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≡MARAJACK≡
------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Reptile
TERRAIN: Any dark and damp
FOOD: Carnivore/Omnivore
AGGRESSION: Normal/High
SIZE: 1-2 feet tall (head)
NUMBERS: 1 to thousands
------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 4-5
AGILITY: 11-15
ENDURANCE: 15-24
INTELLIGENCE: 1-3
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 1-3
CHARM: 0
(If stats of human ranges from 3 to 18)
SPEED: Running x 1,2 Swimming x 1
(Multiple is times human speed)
MAGIC POWER: 0
(Ranges from 0-100)
HIT POINTS: 4-7
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)
------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 6
BODY: 6
BELLY: 1
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)
------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
1 BITE: 1-4
4 CLAWS: 1-4
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)
When standing, the Marajack will attack only with its front claws and mouth. In water, or when clinging to a victim, the creature will attack with all limbs if possible.
------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
OILY JET: The Marajack has the ability to spurt out an oily substance through its hollow tongue. The consistency of the black substance can be controlled by the creature, and is used for many purposes. It can be shot out to temporarily blind a creature, or gushed out to make the ground slippery when chased. It is also used to spray down birds to hinder them from flying, and to make the Marajack slimy to reduce its chance of being caught. The double jet can reach up to 20 feet (6 meters) from the creature’s mouth, and a single creature can create quick puddles covering up to 10 x 10 feet (9 sq meters). It can use this ability two times a day, or four times a day when applied sparingly. If a player is hit (in the face) by a jet, he or she will be blinded for 1-4 rounds. If moving quickly through an area covered with the oily substance, a successful roll based on dexterity should be made to avoid falling.
------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
The Marajack is a quick reptile that moves about with little support from its front legs. Descendants of a creature living only in the watery darkness of deep grottos, this reptile has transformed to survive basically anywhere. Like its ancestors though, it is drawn to water and prefers the dampness of the underground. Completely blind the Marajack has developed an incredible sense of smell. The forked tongue, which moves constantly in and out of its mouth, can even sense vibrations in the surrounding air. This ability is so finely tuned that the Marajack navigates in complete darkness just as well as any seeing creature would in the day. Typically these reptiles live in riverbank hollows and dark humid caves. Their favourite food is fish, a trait that has drawn them also into human settlements. In the long winters, when the inland waterways freeze, some move down along the rivers to discover the wealth of the human city.
Especially coastal towns are prone to these creatures, and when they come it is no less than a curse. As long as the sewers and catacombs are full of rats, and gulls are still there to compete for the fish, they will barely be noticed. But when the fishermen start guarding their haul more closely, and when the rats and sea-birds are gone, the Marajacks take to the streets for food. At night they will move up in great numbers and some bolder individuals even in the day. At such a point pets and young children should be carefully looked after. A Marajack female produces between 10 to 100 eggs in a year, depending on the abundance of space and food in the area. When times are good the young will be many and reach adulthood in a couple of months. A plentiful year followed by a bad one is bound to bring a lot of Marajacks to the surface.
A starving Marajack will eat almost anything and is highly aggressive. With tough bodies covered in hard slippery scales, these creatures are notoriously hard to catch and kill. Their main weakness is that they lack the soft and silent movement of the rat, and will produce an audible clatter when moving for example on cobbled streets. Though short they can jump really well and will usually find a way to upper floors and roofs if need be. Should a Marajack loose its tongue it will become totally disoriented and a very easy target, but otherwise it takes a lot of skill or cunning to defeat them. They do have some fear of fire and intense heat, but it will not stop these reptiles for more than a couple of minutes. Then the hissing noise of the creatures will recommence with even more fervour and the fire jumped through if need be.
© Copyright 2009 - Nicholas Cloister
