Bestiary

Ariathan Bestiary

(Note: Extremely few monsters in Ariath are immune to uncalled damage. Immunity to Physical effects does not imply immunity to uncalled.)

Beasts

While Talking Animals are Folk, Beasts are natural animals. Due to Vivia's Gift, many beasts have hands and walk on two legs, but are still beasts in mind and nature.

Most beasts are not hostile unless hungry, guarding territory, or protecting their young. If they're acting abnormally aggressively, especially if they aren't predators, it's usually a sign that something is wrong. You can often tell if a beast is controlled by someone or influenced by unnatural forces if they're acting atypically for a natural animal.

Some beasts are still quite dangerous though. Predators will happily eat Folk if they can get them, and they're not bound by the gods' laws about eating people like Talking Animals are.

It's also worth noting that some beasts that are extinct on Earth are alive and well on Ariath, such as saber-toothed cats, giant sloths, dire wolves, and giant-sized versions of many contemporary animals.

Constructs

Ariath has many types of constructs, ranging from magically animated statues, to robotic Kudarr creations. Most constructs are mindless and have no functioning metabolisms, so Mental and Metabolic attacks do them no harm. Elemental and Physical attacks are more likely to work, though many constructs are tough enough to be resistant to physical damage.

Demons

There are many types of demons; all are rare, and have their own strengths and weaknesses. Most have extremely tough physical bodies, that regenerate instantly from physical and elemental injury. Mental attacks, and Metabolic attacks that eat away at the creature’s body from the inside, are more likely to work against most demons.

Elementals

Elementals are manifestations of various forms of energy, given magical life. They are not limited to the four “basic elements” of western cultures on Earth, or even to “Elemental” attack categories. Elementals composed of Sleep, Thorns, The Grave, and Explosions exist, and many more.

Elementals cannot be harmed with Metabolic attacks, and are often immune to Mental attacks as well; they are like forces of nature, not Folk. Some are Formless (such as Air, Water, or Light elementals) and thus immune to Physical attacks as well.

They are also commonly immune to, or healed by, their own Element, but vulnerable to other Elemental types. Some may take additional damage from “opposition” elements (say, Fire elementals attacked with Ice) but such attacks may cause them to fly into a rage and become more dangerous.

Phantasms

Phantasms are beings from the In-Between, or are created from Wondrous energy. They can take many forms, and have the abilities and vulnerabilities of whatever creature they appear to be, but can also be hurt with “Phantasm” bane attacks.

Slimes and Oozes

Slimes and oozes are Formless beings. Physical attacks to little more than stir their fluid forms, and cause them no harm. Most slimes are mindless as well, and immune to Mental attacks. Elemental and Metabolic attacks are effective against them.

(These formless creatures are represented by flowing garments or ponchos of a uniform color, with similarly colored makeup.)

Undead

The undead of Ariath take many forms. None of them are harmed by Metabolic effects. Ghostly, spectral undead are Formless, and immune to Physical attack, while animated corpses are often mindless, and unaffected by Mental effects.

A few common types of undead are of particular note:

Charnel Horrors

Charnel Horrors are mindless animated corpses. They can be easily distinguished by the crude stitches sealing their eyes and mouths. These horrors are slow and dimwitted, but quite tough, and may need to be hacked apart entirely to stop their attacks.

Harrows

Harrows are spectral creatures, manifest dark spirits that haunt desolate places and areas touched by dark spirit energy. They are Formless, and immune to physical attack. In addition, their bodies only exist from the waist up; they take no effect from hits to the legs.

(Harrows are represented with a bright white tabard, covering the arms and torso but trailing off below the waist.)

Gaunts

Gaunts are Folk, or former Folk, cursed with undeath and a need to feast on the flesh of other Folk. They have yellowed skin and sunken eyes. They share the common undead invulnerability to Metabolic attacks; they can be harmed with other types of effect, but are often quite resilient.

Wights

Wights are the spirits of Folk buried on desecrated ground. They are ghostly, but must manifest a physical body to interact with the world; they may be resistant to Physical attack, but not immune, and they are not Formless.

(Most Wights simply look skeletal, but stronger ones may also have glowing eyes or features.)