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In any case, I promise a couple of less insane creatures following this one. Here is the Ghondaar! I hope you enjoy it.
And by the way; I'm really quite a nice guy... I hope... (Psycho theme playing..) ;-)
≡GHONDAAR≡
------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Demonic reptile
TERRAIN: Mountains (Any)
FOOD: Carnivore
AGGRESSION: High
SIZE: 7 feet (210 cm) long (without snakes)
NUMBERS: 1
------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 18-22
AGILITY: 15-17
ENDURANCE: 15-22
INTELLIGENCE: 1-3
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 0-2 (snakes: 18)
CHARM: 0
(If stats of a human ranges from 3 to 18)
SPEED: Running x 2 Swimming x 1
(Multiple is times human speed)
MAGIC POWER: 0
(Ranges from 0-100)
HIT POINTS: 18-25
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)
------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 5
BACK: 7
BELLY: 3
HEAD: 5
LIMBS: 4
SNAKES: 3
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)
The Ghondaar skin is like that of a big reptile - durable, with leathery surfaces enforced in places by hard bone.
------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
1 BITE: 2-4
2 CLAWS: 1-6
2 HIND CLAWS: 1-8
2-6 SNAKE BITES: 1-2 (+ demonic pain – see 'Powers')
(If a Long Sword makes a damage of 1-8)
The Ghondaar typically attacks with all force, but never with its hind and front claws simultaneously.
------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
DEMONIC PAIN: When the Ghondaar snakes bite down into flesh they infect it with demonic pain. The memories of abysmal torment and suffering is infused as physical reality into the victim's nervous system. There it spreads through the body and causes 1-4 points of damage for 1-4 rounds after the attack. A successful roll against mental resilience is necessary. If failed the pain will cause 30% minus to all rolls for the duration of the pain.
VENOMOUS TRAIL: The breath of the snakes is venomous and leaves a shimmering green trail of smoke behind the Ghondaar. In tight places, like tunnels or very dense woods, the smoke lingers for up to 20 minutes. Breathing in such areas is highly dangerous. A saving throw against poison (or endurance) must be cleared, to avoid dizziness, running eyes, and 1-2 points of physical damage per round.
INNER DARKNESS: The demonic snakes can cause an inner darkness to torment intelligent beings by simply gazing at them. If a mental resilience roll is failed the victim will suffer from an overbearing mental darkness, that reduces all rolls by 20-80%. Horrid visions might occur, and morale is generally weakened.
SPINAL POSSESSION: If any of the snakes manage to bite down into the neck, or on any other place along the spine, they have a fair chance of possessing the entire vertebral column. The victim will feel as if a dark serpent has come alive in the place of the backbone, and will act accordingly. This may result in a crazed dance, rolling around screaming on the ground, or plain out madness. To avoid such humiliating actions a hard mental resilience roll must be passed. The possession lasts for 2-10 rounds. If the Ghondaar snakes survive, the victim may suffer reoccurring episodes of possession randomly for several years. An exorcism might be in order. If no spiritual treatment is undertaken within a year, there is a chance of 1-4 actual snakes growing out from the location of the bite.
------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
The Ghondaar is a pitiful and terrible creature. Possessed from birth by a number of snake demons, that grows out from the back end of its spine, the Ghondaar is eternally tormented. Forced to kill for, and to feed the demons, the creature roams through the world in a constant search for fresh meat. The snakes bite and plague the Ghondaar into obedience – lashing it on in its hellish hunt.
The fully grown Ghondaar has completely surrendered, and thus become one with its masters. As the snakes fight each other for a piece of the next meal, the Ghondaar opens its mouth to let the strongest one in. There, inside its tainted belly, a process of serpentine magic transforms the swallowed meat into dark energy, which keeps the demons alive and powerful.
Over the ages the Ghondaar has developed a thorny shield, and a double nasal spike to protect itself from the hungry serpents. This however, offer little protection in the long run, but serves mainly to keep the Ghondaar alive. The fangs of the snakes are short but their power unholy, and the pain they cause is pure and persistent.
I want a pet, said the son of the Devil High Lord, and the Dark Power bestowed upon him the Ghondaar of the mountains – a fierce and appropriate gift to please his son. As the creature escaped and fled heedlessly through the corridors of Hell, the son of the High Lord sent out his other pets to retrieve it. As the Snake found it, it bit down upon its short tail and cursed it with eternal possession. Wild and furious, the Ghondaar escaped again, and found its way out of the lower realms. Alas, a creature transformed, it would carry Hell with it – for all times, and for every generation to come.
The Ghondaar still prefers mountainous areas, but will go anywhere to please the hunger of its masters. Sleeping hidden, in caverns or in dark places, the beast will regain its strength, but the demons never rest. All Ghondaar travel alone. The snakes do not stand the demons of another Ghondaar. Mating takes place quickly, and sometimes result in the death of one of the Ghondaar.
When a youthful Ghondaar is freed of its demonic masters (through decapitation of the snakes, for example) it immediately stops fighting and runs off in a random direction. At times such Ghondaars have returned to their “saviors” after some time, to stay with them, and to gratefully serve them for the remainder of their days. The mature Ghondaar will simply go into hiding and die slowly from lack of will and starvation.
Unless killed by its demonic tails, the Ghondaar can become 300 years old. With age the snakes grow longer, and may end up three times as long as their host. They keep aloft through dark magic, and move around in air as if it was water. They also kill and hunt what they reach, and can live on for weeks even if the main Ghondaar is killed. However, to keep strong and retain their wicked powers, they rely on the meat; processed and altered in the perverted Ghondaar belly.
From birth, two to six snakes infest the spine of the creature
© Copyright 2010 - Nicholas Cloister
