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1996-03-29
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# This data file is generated by 'makedefs'. Do not edit.
00001749
aerdrie faenya
0,11
*leax
638,4
ama*terasu*
880,6
Angel
1248,19
anhur
2230,7
anshar
2675,6
ant
* ant
3029,4
anu
3250,5
*ape
3546,5
*rchon
3806,13
*shikaga *akauji
4548,18
asphynx
5532,5
balrog
5828,9
horned devil
6361,2
incubus
succubus
6457,4
erinyes
6678,2
marilith
6775,5
barbed devil
7058,2
vrock
7154,4
hezrou
7382,2
bone devil
7505,2
nalfeshnee
7625,3
ice devil
7777,4
pit fiend
7995,4
juiblex
jubilex
8199,6
yeenoghu
8567,5
orcus
8851,3
geryon
9037,3
dispater
9201,2
*lzebub
9285,3
asmodeus
9446,4
demogorgon
9655,4
athame
9887,5
*athen*
10170,12
barbarian
10865,22
basilisk
12065,4
bat
giant bat
12250,9
*bee
12785,6
*beetle
13100,6
blind io
13423,8
brigit
13957,10
bugbear
14596,17
*camaxtli
15583,7
*cat
kitten
16025,4
*erberus
kerberos
16210,8
chameleon
16643,12
*haro*n
17352,7
chih*sung*tzu
17739,2
*hromatic *ragon
tiamat
17763,15
*centaur
18675,17
cockatrice
19751,23
chickatrice
21034,3
pyrolisk
21219,4
couatl
21465,10
cram*
22027,7
*crocodile
22397,5
*roesus
kroisos
22671,8
crom
23144,9
*yclops
23567,32
*ark *ne
24854,9
djinn*
25325,9
*dog
pup*
25835,5
shadow wolf
26161,4
mist wolf
26402,5
dwarf*
26699,21
*arendil
*lwing
28023,19
displacer beast
29197,8
*dragon
*xoth
29681,10
*elemental
30279,7
eel
giant eel
30613,7
elbereth
30902,20
electric eel
31695,6
*elf*
*lvenking
32009,19
erevan ilesere
33117,10
ettin
33663,3
eye of the aethiopica
33797,7
floating eye
34264,7
glowing eye
34694,7
freezing sphere
flaming sphere
shocking sphere
35074,5
bloodshot eye
35266,4
blinking eye
35474,4
beholder
35698,5
fog cloud
35937,21
ghost
36479,9
*giant
giant humanoid
36984,6
gnome*
gnomish wizard
37350,14
goblin
38151,12
*oblin *ing
38886,11
gold
gold piece
zorkmid
39428,9
*golem
39928,3
gremlin
40077,4
galltrit A faster, but less hardy variety of the common gremlin.
40260,1
dretch These bloated, pathetic creatures are beneath even imps in
40262,4
rutterkin These gaunt demons are thralls of the quasits, and used
40445,4
nupperibo
40628,4
blood imp
40837,7
grid bug
41159,3
hobbit
41332,10
hobgoblin
41965,23
heart of ahriman
43291,5
hell hound*
43532,9
hermes
44063,19
*ippocrates
45156,25
hom*nculus
46650,8
*horsem*
*eath
*amine
hunger
*estilence
war
47115,26
huan*ti
48570,6
*u*h*eto*l
48893,8
humanoid
49259,5
human
arch*eologist
cave*man
elf
healer
knight
*priest*
Arch Priest
rogue
samurai
wizard
49545,7
imp
49978,13
iguana
50670,1
ishtar
50717,18
issek
51829,7
jackal
52190,6
jaguar
52556,4
*Kop*
*kop*
52788,6
ki-rin
53185,9
jabberwock
vorpal*
53613,15
kamadan
54113,5
katana
54353,4
*kobold*
54562,6
King Arthur
*arthur
54846,22
*kobold*
56123,5
kos
56402,9
koto
56888,2
kraken
56909,9
*lady
offler
57396,27
leprechaun
58787,18
leocrotta
leu*otta
59870,7
*lich
60286,7
lizard
60735,8
loki
61163,14
*ord *arnarvon
62008,3
*ord *ato
62121,4
*ord *urt*
62320,12
lug*
62936,9
lurker*
63439,6
lycanthrope
*were*
63704,10
magic mirror of merlin
64266,4
mail d*emon
64454,3
ma*annon*
64555,7
manes
64946,5
marduk
65151,10
*aster *ssassin
65767,21
master key of thievery
66723,6
*aster of *hieves
67027,11
medusa
67689,6
*mimic
68030,6
*inotaur*
68350,14
mit*ra*
69166,15
mitre of holiness
70078,5
*mold
shrieker
*fung*
70336,13
mind flayer
71186,6
mithril*
71554,6
mumak*
71913,9
moloch
72404,15
*mummy
73296,8
naginata
73699,17
nalfenshee
74701,4
*alzok
74851,7
neanderthal*
75254,4
newt
75441,4
ninja-to
75597,2
Norn
*norn
75624,13
nunchaku
76415,2
*nymph
76437,9
odin
76953,22
ogre*
78246,16
*naga*
*naja*
79216,4
*ooze
*pudding
*jelly
*cube
*blob
79468,4
orcrist
79686,10
oracle
delphi
p*thia
80232,7
orb of detection
80628,5
orb of fate
80894,8
*orc*
Uruk-hai
81364,15
owlbear
82270,6
palantir of westernesse
82599,5
*elias
82858,4
platinum yendorian express card
83026,7
poseido*n
83433,18
ptah
84431,9
*purple worm
84943,7
osaku
85308,1
piercer
85356,8
quantum mechanic
85799,2
quadruped
85921,5
quetzalcouatl
86232,10
raiden
86826,11
rabid rabbit
87412,6
barking spider
87744,5
rot worm
87927,5
green slime
88115,6
athol
88364,4
rat
* rat
88466,3
rhaumbusun
88576,5
rock mole
88797,14
rothe
89657,4
scramper
89807,4
squealer
90010,6
mangler
90345,5
sake
90570,1
rust monster
90592,3
sasquatch
90748,4
sceptre of might
90966,6
scorpio*
91289,6
shad*
91590,11
*haman *arnov
92257,4
shan*lai*ching
92423,6
shito
92711,2
skeleton
92742,7
*snake
serpent
water moccasin
python
pit viper
cobra
93157,22
snickersnee
94630,6
*soldier
sergeant
lieutenant
captain
94870,9
solonor thelandira
95370,9
*spider
95940,3
staff of aesculapius
96130,4
*stalker
96409,3
sting
96584,11
susano*o
97250,5
*tail
97565,1
tanko
97624,2
tengu
97686,7
thoth
98105,17
thoth amon
99220,3
tiger
tigress
99359,7
titan
99726,11
tourist
100348,17
trapper
101374,5
*troll
olog-hai
101617,15
tsurugi
102540,6
tsurugi of muramasa
102882,6
*woflower
guide
103216,21
tyaa
104287,15
tyr
105252,13
*hulk
105963,6
valkyrie
106254,12
*unicorn
unicorn horn
106959,21
vampire
vampire lord
Vlad*
vlad*
108093,6
vampire bat
108382,5
*vortex
vortices
108649,7
warg
109016,17
water d*mon
109910,4
*wight
110062,24
winter wolf
111351,7
*izard of *alance
111706,6
wolf
112009,6
wraith
*azgul
112302,16
xorn
113321,10
wakizashi
113870,2
*long worm
worm tooth
crysknife
113992,7
wizard of yendor
114362,10
xan
114976,12
ya
115638,2
yeti
115760,3
yugake
115946,4
yumi
116144,4
*zombie
116368,5
zruty
116640,2
.
116741,0
Aerdrie Faenya is the elven goddess of air and weather. As a rain-
bringer, she is revered as a source of fertility. She is, however,
perceived as a somewhat distant goddess, and the fact that she is
also revered by some aarakocra slightly diminishes the strength of
elven devotion to her (as does her definite neutral tendency in
alignment). The goddess herself takes delight in the freedom of
the skies, the music of wind instruments, and (sometimes) fairly
severe and violent thunderstorms. She is friendly to all avians,
aarakocra, ki-rin, and lammasu.
[ Monster Mythology, by TSR inc. ]
An Aleax, according to the AD&D Fiend Folio, is a creature that
looks exactly like the character, and is sent by the character's
god to punish alignment violations. Obviously - and luckily - in
Nethack this is not the case.
The Shinto sun goddess, Amaterasu Omikami is the central figure of
Shintoism and the ancestral deity of the imperial house. One of
the daughters of the primordial god Izanagi and said to be his
favourite offspring, she was born from his left eye. She is the
sibling of Susano-Wo, the storm god.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is
the Son of man;
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the
kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of
the world; and the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so
shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather
out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.
[...]
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be
wailing and gnashing of teeth.
[ the Gospel after Matthew, 13:37-42,49-50 ]
An Egyptian god of War and a great hunter, few gods can match his
fury. Unlike many gods of war, he is a force for good. The wrath
of Anhur is slow to come, but it is inescapable once earned.
Anhur is a mighty figure with four arms. He is often seen with a
powerful lance that requires both of his right arms to wield and
which is tipped with a fragment of the sun. He is married to
Mehut, a lion-headed goddess.
A primordial Babylonian-Akkadian deity, Anshar is mentioned in the
Babylonian creation epic _Enuma Elish_ as one of a pair of
offspring (with Kishar) of Lahmu and Lahamu, and who in turn
created Anu Anshar is linked with heaven whilst Kishar is
identified with earth.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
This giant variety of the ordinary ant will fight just as fiercely
as its small, distant cousin. Various varieties exist, and they
are known and feared for the relentless persecution of their
victims.
Anu was the Babylonian god of the heavens, the old, unchanging
monarch of the north star. He was the oldest of the Babylonian
gods, the father of all gods, and the ruler of heaven and destiny.
Anu features strongly in the _atiku_ festival in Babylon, Uruk and
other cities.
Four-handed, tailless, mammal of the order of Primates, of the
sub-order of _Anthropoidea_, which of all mammals most closely
resembles man (both in appearance and in behaviour).
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
Archons are the primary inhabitants of the Seven Heavens. The five
varieties of archon (Lantern, Hound, Warden, Sword, and Tome) have
wholly different appearances. The various types look like spheres
of light, dog-faced humanoids, bear-like humanoids, winged
humanoids, and hawk-like humanoids respectively. Although there is
a distinct hierarchy among the varieties, there is no rivalry or
jealousy there. Each has his role to fulfil and that is
recognition enough for an archon.
However strange and frightening their appearance, archons never
seem evil. Rather, they appear as beings at peace with themselves
and their environment.
[ Monstrous Compendium 8, by TSR inc. ]
Ashikaga Takauji was a medieval daimyo of the Minamoto clan who
joined forces with Emperor Go-Daigo to topple the Hojo regime.
On July 8, 1336, he and his samurai entered Kyoto, forced Go-Daigo
to retire, after which he seized power himself and installed a
puppet prince on the throne (the current Japanese imperial family
are the descendants of this puppet emperor that Ashikaga
installed).
Go-Daigo escaped, though, wouldn't admit to have been defeated,
and opened a new "capital" in Yoshino (south of Kyoto), where he
and few of his descendants claimed to be running a government,
known as the "Southern Court". The period between 1337 and 1392,
when Japan was ruled by two courts, is known as the Nambokucho.
That "government" disappeared, naturally, after a few generations,
and Ashikaga's Muromachi regime lasted for a long time. The last
Ashikaga daimyo in power was the 14th descendant of Takauji.
This small, inoffensive-looking snake shares the feared power
of petrification with its distant relatives the cockatrice and
basilisk. Just one touch from its blunt snout can render one
motionless for all eternity.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
... It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as
if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped
the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed
about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its stream-
ing mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand
was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it
held a whip of many thongs.
'Ai, ai!' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!'
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
Horned devils lack any real special abilities, though they
are quite difficult to kill.
The incubus and succubus are male and female versions of the
same demon, one who lies with a human for its own purposes,
usually to the detriment of the mortals who are unwise in
their dealings with them.
These female-seeming devils attack hand to hand and poison
their unwary victims as well.
The marilith, a type V demon, has a torso shaped like that
of a human female, and the lower body of a great snake. It
has multiple arms, and can freely attack with all of them.
Since it is intelligent enough to use weapons, this means it
can cause great damage.
Barbed devils lack any real special abilities, though they
are quite difficult to kill.
The vrock is one of the weaker forms of demon, being only a
type I. It resembles a cross between a human being and a
vulture and does physical damage by biting and by using the
claws on both its arms and feet.
``Hezrou'' is the common name for the type II demon. It is
among the weaker of demons, but still quite formidable.
Bone devils attack with weapons and with a great hooked tail
which causes a loss of strength to those they sting.
Not only do these demons, which are of type IV, do physical
damage with their claws and bite, but they are capable of
using magic as well.
Ice devils are large semi-insectoid creatures, who are
equally at home in the fires of Hell and the cold of Limbo,
and who can cause the traveller to feel the latter with just
a touch of their tail.
Pit fiends are among the more powerful of devils, capable of
attacking twice with weapons as well as grabbing and crush-
ing the life out of those unwary enough to enter their
domains.
Little is known about the Faceless Lord, even the correct
spelling of his name. He does not have a physical form as
we know it, and those who have peered into his realm claim
he is a slime-like creature who swallows other creatures
alive, spits acidic secretions, and causes disease in his
victims which can be almost instantly fatal.
Yeenoghu, the demon lord of gnolls, still exists although
all his followers have been wiped off the face of the earth.
He casts magic projectiles at those close to him, and a mere
gaze into his piercing eyes may hopelessly confuse the
battle-weary adventurer.
Orcus, Prince of the Undead, has a rams head and a poison
stinger. He is most feared, though, for his powerful magic
abilities. His wand causes death to those he chooses.
Geryon is an arch-devil sometimes called the Wild Beast,
attacking with his claws and poison sting. His ranking in
Hell is rumored to be quite low.
Dispater is an arch-devil who rules the city of Dis. He is
a powerful mage.
Baalzebub has been known as the lord of the flies. His bite
drips poison, and a mere glance into his eyes can stun the
hapless invader of his realm.
It is said that Asmodeus is the overlord over all of hell.
His appearance, unlike many other demons and devils, is
human apart from his horns and tail. He can freeze flesh
with a touch.
Demogorgon, the prince of demons, wallows in filth and can
spread a quickly fatal illness to his victims while rending
them. He is a mighty spellcaster, and he can drain the life
of mortals with a touch of his tail.
The consecrated ritual knife of a Wiccan initiate (one of
four basic tools, together with the wand, chalice and
pentacle). Traditionally, the athame is a double-edged,
black-handled, cross-hilted dagger of between six and
eighteen inches length.
Athena, the Greek goddess of war and peace, the peaceful arts, and
wisdom. Patron defender of many Greek cities, Athens in particular
(then called Pallas Athena), she is a major goddess of the Greek
pantheon and, according to Hesiod, the daughter of Metis (Wisdom)
and Zeus, born fully armed from his head. A goddess of battle and
allegedly a snake goddess, she is a deity who also stands for
discipline against the more unruly conduct of such as Hermes and
Poseidon.
Her symbol is the Aegis, the skin of a sacrificial goat. She is
also associated with ship-building and domestic crafts.
[ after the Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Hrun the Barbarian crept soundlessly along the corridors, which
were lit with a light so violet that it was almost black. his
earlier confusion was gone. This was obviously a magical temple,
and that explained everything.
...
Observe Hrun, as he leaps cat-footed across a suspicious tunnel
mouth. Even in this violet light his skin gleams coppery. There is
much gold about his person, in the form of anklets and wristlets,
but otherwise he is naked except for a leopardskin loincloth. He
took that in the steaming forests of Howondaland, after killing
its owner with his teeth.
In his right hand he carried the magical black sword Kring, which
was forged from a thunderbolt and has a soul but suffers no
scabbard. Hrun had stolen it only three days before from the
impregnable palace of the Archmandrite of B'Ituni, and he was
already regretting it. It was beginning to get on his nerves.
"I tell you it went down that last passage on the right," hissed
Kring in a voice like the scrape of a blade over stone.
"Be silent!"
"All I said was -"
"Shut up!"
[ The colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
At first glance an unassuming lizard; at first touch instantaneous
petrification. Such is the life of the feared basilisk.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
A bat, flitting in the darkness outside, took the wrong turn as it
made its nightly rounds and came in through the window which had
been left healthfully open. It then proceeded to circle the room
in the aimless fat-headed fashion habitual with bats, who are
notoriously among the less intellectually gifted of God's
creatures. Show me a bat, says the old proverb, and I will show
you something that ought to be in some kind of a home.
[ A Pelican at Blandings, by P.G. Wodehouse ]
This giant variety of its useful normal cousin normally appears in
small groups, looking for raw material to produce the royal jelly
needed to feed their queen. At rare occasions, one may stumble
upon a bee-hive, in which the queen is being well provided for,
and guarded against intruders.
Beetle: common name for the insects with sings shaped like shields
(_Coleoptera_), one of the ten sub-species into which the insects
are divided, characterized by the shields (the front pair of
wings) under which the back-wings are folded.
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
On this particular day Blind Io, by dint of constant vigilance the
chief of the gods, sat with his chin on his hand and looked at the
gaming board on the red marble table in front of him. Blind Io had
got his name because, where his eyes sockets should have been,
there were nothing but two areas of blank skin. His eyes, of which
he had an impressively large number, led a semi-independent life
of their own. Several were currently hovering above the table.
[ The colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
Brigit (Brigid, Bride, Banfile), which means the Exalted One, was
the Celtic (continental Europe and Irish) fertility goddess. She
was originally celebrated on 1 February in the festival of Imbolc,
which coincided with the beginning of lactation in ewes and was
regarded in Scotland as the date on which Brigit deposed the blue-
faced hag of winter. The Christian calendar adopted the same date
for the Feast of St. Brigit. There is no record that a Christian
saint ever actually existed, but in Irish mythology she became the
midwife to the Virgin Mary.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Bugbears are giant, hairy cousins of goblins who frequent the same
areas as their smaller relatives. Bugbears are large and very
muscular, standing 7' tall. Their hides range from light yellow to
yellow brown and their thick coarse hair varies in colour from
brown to brick red. Though vaguely humanoid in appearance,
bugbears seem to contain the blood of some large carnivore. Their
eyes recall those of some savage bestial animal, being greenish
white with red pupils, while their ears are wedge shaped, rising
from the top of their heads. A bugbear's mouth is full of long
sharp fangs.
Bugbears have two main goals in life: survival and treasure. They
are superb carnivores, winnowing out the weak and careless
adventurer, monster, and animal. Goblins are always on their toes
when bugbears are present, for the weak or stupid quickly end up
in the stewpot.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
A classical Mesoamerican Aztec god, also known as Mixcoatl-
Camaxtli (the Cloud Serpent), Camaxtli is the god of war. He is
also a deity of hunting and fire who received human sacrifice of
captured prisoners. According to tradition, the sun god
Tezcatlipoca transformed himself into Mixcoatl-Camaxtli to make
fire by twirling the sacred fire sticks.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Well-known quadruped domestic animal from the family of predatory
felines (_Felis ochreata domestica_), with a thick, soft pelt;
often kept as a pet, to catch mice, etc.
Cerberus, or Kerberos in Greek, was the three-headed dog that
guarded the Gate of Hell. He allowed any dead to enter, and
likewise prevented them all to leave ever again. He was subdued
only twice: once when Orpheus put him asleep by playing bewitching
music on his lyre, and the other time when Hercules confronted him
and took him to the world of the living (as his twelfth and last
labour).
1. Name of a family (_Chameleonidae_) and race (_Chameleo_) of
scaly lizards, especially the _Chameleo vulgaris_ species, with a
short neck, claws, a grasping tail, a long, extendable tongue and
mutually independent moving eyes. When it is scared or angry, it
inflates itself and its transparent skin shows its blood: the skin
first appears greenish, then darker and finally spotted red; the
final colour depends on the background colour as well, hence
(figurative) the implication of fickleness, unreliability. 2.
[Capitalized:] a constellation of the southern hemisphere
(Chameleo).
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
When an ancient Greek died, his soul went to the nether world: the
Hades. To reach the nether world, the souls had to cross the Styx,
the river that separated the living and the dead. The Styx could
be crossed by ferry, whose shabby ferryman, stricken in years, was
called Charon. The deceased's next-of-kin would place a coin under
his tongue, to pay the ferryman.
A Chinese rain god.
Avaricious, supremely vain, and profoundly Lawful Evil, Tiamat
proclaims herself the creator of all evil dragonkind, and
certainly many evil dragons revere her as their creator and patron
deity. She infests the uppermost of the Nine Hells with her
consorts, each a Great Wyrm of different colour - one red, one
white, one green, one blue, and one black.
Tiamat's Avatar appears as a gigantic five-headed dragon with one
head of each of the chromatic (evil) dragon types. Each head's
colour runs the length of the neck and into the forepart of het
body as stripes, gradually blending to three stripes of grey,
blue-green, and purple over her back and hind-quarters, then
merging into a muddy dark brown tail. Her underbelly and legs are
greenish white fading into her upper body colours.
[ Monster Mythology, by TSR inc. ]
Of all the monsters put together by the Greek imagination
the Centaurs (Kentauroi) constituted a class in themselves.
Despite a strong streak of sensuality in their make-up,
their normal behaviour was moral, and they took a kindly
thought of man's welfare. The attempted outrage of Nessos on
Deianeira, and that of the whole tribe of Centaurs on the
Lapith women, are more than offset by the hospitality of
Pholos and by the wisdom of Cheiron, physician, prophet,
lyrist, and the instructor of Achilles. Further, the Cen-
taurs were peculiar in that their nature, which united the
body of a horse with the trunk and head of a man, involved
an unthinkable duplication of vital organs and important
members. So grotesque a combination seems almost un-Greek.
These strange creatures were said to live in the caves and
clefts of the mountains, myths associating them especially
with the hills of Thessaly and the range of Erymanthos.
[ Mythology of all races, Vol. 1, pp. 270-271 ]
Once in a great while, when the positions of the stars are
just right, a seven-year-old rooster will lay an egg. Then,
along will come a snake, to coil around the egg, or a toad,
to squat upon the egg, keeping it warm and helping it to
hatch. When it hatches, out comes a creature called basil-
isk, or cockatrice, the most deadly of all creatures. A sin-
gle glance from its yellow, piercing toad's eyes will kill
both man and beast. Its power of destruction is said to be
so great that sometimes simply to hear its hiss can prove
fatal. Its breath is so venomous that it causes all vege-
tation to wither.
There is, however, one creature which can withstand the
basilisk's deadly gaze, and this is the weasel. No one knows
why this is so, but although the fierce weasel can slay the
basilisk, it will itself be killed in the struggle. Perhaps
the weasel knows the basilisk's fatal weakness: if it ever
sees its own reflection in a mirror it will perish instant-
ly. But even a dead basilisk is dangerous, for it is said
that merely touching its lifeless body can cause a person to
sicken and die.
[ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library)
and other sources ]
This beastie is the recently-hatched broodling of a cockatrice, a
creature feared by adventurers great and small for its petrifying
peck. [ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
A single glance from this red-feathered cockatrice can cause even
the bravest adventurer to burst into flames, their flesh withering
and blackening and curling beneath the creature's baleful gaze.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The couatl are feathered serpents of myth and lore. It is believed
that they are distant relatives of dragons, though this remains
unproven. So rare as to be considered legendary, the couatl are
some of the most beautiful creatures in existence. A couatl has
the body of a long serpent and feathered wings the colour of the
rainbow. Occasionally sent as messengers from the gods to their
erring servants, a couatl will always seek to punish those who
deserve it.
[ 2nd ed. Monstrous Compendium, by TSR, Inc. ]
If you want to know what cram is, I can only say that I don't know
the recipe; but it is biscuitish, keeps good indefinitely, is
supposed to be sustaining, and is certainly not entertaining,
being in fact very uninteresting except as a chewing exercise. It
was made by the Lake-men for long journeys.
[ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien]
A big animal with the appearance of a lizard, constituting an
order of the reptiles (_Loricata_ or _Crocodylia_), the crocodile
is a large, dangerous predator native to tropical and subtropical
climes. It spends most of its time in large areas of water.
Croesus (in Greek: Kroisos), the wealthy last king of Lydia; his
empire was destroyed when he attacked Cyrus in 549, after the
oracle of Delphi (q.v.) had told him: "if you attack the Persians,
you will destroy a mighty empire". Herodotus relates of his
legendary conversation with Solon of Athens, who impressed upon
him that being rich does not imply being happy and that no one
should be considered fortunate before his death.
Warily Conan scanned his surroundings, all of his senses alert for
signs of possible danger. Off in the distance, he could see the
familiar shapes of the Camp of the Duali Tribe.
Suddenly, the hairs on his neck stand on end as he detects the
aura of evil magic in the air. Without thought, he readies his
weapon, and mutters under his breath:
"By Crom, there will be blood spilt today."
And after he had milked his cattle swiftly,
he again took hold of two of my men
and had them as his supper.
Then I went, with a tub of red wine,
to stand before the Cyclops, saying:
"A drop of wine after all this human meat,
so you can taste the delicious wine
that is stored in our ship, Cyclops."
He took the tub and emptied it.
He appreciated the priceless wine that much
that he promptly asked me for a second tub.
"Give it", he said, "and give me your name as well".
...
Thrice I filled the tub,
and after the wine had clouded his mind,
I said to him, in a tone as sweet as honey:
"You have asked my name, Cyclops? Well,
my name is very well known. I'll give it to you,
if you give me the gift you promised me as a guest.
My name is Nobody. All call me thus:
my father and my mother and my friends."
Ruthlessly he answered to this:
"Nobody, I will eat you last of all;
your host of friends will completely precede you.
That will be my present to you, my friend."
And after these words he fell down backwards,
restrained by the all-restrainer Hupnos.
His monstrous neck sild into the dust;
the red wine squirted from his throat;
the drunk vomited lumps of human flesh.
[ the Ulysses, chapter epsilon, by Homer ]
... But he ruled rather by force and fear, if they might avail;
and those who perceived his shadow spreading over the world called
him the Dark Lord and named him the Enemy; and he gathered again
under his government all the evil things of the days of Morgoth
that remained on earth or beneath it, and the Orcs were at his
command and multiplied like flies. Thus the Black Years began ...
[ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
The djinn are genies from the elemental plane of Air. There, among
their kind, they have their own societies. They are sometimes
encountered on earth and may even be summoned here to perform some
service for powerful wizards. These often leave them about for
later service, safely tucked away in a flask or lamp. Once in a
while, such a tool is found by a lucky rogue, and some djinn are
known to be so grateful when released that they might grant their
rescuer a wish.
A domestic animal, the _tame dog_ (_canis familiaris_), of which
numerous races exist. The male is called dog, while the female is
called bitch. Because of its known loyalty to men and kindness to
children, it is the world's most popular domestic animal. It can
easily be trained to perform various tasks.
This evil creature (_canis tenebrous_) lurks in the darker, more
sinister corners of the world. Its bite is known for its chilling
effect upon humanoid flesh, and it is not a tameable animal.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
This hazy canine (_canis precipitous_) is thought to have a good
heart hiding somewhere within its green, silky hide. Unfortunately,
the beast is usually ravenous, as its diet of mist is not very
filling, at least compared to human flesh.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Dwarfs have faces like men (ugly men, with wrinkled, leathery
skins), but are generally either flat-footed, duck-footed, or have
feet pointing backwards. They are of the earth, earthy, living in
the darkest of caverns and venturing forth only with the cloaks by
which they can make themselves invisible, and other disguised as
toads. Miners often come across them, and sometimes establish
reasonably close relations with them. ... The miners of Cornwall
were always delighted to hear a bucca busily mining away, for all
dwarfs have an infallible nose for precious metals.
Among other things, dwarfs are rightly valued for their skill as
blacksmiths and jewellers: they made Odin his famous spear
Gungnir, and Thor his hammer; for Freya they designed a
magnificent necklace, and for Frey a golden boar. And in their
spare time they are excellent bakers. Ironically, despite their
odd feet, they are particularly fond of dancing. They can also see
into the future, and consequently are excellent meteorologists.
The can be free with presents to people they like, and a dwarfish
gift is likely to turn to gold in the hand. But on the whole they
are a snappish lot.
[ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ]
Bright Earendil was then lord of the people that dwelt nigh to
Sirion's mouths; and he took to wife Elwing the fair, and she bore
to him Elrond and Elros, who are called the Half-elven. ...
Then Earendil, first of living Men, landed on the immortal shores;
and he spoke there to Elwing and to those that were with him, and
they were three mariners who had sailed all the seas beside him:
Falathar, Erellont, and Aerandir were their names. And Earendil
said to them: "Here none but myself shall set foot, lest you fall
under the wrath of the Valar. But that peril I will take on myself
alone, for the sake of the Two Kindreds."
But Elwing answered: "Then would our paths be sundered for ever;
but all thy perils I will take on myself also." And she leaped
into the white foam and ran towards him; but Earendil was
sorrowful, for he feared the anger of the Lords of the West upon
any of Middle-earth that should dare to pass the leaguer of Aman.
And there they bade farewell to the companions of their voyage,
and were taken from them for ever.
[ The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
A large, panther-like felid with a half-dozen legs, two tentacles,
and the appetite of a ravenous dragon. Its glossy blue-black coat
radiates magical energy, and it was once though that these creatures
could appear in other than their actual position. This, however, has
recently been proven to not be the case; rather, they can instantly
switch position with their attacker, causing great disorientation
and distress. [ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
In the West the dragon was the natural enemy of man.
Although preferring to live in bleak and desolate regions,
whenever it was seen among men it left in its wake a trail
of destruction and disease. Yet any attempt to slay this
beast was a perilous undertaking. For the dragon's assailant
had to contend not only with clouds of sulphurous fumes
pouring from its fire-breathing nostrils, but also with the
thrashings of its tail, the most deadly part of its
serpent-like body.
[Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library)]
Elementals are manifestations of the basic nature of the
universe. There are four known forms of elementals: air,
fire, water, and earth. Some mystics have postulated the
necessity for a fifth type, the spirit elemental, but none
have ever been encountered, at least on this plane of ex-
istence.
Fish, shaped like a serpent (_Anguilla anguilla_). The female lays
its eggs somewhere upstream, whence the offspring swims to a warm
sea to mate. From there, they return to their place of birth to
lay eggs.
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
... Even as they stepped over the threshold a single clear voice
rose in song.
A Elbereth Gilthoniel,
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Faluinos, le linnathon
nef aear, si nef aearon!
Frodo halted for a moment, looking back. Elrond was in his chair
and the fire was on his face like summer-light upon the trees.
Near him sat the Lady Arwen. ...
He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the elvish
song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody. "It is a
song to Elbereth," said Bilbo. "They will sing that, and other
songs of the Blessed Realm, many times tonight. Come on!"
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
South-American fish (_Gymnotus electricus_), living in fresh
water. Shaped like a serpent, it can grow up to 2 metres. This eel
is known for its electrical organ which enables it to paralyse
creatures up to the size of a horse.
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
The Elves sat round the fire upon the grass or upon the sawn rings
of old trunks. Some went to and fro bearing cups and pouring
drinks; others brought food on heaped plates and dishes.
"This is poor fare," they said to the hobbits; "for we are lodging
in the greenwood far from our halls. If ever you are our guests at
home, we will treat you better."
"It seems to me good enough for a birthday-party," said Frodo.
Pippin afterwards recalled little of either food or drink, for his
mind was filled with the light upon the elf-faces, and the sound
of voices so various and so beautiful that he felt in a waking
dream. ...
Sam could never describe in words, nor picture clearly to himself,
what he felt or thought that night, though it remained in his
memory as one of the chief events of his life. The nearest he ever
got was to say: "Well, sir, if I could grow apples like that, I
would call myself a gardener. But it was the singing that went to
my heart, if you know what I mean."
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
Erevan is a fickle, unpredictable elven deity who specializes in
shapechanging. He is a woodland lover and always wearing green
somewhere about his person, but he is a god of thieves and rogues
too, and has a definite weakness for fine wines. Erevan is revered
by some members of the small sylvan races, such as sprites and
pixies. He is a trickster god in some ways, but Erevan really is
utterly unpredictable. He simply has a primary love causing
mischief.
[ Monster Mythology, by TSR inc. ]
The two-headed giant, or ettin, is a vicious and unpredictable
hunter that stalks by night and eats any meat it can catch.
This is a powerful amulet of ESP. In addition to its standard
powers, it regenerates the energy of anyone who carries it,
allowing them to cast spells more often. It also reduces any spell
damage to the person who carries it by half, and protects from
magic missiles. Finally, when invoked it has the power to
instantly open a portal to any other area of the dungeon, allowing
its invoker to travel quickly between areas.
Floating eyes, not surprisingly, are large, floating eyeballs
which drift about the dungeon. Though not dangerous in and of
themselves, their power to paralyse those who gaze at their large
eye in combat is widely feared. Many are the tales of those who
struck a floating eye, were paralysed by its mystic powers, and
then nibbled to death by some other creature that lurked around
nearby.
One would disbelieve, at first, a tale such as that of the glowing
eye. For who would believe that one had in fact encountered a
yard-wide luminescent eyeball, whose blinding glare was enough to
cause one to be struck blind. But I tell you that such creatures
_do_ exist, and that they are little more than nuisances.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Glowing spheres of energy are these, and when they explode, all in
their midst shall be enveloped in their element, and not for the
better.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The red, angry glare of a three-foot wide eye is nothing to take
lightly, especially when the gaze of said eye can stun any hapless
onlooker. Tread carefully!
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
A single glance from this bluish eyeball can magically transport
one across an entire floor, perhaps to a safer or more dangerous
location than the one in which one had been.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The grandfather of any sort of floating eyeball, this gigantic
thing has a dozen or more tiny eyelets, all of which stare
until one is consumed in flame, stunned, blinded, or worse.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
[ Fog, by Carl Sandburg ]
Open the door now.
Go roll up the collar of your coat
To walk in the changing scarf of mist.
Tell your sins here to the pearl fog
And know for once a deepening night
Strange as the half-meanings
Alurk in a wise woman's mousey eyes.
Yes, tell your sins
and know how careless a pearl fog is
Of the laws you have broken.
[ Pearl Fog, by Carl Sandburg ]
The souls of the perished dead gathered to the place, up out of
Erebos, brides, and young unmarried men, and long-suffering
elders, virgins, tender and with the sorrows of young hearts upon
them, and many fighting men killed in battle, stabbed with brazen
spears, still carrying their bloody armour upon them. These came
swarming around my pit from every direction with inhuman clamour,
and green fear took hold of me.
[ the Ulysses, chapter lambda, by Homer ]
Giants have always walked the earth, though they are rare in
these times. They range in size from little over nine feet
to a towering twenty feet or more. The larger ones use huge
boulders as weapons, hurling them over large distances. All
types of giants share a love for men - roasted, boiled, or
fried. Their table manners are legendary.
... And then a gnome came by, carrying a bundle, an old
fellow three times as large as an imp and wearing clothes
of a sort, especially a hat. And he was clearly just as
frightened as the imps though he could not go so fast.
Ramon Alonzo saw that there must be some great trouble that
was vexing magical things; and, since gnomes speak the
language of men, and will answer if spoken to gently, he
raised his hat, and asked of the gnome his name. The
gnome did not stop his hasty shuffle a moment as he
answered 'Alaraba' and grabbed the rim of his hat but forgot
to doff it.
'What is the trouble, Alaraba?' said Ramon Alonzo.
'White magic. Run!' said the gnome ...
[ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany. ]
Goblins are bipeds, with hideous, monkey-like faces. Due to their
pointy jaws their skull looks like that of a baboon. Males and
females are hardly distinguishable. Both may grow up to 1.5 metres
and have a thin, fluffily hairy skin, ranging in colour from
reddish to greyish brown. Since this thin skin does not provide
enough protection, they like to dress in sleazy apparels they have
captured. Goblins are sneaky, stupid cowards: an especially
unpleasant combination of character traits. They live together in
large groups in deserted houses, ruins, and caverns because they
are too lazy to build anything of their own.
[ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ]
The Great Goblin gave a truly awful howl of rage when he looked at
it, and all his soldiers gnashed their teeth, clashed their
shields, and stamped. They knew the sword at once. It had killed
hundreds of goblins in its time, when the fair elves of Gondolin
hunted them in the hills or did battle before their walls. They
had called it Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it
simply Biter. They hated it and hated worse any one that carried
it.
[ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
A metal of characteristic yellow colour, the most precious
metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. Sym-
bol, Au; at. no. 79; at. wt. 197.2. It is the most malle-
able and ductile of all metals, and very heavy (sp. gr.,
19.3). It is quite unalterable by heat, moisture, and most
corrosive agents, and therefore well suited for its use in
coin and jewelry.
[ Webster's New International Dictionary
of the English Language, Second Edition ]
These creatures, not quite living but not really nonliving
either, are created from inanimate materials by powerful
mages or priests.
The gremlin is a highly intelligent and completely evil
creature. It lives to torment other creatures and will go
to great lengths to inflict pain or cause injury.
the heirarchy of the Netherworld. Their pale, pustulent
bodies reek of slime and filth, and their flesh is bitter
and bilious.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
by those imps for tasks which they are too cowardly to
personally perform. Rutterkin are pallid, splotchy, and
disgusting things.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
One of the minor servants of the great devils, nupperibo
are spiky, deep-green creatures whose only purpose in
life is to serve their diabolical masters.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
These slippery imps are sometimes found near water, where
they lurk just below the surface to leap out and assault
the unwary adventurer. Be warned, however, that they do
not need to stay in their usual home, and may be found
anywhere, especially in damp areas.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
These electrically based creatures are not native to this
universe. They appear to come from a world whose laws of
motion are radically different from ours.
Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more
numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace
and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-
farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not
and did not understand or like machines more complicated
than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a handloom, although
they were skillful with tools. Even in ancient days they
were, as a rule, shy of "the Big Folk", as they call us, and
now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find.
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
Hobgoblin. Used by the Puritans and in later times for
wicked goblin spirits, as in Bunyan's 'Hobgoblin nor foul
friend', but its more correct use is for the friendly spir-
its of the brownie type. In 'A midsummer night's dream' a
fairy says to Shakespeare's Puck:
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are you not he?
and obviously Puck would not wish to be called a hobgoblin
if that was an ill-omened word.
Hobgoblins are on the whole, good-humoured and ready to be
helpful, but fond of practical joking, and like most of the
fairies rather nasty people to annoy. Boggarts hover on the
verge of hobgoblindom. Bogles are just over the edge.
One Hob mentioned by Henderson, was Hob Headless who haunted
the road between Hurworth and Neasham, but could not cross
the little river Kent, which flowed into the Tess. He was
exorcised and laid under a large stone by the roadside for
ninety-nine years and a day. If anyone was so unwary as to
sit on that stone, he would be unable to quit it for ever.
The ninety-nine years is nearly up, so trouble may soon be
heard of on the road between Hurworth and Neasham.
[ Katharine Briggs, A dictionary of Fairies ]
This luckstone has been passed down from ancient times. In
addition to its standard powers of a luckstone, it grants stealth
to anyone who carries it. When invoked, it grants the power of
levitation to the invoker.
Hell hounds are fire-breathing canines from another plane of
existence brought here in the service of evil beings. A hell hound
resembles a large hound with rust-red of red-brown fur and red,
glowing eyes. The markings, teeth, and tongue are soot black. It
stands two to three feet high at the shoulder, and has a distinct
odour of smoke and sulphur. The baying sounds it makes have an
eerie, hollow tone that send a shiver through any who hear them.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Hermes. Messenger and herald of the Olympians. Being required to
do a great deal of travelling and speaking in public, he became
the god of eloquence, travellers, merchants, and thieves. He was
one of the most energetic of the Greek gods, a Machiavellian
character full of trickery and sexual vigour. Like other Greek
gods, he is endowed with not-inconsiderable sexual prowess which
he directs towards countryside nymphs and with which he also
maintains a healthy and thriving population of sheep and goats! He
is a god of boundaries, guardian of graves and patron deity of
shepherds.
He is usually depicted as a handsome young man wearing winged
golden sandals and holding a magical herald's staff consisting of
intertwined serpents, the kerykeion. He is reputedly the only
being able to find his way to the underworld ferry of Charon and
back again.
He is said to have invented among other things the lyre, Pan's
Pipes, numbers, the alphabet, weights and measures, and
sacrifices.
Hippocrates of Kos. Famous physicist and most important physician
of the antiquity (460-370 b.C.). A "Corpus Hippocratum" has been
preserved, encompassing over 50 discourses on various medical
topics. It has proven to be impossible to trace the real source of
these discourses, though. They originate from the medical
faculties of Kos and Knidos. Perhaps half a dozen or so has been
drawn up by Hippocrates proper, among other things an essay
entitled _Epidemics, a Prognosis_ and _On Air, Earth and Place_ in
which he handled the effects that the environs have on men's
health.
His works show his scientific orientation and methods, since he
pressed the importance of the relation cause-result, and
subsequently the significance of careful observation of medical
facts. To his contemporary colleagues and those of centuries
afterwards, Hippocrates was a model of the perfect practitioner:
earnest and reserved.
Even literary relevance of his work is not to be neglected: it was
drafted in clear, Ionic prose. There exist a collection of
_Aphorisms_ as well that is attributed to Hippocrates. His name
has been passed down the ages through "Hippocrates' Oath", the
oath taken by all young physicians, thus accepting the general
ethics of their profession.
[ XYZ van de Grieks-Romeinse oudheid,
by G.H. Halsberghe and Guido Halsberghe ]
Homunculi are small mystical beings created by magicians for
spying and other special tasks. The average homunculus is vaguely
humanoid in form. It is 18 inches tall, and its greenish,
reptilian skin may have spots or warts. They have leathery, bat-
like wings with a span of 24 inches and a mouth filled with long,
pointed teeth that can inject a potent sleeping venom.
[ 2nd ed. Monstrous Compendium, by TSR, Inc. ]
[Pestilence:] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and
I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts
saying, Come and see.
And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a
bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering,
and to conquer.
[War:] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second
beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given
to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that
they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great
sword.
[Famine:] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third
beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and
he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure
of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny;
and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
[Death:] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice
of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on
him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,
and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
[ Revelations of John, 6:1-8 ]
The first of the five mythical Chinese emperors, Huan Ti is known
as the yellow emperor. He rules the _moving_ heavens, as opposed
to the _dark_ heavens. He is an inventor, said to have given
mankind among other things the wheel, armour and the compass. He
is the god of fortune telling and war.
Huehuetotl, or Huhetotl, which means Old God, was the Aztec
(classical Mesoamerican) god of fire. He is generally associated
with paternalism and one of the group classed as the Xiuhtecuhtli
complex. His is known to send his minions to wreck havoc upon
ordinary humans.
[ after the Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Humanoids are all approximately the size of a human, and
may be mistaken for one at a distance. They are usually
of a tribal nature, and will fiercely defend their lairs.
Usually hostile, they may even band together to raid and
pillage human settlements.
These strange creatures live mostly on the surface of the
earth, gathering together in societies of various forms, but
occasionally a stray will descend into the depths and commit
mayhem among the dungeon residents who, naturally, often
resent the intrusion of such beasts. They are capable of
using weapons and magic, and it is even rumored that the
Wizard of Yendor is a member of this species.
... imps ... little creatures of two feet high that could
gambol and jump prodigiously; ...
[ The Charwoman's Shadow, by Lord Dunsany ]
An 'imp' is an off-shoot or cutting. Thus an 'ymp tree' was
a grafted tree, or one grown from a cutting, not from seed.
'Imp' properly means a small devil, an off-shoot of Satan,
but the distinction between goblins or bogles and imps from
hell is hard to make, and many in the Celtic countries as
well as the English Puritans regarded all fairies as devils.
The fairies of tradition often hover uneasily between the
ghostly and the diabolic state.
[ Katharine Briggs, A Dictionary of Fairies ]
A big, fleet footed lizard with strong jaws.
Ishtar (the star of heaven) is the Mesopotamian goddess of
fertility and war. She is usually depicted with wings and weapon
cases at her shoulders, carrying a ceremonial double-headed mace-
scimitar embellished with lion heads, frequently being accompanied
by a lion. She is symbolized by an eight-pointed star.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
She was capricious in love, wilful and imperious in action. As the
mother goddess, Ishtar was moved to pity and sorrow at the
suffering of the earthly children and at the hardships imposed by
pestilence and flood; but she was cruel and callous as the goddess
of love, her rites being celebrated with such licentiousness by
her followers that the name of Ishtar and of the centres of her
worship became synonymous with wickedness and immorality. As the
goddess of war she was so terrible that even the gods trembled at
the while warlike people sang her praises.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
Issek of the Jug appears as a tall man with twisted wrists and
ankles. Issek is said to give enduring power to anyone under
torture. Torture can be loosely defined and includes such things
as a wife who constantly shouts at her husband or a little boy
being picked on by a larger bully.
[ Legends and Lore, by TSR, inc. ]
Jackals are timid scavengers that run from the threat of other
predators. When attacking, the jackal darts in to bite its victim
and quickly retreats to a safe distance. If more than one jackal
is trying to down an animal, they attack in a haphazard fashion
with little or no coordination of effort.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Large, flesh-eating animal of the cat family, of Central and South
America. This feline predator (_Panthera onca_) is sometimes, less
correctly, called panther.
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
The typical policeman of 1920's movies, the Keystone Kop was
modeled like the English "bobby", with a long brass-buttoned
overcoat, carrying long nightsticks that he (more often than not)
whapped himself with, rather than anyone else. The Keystone Kops
were very slapstick-like, relying on speed and numbers to achieve
their comedy, rather than sophisticated wit.
The ki-rin is a noble creature that roams the sky in search of
good deeds to reward or malefactors to punish. The ki-rin's coat
is covered with luminous golden scales like a sunrise on a clear
morning. The thick mane and tail are a darker gold. The horn and
hooves are gold tinged with pink. The eyes are a deep violet. The
ki-rin has a melodious voice.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
[ Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll ]
This odd creature looks like a leopard with snakes growing from
its shoulders. It has a sleep-inducing breath that can be fatal
to the unwary traveler.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Also known as the samurai sword, the katana is a long,
single-edged sword with slightly curved blade. Its long
handle is designed to allow it to be wielded with either one
or two hands.
The race of kobolds are reputed to be an artificial creation
of a master wizard (demi-god?). They are about 3' tall with
a vaguely dog-like face. They bear a violent dislike of the
Elven race, and will go out of their way to cause trouble
for Elves at any time.
Ector took both his sons to the church before which the anvil had
been placed. There, standing before the anvil, he commanded Kay:
"Put the sword back into the steel if you really think the throne
is yours!". But the sword glanced off the steel. "Now it is your
turn", Ector said facing Arthur.
The young man lifted the sword and thrust with both arms; the
blade whizzed through the air with a flash and drilled the metal
as if it were mere butter. Ector and Kay dropped to their knees
before Arthur.
"Why, father and brother, do you bow for me?", Arthur asked with
wonder in his voice. "Because now I know for sure that you are the
king, not only by birth but also by law", Ector said. "You are no
son of mine nor are you Kay's brother. Immediately after your
birth, Merlin the Wise brought you to me to be raised safely. And
though it was me that named you Arthur when you were baptised, you
are really the son of brave king Uther Pendragon and queen
Igraine..."
And after these words, the lord rose and went to see the
archbishop to impart to him what had passed.
[ Van Gouden Tijden Zingen de Harpen,
by Vladimir Hulpach, Emanuel Frynta, and Vackav Cibula ]
The race of kobolds are reputed to be an artificial creation of a
master wizard (demi-god?). They are about 3' tall with a vaguely
dog-like face. They bear a violent dislike of the Elven race, and
will go out of their way to cause trouble for Elves at any time.
Kos is a northern barbarian god who loves battle and bold deeds.
He is the god of dooms because he brings trouble to anyone who
doesn't live up to his strict codes of honour and action. These
codes and the interest of the god apply to all facets of the hard
life of the northern barbarians. Kos is just as interested in the
building of a safe and sturdy long house as he is in the sharpness
of a warrior's axe.
[ Legends and Lore, by TSR, inc. ]
A Japanese harp.
Out from the water a long sinuous tentacle had crawled; it was
pale-green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of
Frodo's foot, and was dragging him into the water. Sam on his
knees was now slashing at it with a knife.
The arm let go of Frodo, and Sam pulled him away, crying out for
help. Twenty others arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled,
and there was a hideous stench.
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
Blind Io took up the dice-box, which was a skull whose various
orifices had been stoppered with rubies, and with several of his
eyes on the Lady he rolled three fives.
She smiled. This was the nature of the Lady's eyes: they were
bright green, lacking iris or pupil, and they glowed from within.
The room was silent as she scrabbled in her box of pieces and,
from the very bottom, produced a couple that she set down on the
board with two decisive clicks. The rest of the players, as one
God, craned forward to peer at them.
"A wenegade wiffard and fome fort of clerk," said Offler the
Crocodile God, hindered as usual by his tusks. "Well, weally!"
With one claw he pushed a pile of bone-white tokens into the
centre of the table.
The Lady nodded slightly. She picked up the dice-cup and held it
as steady as a rock, yet all the Gods could hear the three cubes
rattling about inside. And then she sent them bouncing across the
table.
A six. A three. A five.
Something was happening to the five, however. Battered by the
chance collision of several billion molecules, the die flipped
onto a point, spun gently and came down a seven.
Blind Io picked up the cube and counted the sides.
"Come _on_," he said wearily, "Play fair."
[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
The Irish Leprechaun is the Faeries' shoemaker and is known
under various names in different parts of Ireland: Cluri-
caune in Cork, Lurican in Kerry, Lurikeen in Kildare and Lu-
rigadaun in Tipperary. Although he works for the Faeries,
the Leprechaun is not of the same species. He is small, has
dark skin and wears strange clothes. His nature has some-
thing of the manic-depressive about it: first he is quite
happy, whistling merrily as he nails a sole on to a shoe; a
few minutes later, he is sullen and morose, drunk on his
home-made heather ale. The Leprechaun's two great loves are
tobacco and whiskey, and he is a first-rate con-man, impos-
sible to out-fox. No one, no matter how clever, has ever
managed to cheat him out of his hidden pot of gold or his
magic shilling. At the last minute he always thinks of some
way to divert his captor's attention and vanishes in the
twinkling of an eye.
[ A Field Guide to the Little People
by Nancy Arrowsmith & George Moorse ]
...the leucrocotta, a wild beast of extraordinary swiftness,
the size of the wild ass, with the legs of a Stag, the neck,
tail, and breast of a lion, the head of a badger, a cloven
hoof, the mouth slit up as far as the ears, and one contin-
uous bone instead of teeth; it is said, too, that this
animal can imitate the human voice.
[ Curious Creatures in Zoology, John Ashton ]
Once in a great while, an evil master wizard or priest will
manage through use of great magics to extend his or her life
far beyond the normal span of a human. The usual effect of
this is to transform the human, over time, into an undead of
great magical power. A Lich hates life in any form; even a
touch from one of these creatures will cause a numbing cold
in the victim. They all possess the capability to use magic.
1. A sub-order (_Lacertilia_ or _Sauria_) of the long-tailed
creeping animals, especially of the family of the _Lacertidae_.
There are three major kinds: the ordinary lizard (Lacerta agilis),
the wall-lizard (L. muralis), and the small lizard (L. vivipara).
2. [Capitalized:] a constellation of the northern hemisphere
(Lacerta).
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
Loki, or Lopt, is described in Snorri's _Edda_ as being "pleasing
and handsome in appearance, evil in character, and very capricious
in behaviour". He is the son of the giant Farbauti and of Laufey.
Loki is the Norse god of cunning, evil, thieves, and fire. He
hated the other gods and wanted to ruin them and overthrow the
universe. He committed many murders. As a thief, he stole Freyja's
necklace, Thor's belt and gauntlets of power, and the apples of
youth.
Able to shapechange at will, he is said to have impersonated at
various times a mare, flea, fly, falcon, seal and an old crone. As
a mare he gave birth to Odin's horse Sleipnir. He also allegedly
sired the serpent of Midgard, the mistress of the netherworld,
Hel, and the wolf Fenrir which will devour the sun at Ragnarok.
Lord Carnarvon was the financial patron of Howard Carter, the
discoverer of King Tutanchamon's tomb.
Lord Sato is the family head of the Taro Clan, and a mighty
daimyo. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor, and will go do
everything in his power to further the imperial cause.
The dwarfs, whose father was Ivaldr, lived in the very heart of
the hills.
...
At the other end of the ladder were the giants, who stole summer
and brought winter in its place. They lived in Jotumheim. Some of
the giants were Hrungnir, who was killed by Thor; Hresvelgr,
living in the far north, who produced winds and tempests by simply
moving his wings; and Surtr, a southern giant, who guarded
Muspelheim, the fire-land, with his flaming sword.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
Lugh, or Lug, was the sun god of the Irish Celts. One of his
weapons was a rod-sling which worshippers sometimes saw in the sky
as a rainbow. As a tribal god, he was particularly skilled in the
use of his massive, invincible spear, which fought on its own
accord. One of his epithets is _lamfhada_ (of the long arm). He
was a young and apparently more attractive deity than Dagda, the
father of the gods. Being able to shapeshift, his name translates
as lynx.
The lurker is a carnivorous scavenger found in caves, its greyish
belly textured like stone. The lurker typically attaches itself to
a ceiling, where it is very difficult to detect, unless actually
prodded.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Lycanthropes are humans who can transform themselves to resemble
normal animals or monsters. True lycanthropes are those to whom
lycanthropy is a genetic trait: they breed with other lycanthropes
and produce baby lycanthropes. Only true lycanthropes can infect
others with lycanthropy. Infected lycanthropes are those whose
lycanthropy results from being wounded by a true lycanthrope. A
slain lycanthrope always reverts to its natural humanoid form
after having been killed.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
This powerful mirror was created by Merlin, the druid, in ages
past when trees sang and rocks danced. It protects all who carry
it from magic missiles, and gives them ESP.
It is rumoured that these strange creatures can be harmed by
domesticated canines only.
Normally called Manannan, Ler's son was the patron of merchants
and sailors. Manannan had a sword which never failed to slay, a
boat which propelled itself wherever its owner wished, a horse
which was swifter than the wind, and magic armour which no sword
could pierce. He later became god of the sea beneath which he
lived in Tir na nOc, the underworld.
Manes are the most pathetic beings that wander the lower layers of
the Abyss. These creatures are as vast and endless as the layers
themselves.
[ Monstrous Compendium 8, by TSR inc. ]
First insisting on recognition as supreme commander, Marduk
defeated the Dragon, cut her body in two, and from it created
heaven and earth, peopling the world with human beings who not
unnaturally showed intense gratitude for their lives. The gods
were also properly grateful, invested him with many titles, and
eventually permitted themselves to be embodied in him, so that he
became supreme god, plotting the whole course of known life from
the paths of the planets to the daily events in the lives of men.
[ The Immortals, by Derek and Julia Parker ]
He strolled down the stairs, followed by a number of assassins.
When he was directly in front of Ymor he said: "I've come for the
tourist."
...
"One step more and you'll leave here with fewer eyeballs than you
came with," said the thiefmaster. "So sit down and have a drink,
Zlorf, and let's talk about this sensibly. _I_ thought we had an
agreement. You don't rob - I don't kill. Not for payment, that
is," he added after a pause.
Zlorf took the preferred beer.
"So?" he said. "I'll kill him. Then you rob him. Is he that funny
looking one over there?"
"Yes."
Zlorf stared at Twoflower, who grinned at him. He shrugged. He
seldom wasted time wondering why people wanted other people dead.
It was just a living.
"Who is your client, may I ask?" said Ymor.
Zlorf held up a hand. "Please!" he protested. "Professional
etiquette."
[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
This skeleton key was fashioned in ages past and imbued with a
powerful magic which allows it to open any locks. When carried, it
grants its owner warning, teleport control, and reduces all
physical damage by half. Finally, when invoked, it has the ability
to disarm any trap.
There was a flutter of wings at the window. Ymor shifted his bulk
out of the chair and crossed the room, coming back with a large
raven. After he'd unfastened the message capsule from its leg it
flew up to join its fellows lurking among the rafters. Withel
regarded it without love. Ymor's ravens were notoriously loyal to
their master, to the extent that Withel's one attempt to promote
himself to the rank of greatest thief in Ankh-Morpork had cost
their master's right hand man his left eye. But not his life,
however. Ymor never grudged a man his ambitions.
[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
This hideous creature from ancient Greek myth was the doom
of many a valiant adventurer. It is said that one gaze from
its eyes could turn a man to stone. One bite from the nest
of snakes which crown its head could cause instant death.
The only way to kill this monstrosity is to turn its gaze
back upon itself.
Mimics were originally created by wizards to protect themselves
from treasure hunters. A good meal (one or two humans) can sustain
them for weeks. Mimics pose as stonework, doors, statues, stairs,
chests, or other common items made from stone, wood, and metal.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Every year, king Aegeus of Athens was to send seven boys and seven
girls to Crete, to do penance for the fact that the son of king
Minos of Crete had died in Athens. None of these adolescents ever
returned: upon arrival on Crete, Minos sent them into the
Labyrinth, a maze that no one was ever able to leave. Here they
were to be eaten by the minotaur. The minotaur or minotauros was a
monster, half man and half bull, the result of queen Pasiphae's
unnatural love for a bull that had appeared from the sea. Out of
shame, king Minos had Daedalus build the Labyrinth, to hide the
minotaur in.
Eventually prince Theseus volunteered to sail to Crete. With the
help of princess Ariadne he managed to kill the minotaur, and
escape from the Labyrinth.
Originating in India (Mitra), Mithra is a god of light who was
translated into the attendant of the god Ahura Mazda in the light
religion of Persia; from this he was adopted as the Roman deity
Mithras. He is not generally regarded as a sky god but a
personification of the fertilizing power of warm, light air.
According to the _Avesta_, he possesses 10,000 eyes and ears and
rides in a chariot drawn by white horses.
Mithra, according to Zarathustra, is concerned with the endless
battle between light and dark forces: he represents truth. He is
responsible for the keeping of oaths and contracts. He is
attributed with the creation of both plants and animals. His chief
adversary is Ahriman, the power of darkness.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
This helm of brilliance performs all of the normal functions of a
helm of brilliance, but also has the ability to protect anyone who
carries it from fire. When invoked, it boosts the energy of the
invoker, allowing them to cast more spells.
Fungi are simple plants that lack chlorophyll, true stems, roots,
and leaves. They are incapable of photosynthesis and live as
parasites or saprophytes. Ordinary fungi are well known to man:
molds, yeast, mildew, mushrooms, and puffballs. These plants
include both useful and harmful varieties. Ordinary fungi do not
attack or defend themselves, but they are prolific and can spread
where unwanted. Adventurers who have lost rations to mold or
clothing to mildew have had unpleasant encounters with fungi.
Molds are a variety of spore-producing fungi that form in decaying
food or in warm, moist places. These fungi usually have a woolly
or furry texture. While most molds are harmless, there are some
that pose a deadly threat to adventurers.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
This creature has a humanoid body, but has tentacles around
its covered mouth and only three long fingers on each hand.
Mind flayers are telepathic, and love to devour intelligent
beings, especially humans. If they hit their victim with a
tentacle, the mind flayer will slowly drain it of all
intelligence, eventually killing the victim.
_Mithril_! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like
copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make
of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel.
Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty
of _mithril_ did not tarnish or grow dim.
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
... the Mumak of Harad was indeed a beast of vast bulk, and
the like of him does not walk now in Middle-Earth; his kin
that live still in latter days are but memories of his girth
and majesty. On he came, ... his great legs like trees,
enormous sail-like ears spread out, long snout upraised like
a huge serpent about to strike, his small red eyes raging.
His upturned hornlike tusks ... dripped with blood.
[ The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be
of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in
Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely
be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with
stones.
And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from
among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech,
to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the
man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family,
and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to
commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
[ Leviticus, 20:1-5 ]
Mummies are corpses native to dry desert areas, where the dead are
entombed by a precess known as mummification. When their tombs are
disturbed, the corpses become animated into a weird unlife state,
whose unholy hatred of life causes them to attack living things
without mercy. Mummies are usually clothed in rotting strips of
linen.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
A Japanese pole-arm, fitted with a curved single-edged blade. The
blades ranged in length from two to four feet, mounted on shafts
about four to five feet long. The naginata were cut with a series
of short grooves near to the tang, above which the back edge was
thinned, but not sharpened, so that the greater part of the blade
was a flattened diamond shape in section. Seen in profile, the
curve is slight or non-existent near the tang, becoming more
pronounced towards the point.
"With his naginata he killed five, but with the sixth it snapped
asunder in the midst and, flinging it away, he drew his sword,
wielding it in the zigzag style, the interlacing, cross, reversed
dragonfly, waterwheel, and eight-sides-at-once styles of fencing
and cutting down eight men; but as he brought down the ninth with
a mighty blow on the helmet, the blade snapped at the hilt."
[ Story of Tsutsui no Jomio Meishu, from Tales of Heike ]
Not only do these demons, which are of type IV, do physical damage
with their claws and bite, but they are capable of using magic as
well.
Nalzok is Moloch's cunning and unfailingly loyal battle
lieutenant, to whom he trusts the command of warfare when he does
not wish to exercise it himself. Nalzok is a major demon, known to
command the undead. He is hungry for power, and secretly covets
Moloch's position. Moloch doesn't trust him, but, trusting his own
power enough, chooses to take no action for now.
Neanderthal. 1. Valley between Duesseldorf and Elberfeld in
Germany, where an ancient skull of a prehistoric race was found.
2. Human(oid) of the race mentioned above.
(kinds of) small animal, like a lizard, which spends most of its
time in the water.
[ Oxford's Student's Dictionary of Current English ]
A Japanese broadsword.
The Norns were the three Norse Fates, or the goddesses of fate.
Female giants, they brought the wonderful Golden Age to an end.
They cast lots over the cradle of every child that was born, and
placed gifts in the cradle. Their names were Urda, Verdandi, and
Skuld, representing the past, the present and the future. Urda and
Verdandi were kindly disposed, but Skuld was cruel and savage.
Their tasks were to sew the web of fate, to water the sacred ash,
Yggdrasil, and to keep it in good condition by placing fresh earth
around it daily. In her fury, Skuld often spoiled the work of her
sisters by tearing the web to shreds.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
A Japanese flail.
A female creature from Roman and Greek mythology, the nymph
occupied rivers, forests, ponds, etc. A nymph's beauty is beyond
words: an ever-young woman with sleek figure and long, thick hair,
radiant skin and perfect teeth, full lips and gentle eyes. A
nymph's scent is delightful, and her long robe glows, hemmed with
golden threads and embroidered with rainbow hues of unearthly
magnificence. A nymph's demeanour is graceful and charming, her
mind quick and witty.
Odin. Also called Sigtyr (god of Victory), Val-father (father of
the slain), One-Eyed, Hanga-god (god of the Hanged), Farma-god
(god of cargoes), Hapta-god (god of prisoners), and Othin. He is
the prime god of the Norsemen: god of war and victory, wisdom and
prophecy, poetry, the dead, air and wind, hospitality, and magic.
As the god of war and victory, Odin is ruler of the Valkyries,
warrior-maidens who lived in the halls of Valhalla in Asgard, the
hall of dead heroes where he held his court. These chosen ones
will defend the realm of the gods against the Frost Giants on the
final day of reckoning, Ragnarok.
As god of the wind, Odin rides through the air on his eight-footed
horse, Sleipnir, wielding Gungner, his spear, normally accompanied
by his ravens, Hugin and Munin, who he would also use as his
spies.
As a god of hospitality, he enjoyed visiting the earth in disguise
to see how people were behaving and to see how they would treat
him, not knowing who he was.
Odin is usually represented as a one-eyed wise old man with a long
white beard and a wide-brimmed hat (he gave one of his eyes to
Mimir, the guardian of the well of wisdom in Hel, in exchange for
a draught of knowledge).
Any one who has once met a gluttonous, nude, angry ogre, will not
easily forget this encounter - if he survives it at all. Both male
and female ogres can easily grow as tall as three metres. Build
and facial expression would remind one of a Neanderthal.
Its small, pointy, keen teeth are striking. Since ogres avoid
direct sunlight, their ragged, unfurry skin is as white as a
sheet. They enjoy coating their body with lard and usually wear
nothing but a loin-cloth. An elf would smell its rancid stench at
ten metres distance.
Ogres are solitary creatures: very rarely one may encounter a
female with two or three young. They are the only real carnivores
among the humanoids, and its favourite meal is - not
surprisingly - human flesh. They sometimes ally with orcs or
goblins, but only when they anticipate a good meaty meal.
[ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ]
The naga is a mystical creature with the body of a snake and
the head of a man or woman. They will fiercely protect the
territory they consider their own. Some nagas can be forced
to serve as a guardian by a spell caster of great power.
These giant amoeboid creatures look like nothing more than
puddles of slime, but they both live and move, feeding on
metal or wood as well as the occasional dungeon explorer to
supplement their diet.
The Great Goblin gave a truly awful howl of rage when he
looked at it, and all his soldiers gnashed their teeth,
clashed their shields, and stamped. They knew the sword at
once. It had killed hundreds of goblins in its time, when
the fair elves of Gondolin hunted them in the hills or did
battle before their walls. They had called it Orcrist,
Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it simply Biter. They
hated it and hated worse any one that carried it.
[ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
The oracle of Delphi: a priestess of Apolloon, known by the Greek
as the Puthia. Seated on a tripod above a chasm, stupefied by its
sulphurous vapours, she emitted incoherent sounds, which other
priests translated into predictions (usually in rhyme). One of her
most famous oracles was given to Croesus (q.v.).
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
This Orb is a crystal ball of exceptional powers. When carried, it
grants ESP, limits damage done by spells to half what it normally
would be, and protects the carrier from magic missiles. When
invoked, it allows the carrier to become invisible.
Some say that Odin himself created this ancient crystal ball,
although others argue that Loki created it and forged Odin's
signature on the bottom. In any case, it is a powerful artifact.
Anyone who carries it is granted the gift of warning, and all
damage, spell and physical alike, is reduced by half. It also
gives luck to whoever uses it. Finally, when invoked it has the
power to teleport the invoker between levels.
Orcs, bipeds with a humanoid appearance, are related to the
goblins, but much bigger and more dangerous. The average orc is
only moderately intelligent, has broad, muscled shoulders, a short
neck, a sloping forehead and a thick, dark, fur. Their lower eye-
teeth are pointing forward, like a boar's ones. Female orcs are
more lightly built and bare-chested. Not needing any clothing,
they do like to dress in variegated apparels.
Suspicious by nature, orcs live in tribes or hordes. They tend to
live underground as well as above ground (but they dislike
sunlight). Orcs can use all weapons, tools and armours that are
used by men. Since they don't have the talent to fashion these
themselves, they are constantly hunting for them. There is nothing
a horde of orcs cannot use.
[ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ]
Owlbears are probably the crossbred creation of a demented wizard;
given the lethality of this creation, it is quite likely that the
wizard who created them is no longer alive. As the name might
already suggest, owlbears are a cross between a giant owl and a
bear. The are covered with fur and feathers.
The elves of long ago created this powerful crystal ball. When
carried, it grants ESP, regeneration, and reduces all damage
caused by spells to one-half of what it would normally be. When
invoked, it tames creatures in its vicinity.
Pelias is a compassionate man, proficient in the ways of magic,
seeking to fight the ways of evil. To this cause, he has recently
joined the Duali Tribe.
This is an ancient artifact made of an unknown material. It is
rectangular in shape, very thin, and inscribed with unreadable
ancient runes. When carried, if grants the one who carries it ESP,
and reduces all physical damage done to the carrier by half. It
also protects from magic missile attacks. Finally, its power is
such that when invoked, it can charge other objects.
Poseido(o)n, lord of the seas and father of rivers and fountains,
was the son of Chronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Hades, Hera,
Hestia and Demeter. His rank of ruler of the waves he received by
lot at the Council Meeting of the Gods, at which Zeus took the
upper world for himself and gave dominion over the lower world to
Hades.
Poseidon is associated in many ways with horses and thus is the
god of horses. He taught man how to ride and manage the animal he
invented and is looked upon as the originator and guardian deity
of horse races.
His symbol is the familiar trident or three-pronged spear with
which he can split rocks, cause or quell storms, and shake the
earth, a power which makes him the god of earthquakes as well.
Physically, he is shown as a strong and powerful ruler, every inch
a king.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
Known under various other names (Nu, Neph, Cenubis, Amen-Kneph,
Khery-Bakef), Ptah is the creator god and god of craftsmen. He is
usually depicted as wearing a closely fitting robe with only his
hands free. His most distinctive features are the invariable
skull-cap exposing only his face and ears, and the _was_ or rod of
domination which he holds, consisting of a staff surmounted by the
_ankh_ symbol of life. He is otherwise symbolized by his sacred
animal, the bull.
A gargantuan version of the harmless rain-worm, the purple worm
poses a huge threat to the ordinary adventurer. It is known to
swallow whole and digest its victims within only a few minutes.
These worms are always on guard, sensitive to the minutest
vibrations in the earth, but may also be awakened by a remote
shriek.
The osaku is a small tool for picking locks.
Ye Piercer doth look like unto a stalactyte, and hangeth
from the roofs of caves and caverns. Unto the height of a
man, and thicker than a man's thigh do they grow, and in
groups do they hang. If a creature doth pass beneath them,
they will by its heat and noise perceive it, and fall upon
it to kill and devour it, though in any other way they move
but exceeding slow.
[ the Bestiary of Xygag ]
These creatures are not native to this universe; they seem
to have strangely derived powers, and unknown motives.
The woodlands and other regions are inhabited by multitudes
of four-legged creatures which cannot be simply classified.
They might not have fiery breath or deadly stings, but ad-
venturers have nevertheless met their end numerous times
due to the claws, hooves, or bites of such animals.
Quetzalcoatl, or the feathered serpent, is one of the four suns
which are manifestations of the Aztec sun god Tezcatlipoca. Some
of his other names are White Tezcatlipoca, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli,
and nine-wind. The heroic creator of the Aztecs, he is also
identified as the god of the wind. According to one of many
traditions he fashioned mankind from his own blood and provided
food by turning himself into an ant so as to steal a grain of
maize which the ants had hidden inside a mountain.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Raiden is the god of thunder and the patron of fletchers. A
constant companion of Susanoo's he loves nothing better than
beating his drums while the storm god rages. When he wishes, he
can beat these drums so loudly that they act as drums of panic.
Raiden is fond of eating human flesh, and receives a meal any time
a man is slain by an arrow. He can send a lightning bolt to attack
any being on earth. In his true form, Raiden has a horned,
grotesque head and long, vicious looking claws.
[ Legends and Lore, by TSR, inc. ]
It is told by an ancient wizard named Tim that these are evil
rodents with nasty sharp pointy teeth, and that once upon a
time, one such creature decimated half-a-dozen knights, and
was only slain through use of a high-powered explosive device
not unlike a wand of fireballs.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
I have heard that these horrible creatures are surrounded by
a foul stench. However, their poisonous bite is far more
dangerous.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Woe to the adventurer who is bitten by one of these foul
maggots! They carry a hideous pestilence that can lay low
the hardiest warrior!
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The touch of this noxious pustulent growth causes flesh to
dissolve into blobby gobs of green slime. Only the immediate
application of flame can thwart the spread of this infectious
nightmare.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
A giant Indonesian bat, usually found in large packs.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Rats are long-tailed rodents. They are aggressive, omnivorous, and
adaptable, often carrying diseases.
This odd-looking small purple lizard is harmless by itself, but
its paralyzing gaze can render one immobile and helpless against
stronger opponents.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
The rock mole is the size of a small dog. It is a rodent,
distantly related to beavers; it is hairless, with a huge head and
large spadelike teeth. Most specimens have six legs, but some have
eight and a few rare creatures have ten. The creature's hide is a
very light yellow - almost colourless - and resembles very pliable
leather. Its brown eyes are very small and set close together,
each being heavily protected by surrounding ridges of bone. Its
jaws are unusually large, allowing it to eat through rock and hard
metal with ease, including the equipment which unwary adventurers
have left about the dungeon floor. Often, a single rock mole will
be able to leave a dungeon a maze of chewed-out corridors by the
time it is located and slain.
[ 2nd ed. Monstrous Compendium, by TSR, Inc. ]
The rothe (pronounced roth-AY) is a musk ox-like creature with an
aversion to light. It prefers to live underground near lichen and
moss.
This crawly, four-legged beast is covered in tiny green spikes,
much like a cactus. It is feared for its crippling sting and often
runs in small packs.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
This loathsome paunchy creature is noisy even when simply resting
or feeding, at these times emitting a chilling wheezy sound. But
woe to the adventurer who startles a squealer, for the loud
shrieks that the sickly creature screams will attract all the
evil denizens within earshot!
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
At first glance, one knows that one has met a mangler. The
cockeyed combination of claws, horns, and teeth could only
serve one purpose -- the rending of hapless human flesh.
[ The New Bestiary, Wizard Endlebrook ]
Japanese rice wine.
These strange creatures live on a diet of metals. They
will turn a suit of armour into so much useless rusted
scrap in no time at all.
An ape-like humanoid native to densely forested mountains,
the sasquatch is also known as "bigfoot". Normally benign
are rarely seen, this creature is reputed to be a relative
of the ferocious yeti.
This quarterstaff was created aeons ago in some unknown cave, and
has been passed down from generation to generation of cavemen. It
is a very mighty quarterstaff indeed, and in addition will protect
anyone who carries it from magic missile attacks. When invoked, it
causes conflict in the area around it.
A sub-species of the spider (_Scorpionidae_), the scorpion
distinguishes itself from them by having a lower body that ends in
a long, jointed tail tapering to a poisonous sting. They have
eight legs and pincers.
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
Shades are shadowy, undead creatures, with a chilling touch.
According to most knowledgeable sages, shadows appear to have been
magically created, perhaps as part of some ancient curse laid upon
some long-dead enemy. The curse affects only humanoids, so it
would seen that it affects the soul or spirit. When a shade's
victim is slain, the majority of his essence is shifted to the
Negative Material plane. Only a shadow of their former self
remains on the Prime Material plane, and the transformation always
renders the victim both terribly insane and undeniable evil.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Making his quarters in the Caves of the Ancestors, Shaman Karnov
unceasingly tries to shield his neanderthal people from Tiamat's
minions' harassments.
The chinese god of Mountains and Seas, also the name of an old
book (also Shan Hai Tjing), the book of mountains and seas, which
handles about the monster Kung Kung trying to seize power from
Yao, the fourth emperor.
[ Spectrum Atlas van de Mythologie ]
A Japanese stabbing knife.
Skeletons are magically operated undead monsters, created as
guardians or warriors by powerful evil magic users. They appear to
have no ligaments or musculature which would allow movement.
Instead, the (usually humanoid) bones are magically joined
together when the skeleton is created. They have no eyes, nor
internal organs, and one can usually see right through them.
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which
the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman
said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the
garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye
touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye
shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat
thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to
be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and
did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast
done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of
the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat
all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
[ Genesis, 3:1-6,13-15 ]
Ah, never shall I forget the cry,
or the shriek that shrieked he,
As I gnashed my teeth, and from my sheath
I drew my Snickersnee!
--Koko, Lord high executioner of Titipu
[ The Mikado, by Sir W.S. Gilbert ]
The soldiers of Yendor are well-trained in the art of war,
many trained by the Wizard himself. Some say the soldiers
are explorers who were unfortunate enough to be captured,
and put under the Wizard's spell. Those who have survived
encounters with soldiers say they travel together in
platoons, and are fierce fighters. Because of the load of
their combat gear, however, one can usually run away from
them, and doing so is considered a wise thing.
Solonor Thelandira is the elven god of hunting, archery, and
survival in wild and harsh places. In his latter aspect, he is
worshipped by no few elven fighters, in addition to those rangers,
hunters, and woodsmen who revere him. Solonor has a primary
concern with the integrity of nature, with the balance between
exploitation and agriculture on the one hand and fallow, wild, and
undeveloped terrains on the other. His skills of bowmanship are
said to be unequalled by any being.
[ Monster Mythology, by TSR inc. ]
Spiders are aggressive predators, living above as well as below
ground. They have eight legs, and many spin webs for the capture
of other creatures as food. Most are poisonous.
This staff is considered sacred to all healers, as it truly holds
the powers of life an death. When wielded, it protects its user
from all life draining attacks, and additionally gives him or her
the power of regeneration. When invoked, it will heal the invoker.
The invisible stalker is a creature from the elemental plane of
Air. For the benefit of the reader, a detailed ASCII drawing of
this creature is provided below:
There was the usual dim grey light of the forest-day about him
when he came to his senses. The spider lay dead beside him, and
his sword-blade was stained black. Somehow the killing of the
giant spider, all alone and by himself in the dark without the
help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great
difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much
fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his
sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath.
"I will give you a name," he said to it, "and I shall call you
Sting."
[ The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
The Shinto chthonic and weather god and brother of the sun goddess
Amaterasu, he was born from the nose of the primordial creator god
izanagi and represents the physical, material world. He has been
expelled from heaven and taken up residence on earth.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
They say that cutting a worm in two may cut it into two.
Samurai plate armour of the Yamato period (300-710 A.D.).
The tengu was the most troublesome creature of Japanese
legend. Part bird and part man, with red beak for a nose
and flashing eyes, the tengu was notorious for stirring up
feuds and prolonging enmity between families. Indeed, the
belligerent tengus were supposed to have been man's first
instructors in the use of arms.
[Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library)]
The Egyptian god of the moon and wisdom, Thoth is the parton deity
of scribes and of knowledge, including scientific, medical and
mathematic writing, and is said to have given mankind the art of
hieroglyphic writing. Hi is important as a mediator and counsellor
amongst the gods and is the scribe of the Heliopolis Ennead
pantheon. According to mythology, he was born from the head of the
god Seth. He may be depicted in human form with the head of an
ibis, wholly as an ibis, or as a seated baboon sometimes with its
torso covered in feathers. His attributes include a crown which
consists of a crescent moon surmounted by a moon disc.
Thoth is generally regarded as a benign deity. He is also
scrupulously fair and is responsible not only for entering in the
record the souls who pass to afterlife, but of adjudicating in the
Hall of the Two Truths. The Pyramid Texts reveal a violent side of
his nature by which he decapitates the adversaries of truth and
wrenches out their hearts.
[ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ]
Thoth Amon is an evil wizard from Robert E. Howard's Conan series.
He was one of the far eastern wizards that had it out for Conan.
1. A well-known tropical predator (_Felis tigris_): a feline. It
has a yellowish skin with darker spots or stripes. 2. Figurative:
_a paper tiger_, something that is meant to scare, but has no
really scaring effect whatsoever (after a statement by Mao Ze
Dong, August 1946).
[ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ]
Gaea, mother earth, arose from the Chaos and gave birth to Uranus,
heaven, who became her consort. Uranus hated all their children,
because he feared they might challenge his own authority. Those
children, the Titans, the Gigantes and the Cyclopes, were banished
to the nether world. Their enraged mother eventually released the
youngest titan, Chronos (time), and encouraged him to castrate his
father and rule in his place. Later, he too was challenged by his
own son, Zeus, and he and his fellow titans were ousted from mount
Olympus.
[ Greek Mythology, by Richard Patrick ]
The road from Ankh-Morpork to Chrim is high, white and winding, a
thirty-league stretch of potholes and half-buried rocks that
spirals around mountains and dips into cool green valleys of
citrus trees, crosses liana-webbed gorges on creaking rope bridges
and is generally more picturesque than useful.
Picturesque. That was a new word to Rincewind the wizard (BMgc,
Unseen University [failed]). It was one of a number he had picked
up since leaving the charred ruins of Ankh-Morpork. Quaint was
another one. Picturesque meant - he decided after careful
observation of the scenery that inspired Twoflower to use the word
- that the landscape was horribly precipitous. Quaint, when used
to describe the occasional village through which they passed,
meant fever-ridden and tumbledown.
Twoflower was a tourist, the first ever seen on the discworld.
Tourist, Rincewind had decided, meant "idiot".
[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
The trapper is found only in caves and other dark places. It can
alter its shape to be almost undetectable. When prey wanders upon
a trapper, its edges rise up and wrap around the victim.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Trolls may be classified somewhere between humans and giants. They
can grow as tall as 4 metres and are very raggedly built. As they
age, their grey-brownish, leathery skin can become very thick,
almost like bark. Trolls like to dress up in animal furs; their
grey, felt-like hairs of the head and beard often reach far below
the shoulders. They prefer living in holes, but are also
encountered in forests and under bridges. They lead a solitary
life, are often out of temper, and have a tendency to melancholy.
It is rumoured that when they grow older (somewhere between their
170-est and 230-est year), they develop a certain sense of humour
and may be entertained by crude jokes. None the less, even a
benignant troll should be approached with care. To a troll, "pity"
is a four-letter-word.
[ het Boek van de Regels; Het Oog des Meesters ]
The tsurugi, also known as the long samurai sword, is an
extremely sharp, two-handed blade favored by the samurai.
It is made of hardened steel, and is manufactured using a
special process, causing it to never rust. The tsurugi is
rumored to be so sharp that it can occasionally cut
opponents in half!
This most ancient of swords has been passed down through the
leadership of the Samurai legions for hundreds of years. It is
said to grant luck to its wielder, but its main power is terrible
to behold. It has the capability to cut in half any creature it is
wielded against, instantly killing that creature.
"Rincewind!"
Twoflower sprang off the bed. The wizard jumped back, wrenching
his features into a smile.
"My dear chap, right on time! We'll just have lunch, and than I'm
sure you've got a wonderful programme lined up for this
afternoon!"
"Er -"
"That's great!"
Rincewind took a deep breath. "Look," he said desperately, "let's
eat somewhere else. There's been a bit of a fight down below."
"A tavern brawl? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Well, you see, I - _what_?"
"I thought I made myself clear this morning, Rincewind. I want to
see genuine Morporkian life - the slave market, the Whore Pits,
the Temple of Small Gods, the Beggar's Guild... and a genuine
tavern brawl." A faint note of suspicion entered Twoflower's
voice. "You _do_ have them, don't you? You know, people swinging
on chandelier, swordfights over the table, the sort of thing Hrun
the Barbarian and the Weasel are always getting involved in. You
know - _excitement_."
[ The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett ]
Tyaa is a force of evil and chaos. She chooses to manifest her
powers through the actions of malicious birds. She has created an
offshoot of the raven that is both smarter and stronger than its
ancestral cousin. It should be noted that, while she prefers to
employ the Birds of Tyaa, she is perfectly capable of using any
carnivorous bird to do her will on Nehwon. The city of Lankhmar
has always been her favourite because she has the most worshippers
in this place.
Tyaa's cult has been banned in Lankhmar because of its evil
teachings and ways. This has only caused the movement to go
underground and to other cities. There are several large caches of
diamonds and jewels hidden in several abandoned manors in
Lankhmar. The high priestess of the cult knows of these locations
and will use these riches to support the cult and make it grow.
[ Legends and Lore, by TSR, inc. ]
Tyr (also known as Tiwaz, Ziu or Saxnot), the son of Odin, was the
god of war and athletic activities. Tyr was a shining or
glistening god. His Anglo-Saxon name was Tiw or Tiu, and the day
set apart for him, Tiwes daeg, gives us our Tuesday.
Tyr's right hand was bitten off in a terrific struggle by Fenrir,
one of Loki's offspring, a monster wolf. In the last and greatest
battle (Ragnarok), Tyr killed - and was killed by - Garm, the
hell-hound guarding the Gnipa Cave.
Wrestlers, fighters, runners and other athletes called on Tyr for
aid.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose iron-like
claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in search of prey.
They are tremendously strong: muscles bulge beneath their thick,
scaly hides and their powerful arms and legs all carry great
claws.
The Valkyries were the thirteen choosers of the slain, the
beautiful warrior-maids of Odin who rode through the air and over
the sea. They watched the progress of the battle and selected the
heroes who were to fall fighting. After they were dead, the
maidens rewarded the heroes by kissing them and then led their
souls to Valhalla, where the warriors lived happily in an ideal
existence, drinking and eating without restraint and fighting over
again the battles in which they died and in which they had won
their deathless fame.
[ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All Nations,
by Herbert Spencer Robinson and Knox Wilson ]
Men have always sought the elusive unicorn, for the single
twisted horn which projected from its forehead was thought
to be a powerful talisman. It was said that the unicorn had
simply to dip the tip of its horn in a muddy pool for the
water to become pure. Men also believed that to drink from
this horn was a protection against all sickness, and that if
the horn was ground to a powder it would act as an antidote
to all poisons. Less than 200 years ago in France, the horn
of a unicorn was used in a ceremony to test the royal food
for poison.
Although only the size of a small horse, the unicorn is a
very fierce beast, capable of killing an elephant with a
single thrust from its horn. Its fleetness of foot also
makes this solitary creature difficult to capture. However,
it can be tamed and captured by a maiden. Made gentle by the
sight of a virgin, the unicorn can be lured to lay its head
in her lap, and in this docile mood, the maiden may secure
it with a golden rope.
[Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library)]
The Oxford English Dictionary is quite unequivocal: _vampire_ - "a
preternatural being of a malignant nature (in the original and
usual form of the belief, a reanimated corpse), supposed to seek
nourishment, or do harm, by sucking the blood of sleeping persons.
..."
Where normal bats (and even their giant counterparts) usually are
nothing but annoying pests, the vampire bat can pose a dangerous
threat to the unsuspecting adventurer. As its name implies, it is
quite fond of uncovered necks and loves to pet them.
Swirling clouds of pure elemental energies, the vortices are
thought to be related to the larger elementals. Though the
vortices do no damage when touched, they are noted for being able
to envelop unwary travellers. The hapless fool thus swallowed by a
vortex will soon perish from exposure to the element the vortex is
composed of.
Suddenly Aragorn leapt to his feet. "How the wind howls!" he
cried. "It is howling with wolf-voices. The Wargs have come west
of the Mountains!"
"Need we wait until morning then?" said Gandalf. "It is as I said.
The hunt is up! Even if we live to see the dawn, who now will wish
to journey south by night with the wild wolves on his trail?"
"How far is Moria?" asked Boromir.
"There was a door south-west of Caradhras, some fifteen miles as
the crow flies, and maybe twenty as the wolf runs," answered
Gandalf grimly.
"Then let us start as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can,"
said Boromir. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that
one fears."
"True!" said Aragorn, loosening his sword in its sheath. "But
where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls."
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
Although their brethren are usually found elsewhere, a few demons
prefer the cold waters of the Dungeon of Doom above life in
Hell...
"Sam!" he called. "Pippin! Merry! come along! Why don't you keep
up?"
...
"Where are you?" he cried again, both angry and afraid.
"Here!" said a voice, deep and cold, that seemed to come out of
the ground. "I am waiting for you!"
"No!" said Frodo; but he did not run away. His knees gave, and he
fell on the ground. Nothing happened, and there was no sound.
Trembling he looked up, in time to see a tall dark figure like a
shadow against the stars. It leaned over him. He thought there
were two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale light that seemed
to come from some remote distance. Then a grip stronger and colder
than iron seized him. The icy touch froze his bones, and he
remembered no more.
When he came to himself again, for a moment he could recall
nothing except a sense of dread. Then suddenly he knew that he was
imprisoned, caught hopelessly; he was in a barrow. A Barrow-wight
had taken him, and he was probably already under the dreadful
spells of the Barrow-wights about which whispered tales spoke. He
dared not move, but lay as he found himself: flat on his back upon
a cold stone with his hands on his breast.
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
The most dangerous member of the species, the winter wolf is known
for its great size and foul disposition. Living only in chill
regions, they can unleash a stream of frost from their lungs. The
winter wolf is beautiful, with glistening white or silver fur and
eyes of pale blue or silver.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
The Wizard of Balance holds office in his hidden tower, only
reachable by magical means, where he teaches his apprentices the
enigmatic skills of occultism. He considers himself a guardian of
the equilibrium of the universe, and goes out of his way to
promote stability.
The wolf is a very active, cunning carnivore, capable of surviving
in nearly every climate. Shrouded in mystery and suspicion, they
are viewed as vicious killers that slaughter men and animals alike
for the lack of better things to do.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
Immediately, though everything else remained as before, dim and
dark, the shapes became terribly clear. He was able to see beneath
their black wrappings. There were five tall figures: two standing
on the lip of the dell, three advancing. In their white faces
burned keen and merciless eyes; under their mantles were long grey
robes; upon their grey hairs were helms of silver; in their
haggard hands were swords of steel. Their eyes fell on him and
pierced him, as they rushed towards him. Desperate, he drew his
own sword, and it seemed to him that it flickered red, as if it
was a firebrand. Two of the figures halted. The third was taller
than the others: his hair was long and gleaming and on his helm
was a crown. In one hand he held a long sword, and in the other a
knife; both the knife and the hand that held it glowed with a pale
light. He sprang forward and bore down on Frodo.
[ The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien ]
The xorn are natives to the elemental plane of Earth. The xorn's
body is made of a pebbly, stone-like material. It has a large,
powerful mouth on top of its head with three long arms, tipped
with sharp talons, symmetrically positioned every 120 degrees
around it. Between the arms are large, stone-lidded eyes that see
in all directions. At its base are three thick, short legs, each
directly beneath an eye. The whole body is designed for burrowing,
mouth first.
[ Monstrous Manual, by TSR, Inc. ]
The samurai warrior traditionally wears two swords; the
wakizashi is the shorter of the two. See also katana.
[The crysknife] is manufactured in two forms from teeth tak-
en from dead sandworms. The two forms are "fixed" and "un-
fixed." An unfixed knife requires proximity to a human
body's electrical field to prevent disintegration. Fixed
knives are treated for storage. All are about 20 centime-
ters long.
[ Dune, by Frank Herbert ]
No one knows how old this mighty wizard is, or from whence
he came. It is known that, having lived a span far greater
than any normal man's, he grew weary of lesser mortals; and
so, spurning all human company, he forsook the dwellings of
men and went to live in the depths of the Earth. He took
with him the mystical artifact, the Amulet of Yendor, which
is said to hold great power indeed. Many have sought to find
the wizard and his treasure, but none have found him and
lived to tell the tale. Woe be to the incautious adventurer
who disturbs this mighty sorcerer!
They sent their friend the mosquito [xan] ahead of them to
find out what lay ahead. "Since you are the one who sucks
the blood of men walking along paths," they told the mosqui-
to, "go and sting the men of Xibalba." The mosquito flew
down the dark road to the Underworld. Entering the house of
the Lords of Death, he stung the first person that he saw...
The mosquito stung this man as well, and when he yelled, the
man next to him asked, "Gathered Blood, what's wrong?" So
he flew along the row stinging all the seated men until he
knew the names of all twelve.
[ Popul Vuh, as translated by Ralph Nelson ]
The arrow of choice of the samurai, ya are made of very
straight bamboo, and are tipped with hardened steel.
An ape-like humanoid native to inaccessible mountain tops,
the yeti is also known as "the abominable snowman". Whether
or not the title "man" is appropriate remains unknown.
Japanese leather archery gloves. Gloves made for use while
practising had thumbs reinforced with horn. Those worn into battle
had thumbs reinforced with a double layer of leather.
The samurai is highly trained with a special type of bow,
the yumi. Like the ya, the yumi is made of bamboo. With
the yumi-ya, the bow and arrow, the samurai is an extremely
accurate and deadly warrior.
The zombi... is a soulless human corpse, still dead, but
taken from the grave and endowed by sorcery with a
mechanical semblance of life, -- it is a dead body which is
made to walk and act and move as if it were alive.
[ W. B. Seabrook ]
The zruty are wild and gigantic beings, living in the wil-
dernesses of the Tatra mountains.