Asheron's Call Manual/A Dereth Bestiary
Related topics: Creatures, Bestiary (Zone Article), Bestiary (AC:DM CD)
A Dereth Bestiary
This bestiary catalogues the known monsters in Dereth. For the reader's convenience, each monster's description is accompanied by a relative measurement of how great a threat the monster poses.
Be warned that this volume is almost certainly incomplete. New monsters are constantly being drawn to Dereth through portals from other worlds, and other creatures from Empyrean history.
The Armoredillo
is a strange creature, covered in a hard shell bristling with bony, foot-long blades. They are solitary hunters, ranging in size from three to six feet long. Different breeds dwell in deserts, plains, mountains, and shallow water. They attack with beaked jaws and spine blades: their spinning attack is particularly devastating. It is rumored that skilled artisans can shape Armoredillo blades into wicked weapons.
Dangerous to Deadly, depending on breed
Banderlings
are the larger cousins of Drudges, Mosswarts, and Tumeroks. They are even less intelligent than other humanoids, but make up for this with sheer brutality. They prefer to fight in small packs, using heavy weapons or their sharp claws. On average, they stand seven feet tall, though their chiefs are even larger. Forest-dwellers by nature, they can also be found in Tumerok strongholds and dungeons near the Aluvian lands.
Dangerous (leaders: Deadly)
Cattle
in Dereth come in two varieties: the common domesticated Cow and the large wild Auroch. Cows tend to be found near och human habitation and are nonaggressive. Aurochs, recognizable by their shaggy coats and long horns, roam the grasslands; they do not attack on sight, but will defend their herd if it is threatened. Tales speak of even deadlier types of Auroch who dwell on the plains north of the Gharu'ndim lands.
Cows: Weak; Aurochs: Dangerous
Drudges
are for the most part the weakest of the humanoid races, and are often kept by their stronger cousins as slaves or grunt warriors. They often scavenge on the fringes of human lands, preying on the weak and defenseless, and also skulk in shallow dungeons. Most stand about four feet tall, and fight with their claws; some employ crude weapons like knives and clubs. In combat, they attack in packs, and with little discipline. Be warned: there are a few varieties of Drudges that are more dangerous than the norm.
Feeble to Weak, with the exceptions noted
Golems
are said to be remnants of Empyrean magic, left behind as guardians for their strongholds, both above and below ground. Now that the Empyrean have vanished, however, they have become mindless automatons, attacking anything that comes near. They stand seven to eight feet tall, and are made of many materials, including earth, wood, water, ice, stone, and metal. They bash with their club-like limbs, and some also attack with magic.
Dangerous to Lethal, depending on material
The Gromnie
is a ferocious, dragon-like predator. Breeds of different colors dwell in deserts, mountains, forests, glaciers, and swamps, and some have also found their way underground. They stand from three to five feet tall at the shoulder. They are extremely aggressive and vicious, ravaging their victims with tooth and claw. In addition, they are known to employ various breath weapons—fire, ice, lightning, or acid, depending on their breed.
Dangerous to Deadly, depending on breed
Lugians,
a race of gray giants, were among the first arrivals on Dereth. They are incredibly massive and strong—the average Lugian is eight feet tall and weighs half a ton. They live, for the most part, in the Linvak Mountains in the southernmost reaches of Dereth, though rogues and scouts have been sighted in dungeons elsewhere on the island. They are determined, single-minded fighters, and their iron-hard fists and even more dangerous weapons can crush a common human with a single blow.
Lugian society is clannish and structured, employing a rigid caste system and a strict code of honor to enforce order. Their five castes, from lowest to highest, are Laigus (commoner), Amploth (artisan), Obeloth (warrior), Lithos (champion), and Gigas (ruler). Ascending from one caste to the next is achieved through a bloody battle to the death. Lugians are severe isolationists: intruders in their territory are slain swiftly and without mercy.
Dangerous to Lethal, depending on caste
Mattekars
are a strange, fur-bearing variety of Reed Shark found in the snowfields and mountains of northern Dereth. They are also known, among common folk, as "snow sharks." They are huge—six feet or taller at the shoulder— and are found as lone rogues or in small family units: the latter will defend one another to the death. They attack with claws, horns, and teeth, and are particularly resistant to cold damage.
Dangerous to Deadly, depending on breed
Mites
are among the more recent arrivals to Dereth, having appeared 20 years after the first humans. These small, furry humanoids have since become a growing nuisance on the island. They stand four to five feet tall, and are very quick, clawing and kicking with startling speed. Having made their lairs in forests and dungeons, they are reportedly breeding at an alarming rate. Sages worry that unchecked, they could soon run rampant.
Weak to Dangerous (leaders: Deadly)
Monouga
The three-eyed Monouga are highland dwellers who have also taken to living in derelict dungeons. They are aggressive warriors who fight with crude weapons and have a totemistic fascination with fire. Five to six feet tall at adulthood, they continue to grow as they age. Once some reach a certain size, however, their muscles can no longer support their weight. These frail "giants" are cast out into the wild, easy prey for other creatures. Recently, Monougas of tremendous size and strength threatened towns all over Dereth before bands of warriors and sorcerers slew them. It is not known how they grew to such a size while retaining such incredible strength.
Dangerous to Deadly (outcasts: Weak, tremendous: Deadly)
Mosswarts
are humanoids from the same world as Drudges, Tumeroks, and Banderlings. In Dereth, they live in various swamps and marshes, particularly in the Blackmire Swamp between the Sho and Aluvian lands. They have also infested many ruins and damp catacombs. They are small (four to five feet tall), fight with claws, spears, swords, and javelins, and are fearless when cornered. Some colonies also have magic-using shamans.
Weak to Dangerous (leaders: Deadly)
Olthoi
are a scourge upon the land: insectoid engines of death standing from seven to eight feet tall. They are responsible for the Empyrean's flight from the world, and until recently ran rampant across Dereth. Their numbers have diminished since Elysa Strathelar and Thorsten Cragstone overthrew them, but they can still be found deep in their dark underground hives.
Olthoi are fast, vicious fighters, impaling victims with their huge digging claws and eviscerating them with their smaller, razor-sharp talons. Once they choose a foe they continue to attack until that foe is dead. To them, anything that is not an Olthoi is either prey or a potential slave.
Like ants and bees, Olthoi come in different forms, each suited to a particular role in their society:
Nymphs are immature Olthoi. They are relatively weak and easy to kill, but can still slaughter an entire party of inexperienced adventurers.
Workers are sterile drones, responsible for digging new tunnels and other menial tasks. They are the most common form of Olthoi.
Soldiers have one purpose: to find threats to the hive and destroy them. Their barbed claws can slice through the strongest armor. They can also spit streams of acid.
Two other forms of Olthoi—Nobles and Queens—are now believed to be extinct. There are always rumors, though, that more still dwell far underground, waiting until the time is right to conquer the surface once again.
Nymphs: Deadly; Workers and Soldiers: Lethal; Nobles and Queens: Unknown
Phyntos Wasps
may be brightly colored and beautiful to look at, but they are also a dreadful pestilence. These flying insects are huge, with wingspans of three to four feet, and are unafraid to attack vastly superior foes with their cruel stingers. There are several different colors of wasp, each of which can use a different magical attack. Varieties can be found in different environments, from deserts to forests to swamps, and their buzzing can be heard from a great distance.
Weak to Dangerous, depending on color
Rats
are as much a fact of life on Dereth as they were on Ispar. The rodents in this world are of unusual size, however, being two or more feet from nose to tail. While most are easy to kill, they can still be daunting when they attack in swarms, and the more dangerous Black and Red Rats can be formidable. They dwell on the fringes of human habitation, and have also overrun many shallow dungeons. They attack with startling speed, leaping to sink their teeth into their victims.
Feeble to Weak (Black and Red Rats: Dangerous)
The Reed Shark
is a peculiar carnivore, a six-foot-long, hairless, dog-like creature with two forelegs and a single, strong hind leg. It also sports a fin-like crest on its back: the sight of these fins moving through the swamps is what gave this creature its name. They attack in packs, and fight with claw and fang. They can be found nearly anywhere except mountains and waterways. Tumeroks are known to keep them as "guard dogs."
Dangerous
The Sclavus
is not a natural monster, but rather a magical crossbreed of serpent and humanoid. It is rumored that they were created ages ago by a degenerate Empyrean cult, in a failed attempt to construct a servant race. Four different subraces exist, ranging in size from four to seven feet tall. Sclavi fight viciously with swords and spears, and are powerful spellcasters. Swamps, ruins, and deep dungeons are their homes.
Deadly to Lethal, depending on subrace
Shallows Sharks
are a mutant breed of Reed Shark found along the shores of lakes and rivers. They look similar to their land-dwelling cousins, but are smaller and even more savage. They often lurk in shallow water, hiding until prey comes near. They do not like to share their territory with other creatures, including land-dwelling Reed Sharks.
Dangerous to Deadly
The Shreth
is a relatively new arrival to Dereth, having started to appear only in the past year or two. A squat carnivore with bony spikes jutting from its back, it passes through several growth spurts during its life, growing larger and stronger at every stage. Its natural habitat is not yet known, but some have taken to dwelling in dungeons, where they like to feast on carrion and rats. The Shreth attacks with its spikes, hooves, and savage teeth.
Weak to Deadly, depending on growth stage
Tumeroks
are a race of warlike humanoids, related to Drudges, Mosswarts, and Banderlings. Though they aren't the largest of their kin, standing six feet tall on average, they are by far the most dangerous, as they are the only ones to have developed near-human intelligence.
Tribal warmongers by nature, Tumeroks were rejected as slaves by the Olthoi for being too brutish. They fight with weapons, including bows and crossbows, and many can use sorcery. Their priestly caste is particularly adept at wielding magic. Their overlords are a match for the greatest human warriors.
As a race, Tumeroks prefer to dwell in dry, rocky regions, and they have made the Direlands their home. They have dug their own dungeons and built several fortresses, surrounded by wooden palisades. They often use lesser humanoids as slaves and foot soldiers. Being natural conquerors, they sometimes encroach on human settlements, engaging in both quick raids and longer sieges, using numbers to ensure victory. If they ever organized under one leader, they would be a terrible threat to any who stood against them.
Dangerous (leaders: Deadly to Lethal)
Tuskers
are a race of eight-foot-tall, apelike brutes, named for the large tusks that jut from their lower jaws. They prefer to dwell in forests, although some have been found in the Direlands and elsewhere, as thralls of the mysterious Virindi. They tend to gather in small clans, dominated by a "crimsonback" female and a "goldenback" male. They fight in groups, bashing with their massive fists and kicking with their strong legs.
Dangerous (crimsonback and goldenback: Deadly)
The Undead
Though death is seldom permanent for humans in Dereth, there is nonetheless a growing number of Undead—mostly the risen forms of those who died before discovering the Lifestones. Some evil magic, its source unknown, is touching the slain and raising them to wreak vengeance upon the living.
The notion of the Undead as slow and stupid is only partly true. While the weaker forms cleave to this archetype, their more powerful fellows are often as quick and intelligent as the living—and far more malicious.
The Undead are commonly found in wastelands forsaken by the living, such as barren deserts and fetid swamps, and also in old tombs, ruins, and dungeons.
There are many different kinds of Undead, including the following:
Skeletons are bare bones, stripped of their flesh. They attack with weapons, or with hands and feet. The most powerful Skeleton Lords also wield magic.
Zombies are walking corpses. They fight like Skeletons, but are stronger and more apt to use sorcery.
Liches and Revenants are the animated bodies of wizards. They are among the most powerful magic-users of all the Undead.
Mu-miyahs resemble zombies, but their bodies have been preserved, either by art or accident, and do not rot. All of them can use magic.
Skeletons: Weak (leaders: Dangerous to Lethal); Zombies: Dangerous; Liches and Revenants: Deadly to Lethal; Mu-miyahs: Dangerous to Lethal
The Virindi
are a mysterious race of levitating beings shrouded by dark, heavy cloaks. Their faces—if they have faces at all—are concealed by grotesque white masks. No one has seen a Virindi without its cloak or mask. Little is known of their intentions, but they are very powerful and capricious, and are potent magic-users. They also wield fearsome sickles, swinging them with unnatural speed. Most reported sightings thus far have been in the Direlands.
Lethal
Wisps
are strange, magical creatures that resemble dancing balls of light. Their origins are unknown: some scholars speculate that they are tied to the vanished Empyrean, or to the forces of magic. They are unpredictable in battle, often relying on magic to harm or hinder opponents, but sometimes darting at a target to inflict electric damage. Weaker Wisps tend to be blue in hue, while stronger ones are green or red.
Weak to Deadly, depending on color
Zefir
are small, winged humanoids that dwell within ruins and subterranean caverns. Unlike the benevolent faerie folk of legend, the Zefir are meanspirited and destructive, and have no love for humans. They attack in swarms to defend their lairs, scratching with their sharp claws, and can also draw upon a large arsenal of harmful spells. They are particularly fond of fire and lightning, and are resistant to damage of those sorts.
Dangerous to Deadly, depending on breed