List of Creatures

These are magical or legendary creatures appearing or mentioned in *Valkyrie: Princess Of Arcadia*.

## Legendary and magical creatures

### Banshee

A **banshee** is the enraged spirit of an elven woman who either betrayed those she loved or was herself betrayed. Maddened by grief, a banshee visits her vengeance on all living creatures—innocent or guilty—with her fearsome touch and deadly wails.

### Bogeyman

**Bogeymen** use their powers to haunt houses or secluded natural places where they can hunt prey unobserved. They relish using their *ghost sound* ability to hint at their presence long before they fully reveal themselves. It is not uncommon for a bogeyman to hide under a bed, or in a closet left slightly ajar, for days or even weeks, all the while feeding on its victims’ growing realization that they are not alone.

The most evil bogeymen are those who abandon the tactic of feeding on one person’s fears at a time and take up roles of mass murderers or serial killers, or other pursuits designed to drive fear into the hearts of an entire city of victims. True to their name, all bogeymen are male. Sometimes, children whom they steal away to secret lairs emerge years later, transformed into new bogeymen, and return home to continue their supernatural father’s work.

### Fire Giant

**Fire giants** are the most rigid and militaristic of all the giant races. They constantly train for war and practice brutal tactics on anyone and everyone that gets in their way. Their rigid command structure is complete with soldiers, officers, and even generals, and they obey orders from their kings unquestioningly.

They wear sturdy cloth or leather garments colored red, orange, yellow, or black. Warriors wear helmets and half-plate armor of blackened steel and wield large greatswords that they use to cut swaths across the battlefield. In large groups, fire giants fight with brutal and efficient group tactics, and aren’t afraid to sacrifice one or two of their members to draw an enemy into an ambush.

Fire giants prefer hot locations—the hotter, the better. They’ve been found in deserts, volcanoes, hot springs, and deep beneath the earth near lava vents. They live in castles, walled settlements, or large caverns, and the design of these locations reflects their rigid, militaristic lifestyle, with officers living in better quarters than the rank-and-file.

### Gargoyle

**Gargoyles** often appear to be winged stone statues, for they can perch indefinitely without moving, allowing them to surprise their foes. Gargoyles tend toward obsessive-compulsive behaviors that are as varied as their kind is plentiful. Books, stolen trinkets, weapons, and grisly trophies harvested from fallen foes are just a few examples of the types of things a gargoyle might collect to decorate its lair and territory. Gargoyles tend toward a solitary lifestyle, though they sometimes form fearsome groups called “wings” for protection and sport. In certain conditions, a tribe of gargoyles might even ally with other creatures, but even the most stable alliances with a gargoyle tribe can collapse for the smallest of reasons—gargoyles are nothing if not treacherous, petty, and vindictive. Gargoyles have been known to dwell in the heart of the largest of cities, crouching amid the decorations of stone cathedrals and buildings where they hide in plain sight by day and swoop down to feed on vagabonds, beggars, and other unfortunates at night.

### Ghoul

**Ghouls** are undead that haunt graveyards and eat corpses. Legends hold that the first ghouls were either cannibalistic humans whose unnatural hunger dragged them back from death or humans who in life fed on the rotting remains of their kin and died (and were reborn) from the foul disease—the true source of these undead scavengers is unclear.

Ghouls lurk on the edges of civilization (in or near cemeteries or in city sewers) where they can find ample supplies of their favorite food. Though they prefer rotting bodies and often bury their victims for a while to improve their taste, they eat fresh kills if they are hungry enough. Though most surface ghouls live primitively, rumors speak of ghoul cities deep underground led by priests who worship ancient cruel gods or strange demon lords of hunger. These “civilized” ghouls are no less horrific in their eating habits, and in fact the concept of a well-laid ghoul banquet table is perhaps even more horrifying than the concept of taking a meal fresh from the coffin.

### Goblin

**Goblins** prefer to dwell in caves, amid large and dense thickets of thistles and brambles, or in structures built and then abandoned by others. Very few goblins have the drive to build structures of their own. Coastlines are favored, as goblins are quite fond of sifting through junk and flotsam in an unending quest to find treasures among the refuse of more civilized races. Their hatred runs deep, and few things inspire their wrath more than gnomes (who have long fought against goblins), horses (who frighten goblins tremendously), and regular dogs (whom goblins regard as pale imitations of goblin dogs).

Goblins are also quite superstitious, and treat magic with a fawning mixture of awe and fear. They have the habit of ascribing magic to the mundane as well, with fire and writing both taking on mystical power in goblin society. Fire is much loved by goblins for its capacity to wreak great destruction and because it doesn’t require size or strength to wield, but written words are hated. Goblins believe that writing steals words out of your head, and as a result of this belief, goblins are universally illiterate.

### Sea Cat

The feral **sea cat** is among the most vicious and ubiquitous of coastal predators in tropical oceans. The upper body of a sea cat is that of a typical great cat—a lion, tiger, leopard, or cheetah—complete with a pair of clawed paws capable of rending the flesh from its prey. In place of back legs, however, the sea cat has a sleek and powerful tail that allows it to move quickly and silently through the water.

Sea cats can survive in both fresh and salt water, though most live in the ocean, where they can hunt a varied and consistent supply of food. A sea cat’s diet typically consists of fish, crustaceans, and aquatic mammals (including seals and otters), but the creature’s overpowering predatory and territorial instincts often lead it to attack ocean birds, humanoids, and even other aquatic predators like sharks and crocodiles. Coastal fishermen in areas where sea cats are known to dwell watch vigilantly for the predators, because the beasts have learned that netted or hooked prey is easier to kill and steal from the line.

Sea cats breathe air, not water. When not hunting they can be found on coastal rocks, coral islands, or even isolated beaches sunning themselves and digesting their most recent meals. Whether hunting or protecting its territory, a sea cat generally attacks immediately upon discovering a target, even when faced with a much larger or more dangerous foe.

### Selkie

**Selkies** are clever and brutal seal-like creatures. Although capable predators, selkies are best known for their shapechanging ability, which allows them to come ashore in the guise of land dwellers and even live among other races before luring their prey beneath the waves to drown. In its natural form, a selkie has webbed, clawed hands and a muscular trunk ending in broad flippers. A selkie’s head is a blend of human and seal, with large eyes and a mouth full of curved teeth.

### Stone Golem

A **stone golem** has a humanoid body made from stone, frequently stylized to suit its creator. For example, it might look like it is wearing armor, with a particular symbol carved on the breastplate, or have designs worked into the stone of its limbs. Its head is often carved to resemble a helmet or the head of some beast. While it may be sculpted to carry a stone shield or stone weapon such as a sword, these aesthetic choices do not affect its combat abilities.