Monsters in Karilan, Part I (A - D)

Monsters in Karilan, Part I (A - D)

I have always liked the “[monster name] in Eberron” and “[monster name] in Faerun” snippets from the Monster Manual III-V. All settings are different, and even when they use the same content, the context might be different. For example, even such staple monsters as drow differ significantly between the established D&D settings. Here I am going to describe the role of particular monsters in my campaign setting, their place in the world. This series of posts will cover the monsters that I've already posted on the blog. Those that are not mentioned either do not exist, or have no difference between the standard flavour and the setting-specific one, or have nothing to be said about. The monster posts that will be written in the future will have a short "[monster name] in Karilan" blurb.

            Aasimar

            Most of the aasimars on Karilan originate in Sifaril, the land of the high elves that often attracts celestial attention. These aasimars are considered blessed by the people and are expected to become brave paladins or devout priests. However, many of them snap under peer pressure and sometimes even become resentful of the common folk and become masters of the dark arts. Asura-blooded aasimars can also be encountered in Viril-Aventus and Indaril, sometimes mistaken for fire elves, fire half-elves, or fire genasi.

            Aboleth

            Karilan is a world without vast oceans. However, the aboleths still have found their place in the deepest ocean floor trenches. Even the sahuagins resent the aboleths and try to undermine their plans at any opportunity. This distraction from the deeps allowed the ichtyids and the darfellans to recover from their war with the sahuagins, although not fully. Not much is known about their schemes, but aboleth glyphs found in ancient ruins across Aventan suggest that some fallen human nations might have been influenced by the insidious aboleths. Their corruption also might be the reason behind the abundance of sorcerers of the aberrant bloodline relative to other bloodlines in New Aventus.

            Aboleths that dwell in the oceanic depths are a minority; much more of their kin lives in the Lowerdark among other aberrant horrors. It is said that there are immense underwater cities with mind-warping architecture created by the aboleths down there.

            There are other subspecies of the aboleths that are often even more dangerous. Amphibious aboleths might reside in damp caves or even putrid forests of Malassiril and Sitaril. Stygian aboleths, luckily, are rarely concerned with the Material Plane. Aerial aboleths, also known as uobilyths, dwell in the clouds high above the ground. Those are a rare sight, but the most sightings have occurred in the mountains of Indaril. Not many know that the aboleths can be saltwater and freshwater ones, and have some lesser known variations.

            Air Elemental

            Air elementals that were summoned to the Material Plane or slipped there through elemental vortices or natural portals, most often can be found in Kargan, in the mountains of Indaril and Sifaril, and in the forests of Cedali. They are generally friendly towards the raptorans of Cedali thanks to the pact of the latter with the air elemental lords.

            Allip

            Orcs of Tumar, while fond of torturing captives, never go overboard with it, fearing that a captive might try to commit suicide and spawn an allip. The same goes for the madmen – an orc that displays madness is likely to be executed in short time. This excludes berserkers, whose madness is a bit different. The reason for this tradition’s existence is the Babbling Brook, a village of orcs in eastern Tumar that venerated a demon lord and was driven to a collective ritual suicide by their elder. Now everyone avoids this place, as it is unsafe both for the body and for the mind.

Angel

            Angels rarely interfere directly into the mortals’ affairs, but occasionally watch over some settlements, using their innate ability to become invisible. Such guardian angels may help the most righteous mortals. Angels are only occasionally summoned by the high elves of Sifaril, because their tall winged forms have only limited utility in the underground battles with the drow.

            Ankheg

            These arthropods can be found almost anywhere in the world. They rarely attack human-sized humanoids, but tend to be a serious nuisance to the cattlemen and halflings. However, some halfling farmers prefer to scare the ankhegs away instead of slaying them, believing that the tunnels left by these creatures will enrich the soil.

Ape

Apes are most commonly encountered in P’ktal and Cedali. Some sages believe that the umber hulks were created by the neogi by magically crossbreeding apes with beetles, but the neogi themselves think that this hypothesis is ridiculous. Druids of Cedali often awaken the apes, because uplifting them is much more likely to have positive results. Also in Cedali, the gnomish villages are sometimes raided by bands of apes for food, because the small gnomes are much weaker physically.

Aranea

            While an aranea can be encountered in almost any part of the world, they rarely form large colonies. One such rare colony can be found in the spider-infested forest to the east of Lan, the largest darfellan settlement in Haa-Donai. These araneas, ruled by a cabal of fiendish specimen, prey on the darfellans who dare to venture into their forest.

            Archon

Just like angels, archons rarely interfere directly with the mortals. However, there are always exceptions. Resounding Light, a trumpet archon, is the founder of the Bardic College of the Shining Orchestra in Sifaril. High elven bards from this college are taught to inspire courage in armies, thwart mind control, and fight against the fiends.

Athach

            The athaches live in the eastern P’ktal. These three-armed poisonous giants used to be hill giants before they mutated during the war between the neogi and the wood elves. Nowadays, they are occasionally used as slaves by the neogi. The free ones just roam the hills, trying to fit in among the bands of the hill giants.

Baboon

Goblins of the eastern Amrado believe the baboons to be reincarnated halflings. The goblins often raid halfling villages, and baboon troupes raiding and beating up the goblins is seen as the revenge from the afterlife.

Baleen Whale

Whaling is rare on Karilan. Whales are most commonly seen in the ocean between Amrado and the Savage Lands. The maenads consider whaling an atrocity, while the wild inhabitants of the Savage Lands might either hunt these creatures for food or revere them as totemic animals.

Barghest

Barghests can be seen unusually often among the goblinoid tribes of the Savage Lands. The sage believe that there are multiple natural portals to the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna in these parts, but the explorers and adventurers have not found any yet. Some barghests tried to extend their influence over the goblinoids by subduing some tribes in Haa-Donai, but the more numerous ogres and hill giants have prevented that.

Basilisk

The legends of the orcs of Tumar tell that their land used to have more mountains, but the basilisks ate them. Only then, after most of the stone was eaten away or turned to sand, have the basilisks learned to turn living creatures into stone. In the modern times, the orcs generally stay away from these lizards, but some alchemists value both the basilisks' blood and eyes as components for elixirs.

These beasts can also be found in the deserts of Meshnarz, forests of Cedali, Sitaril, and P'ktal, and in the upper layer of the Underdark. The forest variety has developed the ability to change the color of their scales to blend into the surroundings.

Behir

Behirs are rare, mostly only seen in Kes and Viril-Aventus, where there are few dragons. Many commoners believe them to be blue dragons, and because of that there are many epics and legends about brave dragonslayers that actually defeated behirs, not dragons. Of course, if these legends are not complete fiction.

Beholder

Thankfully, there is no beholders on the surface of Karilan. These aberrations, on par in terms of power with the aboleths and mind flayers, reside in the Underdark, mostly on the lower levels. However, in the last few years, the surface and Upperdark dwellers sometimes encounter disfigured humanoid cultists with eyestalks that they hide under their hoods. All of those seem insane, babbling about the Great Mother and the Elder Evils.

Bison

The dwarves and mantids of Kargan tried to domesticate the bisons that roam their land, but failed to. Thus, the bison symbolizes something unattainable. “To tame a bison" is a saying equivalent to “to attain something unattainable” or “a fool's errand", depending on the context.

Black Dragon

Black dragons are the most feared dragons on Karilan. Most of them lair in the hot jungles and swamps of Malassiril, where they rule over the tribes of lizardfolks and gripplis. Almost all black dragons that live in other parts of the worlds can trace their ancestries back to Malassiril. Even in Malassiril, the dragons constantly scheme and plot against each other, employing foreign agents, stealing eggs and treasures from each other, and even funding rebel groups.

Black Pudding

It is said that the first black pudding was created when a drow alchemist mixed a botched elixir with the ink of a kraken. That is the reason why the black puddings seem to prefer damp underground areas.

Blue Dragon

Blue dragons prefer the arid environments of Tumar and Meshnarz, lairing in the underground caverns under the sands. They are at odds with the sand giants. This fact makes some foolish rebels believe that the dragons could become their allies in throwing off the sand giant yoke, but the dragons typically use such rebels that come to them as food.

Blink Dog

Blink dogs roam the plains of Amrado and New Aventus. In Amrado, they sometimes help the halflings, protecting them from various wild enemies, while in New Aventus they are less fond of humanoids, because those tend to steal their pups and train them as guard dogs.

Bodak

Bodaks are rarely seen on the Material Plane, but they seem to plague the Middledark under Sifaril, where the abyssal influence is the strongest.

Brass Dragon

Almost all brass dragons live in the hot deserts of Meshnarz, sharing the territory with the sand giants and the blue dragons. They consider all of them their mortal enemies, but rarely confront them openly. The brass dragons are sought out by the local rebels, because these dragons might actually listen and help instead of eating the intruder.

Bronze Dragon

Bronze dragons tend to lair in eastern Tumar, New Aventus, and Haa-Donai. The ones in Tumar gladly help the raptorans to defend against the orcish invasion (and very rarely they help the orcs too). Among the gnomish snd raptoran sorcerers, bronze dragon bloodline is one of the most common ones.

Brown Pudding

Brown puddings scour the jungles and swamps of P'ktal snd Sitaril. Originally a biological weapon of the neogis, now they feed on the contaminants, cleansing the environment. Thus, both the neogis and the wood elves tries to leave them be instead of exterminating them.

Bugbear

Bugbears are the most common goblinoids after the goblins. They can be found almost anywhere in the world, living in small bands, large tribes, or being bullied by the ogres. They are cunning and cruel, making them perfect at banditry. They rarely cooperate with the hobgoblins, because their clashing worldviews.

The bugbears very rarely integrate into the civilized societies. However, one tribe of bugbear that worshiped the archomental Imix was integrated into Tumador, a small maenad colony on the coast of the Savage Lands.

Bulette

These beasts prefer places near the civilization, where livestock is abundant. As such, many of them can be found in New Aventus, Viril-Aventus, Kes, and Kargan. All efforts to exterminate them have failed – it's hard to slay an armored beast that can easily tunnel away. The bulettes dislike the taste of dwarven flesh, but the dwarves themselves prize the bulette armor plates as material for armor. The bulettes refuse to eat elves, making some people believe that these beasts were created by the biomancers of Sitaril as a living weapon. However, the bulettes predate Sitaril, being ancient creatures that are depicted on murals found in ruins of old civilizations.

Cachalot Whale

These creatures bear totemic significance to some tribes in the Savage Lands. Cachalot whales prey on giant squids. Despite the krakens being strong enough to overwhelm a whale, they still prefer to stay away from them.

Carrion Crawler

These revolting creatures can be found in almost any underground area. Their brain juice can be distilled into a parslyzing poison, and their skin retains its sticky properties after death. Thus, its skin can be used to make gloves and boots that help with tasks that require a firm grip.

Cave Locust

Cave locusts are considered pests in the Underdark. Always in large numbers, they scour mushroom farms of anything edible and move to the next place with food. They rarely attack anyone, preferring to spit sticky goo and flee instead.

Cave Rat

Cave rats are larger than the common rats, but smaller than the dire rats. There's nothing else that can be said about them.

Centaur

Centaurs are the main population of Haa-Donai. The  tribes  may  differ  significantly from  each  other.  For  example,  the  Fasthoof tribe  is  a  tribe  that  holds  archers  in  the  greater respect,  while  the  Bloodmane  tribe  practices the  ancient  blood  magic  and  performs sacrifices  to  summon  demons.  Despite  some corrupted  practices,  all  tribes  live  in  harmony with  nature,  and  will  shun  anyone  harming  it. Many  tribes  are  friendly  to  the outsiders,  and  almost  all  the  tribes  welcome merchants,  because  the  nomadic  lifestyle makes  it  difficult  to  produce  metal  wares  and many  other  things.

Chimera

Chimeras are very varied creatures, with their variations depending on the color of the draconic head. Black-headed chimeras are very rare. They are considered to be abominations by the black dragons of Malassiril, so they are killed on sight. Blue-headed chimeras live in Tumar and Meshnarz, where they share the hunting grounds with the manticores. Green-headed chimeras are the most common ones, being common predators of the woodlands. Red-headed chimeras prowl in the mountain ranges of New Aventus, Kes, and Viril-Aventus. White-headed chimeras are the menace of dwarven miners of Kargan. Some monster hunters spread rumors about chimeras with metallic heads, or even more exotic draconic heads, but none of them were confirmed.

Choker

Chokers are found throughout the upper and middle layers of the Underdark. Communities of the svirfneblins often fight against these nimble monsters, and the drow sometimes enslave them to serve as infiltrators. There is a widespread legend about Shaul Stonegrove, a deep halfling adventurer who became famous by ridding the underground communities of the chokers. It is unknown whether Shaul is real or fictional, but other adventurers of the Underdark are still trying to find his gem-encrusted magic sword that slays aberrations with ease.

Chuul

Chuuls are native to the Underdark, but they sometimes dwell in surface lakes of Malassiril and New Aventus. If multiple chuuls live in a single lake, they can communicate by clicking their claws or banging them against hard surfaces. Each lake has its own dialect, should a chuul move to another body of water, it will be unable to understand the others.

The dwellers of the Underdark believe that the chuuls used to have eyes in the past, but lost them after living for some time in the Lowerdark and witnessing its horrors.

Cloaker

One might think that a creature that can innately create darkness lives in the lightless depths of the earth, but it's not true. Most cloakers live very close to the surface, where the light can still reach their hiding place. Using their innate magical abilities, they create a perfect ambush spot and wait for an unwitting prey to come by. Leatherworkers know that cloakers actually make quite good cloaks.

Cloud Giant

Cloud giants are native to the tall peaks of Eskartar and Viril-Aventus. Reclusive and secretive, they rarely interact with others. It is rumored that there are entire cities, some teeming with life, some abandoned, that were built by the giants in the clouds. Adventurers that have allegedly returned from there claim that they found scrolls of forgotten (or forbidden) lore written in the Mishtai language, suggesting that the cloud giants might know something about the disappearance of the mishtai race.

Cockatrice

Cockatrices are native to Viril-Aventus and New Aventus. Many people there believe that its gaze turns others into stone, not its bite. Monster hunters who confuse them with the basilisks like that often become blindfolded statues that can be found in the deepest parts of the forests.

Copper Dragon

Copper dragons were native to Haa-Donai, constructing their mazelike lairs in the highlands. Most of them were driven out by the more aggressive and powerful dragons. Now, most of them live in Kes and Amrado, but their abandoned lairs were either taken over by other dragons or monsters, or are still unoccupied and full of treasures.

Couatl

In the modern times, couatls act as benevolent rulers and sometimes even gods to some tribes of the Savage Lands. They are never encountered in other parts of the world, but carvings found in ancient mishtai ruins in Malassiril and Eskartar suggest that they were more widespread in the past.

Cryohydra

Cryohydras are native to the cold marshes of Kargan and the Iron Theocracy. Dwarves who manage to fell such a beast are bound to be depicted in historic carvings, murals, and some even have memorials built in their honor. Heroes that fall to a cryohydra are depicted as well, to emphasize the danger that this creature poses.

Dark Naga

Dark nagas are native to Kes. While they rarely work in open, they scheme behind the scenes, using dwarves and humans as intermediaries. Usually, their lairs are outside the cities, among the hills, but the dark naga plotters have been seen even in the city sewers. Some people speculate that the nagas are behind the recent increase in drug trade. One particularly vile naga lich that was living under the pseudonym of Death Coil, was slain by a band of adventurers. His undead minions were destroyed and forbidden tomes burned, but there are still rumors about the Death Coil's resurfacing in a different part of Kes.

Darkmantle

Darkmantles are thought to be related to cloakers, but it is not true. These crearures dwell in the Upperdark, preying mostly on the humanoids, preferably small ones, like deep halflings or dwarves. One quality that makes them similar to the cloakers is that they can be made into good clothing too.

Deep Dwarf

When a surface dweller thinks about the dwarves of the Underdark, he probably thinks about the duergars. However, the duergars are not the only dwarves that live there. The deep dwarves live in the Middledark, and some even settle in the Lowerdark. These small communities very rarely contact the surface, usually relying on the hill dwarves when trading. Deep dwarves speak Stat-Und (the deep dwarves themselves call it Dwarven), the language of the long gone mountain dwarves. This fact makes some sages believe that the deep dwarves are the survivors of the cataclysm that destroyed Stat-Und, however, the deep dwarves do not know about Stat-Und, do not remember it, and it is not mentioned in their historical records.

Deep Halfling

Deep halflings are native to the Underdark, mostly below Kargan. They are fond of masonry and jewelry. This makes them great trade partners with the dwarves of Kargan. The deep halflings are not very interested in the surface world, their natural curiosity  drives them to go deeper instead. Deep halflings speak Undercommon, but most know Gurdolm too.

Delver

Delvers are thought to be one of the reasons why Underdark even exists. These tunneling monsters are slow, but they rarely attack, unless hungry or provoked. Communities of duergars are deep dwarves sometimes bribe the delvers with gems or metal, asking them to collapse existing tunnels or make new ones.

Demon

Demonic activity on Karilan is quite high. These outsuders create demon lord cults, sometimes under a different guise, invade through portals, and make life of the common folk miserable in many other ways. The only good thing that can be said about the demons is that they fight against the diabolic influence.

Derro

Derro live in the Upperdark and the Middledark. They only contact the surface world when raiding for slaves or subjects for their vile experiments. The derro are considered too insane to be valuable slaves by the duergars and the drow, so even they prefer to exterminate these lunatics.

Destrachan

Destrachans are especially feared by the maenad adventurers of Amrado whose glass or crystalline gear is particularly weak to sonic attacks.

Devil

Just like the demons, the devils seek to extend their influence over the Material Plane. Subversive cults, diabolic pacts, portals to Hell – the only good thing about that is that the devils fight the demonic menace.

Digester

Digesters are most commonly found in the jungles of P'ktal and Sitaril. They are thought to be one of the living weapons created either nlby the neogis or the wood elves.

Displacer Beast

Packs of displacer beasts roam the lands of New Aventus and Amrado in search of prey. There they compete with the blink dogs, whom they consider their mortal enemies. Displacer beasts are valued for their hides that, if properly treated, can emulate the light-bending qualities of the living creature.

Djinni

Before the giants took over Meshnarz, the Meshi were known for their practice of genie-binding. The djinn were used as counselors and administrators. These pacts do not bind them anymore, so they rarely venture to the Material Plane. However, the sha'irs, the rare few Meshi people who have grasped the basics of the old genie-binding contact the djinn (and other geniekind) through their gen familiars. Sorcerers of the djinn bloodline are quite common among the Meshi spellcasters.

Doppelganger

The doppelgangers played a vital role in the downfall of the ancient Aventus and the subsequent cataclysms. It is very difficult to estimate the current population because of their shapeshifting abilities, but sightings of people who were thought to be dead or missing indicates that the doppelgangers are still active. Public figures of New Aventus and Viril-Aventus are wary of these shapeshifters – the Know True Form and True Seeing spells are commonly taught in magical academies there, and the scrolls are always in stock at the magic markets.

Dragon Turtle

The dragon turtles were thought to be extinct or fictional creatures until the ichtyids dug up a clutch of several dozens of huge eggs on the northern coast of Meshnarz shortly after the giants took over the land. Now, the relatively young dragon turtles swim freely in the ocean. Larger, older dragon turtles occasionally are spotted too, indicating that they were hiding in the depths for hundreds of years. The reason for that is unknown, snd the reclusive dragon turtles do not like to talk about that, reacting aggressively to such inquiries.

Dragonne

Dragonnes are native to Meshnarz and the western New Aventus. Some pegasus knights believe that the dragonnes would make better mounts, but in practice it's much easier to tame and train a pegasus than a dragonne. Also, since the pegasus is considered one of the symbols of New Aventus, the introduction of the dragonnes into the mount roster would require a heraldic change that the nobles would not be content with.

Drider

Driders, considered cursed abominations by the drow, are rarely encountered in the Middledark, preferring upper or lower levels, where there is a smaller chance of death at the hands of the drow. The Upperdark driders often lair with a brood of monstrous spiders, while the Lowerdark driders prefer to be alone.

Drow

The civil war in Opharil, the realm of the wind elves, has split the elves into three factions. One of the factions fled into the Underdark and later became known as the drow. These dark elves first founded a city in the Middledark below what now is Sifaril, but soon fell apart into many smaller factions due to internal conflicts. Still, the most populated drow city-state Fanarril lies below Sifaril, but there are other city-states all across the Middledark. The drow hate the outsiders as much as they hate each other. Slavery, demon worshipping, cruelty, torture, matriarchy, poisonmaking and alchemy are what the drow are known for. Not many know about the existence of the szarkai – albino drow. Those work as spies and saboteurs among their surface kin.

Dryad

Being unable to stay away from the bound trees, the dryads rarely venture far out of their groves. However, one dryad managed to imbue an acorn of her oak in a way that allowed her to travel the world as long as she kept the acorn in her possession. The secret of these acorns was spread among the dryads of the worlds, making travelling dryads more common. Dryads that are bound to trees of other kinds have grown to resent the oakbound dryads because of that.

Duergar

The duergars live in the Middledark under the Iron Theocracy. Following a deceptive dwarven deity Roknar, they are reviled not only by the hill dwarves, but also by the other dwellers of the Underdark. However, they are one of the few races that the drow can call allies. Not many know that after the collapse of Gurdolm the duergar have been enslaved by the mind flayers, until a slave revolt freed them. The duergars are known for conducting slave raids on the surface, their innate psionic abilities that were gained through the experiments the mind flayers have conducted on them.

Dun Pudding

Dun puddings prefer arid environments, such as the deserts of Tumar and Meshnarz. However, they can also be found in large numbers in Amrado near the Glittering Chasm, where they have a lot of crystalline food. How they got there is a mystery.

Dunewinder

Dunewinders come to lay their eggs in the western Tumar. This high worm activity might be one of the reason why the orcs have not invaded P'ktal or the other way around.