Bestiary And Lore Of Elanthia's Creatures And Inhabitants
The Ukar
The Ugrek Horde is a collection of violent, sadistic exiles from the Realm of Fae. Chief among them are the Ukar, legendary for their brutality and size, as well as numerous semi-successful attempts to take over various kingdoms.
Coming to Elanthia has changed the Ugrek Horde physically, both in terms of lifespan and brutality. They have been forced to eke out a living on the hinterland, gleaning what they can from the civilized nations. Recently, they have come under rule of the Burlorg, who have introduced all of the Ugrek to Nature magic, a form of spellcraft that draws from Elanthia herself.
The Ugrek as a whole are ambitious. They want the comforts of civilization, and know the fruits of someone else's labor are in their grasp. Years of oral tradition have infused an irrational hatred of the Ilvari into their very bones. Their numerous campaigns against the kingdoms have always ended in failure, but their prolific ability to reproduce - and their willingness to die and kill - keeps them coming.
The Agonar
The Agonar are the creations of the Cult of the Dozim. They begin as human subjects, and are transformed via a special ritual in the ruins of Dozim settlements. There are no witnesses to the creation of the Agonar aside from the Cult members, and information about the Cult is limited, as the Triumvirate has found it difficult - if not impossible - to infiltrate their ranks.
The Cult inhabits the now-decrepit Dozim settlements, believing that they can resurrect the once-noble race and bring a new age of enlightenment to Elanthia. Most of its members are completely insane - if not from the outset, then from continued exposure to the weird energy flows in the ruins, which the Triumvirate has classified as Highly Unstable Magical Locales.
While the Cult is relatively small at this time, it continues to pull more and more people into its clutches. Perhaps the individual most feared in the Cult of the Dozim is its seemingly sane leader, who goes by the name of Kir.
The Agonar themselves are very single-minded in their goals - destroy the Arcanum and anyone associated with it, convert everyone over to Kir's power, and expand the boundaries of the weird, transformative magic that emanates from the Dozim ruins.
The Targust
The result of years of breeding and magical shaping, the Targust is as much a siege weapon as it is a prized pet of the Ukar. Stubborn and brutish, the it can be a menace to handle, and is not to be taken lightly. Because of the Targust's willful demeanor and powerful body, only the strongest Ukar can handle them safely.
The Targust has a thick hide that is extremely resilient to attack. Its bones can take impact at high speeds without fracture or breakage, making a charging Targust a horrific enemy. Its large, sharp tusks and heavy feet coupled with its immense strength make it formidable in a melee. Like most Ukar creations, it has a wide and surprising number uses. Need an enemy force scattered? Use a Targust. Need a wall knocked down? Use a Targust. Need a slingshot for firing boulders or Ukar? Stretch some springsap straps over the Targust's horns, and let 'er rip.
Ugrek - The Boneshard Clan
Adventurers and pioneers who venture too far into the hinterlands of Elanthia are often met by a nasty surprise when they stumble across an outpost of the Ugrek Horde. When building a base of operations, the Ugrek focus on three major components: speed, strength and efficiency.
The Boneshard Clan in particular are masters at building fortresses fast and strong. A typical fortress can set down overnight, to be reinforced over the course of a week. Using the materials they have on hand - salvaged metal, stone and plant life - they establish their bases out of sight of Triumvirate patrols, and use them to stage attacks on outposts, villages and even cities. True to their Nature leanings, the Boneshard fortress incorporates plant life in the stonework, usually grown out within a matter of hours by the Clan's shaman. This natural camouflage is one way in which the Ukar keep their buildings hidden from view.
The Pack
The Pack were originally members of the Ugrek Horde, what the Ukar call Jaknols. They were notable for their doglike features and nature, as well as their loyalty and persistent stubbornness. During the Ugrek War, the Jaknol Clan were the scouts and spies for Nool the Blood Wolf, their cleverness and quiet ways making them ideal assassins.
When the Burlorg took command of the Ugrek, the Jaknol Clan were the first to dissent. The Burlorg claimed to be the old leaders, near-godly, come to restore the glory of the Ugrek. But the Jaknol had already found their masters, and after years of being treated harshly by the Ukar, they hived off and took shelter under the wing of the Rakshaal, who proved a formidable enough force that the Burlorg did not attempt revenge.
The Rakshaal
Originating from Eisa, the Plane of Darkness, the only Rakshaal who came to Elanthia before the Sundering were summoned servants of the Arcanum and strictly controlled. In those days, the Rakshaal appearance was completely different. Accountings describe them as otherworldly but handsome, with solid-colored eyes and leathery skin.
The Rakshaal who visit Elanthia now come of their own will, and have been twisted in transit from Eisa. Not only is their appearance monstrous to behold, but they are decidedly misanthropic. Though the Rakshaal are highly intelligent, communication has been impossible due to their rampant hatred for Elanthians. Not that parlay with these twisted creatures is a popular option; however it is the insistence of some key members of the Triumvirate that the only way to stem the Rakshaal rampage is to open up dialogue with them.
It is difficult to say which is a greater threat to the future of Elanthia, the Burlorg or the Rakshaal. Both sides wage war against all the Triumvirate stands for, but where the Burlorg ultimately seek to restore Elanthia, what is known of the Rakshaal is that they want to destroy the planet completely.
The three most well known Rakshaal creatures are the Vaklash, Gorrog and Ilorax. The Vaklash and Gorrog exhibit devastating supernatural powers, and are intelligent enough to act both as war-animals and on their own. The Ilorax are fiercely clever and devious, commanding large groups of followers. Even though they are natural leaders, they love the thrill of battle, and prefer to lead from the front, not the back.
All Rakshaal worship Theg, the Shambling Horror of Eisa. Theg has never appeared in Elanthia, but its power seeps into this plane regardless. The Rakshaal have managed to convert the Pack over to their cause, and imbued them with Theg's power. There are occasional rumors of bands of Ugrek assisting the Rakshaal, but this is considered unusual behavior that would surely be punished by the Burlorg if they knew of it.
Gear Creatures ('Toks)
Automatoks refer to a general group of Gearcrafted constructions. Specific types usually have "tok" appended to their name to indicate the natural creature they were modeled after (e.g. monkeytok), or the use they are meant for (e.g. diggertok). The name Automatok itself is typically shortened to 'Tok. Most 'Toks are specially engineered by the Gearsmiths for complex tasks, and may be employed as couriers, transports, or even war machines. 'Toks are set aside from other constructions in that they all have at least a limited level of intelligence, and are capable of taking verbal and/or written commands.
'Toks are susceptible to all the pros and cons of any Gear-driven object in Elanthia. Though they do not need eat, sleep or fall prey to fatigue, they are susceptible to breakage, and even worse - sabotage via widgetry. Skilled Gearcrafters can manipulate the construction's chemical "heartbrain", turning even the most gentle-natured 'Tok into a murderous assassin.
The aesthetics of traditional 'Toks come from the Qwi, who relish in building both elegant and frightening creatures. From the awe-inspiring wartoks with their triangular teeth and exposed spines, to the horrific skeletoks that look like immense steel skeletons, to the inquisitive and helpful beetletoks, a favorite butler 'Tok - every curve, point and finial points to the twisted whimsy of the Qwi-folk.
A few 'Toks have gained sentience - often to the distress of the Gearsmiths. Monkeytoks in particular were an early Gearsmith experiment gone wrong, breaking off to form their own colonies all around Elanthia. Having mastered the art of their own creation, they hijack Gearsmith supply lines in order to reproduce, using the raw materials to build more of their own kind. Because simply knocking a 'Tok's head off does not guarantee its death, the Triumvirate only pays on monkeytok bounties if the construction's heartbrain is brought in.
The Orlisk
The world of Elanthia has its own sentience, and as such has begun to try and repair itself post-Sundering. Creatures like the orlisk are examples of the world's attempts to fill the gap that the disruption of magic caused. Though their inherent purpose may be obscure at first - though they may even be a danger to people and homes - there are many Elanthian scholars who believe it is a mistake to hunt or subdue these creatures without first completely evaluating their purpose and place in the world.
The orlisk stemmed from a need for a creature that tied into a complex Elanthian ecology, hatching from a luminous cocoon that grows from a twisted tree. Though its role isn't wholly malevolent, this creature is certainly powerful and has the capacity to inflict serious damage on the unwary.
Wood Sprites
The enigmatic wood sprites are members of the faerie race, and as such are brimming with raw magical talent. Small and relatively weak compared to some of their other brethren, the wood sprite's magic is primarily of the healing type, with little to no offense. This makes them an easy target for creatures like the Pack, who capture them alive. Pack shamans extract the sprite's magical essence for their spellcraft, a hideous process that ultimately kills the delicate creature.Though vulnerable, the sprites are remarkably intelligent, and have a good memory for those who help them. They spend most of their time flitting about the woods, apparently attempting to complete some task that may have to do with the restoration of the damaged world.
The Lerk (Lurker)
The destruction and consequent reclamation of our lands has led to many new discoveries. Some pleasant - such as the iceberry trees of the frozen north - and some not so pleasant. Lerks fall into the latter category.
There are no records of Lerks previous to the Sundering Wars, leading scholars to conclude that they magically evolved from their murky environment. Speculation as to what creature they sprang from remains up in the air, though superficially, the Lerks resemble the fangtooth, a particular freshwater fish with sharp teeth and a carnivorous appetite. Those who have had to fight Lerks, however, liken them to the amadiro, a curious armored rodent-beast of the scrubby wastelands outside Felstone Canyon.
The amphibious Lerks are well suited to their hunting grounds of bogs and swamplands and rarely leave them. They are intelligent enough to choose and stalk prey, and can appear suddenly and without warning, leaping out of the water to sink their teeth into hapless targets. The maws of some Lerks exude a paralytic that can freeze a targusk in its tracks.
Giant Tortoise
Some might assume that the Giant Tortoise is a result of the Sundering or meddling Nature wizards. Not so. The Giant Tortoise is a proud and ancient - albeit rare and unusual - member of the Elanthian bestiary, harkening back to ancient times. As evidence of this, the Triumvirate has uncovered primitive villages in remote coastal-forest regions that used Giant Tortoise carapaces for shelters. It is one of a few creatures that was not adversely affected by the Sundering. Some scholars jokingly suggest that this is because the Giant Tortoise was able to hide in its shell during the breaking of the world, but there may be more truth to this than we know.
Giant Tortoises do not begin life giant-sized; though they hatch from large eggs, they are no bigger than other, smaller adult tortoises. The variation comes in its lifespan and growth. Technically, the Giant Tortoise never stops growing. By the time it reaches 100, the typical Giant Tortoise will be barn-sized, and many reach true giant-size before turning 200. Giant Tortoises do not lay eggs as often as other, normal tortoises, and all eggs are laid before the age of 50, when they're still only about the size of a large dog.
The Giant Tortoise's very nature is magical, and as such, it has a beneficial effect on magic used in its vicinity. For archmages who wish to conduct magical research and enchantments, finding a Giant Tortoise with a back broad enough to build a tower on is a stroke of great luck.
The Mechania
It is without a doubt that the Mechania began as some mad Gearsmith's idea of an experiment. How they advanced to their current state of cunning and malevolence, however, remains a mystery. Did the breaking of the world corrupt them? Were they deliberately manufactured this way? No one knows, and the Mechania - though capable of speech - are unwilling to reveal their origin... if they even know, themselves.
The Mechania emerged sometime after the Sundering, with the first known murder by Mechania hands (or clamps) being around 101 A.T.S. Their design, however, is distinctively from an older time, and the chassis of the earliest Mechania were almost certainly recycled from the wars. The Mechania have waged a single-minded war against Stal-Hagen for the last 50 years, no doubt perceiving that the capturing of its mines and clockwork devices would be a masterstroke against their enemies.
Though Mechania 'toks have been captured and "interrogated" by the Gearsmiths, very little information has ever been divined from them. Attempts to tap into the widgetry of a Mechania 'tok can cause temporary psychosis in all but the most experienced Gearmage.
The Mechania express a sinister desire to grow their numbers, convert other 'toks, and destroy sentient non-'toks. Mechania monkeytoks - in addition to being fighters in their own right - both gather and repair for the larger, more formidable gearillas and iron golems. The Triumvirate urges all heroes who encounter a battery of Mechania to target and eliminate monkeytoks first. Though small and not nearly as powerful as gearillas, monkeytoks can repair even the most disabled Mechania.
Sunok Warriors
Like many of the aberrant races of Elanthia, the Sunok emerged after the Sundering. There is no record of their species previous to the breaking of the world, and Triumvirate research indicates that their genesis starts in the burned and scorched land that became the final resting place where the dragon that destroyed Fuir-Hagen - Ashog of Brimstone - crashed to earth.
For all that they are a "young" race, the Sunok are admirably intelligent, excellent builders and cunning hunters. Their thirst for knowledge is only matched by their lust for blood and territory. The Sunok religion revolves around gruesome sacrifices, with a focus on ripping out the vital organs of other sentient creatures. Those who are captured by the Sunok do not live long. In the case of a Sunok incursion, the first action of a Triumvirate sortie is to free any prisoners and save them from a horrible, bloody fate.
It is only logical that a culture that ritualizes death so fervently would have a robust warrior caste. Sunok Warriors are consummate killers, and act as the strong arm of the priestly caste. Their armor and weaponry is as stylized as their death cult. The Sunok are hermaphrodites, with each one choosing which role it plays in the reproduction cycle. Sunok Warriors, however, are strictly non-breeders, dedicating all their efforts to a glorious death and to bringing down a maelstrom of terror upon the other, "lesser" Elanthians.
Cells of Sunok Warriors train together extensively, until a unit works as if they were all "made in the shell together" (to use a Sunok expression). Every year, masses of Sunok Warriors are deployed to escort hatchlings on the threshold of adulthood to the Dragon Temple for a rite that remains shrouded in mystery as the Triumvirate has yet to succeed in penetrating it.
Sunok Priests
Like many of the aberrant races of Elanthia, the Sunok emerged after the Sundering. There is no record of their species previous to the breaking of the world, and Triumvirate research indicates that their genesis starts in the burned and scorched land that became the final resting place where Ashog of Brimstone, the dragon that destroyed Fuir-Hagen, crashed to earth.
One cannot speak of the brutal Sunok culture without touching on its religion, the two are so entwined. Their fanaticism and unswerving devotion drives them to new and greater heights of destruction, and dictates everything from diet to architecture. Sunok Priests are determined in the egg - literally, the shells of future acolytes are colored dark red. The so-called Mark of Blood is the sole determinant for future inductees into the priesthood. The belief of Triumvirate scholars is that these shells are an outward manifestation of an inherent magical aptitude in the unborn Sunok.
The Sunok Priests lead their followers in worship of what they call the Dragon Spirit; however, this is not the same deity as Urwir, the Dragon God. It is, in fact, Ashog - the malevolent spirit of the Brimstone Dragon. Sunok Priests draw their power from two places - Ashog itself, and death. The entire cult of dismemberment that figures so strongly into Sunok religion is born out of the priesthood's ability to draw arcane energy from death.
Despite the fact that their "god" is not of true divine origin, the Sunok have the power to raise the dead. They also seem to gain boosts to their magic from the deaths of nearby enemies. For this reason, the Triumvirate strongly advises its heroes to target Sunok Priests first in combat.
