The Dune Horror
by Jesper AndersenThe Dune Horror is a local Alasyian name for a terrible monster that lives in the sandy deserts between Sulba and Anram, northeast of Parsa in the Emirate of Makistan.
Most caravans are lucky to avoid it on their dangerous journeys through the deserts, but every once in a while a group of wagons and camels is ambushed. Survivors are rare in such cases and if they are found, they are usually quite mad from the encounter.
From the descriptions of superstitious nomads, who sacrifice goats to the Dune Horror to protect their herds, and from attempts to mind-read the insane victims of assaulted caravans, the soldiers of the emirates have tried to put together a picture of the Dune Horror - a writhing mass of tentacles with terrible mouths and a single staring eye that causes you to loose your mind, should you ever stare directly into it.
[DMing notes] The DM should create stats for the Dune Horror as he sees fit for his campaign. Most likely its very presence causes fear, while those that succeed a saving throw are only shaken. Several rounds of exposure to the presence of the Dune Horror will require another save to avoid insanity similar to that of a feeblemind spell.
The Dune Horror could be a creature from the Dimension of Nightmares. It could be an ancient horror set loose by treasure hunters seeking Nithian riches, or it could have been unleashed by Barimoor, the fire worshipping mages' evil cult or some other sinister force at work in Ylaruam.
