From: wolf@cheshire.oxy.edu (Clinton Richard Wolf)
Subject: ADMIN: Bestiary of the Known Lands
Summary: I'm a hungry orcie-dog! 
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041 USA.
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 05:18:02 GMT

      Well, there would have been lots of neat new critters this week, had
I gotten around to putting them in. Apologies to those who contributed. Rest
assured your thingies will be slavering, stalking, and squirrel-riding their
way into next weeks Bestiary post. :)



                    -----------------------------
                   | BESTIARY OF THE KNOWN LANDS |
                    -----------------------------

                     Being a compilation of nasty
                     beasties for use in your APDI
                              postings...

Name: Bolas
Description: Small fuzzy animals with rat-like faces and retractable claws,
             Bolas are usually light brown or yellow in color, and travel
             in packs of about 5-50 individuals. Bolas have three stages of
             life they they go through. The first is that of youth, where
             they are given the term 'Hyper-bolas' due to their extremely
             active metabolisms and general skittishness. Eventually, these
             young Bolas calm down and choose a mate, moving on to the sec-
             ond stage. The mated creatures are referred to as 'Pair-a-bolas,'
             and share a psychic link which increases their effective intel-
             ligence and capabilities. Finally, in the later stages of their
             lives, they are simply known as Bolas... that is until Chris can
             think up another awful pun and get it to work. 
Geographic Range: The Forests of the Known Lands
General Attitude: Curious
Created by: Christopher M. Steiner (csteiner@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu)
Availability: General


Name: Deathwalker
Description: Deathwalkwers are animated corpses, zombie-like and  
             devoid of any true intelligence. Deathwalkers can
             act upon a set of simple instructions... more com-
             plex orders only confuse them. They are created by
             evil priests and mages to do their bidding. Normal
             weapons do little damage to these monstrosities, but
             the ritual that gives them life also dries out their
             skin, making them vulnerable to flame. These creat-
             ures attack by bludgeoning or strangling their op-
             ponents with their great strength, which belies 
             their withered appearance. They smell strongly of
             strange chemicals and decay.
             Rameshanders, in particular, are known to make use
             of these creatures as guards and enforcers.
Geographic Range: Any
General Attitude: Mindless, Violent
Created by: Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu) 
Availability: General


Name: Denizar
Description: A race of dwarves leading squalid lives in the sew-
             ers and Gaps of Generica.
Geographic Range: The sewers and Gaps of Generica.
General Attitude: Unknown
Created by: Jaxman (real name unknown)
Availability: General until mailed otherwise


Name: Draga
Description: Dragas are large, lion-like humanoids. They are
             plains dwellers, descended from the hunters of the
             savannahs, who make their living herding Ox-like 
             creatures called Grahmas. Dragas grow up to seven
             feet tall and sport claws, fangs, and a spiked
             tail; they are quite strong, but their main asset is
             speed and agility -- they are as spry on their feet
             as the hunting cats they descend from. Dragas are
             not stupid, but they have a reputation for being
             impulsive, and gullible country boys besides.
             Despite their fierce appearances, Dragas are
             actually quite peaceful.
Geographic Range: The plains of Drotshava, on the Dark Continent 
General Attitude: Peaceful
Created by: Daniel Steven Reinker (dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu) 
Availability: General


Name: Drist
Description: A race of reptilian humanoids, often exceeding seven
             feet in height; their coloring ranges from a deep
             orange-red to a faded tan. Their heads resemble
             those of prehistoric ceratopsians, with a single
             horn protruding above the nostrils. They are quite
             intelligent, and many are versed in the ways of mag-
             ic.
Geographic Range: The northern deserts of the Dark Continent 
General Attitude: Peaceful
Created by: Brian Diantonio (bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu)
Availability: General (since BD is no longer with us...) 


Name: Gypsies (Characo)
Description: These gypsies are a culture of nomadic, highly
             religious humans who occupy Hyrexes' Battle-
             ground in Generica. They are scrupulously honest,
             with a highly organized society and set of laws,
             and permit no crime within their walls. Visitors
             are welcome to the Battleground during the day, but
             when night comes all outsiders must leave the com-
             pound. The Characo Gypsies provide many services for
             Generica, including honest gambling, moneylending,
             and various arts and crafts. The Gypsies are a color-
             ful, musical folk, who are friendly and industrious
             but who like to keep to themselves. In particular,
             the Gypsies are very tight-lipped about their re-
             ligion.
Geographic Range: Hyrexes' Battleground in Generica
General Attitude: Peaceful, Solitary
Created by: Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu) 
Availability: HANDS OFF


Name: Kymrath Leviathan
Description: An amphibious relative of the octupus family, this beast can
             survive almost indefinitely on land. While slow moving, the
             creature can grow up to many times human size, and its large,
             sucker-equipped tentacles can easily reach across a room to
             ensnare prey and draw it into the Leviathan's crushing beak.
             Leviathans are always hungry, and will attack any living thing
             which intrudes into their lairs. If they are losing a battle,
             Leviathans will expel a cloud of noxious black ink which blinds
             and nauseates those attacking it, and then make its escape
             through a hidden exit from its lair. Leviathans will always
             have at least one such escape tunnel, and possibly many more.
                Most of the larger Leviathans encountered will be on land,
             kept and cared for by various beings and organizations which
             use them as guards in appropriate areas.
Geographic Range: The coasts of the Known Lands
General Attitude: HUNGRY!!
Created by: Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu). Entry submitted by: Alf-
            vaen (aaron@space.ualberta.ca)
Availability: General


Name: Loxorian
Description: Loxorians are large, elephant-like humanoid war-
             riors. They are huge beings, standing nearly twelve
             feet tall at the shoulder and six feet across; there
             are few creatures that can match them for sheer phys-
             ical strength. These jungle warriors live for bat-
             tle; their culture has elevated war to an art form,
             in exclusion of all others. Most Loxorians fight
             with gigantic spears or greatswords, in addition to
             their stamping feet and menacing tusks. Loxorians 
             prize bravery and loyalty above all else; once one
             has befriended a Loxorian, they have gained a true
             ally for the rest of their lives. Loxorians can live
             200 years or more, but most die before this time due
             to their violent lifestyle.
Geographic Range: The Dark Continent
General Attitude: Warlike
Created by: Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu)
Availability: General


Name: Motherspawn
Description: These horrors are the bastard 'offspring' of the Great Mother,
             of which Blade is an example. They exist only to carry out her
             will, which is generally detrimental to the mortal population
             of Generica. Motherspawn come in an endless variety of Sanity
             blasting shapes and sizes, and generally have the same consis-
             tency and color as Mother herself (Blade is a special case, not
             having come from Mother's body, but from her magic interacting
             with the muck of Generica's harbor) When not being used by Moth-
             er, they roam the ruins of the Shunned Center, preying on the
             brave and the foolish who enter that unholy place. They tend to
             strike from surprise to maximize the fear they create in their
             victims, and also love to stalk their prey before they move in
             for the kill, relishing the hunt. 
Geographic Range: The Shunned Center
General Attitude: Noisome, hideous, nameless, horrific, evil, amoral, sadistic,
                  soulless, merciless, alien, unfathomable, gruesome, oozing,
                  tentacled, fanged, inhuman, bloody, repellent, etc. (Go ahead
                  and fill in your favorite Lovecraft adjectives, folks ;) )
Created by: Clinton Richard Wolf (wolf@cheshire.oxy.edu)
Availability: General (but use discretion, please! I don't want a hundred of
              these things roaming the Town Square! :) )


Name: Night Lizards
Description: A race of large gecko-like lizards (approx. 1'5" in length) that
             were created by a frustrated mage when his summoning spells for
             a Familiar repeatedly failed. The result of his efforts has been
             both a nuisance and a boon ever since. Night Lizards, because of
             the peculiar purpose of their creation, will seek out and bond
             with any magic-wielding beings nearby, including Clerics and/or
             creatures with innate magical abilities. Once bonded, Night Liz-
             ards will forever follow their 'master', until he or they expire.
             Usually, it is the mage who expires first, since Night Lizards
             are almost impossible to kill. Their rubbery, wet skin does not
             burn well, and they regenerate quite quickly from any damage. It
             takes a long bath in strong acid to kill one of these creatures.
             Those who attempt to kill night lizards by hacking them apart are
             in for an even nastier surprise, as each severed segment will re-
             generate into a new lizard, which will of course then attach it-
             self to the nearest spellcaster (tales are told in Elturel of Ne-
             mocrates the Hapless, who foolishly cast a Blade Barrier spell on
             some lizards which were following him, and now is accompanied by
             a Night Lizard entourage of close to 300). Night Lizards can in
             some ways be beneficial to the mage they are bonded to. Although
             they are cowardly and will never attack someone, they do have a
             programmed urge to protect their master, and may fling themselves
             in the way of a potentially deadly sword blow (thus also ensuring
             the creation of at least one more lizard), or even cover the mage
             with their wet bodies if a Fireball were to strike close by. Also,
             Night Lizards possess excellent Night Vision, an ability which can
             sometimes be transferred to the being they have bonded with. But
             for all this, they are still extraordinary pests, as any mage who
             has tried to enter a city establishment with 52 lizards trailing
             behind him can attest to. Also, Night Lizards have an extraordi-
             nary appetite for healing magic of all kinds, from potions to
             herbs to even items! that they consume to mantain their regener-
             ative capabilities. Healing potions have become rare indeed in the
             Kingdom of Elturan, where huge swarms of these creatures roam the
             forests, eating all the healing herbs and plants in their sight.
             So far their numbers have been contained due to month-long 'Bathe
             a Lizard' campaigns in Elturan where mages are employed to lead
             the mindless creatures out of the forests and into huge cooking
             pots of acid... but soon the Lizards might spread, and who knows
             how many more might be created if they reached a land where their
             abilities are unknown? 
Geographic Range: The Forests of Elturan
General Attitude: Instinctive, Mindless, Annoying
Created by: Christopher M. Steiner (csteiner@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu) 
Availability: General


Name: Orc Dogs
Description: Orc Dogs were originally bred by the Orcish tribes
             in an attempt to produce a strain of hostile, intel-
             ligent war dogs. The end result, large toothy mas-
             tiffs, was indeed vicious, powerful, and cunning,
             but lacked the necessary discipline for military
             use, and thus were sold off as guard dogs to owners
             who a) want a lethal deterrant to trespassers, and
             b) aren't into animal handling. Orc Dogs are pure
             carnivores which will not eat food that they did not
             kill themselves. They have no loyalties; anything
             moving is a potential meal. A number of these creat-
             ures have escaped domestication (usually through a 
             messy end to their owners), and now roam the Low 
             City in packs, attacking rats, cats, drunks, and
             lone or injured travellers.
Geographic Range: The Low City
General Attitude: Hostile
Created by: Daniel Steven Reinker (dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu), entry
            submitted by Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu) 
Availability: General


Name: Rameshanders
Description: A race of humans from the country of Rameshan, a de-
             sert land to the south of Generica. They are indus-
             trious diplomats and traders, who specialize in rare
             products such as spices, hardwoods, oils and balms,
             silks, carpets, and (most infamously) slaves. The
             culture and peoples of Rameshan can be compared to
             those of the Ottoman empire of the early Renaissance
             period. Whether slavers or not, Rameshanders have a
             reputation for unscrupulousness and greed.
Geographic Range: Rameshan and major trading centers
General Attitude: Greedy, Devious
Created by: Dennis Brennan (djb6@midway.uchicago.edu)
Availability: General


Name: Scissormen
Description: These extraplanar entities hail from the dimension of Orqwith,
             which has been described by reputed sages as "A very strange
             place..." Scissormen appear as faceless humanoids with scissors
             in place of hands, which they use as weapons. Their language is
             composed of seemingly random English words, and their motives,
             while inscrutable and nebulous, are always evil. Scissormen are
             known to be able to walk through walls and levitate, as well as
             being able to both sense and affect invisible and non-corporeal
             creatures. They may have other abilities, as well. Usually, sciss-
             ormen are only encountered as a result of being summoned by a
             mage or other powerful being. The only ones to have been encoun-
             tered in Generica recently were summoned by the mage Moriarty
             during an extremely destructive tavern brawl. It is unknown wheth-
             er this was an accident, or Moriarty knows of Orqwith and its
             strange inhabitants...
Geographic Range: The Dimension of Orqwith
General Attitude: Wierd, Evil
Created by: Grant Morrison, an artist for the DC comic, Doom Patrol. Note that
            Scissormen are not an original creation of this group, but are in-
            cluded because I felt them to be obscure enough to warrant an en-
            try. Andrew J. Solberg (andsol@is.rice.edu) is responsible for 
            bringing the Scissormen to Generica, but those of you who might
            be making books out of threads using them should be warned that
            copyrights may come into play...
Availability: General (this group is non-profit :), so copyrights don't matter
              here! Use them at will...) 


Name: Tunnel Crocodiles
Description: Tunnel crocodiles, or 'T-Crocs', as they are com-
             monly known, are ordinary crocodiles which have ad-
             apted themselves to life in the sewers of Generica.
             T-Crocs have excellent night vision and tough hides,
             and move quite well on land as well as in water.
             Most importantly, T-Crocs are slightly smarter than
             their jungle ancestors; they have been known to co-
             operate, and hunt in large packs to bring down prey.
             T-Crocs hunt at night, and they dislike bright
             lights and large groups of people. They will eat
             nearly anything, but have a particular fondness for
             Denizar. The Denizar themselves have a fondness for
             T-Croc eggs, and thus they constantly battle and
             raid one another's territories. Most T-Crocs stay
             below ground all the time, but hungry or bold crocs
             will occasionally venture above ground to stalk prey.
Geographic Range: The sewers of Generica
General Attitude: Territorial, Hungry
Created by: Andrew J. Solberg (caz@owlnet.rice.edu) 
Availabilty: General