Blightling

Not many creatures are as feared as those that carry disease, infection, or plague. To the people of Valtyr, such maladies can lay waste to entire villages and spread into epidemics that sweep the lands. It is no wonder then that the putrescent creatures known as blightlings are one of the most dreaded monsters a person can ever face.

The origin of the blightling comes from the shattered rocks of the Thelen Kor in southern T’zarak. A group of cultists that revered Vegra, goddess of death and decay, created a ritual to allow them to pervert their captives into disease-spreading humanoids that could be bound to their will. Drawing upon the dark power of their goddess, the cultists warped the flesh of their subjects with this ritual and infused the host with a potent, infectious slime that caused sickness and rampant disease if exposed to the bloodstream. Through dark magic, they stole away any vestige of humanity from the target of the spell and instead left behind a gibbering, primordial ooze creature filled with malice and hate.

The cultists set the first of the blightlings loose on the towns of Semurcha and Last Gate, reveling in the wide spread panic and death that the tainted beings delivered. Dozens died by the blightlings infectious touch alone, but hundreds more succumbed to death after a disease was loosed into the water sources from the creatures’ horrible slime. It took nearly a season of Brotherhood monks spending their time purifying the area to purge the lands of the disease afterwards.

Seeing success, the cultists were preparing to create even more blightlings and head further south to add more souls to the Black Matron’s clutches when a sudden attack on their temple by Isulk-hai hunters decimated their forces. The cultists scattered in a panic and left the blightlings to fend for themselves. Most of the diseased creatures were put down in the raid, but a few escaped into the blasted rock canyons of the Kor.

Since that day, the tale of the blightling has spread far and wide. Every once in a while, one shows up in some backwater area of the world, wreaking destruction and seeding disease wherever it goes. A sighting of a blightling is cause for great alarm, as it is a known fact now that it creates more of its infected spawn by consuming those it defeats. A single blightling can create a duplicate of itself after ingesting four infected bodies. If left unchecked, they can become an epidemic themselves, and so they are ruthlessly hunted by organizations like the Din’tarra and the Champions of the Dawn.

A blightling stands roughly 6 feet tall and possess two ropy tendrils instead of arms. Yellowed suckers ringed in small teeth line the underside of the tentacles. Their lower halves drip away into a disgusting ooze of bubbling and decaying matter and they possess a horrible stench whenever nearby. Their faces are misshapen lumps of flesh and their entire bodies are covered in puss, slime and seeping sores.

Although not technically one of the Shadowfold, blightlings are certainly a spawn of evil that deserves as much attention as their dreaded undead cousins.

Blightling……(level 3)
Battle: 10
Damage: 1D6+2
Evasion: 4 (SR 1)
Resistance: 5 (SR 1)
Health: 35

Passive Powers:
Immune: disease, poison, status effects

Infection: if the blightling causes wounds, the target must make a Fortitude skill check (SR 3) or their wounds become infected.

Stench: targets are weakened and stunned in the blightling’s presence (Fortitude (SR 2) resists for a round)

Vulnerable: fire

Active Powers:
Blight: blightlings can belch a thick oozing liquid that can infect a target with a contagious disease that causes a loss of -1 to their Brawn and Fortitude per day until cured (Fortitude (SR 3) resists). In addition, those affected by the Blight do not add their level to their Battle, Evasion, Arcane, or Resistance stats.

Screeching Sloth-Rat

There are many reasons to beware the tangled depths of the Nivenesh Jungle in Valtyr. Be it the forest drakes that prowl the ground floor, the giant bloodthorn serpents that cling to the upper branches of the vine-choked trees, or the swarms of blighter wasps that nest in the shallows of the Whitetail River, Nivenesh is surely full of its fair share of dangers. Dozens of dangerous fauna (and flora) exist in the jungle’s green canopy. One such danger is the screeching sloth-rat.

Somewhat of a curious creature, the screeching sloth-rat is tree dwelling mammal that appears as a cross between a three-toed sloth and a giant wharf rat. Its matted brown fur can have tinges of red or black mixed within it. Its head resembles a rodent and it even has a vestigial tail. It travels on all fours and has four, three-toed paws, the fore of which possess incredible strength, enough to crush a man’s skull. They measure up to 2.5 feet in length and can weigh as much as 15 pounds. Screeching sloth-rats tend to live in communities of several dozen, thereby increasing their chances of a successful catch when they decide it is time to eat.

Where the creature gets its name is from its peculiar form of attack. The screeching sloth-rat is a notoriously lazy beast that prefers to sit about in treetops and sleep most of the day. However, at night they become active and possess excellent night vision. Screeching sloth-rats will lie in wait for hours watching for prey to pass below their branches. When a target does, the screeching sloth-rat will literally drop from the air, emitting a high pitched screeching sound as it does. Such a sudden burst of noise (coming from multiple beasts) usually renders the target helpless momentarily, buying them the second or two they need to land squarely upon their prey. Once on a target, they latch on and literally crush the creature to death with their vice like grips.

Screeching sloth-rats are thankfully indigenous only to the Nivenesh in Mierg and fairly easy to avoid if one knows the secret: a liberal coating of anoxa oil harvested from the self-named plant. The oil produces a smell that screeching sloth-rats abhor. Also, once they have dropped, they become quite vulnerable to other predators, as the screeching sloth-rat is clumsy in its ground movements. All in all, they are a bizarre creature you could go your entire adventuring life never encountering and be none the worse for wear.

Screeching Sloth-Rat……(level 1)
Battle: 6
Damage: 1D6+2
Evasion: 2
Resistance: 1
Health: 12

Passive Powers:
Screech: when a screeching sloth-rat drops on a target to attack, the target must make a Cunning skill check (SR 2) to avoid being helpless for the next round.

Active Powers:
None

Aetheram (A- thir-am)

The aetheram (both singular and plural) are an elemental storm of wind, lightning and steam rolled into a serpentine shape. They possess four great wings of lightning and a cloud-like sail fin upon their backs. Adorning their ephemeral body are bits of engraved stone that cover large sections of their vaporous mass. Seeing one of the aetheram is looking at a statue of a great, winged snake - some twenty feet long – that has broken free of its stony casing and pulses with cyclonic steam inside. Lightning flashes within its eyes and sharpened bits of stone line its reptilian jaws.

The aetheram possess no legs or hands and are not known to ever cease flight. In fact, the only time they grow still is in death. Not much is known about where the aetheram first came from. Some speculate they are one of the mad results of the experiments at the Tower Xanith during the end of the Age of Wonders. Others believe they come from beyond the world’s border, from a realm of constant storms and floating kingdoms. There is also an old proverb that speaks of the aetheram as servants for a being known as the Lord of Aeshir. Whatever the truth, the aetheram are a rare and dangerous site to behold.

When spotted they usually appear near volcanoes, tall mountain peaks, or trapped within the confines of magical wards where they serve as guards. The aetheram are intelligent (judging from their combat tactics and ability to learn from their environment) but if they possess their own language or culture, it has not been uncovered so far.

Alchemists and sorcerers sometimes seek out rumors of slain aetheram, for it is said that when they die they explode, causing the area around them to fall under a scalding shower of superheated steam and electricity. The resulting explosion leaves behind minute crystals that are said to have benefit in creating a dust that allows one to mimic their lightning and steam-based attacks by coating weapons with the fine powder. The crystals have also been combined with certain potions to create tonics allowing the user to fly for short periods as well.

Aetheram……(level 4)
Battle: 11
Damage: 2D6
Evasion: 6 (SR 1)
Resistance: 7 (SR 2)
Health: 42

Passive Powers:
Ethereal: can’t be hit except by spells or magic weapons

Immune: disease, fire and lightning attacks, poison, stun

Active Powers:
Steam Pocket: can unleash a blast of super-heated steam that causes 3D6 damage on up to 3 close targets (Agility (SR 3) halves damage, rounded down)

Wing Shock: can dive down and sweep their wings through a target, causing 1D6+3 lightning damage and stunning them for the next round (Agility (SR 3) halves damage, rounded down, and avoids stun)

Smet Hog

Within the twisted and dense jungles of Mierg or the primal forests of the Wildlands roam the Smet Hogs, savage boar-like creatures with a reputation for being unclean beasts.

A typical smet hog can grow as big as 4 feet long and stand 3 feet tall. They can weigh in as much as 300 pounds and possess four sharp tusks, two larger ones which curl out and up from the bottom teeth (measuring 12 or more inches in length) and two smaller ones that grow down from their upper canines (these can be as much as 6 inches in length). The smet hog usually has a dirty brown coat, with small grey eyes set into its broad pig head. Its four hoofed feet are small but powerful, allowing it to run quickly when needed, but not so adept at turning or maneuvering in tight quarters.

Smet hogs are notoriously bad tempered. They can be found alone or in small packs of up to 5, but they don’t often stay together, as their disposition will undoubtedly bring about a fight amongst the group before long. Smet hogs are not terribly bright, but know enough about survival not to attack creatures that are bigger than themselves or have proven to be capable opponents. The only exception to this is if the smet hog’s young or food source is threatened; in either case, the beast will make its best show of scaring off the intruder.

Most creatures tend to avoid smet hogs whenever they can, but it has little to do with their foul moods. The reason is that smet hogs tend to leave trails of their own excrement and filth as they travel. They also aren’t opposed to rolling around in their waste, leaving their coats bristling with filth and harmful bacteria. Many stories of lost travelers in remote forested places coming into contact with the smet hog and escaping with infected wounds, or worse…disease…are all too common. For this reason alone, the smet hogs are given wide berths.

Adult Smet Hog......(Level 1)
Battle: 7
Damage: 1D6
Evasion: 2 (SR 1)
Resistance: 1 (SR 1)
Health: 16

Passive Powers:
Infection: if the smet hog gets a Critical Strike, the target must make a Fortitude skill check (SR 2) or their wounds become infected.

Active Powers:
None


Elder Smet Hog......(Level 2)
Battle: 9
Damage: 1D6+1
Evasion: 3 (SR 1)
Resistance: 1 (SR 1)
Health: 25

Passive Powers:
Infection: if the smet hog gets a Critical Strike, the target must make a Fortitude skill check (SR 2) or their wounds become infected.

Active Powers:
Charge: can knock targets Prone if it scores 3 more success than it needs on its Battle skill check.