DMing Chemistry

  Out of the many monsters that crawled up from the Underworld to take Enki , most were slain, and the survivors scattered across the face of the world. One of them, the great black serpent Nekerat, fled all the way to the deserts of the Reptilians , where she found her new home. While she mostly spends her time sleeping under the sand, she is sometimes unearthed by the winds, which wakes her and sends her on a hunt through the sands and oases. Her maw is great enough to swallow a cart whole, and she often devours entire caravans when she feels like it.  Whenever she feels truly hungry, she lunges after Hath-Ur  herself, and sometimes even catches her. However the violent flames of Hath-Ur burn her mouth fiercely, and she always ends up spitting her back out. This is the reason for some solar eclipses. When not sleeping, and after she has fed, she is, according to the priests of the desert tribes, quite reasonable, and willing to bargain. She is delighted by music, espec...

 Neker-ti are species of azhdarchid pterosaurs large enough to prey on humans. Unlike most flying creatures, Neker-ti are also adept burrowers, and will dig places to roost sometimes even into rock. They also like to take over natural caves, or the burrows made by ground sloths, tunnel beasts , giant aardvarks , or other large burrowing creatures. Their unusually flexible necks allow they to unleash a devastating barrage of quick jabs with their beak-like mouths, which in the cramped hallways of their burrows is almost impossible to dodge. Truly there are few opponents more terrifying than a Neker-ti which is defending its nest.  Neker-ti have one more strange capability, the ability to almost perfectly mimic sounds they hear. They use this during mating displays, but also to hunt. Many learn not just the calls made by large herbivores, but to mimic speech as well. It is not unusual for people who live in or near their territories to ignore any cry for help coming from inside ...

 While there are many legends both amongst the Humans and the Orcs about people who are able to turn into wolves, amongst the tribes of Caeledor , there is an unusual myth about some werewolves that are different from the rest. According to the elders, these werewolves don't fear the traditional wolfsbane, and are not harmed by silver. In fact they seem to be wholly unaffected by any weapon or magic, except an eclectic collection of materials.  The first thing anyone can tell you about these wolves is that they can be hurt by weapons made from bone or teeth, but not of claws, talons or beaks. Those even more knowledgeable will say they are also vulnerable to limestone, and sometimes other rocks as well, though other than limestone or chalk, it seems really hard to decode what's actually effective. A legendary hero named Bole is said to have defeated one such werewolf by getting his hand bitten off, then driving his sharp ulna through its neck. Another one called Shelik is re...

 All cultures in the world have legends about a strange being approaching rulers and offering their services. They wear a long purple cloak, and their face is always shrouded in a strange shadow. They call themselves the Royal Advisor Tecarys. They ask only for  a token payment for their services, but they always have a few stipulations. First, nobody is to see what they look like under their cloak. Second, nobody is to enter their room uninvited, no matter what. Third, they require a black goat on every winter solstice to do with as they please. If a ruler agrees to these stipulations, Tecarys will serve them for an undisclosed length of time. The shortest they agreed to remain was three years, and the longest just over a century. However if any of their stipulations are violated, they leave on the spot. According to all available records those rulers that listened to their counsel and stuck to the agreement all left a flourishing and powerful state to their successors, but t...

 In the deserts to the south-east lay the ruins of forgotten city-states inhabited by ghouls . They watched as the deserts slowly devoured their lands , just as people devoured each other. But ghouls aren't that bothered by this, after all they are always hungry. Occasionally a lost caravan finds these ruins, and ghouls fall upon them, regaining some of their former intellect, and civilisation starts again, until inevitably food runs out, and the inhabitants of the city return to hungry predators, then just ravenous bodies lying in wait once more. Like mayflies, the ghouls race against time to finish their projects as their memories return for a short while. A civilisation that lives in bursts. Of course the deeper a city is into the desert, the fewer people end up there, and the less frequent these periods of activity are. On the other hand, cities that are close to active trade routes, or just places where mortals live in general, are much more active. The city of Yttir-Gham for ...

  While every culture has their own myths and stories featuring the local flora and fauna, there are certain animals that are almost universally associated with and/or used as an allegory for certain things - most commonly personality traits. Exactly where these associations come from is lost to the mists of time. Mortals have been travelling and sharing stories for thousands of years after all. The following list is of course not exhaustive. Worms are associated with curiosity. It is widely believed that certain birds will tap their feet on the ground to entice the curious worms to poke their heads out, so that the bird can eat them. Another common theme is curious worms spoiling the fruit they inhabit. This is usually meant to parallel how curious people can bring misfortune to their entire community. Otters , mammoths, and ducks are collectively known as 'the three wise beasts'. They are popular symbols for sorcerers, clerics, mystics, and others who commune with gods and sp...

  Giant ground sloths  were once a relatively common sight in many parts of the world, but nowadays they are vanishingly rare save for some in the collections of some sorcerers, and a group that became the tunnel beasts. It is well known amongst scholars that giant sloths love to burrow , so it is unsurprising that some, having heard the call of chthonic deities, continued to dig, until they reached vast underground caverns filled with strange creatures, and even stranger magic.  Over the years, living in such places slowly changed them. Their diet changed from plants, to mushrooms, to anything even vaguely edible. The deep is not kind to large-bodied animals after all, and these sloths probably wouldn't have survived if they didn't inherit their relatives' slower metabolisms, allowing them to subsist on less food than other similarly sized mammals. That said, they are always on the verge of starvation, and they need to stay on the move, always looking for food, always d...

Most deities have a host of lesser supernatural agents helping them carry out their duties, which are collectively referred to as the servitors of the gods. Usually these are their offspring, transfigured souls of beloved followers, or creature purpose-made to fulfill their tasks. A such, their forms can vary wildly from deity to deity, and even from task to task. Some would pass for mortals, some are unbearably beautiful, and some are so alien, as to be indescribable. Generally those servitors who are meant to interact with mortals look the most like them, or at least as a mixture of things mortals can comprehend. Those that are so alien as to cause mortals to flee in terror from just glimpsing their forms, usually are meant to ensure the proper functioning of the world from behind the scenes. This, however has not stopped mortals from using magic to call forth servitors they have no business dealing with, often with tragic results.

 Oresians are strange, ethereal creatures that dance through a myriad worlds on rays of moonlight. Sometimes they misstep, and get trapped in our world. They don't tend to last long, given their physiology is ill-suited to a world with such rigid laws of physics, such caustic atmosphere, and such a sharp divide between dreams and reality. Still, they try their best to survive, and maybe on the night of the next full moon return to dancing across alien skies. But to do that, they need sustenance, and that can be a problem. They feed on dreams and aspirations, but unlike the more naturalized beings, they have no good way of extracting them from a person's skull, without opening it up and slurping down the brain. For a while they can subsist on animals, but the dreams of a goat or a rat can only go so far. Sooner or later they will try to take more sapient prey. They look like giant masses of tentacles with translucent, insect-like wings and large compound eyes. No two are exactly...

 Rather rare and elusive, the woolly hippos of the northern lands are just as ferocious as their southern cousins. They are slightly larger than normal hippos, and their fur can make them seem even bigger. Like otters, they have special glands on their skin that excrete an oily substance which makes their fur waterproof. This hippo-oil is sometimes used in perfumes, incenses and magical concoctions, so even though hunting these animals is rather dangerous, there is a lucrative market not just for their meat and fur, but other body-parts as well. Woolly hippos are less social than southern hippos, they usually live in groups of only up to around five members, most of the time a female and her children. This makes hunting them a bit easier, but finding them a bit harder. Old hunters will tell you that they used to be more common in their youths, and there may be something to that. Some Sorcerer-kings even tried using them as living weapons , but it seems even with magical help, getti...

 Vampires don't exist. Alternatively, many types of vampires exist that are so different from each other, that lumping them under the same umbrella term isn't all that useful, as all of them have different habits, strengths, weaknesses, origins, and lifecycles. So here are some creatures that can be called vampires:  The Kirki-Turo are a species of remora-like creatures, which can inhabit a humanoid's body, eat the organs inside, then take control of the husk, puppeting it around, occasionally emerging from its mouth to garb onto new prey, and suck its blood. By devouring the brain, they can gain access to the memories and intellect of their host, but concepts like compassion and love are alien to them. They will always view themselves as predators, and humanoids their prey. The Laernians, are a people cursed by the gods for long-forgotten sins. While humanoid, they take on the aspect of giant ticks, their bellies swollen and red with blood, their mouths elongated and harde...

 Many strange creatures inhabit the bogs of the Starfallen Beast , but none are stranger than the alien creatures known as the parasites from beyond the stars. As the name suggests, they were most likely parasites on the body of the fallen behemoth, not unlike lice or ticks. However, with the death of their host, they were forced to adapt to a more terrestrial lifestyle. A change, which they have successfully made, despite some difficulties. Nowadays these parasites fit well into the ecosystem of the bogs, functioning as large carnivores, that are still kept in check by crocodiles, and other apex predators.  While not sapient, these creatures do show signs of intelligence, as they are capable of working together, and form packs of up to ten individuals, which sleep, move, and hunt together. The outward appearance of the parasites leaves no doubt about their alien origins. They look like a curious mix of a tick, a spider and a monkey, completely hairless, and covered in whit...

 Dingoneks are dangerous freshwater predators. They have an armored, seal-like body with a feline head that sports enlarged canines. Their hides are spotted to offer camouflage. They can grow up to 6 meters long, and have been known to prey on adult hippopotamuses. They are ferocious carnivores, and have been known to attack boats. Thankfully Dingoneks are mostly confined to the jungles of the deep south, where they claim smaller lakes and rivers as their home. Usually solitary, they only form pairs in mating season, after which both parents go back to their original bodies of water. At any other times a resident Dingonek will attack any others that enter their territory. Dingoneks hunt much like a crocodile, though they usually go after larger prey. They are usually seen as diving protectors of the waters, and are offered animal sacrifice, after which they are much less aggressive, though it is unknown if this is because they accept the sacrifice, or because they are full, and don...

  Sea serpents and their cousins, the river and lake monsters are the brood of Termak, demoness of the Waters Below. She was defeated by the gods, sealed beneath the earth, but her children escaped and multiplied to the point that almost all bodies of water house at least one monster. Despite their origins, these monsters usually leave people alone, only occasionally sinking boats, or eating those who swim carelessly. Most of the time a few sacrificed animals a month keeps them amicable enough, and they have no wish to interact with mortals beyond that. Sometimes however, they become a danger to all who would enter their waters, in which case they need to be put down. Slaying these mighty beasts is very much a task for the mightiest, or most foolhardy of warriors. The one place aquatic monsters are consistently hostile is the deep ocean. Once one sails a few days past the point they can see land from, they enter the territory of these deadly monsters, and they will try to sink any ...

 The Great Beasts are one of the names given to the first of each kind of animal the gods made. Other names include the Guardians, Animal Forefathers, and That Really Huge Animal I Saw One Time, You Wouldn't Believe It. As the first of their kind, they exemplify everything the animal is meant to be, always looking immaculate, in their prime, and in perfect physical health. They are also gigantic. Mouse is easily the size of a cart, Wolf is larger than most houses, and really big animals like Aurochs is even larger than that. It is said that the Great Beasts don't ever stop growing, and as such they just kept getting bigger and bigger since the creation of the world. The Great Beasts are also intelligent, and remember their long life well, so they are an invaluable source of information about past events they witnessed. Unfortunately they spend, and have spent most of their time wandering the uncharted wilderness, rarely coming into contact with humans. They have been around for...

 Brigthbugs are large arthropoid creatures, approximately the size of a cat. The have eight long armored legs, a large, round, fleshy abdomen, and a prominent proboscis capable of drilling through the skull of most humanoids. They get their name from the bright light they produce from their abdomen as a mating display.  For most of their lifecycle, brightbugs are actually rather small aquatic predators that mainly eat frogs, small fish and occasionally snakes. However after their last molting they enter their adult form. In this form they try to use their luminescent abdomens to lure in animals, then leap on their faces, and use their proboscis to pierce the skull, and take control of the animal's body. They then use their newfound mobility to search for partners, before expiring a few days later. Their glow, now bright red from the blood of their victim signals to potential mates that they have successfully completed their hunt. Due to the peculiar anatomy of their proboscis,...

Sea-wolves are curious animals. Not quite a wolf, not quite a dolphin, and not quite a seal either. They live in coastal waters, and hunt mostly fish, but they sometimes kill terrestrial animals that swim too far out to sea. Most sentient peoples are too large for them to try to attack, but there have been reports of children being eaten. It is also said that after the Invaders got beaten back by the reptilians , that so many dead fell into the sea that the sea-wolves acquired a taste for blood, and would attack people for years afterwards, until a sorcerer boiled the water around them, killing them instantly. Sea-wolves are the sacred animal of Ei-Sakarth, goddess of whirlpools, quick storms, lost people, and lost treasures. It is said, that if one prays to her for a whole day and night on the spring equinox, then the first sea-wolves one sees will lead one straight to a sunken ship bearing riches. Temples to the goddess often have pools that house sea-wolves, which are fed the remai...

 One of the greatest taboos all around the world is eating the flesh of other sapient mortals. Of course by "sapient mortals" usually only the more humanoid-looking are meant, the great ' peoples ' who build settlements and practice agriculture or pastoralism. Sky cattle and dragons are a bit controversial, most agree that eating their meat invokes a different, much less predictable curse. Those who eat the flesh of the people, however all end up basically the same. They become ghouls, ever-hungry undead of fearsome magical powers. Ghouls can only sate their hunger with the bodies of the people, though they can never actually feel full. Hunger always gnaws on their minds, even as their stomachs burst from eating a whole cadaver. But a well-fed ghoul can overcome its hunger, and act like the person it once was. They can be downright jovial, and most share a generally positive outlook on their unlife. The ones that didn't, have long since thrown themselves into a ...

 While the war-chariot is the end-all be-all of modern warfare (as most creatures aren't large or domesticated enough to be ridden, not to mention the lack of stirrups), there are some creatures that are large and docile enough for a platform to be constructed upon their backs, from which archers fire can fire. This of course is less effective than actual chariots, since these monsters are usually slow and plodding creatures, much more prone to getting caught by infantry than chariots are. Their prestige is also lower, as they are often seen as weapons used only by those monarchs whose realms cannot afford enough chariots for their armies. The most often used creatures for this purpose are giant beetles, though some giant lizards, giant tortoises, very young ortanar , and some strange metallic beings , are also used. Some of the less financially capable Sorcerer-Kings have even operated quite extensive and long breeding programs for creating such creatures either by modifying exis...

  Not unlike their more imposing cousins , lesser zurakhs sport four wings and four legs on a mostly-avian body. However while the greater zurakh is a lonesome hunter, lesser zurakhs are quite social, and will eat anything and everything. This has led to them losing their natural fear of mortals, and now they descend in great numbers upon the trash heaps of cities, and the great granaries and foodstores of temples and palaces alike. This plague of birds has cost many once great states of the south their last food reserves in the midst of famine, and as such, the lesser zurakh is considered a sinful bird by many, a harbinger of hardship, and an animal to be hunted and killed wherever they may be found. Some even say, they are demons in the flesh, trying to snatch up the souls of the dead as they leave their mortal coil, to carry them away from their afterlives into eternal torment. This hatred however is not universal. Indeed the people of both Tir and Caeledor , make great use of ...