The Goblin Key

Here is a scene with some goblins, and a winged creature, which I painted last week. I do a lot of creatures for MonstersByEmail.com, so it was nice doing a full scene for a change. There is something about the mood and light in this piece which I really like, so in some ways I consider it my best piece to date. It has something of that dreamy, mythological vibe, which draws me to this type of art. I call it 'The Goblin Key'.

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I'm also quite happy about my last MonstersByEmail creature which will be released in Creature Set 2, by the end of this month, and is for subscribers only, but here is a detail sneak-peak.

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The Beauty and the Rage

Someone wrote me an e-mail recently, asking for more playable creatures. The Darwandir is what came out from that request. With humanoid creatures I find myself writing longer than average descriptions. There is suddenly a wider cultural aspect to address, and I get the feeling I could write several pages about them, perhaps even books. In this context I try to focus on the features that mainly seperate them from human beings, and then just briefly touch some other areas of interest... which leaves some creative blanks for the Game Master. If I ever feel like writing more about any of these creatures I might add very short short-stories to the blog (just and idea I had). Also, if any of you guys ever write any texts, related to these creatures (in an rpg-context, for example), or have suggestions or ideas that might broaden (or perhaps even be a variation on) the initial information, feel free to send them to me, and I will consider adding them below the original creature description, together with your name, and a link to your website (if you want to). I would still love to see more interactivity here. This is the 45th creature btw, and 45 is a magic number. I'll tell you why next time. Until then, go dance with the charming Darwa'an.



≡DARWANDIR≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Two-legged Mammal
TERRAIN: Forests, mountains (any)
FOOD: Omnivore
AGGRESSION: Normal (to high)
SIZE: 6’ 5” - 8’ 1” (195-245 cm) tall
NUMBERS: Up to hundreds


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 7-21
AGILITY: 5-19
ENDURANCE: 5-18
INTELLIGENCE: 3-16
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 3-14
CHARM: 3-15
(If stats of humans range from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 1,3, Swimming x 1,2, Climbing x 2)
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 0-50
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 5-20
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 1 (3)
BODY: 1 (3)

The skin of the Darwandir is more resilient than human skin, and will turn harder still when the creatures throw themselves into action (see 'Powers')


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
2 FISTS: 1-4
2 KICKS: 1-6
(If a Long Sword causes 1-8 points of damage)

The legs and arms of the Darwandir are long and powerful. They can deal out bone-breaking punches and kicks, and will fight unarmed if required, even when facing armored enemies.


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
HARDEN SKIN: When the Darwandir go into battle their skin hardens to protect them from harm. With adrenaline rushing their joints and muscles stay flexible, while the outer layers turn tough and wood-like. This cellular change is quick and swiftly subsides as the creatures calm down again. The color of their skin shifts a bit when it hardens, towards gray, brown, or green, and may turn dappled, and textured, like the surface of bark.

FINAL RAGE: In a situation where the Darwandir find themselves outnumbered, betrayed, or otherwise near death, they can decide to summon the full power of the inner rage. At such times their entire biology and character transform into a vessel of elemental fury. They quickly darken into the blackest wood, and their horn-like outgrowth lengthen. In their eyes flash the chaos and power of an untamed world, where lightning and violent storms raise the seas and whip mountains into sand and earth. The crude power of the past soars up from their soul and into the living flesh of their current being. This causes a +10 bonus to Strength (and +3 to all damage rolls), + 5 to all attack rolls, and adds 15 to their Magic Power. If the Darwandir still lives when the danger is over, they can never return to their previous selves. They lose all bonuses, but their nature is morphed into a dark sort of beast, with little or no memories of its previous existence. Tired and confused they usually escape far into the deep woods. There they merge with the trees, or join up with orcs or other creatures more similar to their new nature. Needless to say, the Darwandir do not use this power unless they expect to perish.


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
Savages with a taste for elegance. That’s what many see when they look at the Darwandir. Tall and graceful, yet with a core of primordial wilderness – a raw essence, that despite the ornaments of culture, howls in unison with the beasts at night.

The Darwandir adore the feast and the dance, but have no desire for the comforts of the city. They are drawn to the arts and the wisdom of the sages, but care little for novelties, and require no empires. Like ancient gypsies, rooted in the soil of the past, they intermingle with modern cultures. Though socially apt, they are restless when far from home. Among the highest of trees they build their huts, but some carve halls in the deep mountains.

They are children of the earth, sprung from the roots of the first trees. Inside of them, the elemental forces have not yet settled. Their skins and muscles must always move, or their bodies will stiffen and turn back into wood. An hour of stillness is all they can endure, before the earth calls them back, and draws them into a state of eternal petrification. Void of sleep and dreams they walk beneath the stars, singing songs of moons and magic.

The Darwandir live in matriarchal tribes. The females are a full foot (30 cm) taller than the males. The men are wilder, but receive no training in the arts and sciences. Most are hunters or warriors, while the women govern the social and political affairs. All Darwandir tribe-leaders, druids, sages, and magicians are female, and most prominent fighters too. These constitute an elite in the Darwandir societies and are called the Darwa’an. The largest tribes are about 500 strong, but many Darwa’an meet up with the elite of other tribes to learn from one another.

A Darwandir must learn at a young age to tame the wilderness within. Even adults regularly fight to harness the ancient rage, forever present in the depth of them. There is no inherent evil to this inner power, but an uncultured directness, that will not succumb to reflection. It screams for absolute freedom and to tear through every obstacle without thought, and without conscience. There are within all Darwandir tribes those who would have it otherwise, and who wishes to celebrate and unleash the dark rage in all of them. The Darwa’an do their best to keep such forces subdued and pacified. The elders teach that the Wild One within serves them well with energy and strength, but unfettered it would destroy them, and turn them into something degraded and demonic.

Managing this yearning is a great part of Darwandir upbringing and education. When a Darwandir loses temper it can be seen not only in the eyes but in their entire appearance. They seem possessed and may mom-entarily turn bestial in their choice of words and actions. In Darwanidir societies this is part of daily life, and dealt with, but in other cultures, these sudden displays of primoridal rage are not always well handled. Most Darwandir quickly return to their normal selves, and make sure to resolve the situation, as well as they can.

Music and food are great sources of pleasure for the Darwandir. Most play some instrument or sing. They keep no pets, and use no steeds or beasts of burden. The Darwanir loath bows, crossbows, and javelins, and will not even throw their daggers. When the time comes to fight they do so face to face with their enemies in a dance of dirt, sweat, and blood. They never wear shoes or boots, and dress light even in the winter. Some wear armor of leather, scales, or horn, but shields, helmets, and suits of steel are extremely rare.

The Darwandir worship the heavenly bodies and various spirits of the earth,. Their magic is based around songs weaved in the forlorn past, and they have great knowledge about all things that grow. They all have black hair, live for 200-300 years, and don’t care much for swimming.


(Check out more creatures in the 'Creature Archive' menu to the left.)


© Copyright 2011 - Nicholas Cloister

The Strength of a Beast

Hi again! If you read this, you didn't ditch the blog due to the long wait since the last creature, which means you probably enjoy fantasy beasts to some extent. This time I present a non-exotic kind of creation, where by small means I have tried to come up with something interesting. I am very attracted to the forest creatures of the northern temperate zone (moose, deer, rabbits, wolves, squirrels etc). They have something mysterious in common, I think. Watching them on a misty field in the morning, in their grey-brown attire, just infuses that fantasy vibe in me. It is easy to picture small differences in their natural anatomy, and turn the entire scene into a fantasy world right there. Just some minor tweaks to what you are used to, and that could be it. Of course, on a still digital picture, this magic is a lot harder to bring about. I'm not sure I have succeeded at all here, but in any case I like the Nothnock.




≡NOTHNOCK≡




------GENERAL-----------------------------------------
CATEGORY: Mammal
TERRAIN: Mountains and highlands
FOOD: Omnivore
AGGRESSION: High
SIZE: 5’ 4” (160 cm)
NUMBERS: 1-10


------CHARACTERISTICS-----------------------------
STRENGTH: 25-30
AGILITY: 10-15
ENDURANCE: 18-22
INTELLIGENCE: 2
MENTAL RESILIENCE: 2-6
CHARM: 1-2
(If stats of a human ranges from 3 to 18)

SPEED: Running x 2, Climbing x 5
(Multiple is times human speed)

MAGIC POWER: 0
(Ranges from 0-100)

HIT POINTS: 25-30
(If a human commoner has about 11 hit points)


------PROTECTION-------------------------------------
AVERAGE: 3
BODY: 3
HEAD: 2
(If Full Plate Armour is 10)

The hide of the Nothnock is unusually thick and hardy, and the creature is extremely insensitive to pain.


------ATTACKS/DAMAGE---------------------------
2 CLAWS: 1–3
1 BITE or TUSK ATTACK: 1–6
(If a Long Sword causes 1-8 points of damage)

The Nothnocks prefer to come charging down the mountainsides, or to jump down upon their prey from higher grounds. Though very strong from a firm position, they try to benefit from their great mass when charging. They are good climbers but take advantage of their rock-like bodies, for camouflage, when hunting quick and agile animals like mountain goats and monkeys.


------POWERS/EFFECT-------------------------------
MUSCULAR GROWTH VIRUS: All Nothnocks are born with a potent virus which disrupts the hormonal balance and causes severe growth of muscle. This virus halves their natural life span, but has been part of their biology for countless generations. Their bodies are hard and resistant, which suits their violent life-style and the tough terrain of the mountains. The Nothnock's teeth, tusks, and claws may cause infection and result in uncontrolled muscle growth. During a couple of weeks the strength of the victim is increased by 2-5 points. With this change of physique follows a greater tendency for violence and weakened mental resilience (-2). All effects are permanent, and to all knowledge incurable. The virus seem to have no contagious power in other life forms.
Some barbarian mountain tribes has been known to seek out and fight Nothnock beasts in rites of initiation The men of these tribes usually die young or return physically stronger.


------DESCRIPTION------------------------------------
In Nothnock groups and families fights are regular events. Both males and females resolve even the smallest of conflicts through bloody battles. Often entire groups engage in King of the Hill-like brawls. These are fierce and may end in the death of several group members. Though powerful creatures of the mountains, Nothnock groups rarely grow beyond ten members.

The creatures are omnivores but prefer freshly killed meat to cadavers, mushrooms, roots, and vegetables. They hunt in teams when possible and can plan and synchronise attacks well, despite their short-tempered violent nature. During the sun of day they tend to rest in great caves, and like to move about and seek out food from dusk to the early hours of morning. Nothnocks are territorial creatures and rarely move further than 12 miles (19 km) from their main lair.

Young Nothnocks grow up quickly, and reach full maturity in less than two years. Attempts have been made to tame them, but few have succeeded. The foul smell and loud growls of these creatures make their company undesirable, even when they're not attacking.

The Nothnocks recover quickly from injuries. This might have something to do with the virus, but no increase in the rate of healing have been spotted among other infected life forms. Some Nothnock specimens are said to have regenerated lost limbs – a rumour which has made the species interesting to physicians and other healers. Many of these creatures are more or less dressed in scars, and must have some powerful resistance to infections. With all the battles among themselves, more Nothnocks should be seen limping or disabled, but such creatures are only rarely reported.

The cold air of northern highlands suit the Nothnocks perfectly. They stay out of forests and they can't swim. Like bears, they can still be found catching fat salmon from the rivers, and looting eggs from the nests of birds. They chase the agile foxes down the slopes, and they terrorize the goblins, when they emerge from their tunnels in the mountainsides.

Nothocks live to be 25 years old. They are grey to brown in colour, and partly furred. Their hands and feet are dexterous tools, and their bodies are pure strength. They move about in a gorilla-like fashion, but are more closely related to boars.

© Copyright 2011 - Nicholas Cloister