Ter-Va

Teratorn

(Animal)—Native to the Claude Islands, Teratorns are rare and massive eagles with 28’ to 36’ wingspans. They can easily snatch up an adult human, calf or deer. Once witnessed, teratorns are never forgotten. It is hard to fathom their correct size when spotted in the sky and without reference, and their true stature only becomes apparent when they are closer to the ground.

Thursar/Rissi

(Giant)—These giant/human hybrids resemble well-proportioned, handsome humans, but 1 to 2’ taller than the norm. They are strong, resilient, and heal quickly. Most human/giant offspring are stillborn, so those that grow to adulthood are uncommon. These are true hybrids, not humans afflicted with gigantism.

Troglodyte

(Giant)—These elusive proto-men rarely are seen and almost never accost groups of travelers. They are a wulver variant adapted for living in the Aendril Mountains above the snow line. Sometimes, though, these large, none-too-intelligent creatures mistake lone travelers for infant troglodytes. This, of course, is very unfortunate for the mistaken “youngster.” The troglodyte’s cries are heart-wrenching, anguished moans and howls that echo down from the mountains above. Troglodytes are about eight feet tall and covered in thick, dirty-white fur. Their heads are conical, their tiny eyes intensely black, and their faces ape-like. Troglodytes strike with blinding speed, and the overpowering musk of their matted fur is enough to make some gag. Troglodyte’s limbs are heavy, and they lumber across the rocks with an ungainly stride, yet there is an economy to their movement, a jerkiness that seems fitting to these ungainly beings. They do not speak any known language, have high animal to low human intelligence, and live in mated pairs.

Troll

(Giant)—This is a horned and heavily tusked ogre variant, stupid, brutish, and violent. They are about 9-12’ tall, and they choose ruins or beneath bridges for their lairs. Many of them wear crude clothes, use simple tools, and speak guttural versions of the local human language. They are antisocial in the extreme, delight in mayhem, and (like ogres) they have excellent night vision but are cursed with day blindness.

Troll Alpha

Found in Orlois, these oversized trolls are 12’ to 15’ tall, heavily muscled, layered in defensive fat, and have short tusks and horns. The horns may be of different configurations, matching any type of goat or cattle, can grow quite large, and they are permanent, not shedding them seasonally. The alpha troll is hard to kill, and he often keeps fighting for five to ten minutes before it will succumb to an otherwise fatal blow. Their language skills are poor, and their minds would be the equivalent of a three-year-old human. Alpha trolls are rarely clever, and they usually will act stupidly and without a plan. Their clothing, if any, is recycled from tents, tarps, tapestries, and whatever else they may scrounge. They prefer to live under bridges or in ruined castles, monasteries, barns, and similar structures. Standard trolls will not challenge the alpha troll’s authority.

Trow

(Faerie)—These are small subterranean elves, evil and malignant. Trow also are known as dark elfs, drow, or dtrow. They are ugly, short—about four-and-a-half feet tall—with long, pointed noses. Their skin is gray, brown, red, or black, and they wear dirty brown work clothes. They are dark bound, because sunlight will turn them to stone. They are master smiths, artificers and jewelers, and their dances and music are so maniacal as to drive any mortal who chances upon them insane. Trow’s breath causes sickness or death, and their feet are said to be poisonous to plants, killing foliage wherever they walk.

Undine

(Elemental)—These are traditional water elementals that possess two forms: A mass of animated water; or that of a human girl. They may move through water as others move through air, and breathe underwater, and immersion rejuvenates or even heal them. They are reputed to have no souls of their own, and can only earn one by assuming human form and marrying a mortal. This union locks the undine into their material, human shape and grants the mortal spouse extended longevity.

Undine/Human Hybrid

(Elemental)—These are always female. For them, water, bathing or immersion has a healing effect. They are exceptional swimmers, and these hybrids can hold their breath for much longer than standard humans.

Vampire

(Undead)—This is a dead human reborn as parasitic, blood-sucking undead. Making a human into a vampire is not instant, and it requires the master vampire to drain the victim’s blood and then feed them some of the vampire’s blood. Death follows, and three days later the victim awakes from death and mortality as a fledgeling vampire. They are nearly immortal, fully nocturnal, and rendered powerless by direct sunlight. Vampires are as strong as lions, as fast as gazelles, and they regenerate damage rapidly, even re-growing or re-bonding lost body parts. Only silver, holy water, blessed weapons, fire and hawthorn wood will damage or kill a vampire. They will flee holy areas, consecrated buildings or land, divine beings, holy relics and people of great devoutness or saintly virtue. Vampires can eat and drink human food, but it is the blood of living victims that sustains them. The new vampire remembers his past life and skills, but is subservient and telepathically tied to their creator vampires. Vampire are usually an urban phenomenon.

Vampire Familiar

(Humanoid, Undead)—Also called corrupted ones, thralls, or tainted ones, these are human captives who have been fed drops of vampire blood, but are not drained to the point of death. This makes them into slaves to the vampire creator.. They may still act independently, but their vampire master has subsumed the mortal’s will. Vampire Familiars are not dead, nor are they vampires, but they have the fearless, physical strength of addiction. They look unhealthy, with their muscles always distended, and their veins visibly pulsing beneath their sweating skin. Daylight hurts their eyes, but does not harm them. The vampire master may see through the corrupted one’s eyes, and issue telepathic commands, even during daylight hours. The vampire can even speak through the corrupted one. In theory, if their vampire master is destroyed, or the corrupted one is removed from them for a month, then the corrupted one recovers his free will and humanity; or he dies or commits suicide. (There is a slight chance they will rise three days thereafter as a vampire.)