humanoids living at the bottom of the Greensea and the Renlinean Sea...

LYCANTHROPE

Were-creatures are featured in the mythology of all lands. They are particularly prominent in the lore of Zoltar and the Wyrwood, and Jarlheim. Note that lycanthropes have no alignment tendancy, although an afflicted lycanthrope will behave like a confused animal during uncontrolled transformations. Most peasant folk believe them all to be evil anyway.

MANTICORE

Unpleasant wretches found throughout the jungle lands and the Great Isle, manticores are thought to be those who betrayed the Sun Father and were cursed into a mockery of his favored lion form.

MEDUSA

The original medusa was a priest of the Golden Princess who thought she was more beautiful than the goddess. For her arrogance, she was cursed and became so ugly that any who looked upon her would turn to stone. Medusae can still be found in remote areas, and often engage in demon worship, seeking some way to return to their previous beautiful selves.

MEPHIT

Elemental beasties found in remote wilderness areas, mephits are considered fey creatures by most people.

MERFOLK

An Instinctual transformed from a high-level druid, merfolk represent playful and childlike attitudes.

MIMIC

Thought to be cursed objects infused with demonic energy, sometimes as a side effect of a magical experiment gone awry.

MINOTAUR

A few monsters matching this description have been sighted in the southern Steppelands.

MOHRG

A hideous undead, often arising from bodies that are hidden or dumped rather than properly buried.

MUMMY

Ancient Renlinean tombs are often protected by mummies.

NAGA

Two creatures are commonly called nagas. One type, found near the desert lands and jungle lands, are the nagas from the MM. They are associated with the Old Ways and are servants of a demon named the Witch Queen, who was a god named the Wise One but who denounced Jordana (who then took her place in the Pantheon). This has lead to some confusion, as the other type of naga, which posesses the head and upper body of a human, is an Instinctual, a high-level druid transformed. They represent the innate urge of all creatures to reproduce.

NIGHT HAG

A demonic upgrade to the standard hag, night hags have been using Heartstones for centuries, preferring to extract them from good-aligned creatures. Some even suspect that Elbrecht Lauthgard earned the secrets of extract Heartstone from a night hag. In game terms, a night hag has extract Heartstone at will. The Heartstone she carries has no powers for non-night hags, but is a regular Heartstone.

NIGHTMARE

Devil horses that feature in the mythology of Corsom. They are thought to bear dreamers to the realm of nightmares, where they are plagued by bad dreams.

NIGHTSHADE

A horrifically evil undead from the realm of shadows, rarely encountered on the material plane.

NYMPH

A fey creature that lives in remote wilderness areas, nymphs are associated with several goddesses, including the Golden Princess, the Moon Sister, and the Fire Mistress.

OGRE MAGE

A sort of ogre-sorcerer with specific powers, they are usually not evil and serve as ogre tribal priests and wise men. Lately, most are in hiding from Heartstone-hunters.

OOZE

Slimy creatures that help with the decomposition process of certain ecosystems, oozes are not well-liked in civilized lands.

OTYUGH

This monster often lives in rubbish heaps in large cities. It is said that they are created from congealed magical residue from discarded formerly-magical items.

OWL, GIANT

A creature sacred to the Huntress, common in Jarlheim, Wanford, and Corsom. It often aids those whose cause it finds worthy.

OWLBEAR

These mysterious creatures have been spotted in the forests of Frelund recently. No one is quite sure where they come from, but many suspect wizard magic.

PEGASUS

A creature sacred to the Silver Knight. Pegasi can be found amongst the wild herds of Corsom, and interbreed with regular horses. Although they are difficult to tame, many nobles of house Cholai have a pegasus mount in their stables.

PHANTOM FUNGUS

A weird monster found in the northern forests of Corsom, Wanford and Jarlheim, the phantom fungus is said to attack those who hide or repress their emotions.

PHASE SPIDER

Not seen in many years, phase spiders once laired on the Great Isle. They were thought to be created by the Huntress.

PLANETOUCHED

According to official Church cannon, the Prophet Jordana had no children. However, there are those who believe that certain individuals can trace their lineage back to Jordana, giving them mystical powers. These individuals are called "aasimar." Similarly, certain humans who sided with Renlinea during the Great Rebellion were cursed by the Prophet to bear a mark of shame for all generations. These became the "tieflings," and any child born today with a deformity -- a horn, tails, club feet -- is put to death, as its existence indicates that its parents are at least part tiefling.

PSEUDODRAGON

These tiny dragons are considered fey creatures by most people. They rarely interact with civilized humanoids.

PURPLE WORM

Immense subterranean worms, absolutely hated by dwarves. It is said they were created by a demon who was angry at the Earth Mother.

RAST

Fire creatures not commonly encountered on the material plane.

RAVID

An unusual extraplanar beast that commonly results from wizard experiments attempting to manipulate positive energy and develop curative spells.

REMORHAZ

A danger in the northernmost reaches of Corsom and the Steppelands. They are fortunately very docile.

ROC

These great birds roost on mountaintops surrounding Corsom where they feed on horses. Because they can't be tamed, they are usually hunted down as youngsters. They also live in the southern jungles.

ROPER

Occasionally spotted in remote areas, ropers only attack when hungry, but cannot be tamed. They are said to be the ghosts of dryads.

SAHUAGIN

There are rumors of fish-like humanoids living at the bottom of the Greensea and the Renlinean Sea...

SALAMANDER

Elemental creatures that cavort in firey regions. They are usually blamed for volcanic eruptions.

SATYR

A fey creature that lives in the wilderness. They are all good friends with the Aimless Wanderer, but serve no one.

SEA CAT

These live on the coastline and on small islands around Jarlhiem, Wanford, Marshalle, and northern Corsom. They are thought to have once been cats, given as a gift from the Ocean King to the Sea maiden.

SHADOW

A horrible undead from the Shadow Realm. They sneak into our world through wizardly illusion magic gone bad.

SHADOW MASTIFF

This native to the Shadow Realm can be trained and kept as a pet or guard, but only a few elves on Ponderry are inclined to do so.

SHAMBLING MOUND

A plant monster found everywhere, they are said to be the Earth Mother's hand of vengance.

SHIELD GUARDIAN

These constructs are often built by the Church to guard important people, or sometimes Magicants when a clay golem is unavailable.

SHOCKER LIZARD

Common pests in the lands on the coast of the Greensea and the western Renlinean sea, they are thought to collect the lightning bolts which fall during storms to return them to the Sky Lord.

SKELETON

A hated undead, to be destroyed on sight. They usually are created by evil necromancers, demon worshippers, or more powerful undead.

SPECTRE

An undead created when a soul is trapped by evil spirits. Often mistaken for a ghost; most people don't care about the distinction.

SPHINX

These lonely creatures are said to dwell on the Great Isle. They were giant priests of the Old Ways, followers of the Sun Father and Sky Lord, transformed into monsters so they could escape from the armies of the Great Rebellion.

SPIDER EATER

A large bug found in the jungle regions. Sometimes used as a mount by goblins that live there.

SPRITE

Reclusive fey creatures, becoming ever more inclusive of late.

STIRGE

A pest that plagues marshy regions. They usually prey on large animals.

TARRASQUE

According to myth, this monster destroyed that part of the world which is now the Steppelands, but was driven off by a great wyrm gold dragon. The flames from this battle created the desert. No one has seen either creature since.

TENDRICULOS

An evil plant beast found in Jarlheim only recently. No one knows their origins but demons are suspected.

THOQQUA

An elemental creature that somehow finds its way into dwarven forges, where it is a nusance.

TOJANIDA

A water elemental creature rarely seen on the surface.

TREANT

Plant servants of the Earth Mother, they have retreated into deep forests along with the fey. They always aid dryads in protecting a mallorn tree.

TRITON

There are rumors of fish-like humanoids living at the bottom of the Greensea and the Renlinean Sea...

TROGLODYTE

There are rumors of reptillian humanoids in the jungles of the Velm river basin...

TROLL

See the sidebar, "The Scorned."

UNICORN

A creature sacred to the Golden Princess. Unicorns are born from normal horses who have some unicorn ancestry. Unfortunately, they are difficult to tame -- they bond only with one person, always a fair maid -- and are usually let go. Wild unicorns wander the woods with the fey, but are never harmed.

VAMPIRE

See the sidebar, "Vampires."

VAMPIRE SPAWN

Created by vampires, duh.

VARGOUILLE

A hellish demon sometimes invoked in fairy tales.

WIGHT

A corporeal undead created when a demon desecrates an improperly warded corpse.

WILL-O’-WISP

Weird, swamp-dwelling monsters, thought to be the souls of those killed by previous wisps.

WINTER WOLF

An upgraded Worg found in cold lands.

WORG

Predators and servants of the Huntress. Wors are not evil (they tend towards neutral) and are respected by followers of the Old Ways. They hide in deep forests with fey creatures.

WRAITH

An undead created when a soul is trapped by evil spirits. Often mistaken for a ghost; most people don't care about the distinction.

WYVERN

A fearsome predator found on the Great Isle and lands northward. Particularly hated by the Silver Knight and his devotees for the use of poison, wyverns are sometimes trained for war by goblins.

XORN

An earth elemental creature found deep within the earth, xorns sometimes cross paths with dwarves.

YETH HOUND

A hated monster from the mythology of Jarlheim, they are thought to have been murderers and assassins reincarnated.

YRTHAK

One of the odd creatures that lives on the Steppelands. It is thought that they also live in storm clouds and produce thunder but this has never been verified and seems unlikely.

ZOMBIE

A hated undead, to be destroyed on sight. They usually are created by evil necromancers, demon worshippers, or more powerful undead.

Original Monsters

(Click for details)

Cryptweed

This bizarre plant creature haunts lonely, isolated wastes in the Western countries. Its most feared power is its ability to mimic the dead.