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Welcome to the bestiary, a guide to some of the many creatures which inhabit the realm of Nocturne.
Creatures are said to be native to the Material Planes if they were born or created here. Note that some creatures which are apparently created have in fact been summoned and so are not strictly speaking natives.
The quintessential being of most Material Plane creatures is a blend of Material, Elemental and Spiritual natures, with the exception of some races such as the Iaché who are merely a blend of Material and Elemental, having no Spirit.
In addition to the creatures listed here, there are numerous less noteworthy animals that may be encountered within the realm of Nocturne, such as wolves, grizzly bears, spiders ranging in size from one inch to a dozen feet across, bats, crows, serpents, various breeds of common livestock and even the occasional mammoth.
This creature has been sighted extremely rarely within Nocturne. It is a huge winged beast, with a body three yards in length, a twelve yard wingspan and a great toothed beak. It appears to feed on dead bodies. Some few sightings were made after the destruction of the village of Lye-Abil-Atee by a rogue Elemental. It has a deep, black plumage on its underbelly and slightly blue coloured plumage on its back.
A secretive subterranean race, similar to humans in size and build, but uniformly raven black of skin, eye and hair. They appear to have as much aptitude as humans for the Elemental and Spiritual arts, and to possess a certain affinity for the company of spiders of all sizes and varieties.
Harpies are creatures with the lower body, legs and wings of a vulture and the head and torso of a human woman, with a diet of both carrion and living flesh. Their appearance is generally extremely ugly, but they have the ability to charm and beguile males of any humanoid race, whom they then carry off to their nests for reasons best not investigated too closely. Harpies often roost in flocks or colonies, but have been known to become violently jealous of each other and occasionally to fight over particularly attractive male specimens.
Of course, humans are humanoid in size and appearance, with varied skin colouration. They appear to have a better developed mind than most other humanoid species, which leads some to suggest that they are more closely linked to their Spirits than other races. They certainly seem to show more diversity of character than the other races.
The humans of Nocturne tend to exhibit paler skin and larger eyes than those of Outpost. They have also developed more accentuated speech; indeed several interesting dialects have become apparent.
Members of this most interesting of species are humanoid in appearance, although generally much taller and paler than humans, with hair and eye colours tending to the lighter shades. They have a low voice and have never been heard to speak louder than what we would consider to be a normal conversational level. Most fascinatingly, they have no Spirit. I am still researching as to why this is the case, since they are most definitely born of the Material Plane.
These creatures are also humanoid, but bear a strong physical resemblance to snakes or lizards, which fact has earnt them a most undeserved reputation for untrustworthiness amongst the populace of Outpost. This resemblance is most apparent in their hairless, green-tinted, softly scaled skin, their hissing, sibilant speech and their ophidian eyes, which have a vertical slit pupil. They are on average taller than humans, although not as tall as Iaché, and have a very well developed muscle structure, exhibiting greater strength than any other humanoid species.
These humanoid creatures are smaller and shorter than humans, rarely much over four feet in height, and tend to be thin and wiry in build. They bear very dark skin tones, with slight hints of green in their colouration, and dark hair and eyes. They are of lower than average intelligence, with squeaky high-pitched voices that sound almost comical to human ears, and seem physically weak compared with humans. However, they seem to be quite numerous in Nocturne, and the novice adventurer should beware of them. While they are generally inclined to tribalism, cowardice and violent internecine squabbles, a few tribes have apparently united under Drow patronage, and the members of these tribes have reputedly become highly trained footsoldiers.
What these creatures lack in size and strength, rarely standing much over four feet in height, they make up for in quick-wittedness. They share humanoid features with a distinctly rodentesque appearance which makes them quite alarming to behold, even displaying rudimentary whiskers and short muscular tails. They often speak more quickly than humans, punctuating their high-pitched sentences with squeaks and clicks and repeating words to emphasise their meaning. They seem to be particularly fond of shiny, glittery objects, regardless of their actual value.
This weed is often found in Nocturne, where a single tangleweed plant can grow to be up to a dozen yards long. Those who have survived an attack recount a tale of grabbing tendrils of foliage attempting to hold them down in conjunction with an assault by great, wooden claws which attempt to drag them into a huge, living pit. Of course, these accounts are no doubt exaggerated.
These large ugly creatures stand up to eight or nine feet in height, and are correspondingly broad of shoulder and large of belly, with thickly muscled limbs and tough, warty skin. Although of very low intelligence, they are extremely strong. Being violent and argumentative creatures, they are generally encountered alone, although an unlucky adventuring party may encounter a group of two or three trolls together. They seem to have a particular fondness for being near running water, and as a result can often be found lairing beneath bridges.
These vicious reptilian creatures appear to be bred and trained and used by the Drow in the same way as humans breed, train and use guard dogs, tracker dogs, hunting hounds and also ponies and mules. An average velociraptor stands four feet high at the shoulder, with a body supported by a pair of powerful rear legs and bearing a head with a large strong jaw full of razor sharp teeth, in addition to a pair of small vestigial forelimbs and a thick, muscular tail as long again as the creature's body. They are able to run extremely fast and to jump great distances, and their jaws have been known to take off a man's arm. They also appear to have an extremely acute sense of smell. There is usually one drow handler for each pair of velociraptors.
Small packs of the creatures have occasionally been encountered in the wild - it is not known if these packs are the offspring of drow animals which have escaped and bred, or remnants of original herds which the drow mostly domesticated.
The Nether Planes are similar in their basic nature to the Material Planes, but are horrifying in appearance - twisted, harsh, rugged places inimical to most forms of life, dominated by the Elements of Earth, Fire and Shadow. The inhabitants of these Planes are vicious, evil creatures known as Dæmons, whose Material natures are weak but whose Elemental and Spiritual natures are strong. They are sometimes summoned to the Material Planes by foul sorceries, and often seek to exploit natural rifts and portals and other weaknesses in the substance of reality so that they can invade the Material Planes to spread murder, havoc and destruction.
These huge creatures, standing up to three yards tall, are the older brethren of the Lesser Dæmons. They appear to have some form of evolution which is not yet fully understood, and they may grow from the smaller dæmons. They are fearsome warriors, with razor sharp claws, and have some limited Elemental powers. They are also noted for their fierce roars and bellows.
These diminutive creatures stand little more than four feet in height and are the weaker of the two known stages in a dæmon's development, although more stages are suspected. They often attack in large numbers, and many of them display the nasty ability to spit fire at their opponents. They also have a fearsome scream or shriek.
These fearsome creatures appear to be normal large dogs until they attack their victims, at which point their eyes glow red and their dæmonic natures are revealed. They have the ability to spit fire and a nasty tendency to bite their foes.
This category includes many varieties of undead, all of which are essentially Spirits from the Court of the Eternal Wheel. Some undead, such as wraiths and wights, manifest on this Plane in their natural forms of pure Spirit, while most others inhabit and possess or animate the corpse of a dead Material Planes creature.
Spiritual creatures have no Elemental nature, and so cannot be affected by Elemental spells and magicks. The host bodies of most undead, however, are still Material in nature, and so can be affected normally by Elemental magick.
Creatures of pure Spirit are also immune to damage by normal physical means, and can be harmed only by Spiritual theurgy and Consecrated weapons.
These Spirits usually manifest in places where a number of deaths occurred in tragic circumstances, and will almost never leave the location where they first appeared. They may take on the appearance of one of those who died, but more often take that of a very old human in tattered rags, with long hair blowing in an unearthly wind. They drive off trespassers with their screams and wails, which can cause supernatural fear and may inflict agonising pain so severe as to be damaging to those at whom it is directed. Most banshees are unharmed by normal physical weapons.
Spirits of dreaming, an incubus or succubus legendarily appears shortly before sleep and drains the breath and soul of their prey. They have the ability to beguile their target, often appearing as a beautiful man or woman, (depending on whether they are an incubus or a succubus,) and seducing the victim. Many people hang charms over their bed to ward off incubi and succubi, but these charms are generally no more than charlatans' trinkets.
When a creature of the Material Planes dies, just as the remnants of its Elemental nature may linger as a Shadow, so may the remnants of its Spirit linger as a ghost. When visible, ghosts generally manifest as pale, insubstantial images of their former owner, hovering a short distance above the ground. Their very presence has been known to lower the temperature in the surrounding area, in addition to which most ghosts have the ability to cause supernatural fear in those who see them and some are able to harm the flesh of the living with their icy touch. It is claimed that some are also able to drain the life and souls of those with whom they come in contact, and to possess the bodies of living creatures. Ghosts are unharmed by normal physical weapons, but are susceptible to holy water in the same manner as undead.
These carefree and mischievous spirits of nature manifest as young and extraordinarily beautiful males and females, usually appearing as human but occasionally as members of other humanoid races, though never as Iaché. They have been known to bless or curse those who aid or harm them, and some few are even reported to display minor abilities to charm or heal.
See 'Incubus' above.
The recently deceased corpse of a Material Planes creature, generally one which has been dead for no longer than twenty days, may be animated by a spirit from the Court of the Eternal Wheel as a zombie, usually at the command of a Lorewarden. Zombies are all but mindless, able to obey only the simplest of instructions. Most are quite weak, and move extremely slowly, but they never tire or feel pain and if encountered in sizeable numbers they can be a serious threat. There are also legends of zombies with great strength and endurance, far surpassing that of the average specimen.
Skeletons are created in the same manner as Zombies, but from corpses which have been dead for a considerably longer period. Although still one of the weakest examples of the undead, unlike zombies skeletons are able to move as fast as an average human, and adventurers should note that sharper weapons are less damaging to these creatures.
Like Zombies, ghouls are created from the corpses of recently dead creatures of the Material Planes, and are also usually created by Lorewardens. The animating spirit of a ghoul has a certain measure of cunning and intelligence, and an unending hunger for the flesh of the dead - while they will eat carrion, they tend to display a preference for the taste of bodies which they have just killed. While most ghouls are fairly weak, they have the ability to paralyse living creatures on contact, (with the exception of creatures without spirits such as the Iaché,) and are rumoured to become more powerful as they age. A ghoul will never enter direct sunlight, even if ordered to do so.
Ghasts are almost identical to ghouls, except that they are slightly stronger and their paralysing touch affects the Material nature of their victims as well as the Spiritual nature, and thus is even able to affect creatures without a Spirit such as Iaché. Note that it still has no effect on Elemental creatures.
See 'Ghoul' above.
A mummy is formed from a dried corpse which is prepared using special rituals and materials, and then animated by a Court Lorewarden. This powerful creature is fearsome in battle and notorious for its psychotic tendencies, striking out at all it sees. The touch of a mummy may curse its victim, infect them with a supernatural disease or fill them with supernatural terror. Fortunately, they tend to be rather vulnerable to fire, and thus of little threat to a competent Fire Elementalist.
These are creatures of pure Spirit that occupy the space between Planes, lost and worthless souls. They hold significant power and numbers, which they use to guard these regions from unwary travellers, and often enter the Material Planes via weak spots in the fabric of reality, or are summoned by powerful Court Lorewardens. They manifest as vague humanoid figures of smoke and mist some two to three yards tall, and their insubstantial forms are unharmed by normal physical damage. Wraiths crave the warmth and energy of the living, and will drain the life and souls of those they touch - it is said that the Spirit of anyone killed by a wraith will become a wraith itself. Some wraiths are also able to paralyse their victims with fear. Wraiths will never willingly enter an area of direct sunlight, since doing so seriously weakens them.
Wights are highly intelligent creatures of pure Spirit, rumoured to be ranking nobles within the Court of the Eternal Wheel, and are occasionally summoned to the Material Planes by powerful Court Lorewardens. They generally take the form of insubstantial humanoid figures standing two to three yards high, clad in rich robes and ornate armour, often wearing crowns or valuable jewellery and wielding fine swords with blades of mist and smoke. They are unharmed by normal physical damage, and their eyes glow with fearsome cunning and an implacable hatred of the living. A wight will never enter direct sunlight, which burns its insubstantial form on contact.
A vampire is a powerful Spirit of the Court of the Eternal Wheel, which can only exist on the Material Planes by inhabiting the host body of a Material Planes creature. A vampire must be summoned to this Plane in a complicated ritual performed by a powerful Court Lorewarden and involving the sacrifice of a living humanoid creature - it is said that vampires much prefer that the sacrifice be an adult human, and that Iaché are useless for the purpose. The Spirit of the vampire enters the body of the sacrifice at the culmination of the ritual, at the precise moment it is killed.
Although possessing a tangible physical form, vampires may be harmed only by Spiritual theurgy, Consecrated weapons, holy water and direct sunlight. They possess great physical strength, and are able to beguile those with whom they make eye contact and to drain the life of those they bite. A vampire may take the form of a rat, bat or wolf, or transform into an insubstantial cloud of mist. Vampires shun garlic and forcibly presented holy symbols, cast no reflection, and cannot enter a dwelling uninvited or cross running water.
During the day, even in Nocturne where the sun's light does not penetrate, a vampire sleeps in their lair, and while asleep can be killed by an oaken stake driven through their heart.
These creatures have usually been summoned to the Material Planes by an Elementalist of some power. Most varieties of Elemental creatures rarely leave the Elemental Planes of their own free will, and if summoned to this Plane will generally attempt to leave it and return home soon after.
Elemental creatures have no Spirit, and so cannot be affected by Spiritual miracles and theurgy.
Some Elemental creatures are also immune to physical damage by mundane means, and can be harmed only by Elemental magick and Enchanted weapons.
These massive humanoid creatures, standing nearly five yards tall, are very rarely seen, and that is a good thing. They seem to wield the powers of Fire, Air and Shadow, and they wield them well. They are extremely intelligent, and seem to have some unkown purpose. Those who have encountered them report of polite and civilised conversations. It is remarkable how much these strange creatures know of the Material Plane, and how at home they apparently feel here.
These creatures all share the power to move from place to place extremely quickly, which I believe they achieve by a process known as 'gating', whereby they return to their own Plane for a few seconds before returning to this Plane in a different location. When encountered outside their native Elemental Plane they will generally have been summoned by an Elementalist of some power. The most powerful Elementals cannot be harmed by mere mundane steel, only by magick, Enchanted weapons and other Elementals.
These creatures are of stocky humanoid build, standing anywhere from three to seven feet in height, and their flesh has the appearance of stone or earth. They are slow to act, but extremely wise, and they share a common resilience of will and of body. The most powerful Gnomes have been recorded as having the ability to make the very earth around them shake, knocking their foes to the ground.
These creatures take the appearance of great whirling columns of air up to three or four yards in height. They move very quickly, making them fearsome foes in combat, or valuable allies. They attack by allowing the debris which they pick up to fly out and strike their victim, although it rarely travels far, making this an ineffective tactic at range. More sizeable Sylphs have been reported to reach out and grab people, engulfing them in the swirling cyclones of their vast bodies.
These creatures usually take on a very fiery appearance, manifesting as living flames in a vaguely humanoid form around two yards high. They are very rash creatures, often acting impulsively. They may take unnecessary risks in battle, and are often quickly banished. Larger Salamanders are usually more careful, and have the ability to spit Fire at their enemies.
These creatures appear as great volumes of water, which can take any shape they wish. Surprisingly, I have observed them climbing even the most intractable of surfaces with little difficulty. They often attack by spitting water over short distances at opponents, which seems to somehow burn living skin and flesh like acid.
These ceatures take the appearance of brightly glowing humanoids, usually of around four or five feet in height, and travel with a haunting surging motion, moving at great speed in some moments and then moving extremely slowly in others. They attack by touching their opponents with their glowing skin, which causes the opponent's flesh to redden, swell and then open in great blisters. The more powerful Sprites are also able to blind their opponents for short periods.
These creatures come from the very Element of darkness. They are ruthless and cunning, but selfish as well. They often take the appearance of the shadow of some creature, although the creature represented may not be their master, and the shape taken is usually around four or five feet in length. Often, if studied closely, the appearance assumed can reveal something of the nature of the area that the Shade is in. Shades attack by touching their foes with their ebon form, chilling living flesh to the bone with the icy touch of eternal night.
Standing over two yards high, these creatures make their home in the Elemental Plane of Shadow, but are very different from Shades. Rather than being pure Elementals, these are the Elemental remnants of a living being's shadow. They can be controlled by a Shadow Elementalist, and some are rumoured to be the result of powerful Shadow magicks, yet most appear to spontaneously come into existence after the death of their owner, especially if that death was caused by magick of some sort. They are akin to Ghosts, but they have no link to the Spirit Planes. They may, however, contain some of the memories of their former owner. Normal weapons pass straight through their insubstantial forms without harming them, and their icy touch chills living creatures to the bone.
These three-legged creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth are very powerful and dangerous. They have the appearance of great stone statues over three yards high, bearing a weapon in each of their two arms. They are often used in conjunction with magickal Wards, hence most adventurers are suitably cautious when near them.
These creatures are formed from the Elements of Water, Earth and Light. Taking the appearance of dancing lights up to one yard across, they are generally found near marshes and swamps, and legend attributes to them the ability to tell the future. Although none of my sources have been able to confirm this claim, they are certainly formidable creatures, able to harness the power of three Elements to their bidding. It would be an extremely unwise individual who set foot in their territories without permission.
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