Monsters in Karilan, Part III (H - N)

Monsters in Karilan, Part III (H - N)

Another batch of setting-specific blurbs. Not that many left, probably two more posts.

Half-Elf

The belief that the half-elves are either sterile or only produce half-elven children is false. Half-elves breed true and, usually, the elven blood gets diluted more and more as the generations pass. Thus, a human far away from elven lands can be born with the ability to see slightly better at night, or exhibit a different elven trait despite being very removed from his elven ancestor.

            Elves consider the half-elves products of ephemeral affairs. They do not treat them any differently, but their parents usually become less trusted in the elven society due to their apparent impulsiveness and lack of forethought. Among the humans, the half-elves are rarely oppressed.

Half-Orc

Among the humans, the half-orcs often become the subjects of bullying and oppression. The orcs consider these half-breeds to be useful as infiltrators.

Harpy

Harpies are omnipresent on Karilan. They can be found in the marshes of Sitaril, mountains of Indaril, and even in the vast caverns of the Underdark. Regardless of their biome, they are malicious beings that are not tolerated by any civilized race. Some harpies have leathery wings, some have feathered ones. Some practice live childbirth, while the others lay eggs. The patterns are unclear.

Hill Giant

These giants are the most widespread ones among their kind. They can be seen in independent bands or with goblinoid servants. Typically, ogres are more numerous and better organized, so they overpower the hill giants. In the Savage Lands, there are entire tribes of hill giants that managed to tame hill landwyrms.

Hill Landwyrm

These sentient, but not exactly bright lesser dragons can be found only in the Savage Lands. The local hill giants use them as guards, war beasts, and even mounts.

Hippogriff

Just like the griffons, the hippogriffs are prized as winged mounts, but are aggressive and difficult to train. Unlike the griffons, the hippogriffs live in the Iron Theocracy and Haa-Donai. Hippogriff hatchlings are one of the reasons why kobold merchants are welcome abroad.

Hobgoblin

The hobgoblins, being much more organized than the goblins or the bugbears, often use the latter as slaves or shock troopers. Some hobgoblin tribes even subjugate ogres and hill giants. Disciplined, warlike, and tyrannical, the hobgoblins create their microstates in the wilderness, trying to carve out a place for themselves.

Hydra

Hydras are native to the marshes of Haa-Donai and the Savage Lands. Ancient ruins of Stat-Und, tombs of dwarven kings and warriors, unearthed obelisks, all depict heroes slaying hydras or falling to the monsters.

Inevitable

Just like on the other worlds, the inevitables only visit Karilan to punish a transgressor of some rule or law, be it an oath, at attempt to meddle with time and space, an attempt to meddle with the deities, and so on.

Janni

The jann were the most numerous bound genies in the ancient Meshnarz. They were employed as construction workers, soldiers, secretaries, and for other menial jobs. The jann still wander the deserts, now free from servitude, but wary of humans, gnolls, and sand giants alike.

Kapoacinth

These aquatic gargoyles use their wings for swimming, not flying. Mostly found in the sunken ruins of the Kingdom of Aventus, but packs of them can be seen harassing darfellan fishermen near the shores of Haa-Donai.

Kraken

These highly intelligent creatures plot in the oceanic depths, competing with the aboleths. Explorers tell stories about entire tribes of wild humanoids building shrines on the shores to venerate their kraken quasi-deities. Ancient tomes tell about vast underwater caves with sections that contain breathable air, where the krakens keep their surface-dwelling slaves. Considering the age of these creatures, it is safe to assume that such caverns hold ancient lore, artifacts, and maybe even members of civilizations thought to be lost centuries ago.

Krenshar

The krenshars are sentient, but not particularly bright. The cubs are often domesticated by goblinoids or ogres who use them for hunting or guarding. Tribesmen from tribes where these creatures are employed usually are comparatively fearless, as they have lived for a long time around these scary creatures.

Lamia

Lamias are native to Haa-Donai where they use their innate powers to disguise either as a centaur or a darfellan to wreak havoc. The centaurs believe that any centaur that worships an evil deity or a demon lord is reincarnated as a lamia after his death. Thus, the lamias get the same treatment as the undead – destruction in hopes to let the soul reach its destined afterlife.

Lammasu

Lammasus live in the steppes of Kargan and Haa-Donai, where they guard lost temples and provide help to righteous beings. The mishtai ruins in Eskartar sometimes depict lammasus and the local people worshiping them, suggesting that these creatures were more widespread before.

Locathah

The locathah inhabit the warm seas of the world. While their looks are disturbing to most surface dwellers, the locathah are mostly benevolent, curious creatures, that gladly engage in trade when it’s possible. The ichtyids of Meshnarz despise the locathah, but the root of this hatred is unknown, forgotten even by the ichtyids themselves.

Man-Eater

Meshi folklore has the legend of Fariz the Protector, a hero of pre-giant Meshnarz. Alongside his gen companion, this sha'ir managed to lay low a man-eater, a giant manticore that can fly and launch volleys of poisoned spikes. It is said that most of the modern manticore breeds stem from the man-eaters, but none of them possess all of the signature abilities - some may lack wings, some may lack stinger, some may lack the ability to flick barbs, and some have no poison on their barbs. These beasts are thought to be extinct now, but the explorers bring rumors of the man-eaters terrorizing everyone in the Savage Lands.

Manticore

The manticores tend to live in the Upperdark and Middledark, only occasionally going to the surface. The barbs they flick can be used as improvised daggers. The manticores are unlikely to ally with anyone, but sometimes they form hunting packs with the harpies.

Medusa

The medusas are a mystery to most people. Very few know about their reproduction cycle and the existence of the male medusas – the maedar. The maedars, almost humanlike creatures with innate tendencies for aloofness and reclusiveness, are very rare and sought after by the female medusas. Some maedars consider this a nuisance and flee as far as possible, practically hiding from their mates to meditate and self-improve in solitude. When a maedar dies, he can transfer his life essence into a gemstone that is called a glyptar. This gemstone can fly, move through earth, and animate objects.

Merfolk

The merfolks can be found in the seas all over the world, usually not very far from the surface, where they can both interact with the land-dwellers and build structures on the bottom of the sea. They are friendly towards the locathah and the aquatic elves.

Mimic

Theologians believe the mimics to be the creation of Lydow, the trickster god. In their opinion, they serve both as a deceptive manifestation of the deity and as a deception to be overcome by the deity’s chosen. However, one sage claims to have magically divined the mimic bloodline and determined the creature to be related to the gibbering mothers, doppelgangers, and kuo-toa, suggesting a quite eldritch ancestry.

Mind Flayer (Illithid)

The mind flayers were one of the major powers on Karilan in the ancient past, but after the gith rebellion and the dwarven sabotage, their power has waned. Now, they are reduced to several cities in the Middledark, and dozens of half-ruined high-tech facilities on the surface and below it. Most of the concentrate in Haa-Donai and the Savage Lands.

While the illithids present a threat to everyone around them, their internal division between the “traditional” illithids and the disciples of Thoon that have returned from the Far Realm makes them their own main enemies. The disciples of Thoon attack seemingly at random, looking for the mysterious quintessence both in living creatures and inert materials.

Minicore

The minicores are smaller, wingless, and barbless manticores that adapted to living in tighter tunnels of the Underdark.

Minotaur

The minotaurs of Karilan dwell in the Upperdark and Middledark, concentrating under Meshnarz. Their tribes venerate the demon lord Baphomet, sporting a high number of clerics and warlocks. Baphomet and Yeenoghu have a rivalry that extends to the racial rivalry between the minotaurs and the gnolls that live above them.

Monstrous Spider

A forest to the east of Lan, the largest darfellan town in Haa-Donai, is densely populated by the monstrous spiders that live there along with the araneas. The town guard captain frequently places bounty on the heads of the biggest spiders that threaten the hunters.

Mountain Dwarf

The dwarves of the lost kingdom of Stat-Und belonged to the mountain dwarf subrace. It doesn’t exist anymore.

Nymph

Typically, the nymphs mate only with other fey, and their children are always female nymphs. However, the elves seem to be the only mortals that are able to sire a nymph’s child, although such unions are exceedingly rare. The children of such unions (always female) are called houri.