People of the Savage Coast

The aim of this article is to be a Creature Crucible, on the model of the canon supplements PC1: “Tall Tales of the Wee Folks”, and the others which describe non-human races, PC2: “Top Ballista”, PC3: “The Sea People”, PC4: “Night Howlers”, about faeries, gnomes and races of the air, underwater races and werecreatures. Similar articles have already appeared in Threshold issues: #13 (Undead of Elegy Island by Giampaolo Agosta, John Calvin and me) and #14 (Deep Hollow by Giampaolo Agosta and John Calvin, about races of the Shadowdeep). This time we will focus on the minor intelligent races of the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium Appendix¹, detailing the places they inhabit in the Savage Coast and statistics to use them as player characters under BECMI rules.
The Compendium includes several intelligent creatures, but many of them will not be the focus of this article because they have been already detailed in canon Savage Coast products (or in the “Voyage of the Princess Ark” series in Dragon magazine and in the boxed set “Champions of Mystara”).

Therefore this article will not be about aranea, caymen, ee’aar, enduks, gatormen, goatmen², lizardmen, lupins, manscorpions, phanatons, rakastas, tortles, wallaras because they all have their countries in the Savage Coast and the Arm of the Immortal and have been therefore already detailed in several canon and fan sources. Instead, this article will focus on fachan, sea hermits, jorri, kla’a’tah, krolli, mythu'nn folk, neshezu, omm-wa, snappers and wurmlings, creatures who appear in the Compendium but have not been detailed in other canon products, and the mugumba mud-dwellers, which only appears on page 57 of the Explorer’s Manual book in the “Champions of Mystara” boxed set.

The People of the Land

This first part will describe the intelligent races which live on land, or mostly on it, in the Savage Coast and the Arm of the Immortals and therefore could be encountered in the region during adventures or while exploring the remote wilderlands in which they live.

Fachan

Fachan³ are related to ogres and possibly to other aberrant giants such as cyclops, ubue and ettins. They inhabit barren mountains, often near to orc and ogre tribes. The area where they are more common in the Savage Coast is the region between Eusdria, Renardy and Dunswick, particularly the Niedegard mountains between Eusdria and the Texeiran Protectorado da Presa and the coastal mountains in tortle territory near Dunwick. They are often hunted by humans, lupins and tortles both for their aggressive behaviour and because some of their organs can be used to create magical objects.

[Image: Fachan]
Caption: Depiction of a Fachan

Fachan as PCs

The strange nature of Fachan makes quite dubious players could be interested in playing one of them, but as they are intelligent humanoids the possibility should not be excluded, either for a small fun section with a group of Fachan PCs hunting “civilized” races or to play a strange, non-chaotic evil Fachan who will struggle a lot more to gain acceptance among the civilized races than any beautiful dark elf.
Fachan have a movement of 100 feet per turn (33 per round) +2 bonus on strength with a minimal value of 16, and a -2 penalty on dexterity and charisma.

[Table: Fachan Character Class]

Fachan spellcasters and Immortals

Rarely, a Fachan may be intelligent enough to become a shaman or a wicca. Use the rules for humanoid spellcasters in PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folks, page 20. Fachan usually worship the Immortals followed by local orc and ogres, as Hel, Jammudaru and Karaash.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Fachan have exceptional hearing and so they often learn skills which they can use along their main ability, such as Disguise, Hunting, Nature Lore, Signaling, Snares, Survival, Tracking (int), Danger Sense (wis), Alertness, Hide in Shadows⁴, Mountaineering, Stealth (dex), Endurance (con).
Fachan speak their own language, which is however similar to Ogrish and Giantish. They also normally speak the language of the humanoid or giant group among which they live, if any.
Even if fachan do not produce weapons more complicated than clubs, they love to obtain metal, steel and red steel weapons, and this is usually the main reason for their alliance with giants, ogres and orcs.
Fachan wear cinnabryl when it can be found, and their hearing organs may be made into a potion of clairaudience. The hide of a fachan's hand can be made into a single gauntlet of fachan power (as gauntlet of ogre power, but just on one hand). Potion of strength may also be produced using fachan’s muscles. Some fachan spellcasters are intelligent enough to create magical items. Girdles of giant strength created by a fachan spellcaster could occasionally be in possession of a fachan clan head. Fachan in the Legacy regions naturally acquire 1d4+1 Legacies⁵ and are always searching for cinnabryl, but many become afflicted as they often do not acquire enough cinnabryl through raiding, trade or mining. Therefore a large number of them is weak, stupid and has to suffer deformities which make them even more strange and hideous to other intelligent races.

Fachan lands and society

Fachan typically do not claim any land as a people, but live in tribes formed by extended family groups, who can fight among themselves as often as they fight other races. Fights among fachan however are rarely to the death, and they often allies with local orcs, ogres and giants, accepting a sort of subordinate position as long as they can enjoy the protection given by a larger group. Fachan in fact do not care much for treasures and are happy to leave them to their humanoid allies, but are eager to obtain more food and weapons. Hunted to extinction in several regions of the Savage Coast, particularly after the arrival of the Espans, the land where fachan are more common now are the Niedegard mountains, where they can hide easily from Eusdrian and Texeiran hunters among ogre and giant tribes. Small groups also live in the hilly region of the Yazak Steppes, north of Eusdria and Renardy, among the Huptai hobgoblins. More live near the Dunwick coast, in small family group quite endangered by the hunt of the Lawful Brotherhood. A more numerous population inhabit the Forbidden Highlands of Wallara, where phanaton and chameleon men leave them alone. The aranea of Herath however often organize expeditions to capture fachan specimen to use for magical components. Fachan chiefs may be either males or females. As it happens among ogres, females can be as big and strong as males, or even stronger. Fachan normally build only crude huts and eat food raw as often as cooked. They have a good knowledge of edible and medicinal plants of the land where they live. They do not domesticate animals normally, but sometimes they learn to handle cows from ogres and wolves and bears from giants.

Fachan personalities

Uk’thrug (Fachan 9) is a smart fachan tribal leader who has managed to gather several clans and families together in the Yazak steppes, hoping to gain more bargaining power with his Huptai allies. The fachan of the steppes have no legacies, as they live outside the cursed region. Uk’thrug has heard something about his cousins to the south and would like to meet some of them. He plans to capture some people from the south to obtain their help, maybe by keeping one as an hostage while the others bring some southern fachan to him.

Sha’kam (Fachan 8/Wicca 5) is an intelligent fachan female who has great influence on several clans of the Niedegard mountains, including the Purple stripes Ogre tribe to whom the fachan are allied. She has also obtained a decent amount of cinnabryl to protect most of her people from the worst afflictions, and she plans a great raid on nearby Protectorado da Presa to obtain much more. She has the Bite, Disrupt, Meld, Plant Form and Stone Shape legacies, but no afflictions yet.

Adventure ideas

Jorri

Even if they spend quite some time in the sea, the Jorri⁶ are considered land creatures because they dwell near the coasts and in particular in the proximity of rivers. Their dens are typically built on river shores and sea beaches. Some Jorri subspecies live also far from the sea along the main rivers of the Coast. Jorri have good relations with local sailors as they are known to help victims of shipwrecks, so many Savage Coast nations protect them and punish those who try to harm them. Slavers, tyrants, pirates and other criminals however may not be so thoughtful.

[Image: Delta]
Caption: Delta de Pozaverde, an ideal habitat for jorri

Jorri as PCs

Jorri are curious creatures and it is not unheard of for some of them to try the adventuring career, even if they could have some difficulties in adjusting to wearing clothes and bearing weapons. Jorri however are intelligent and can learn quite fast. Still they inevitably wish to return to their family and home eventually, if they have one. Jorri-only adventuring groups are not recorded in any nation history, but nothing says one will not exist one day.
Jorri have a movement of 100 feet per turn (33 per round) on the ground, 180 feet per turn (60 per round) swimming, and a +1 bonus on dexterity and a -1 penalty on strength.

[Table: Jorri Character Class]

Jorri spellcasters and Immortals

Jorri shamans and wiccas are quite rare, but druids are more common. Jorri do not lack the intelligence to become wizards and clerics, but their training is normally less formal than the one followed by humans and other more common races. Use the rules for humanoid spellcasters in PC1 Tall Tales of the Wee Folks, page 20. Many Jorri worship Protius, Sinbad or other Immortals connected to the sea. Djaes, Terra and Ordana are also worshipped in Jorri communities. Jorri are polytheist and can worship several of these immortals at once.

[Image: Jorri mariner]
Caption: A jorri sailor on a ship

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Jorri are quite versatile creatures and can pick up any skill as appropriate to their culture. They do not forge metal weapons and live in simple den, but may have objects and weapons traded with other races of the Savage Coast. Their preferred skills however are those based on Dexterity (Acrobatics, Dodge, Evade, Harpooning, Hide in Shadows, Hunting, Juggling, Rapid Fire, Rope use, Surprise).
Jorri speak their own language but commonly they speak, or at least understand, Verdan. Many of them may also speak Espa and other languages of the Savage Coast.
Jorri do not use clothes and do not forge stone and metal weapons, but they have spears and bows, and a particular kind of crossbow which can shoot three 1d4 projectiles, to defend their homes if necessary. They also use spear-throwers to fish underwater of fight against echyans and other monsters of the sea. Occasionally Jorri spellcasters enchant such weapons for heroes, adventurers and chiefs. Jorri rarely use armor, but often employ enchanted bracelet or necklaces which provide protection against weapons (bonus to AC) or against particular elements or attacks.
Jorri have just a small chance to develop Legacies (10%), even if many of them live inside the Legacy regions. If a Jorri develop a Legacy, he or she may choose to accept the Affliction if it isn’t very severe, but the community will mobilize to acquire cinnabryl to heal a Jorri severely impaired by an Affliction.

Jorri lands and society

Jorri communities are common in several regions of the Savage Coast. Many Jorri live in Cape Korcula between Zvornik and Hoja. Some of them have escaped from the northern coast controlled by Hule, as they refused to act as spies for the Master. They are often allies of the City States, Vilaverde and Texeira against Hulean plots in the region.
Several Jorri live in the Guadalimas coast north of Narvaez, which they left refusing to submit to the state religion of the barony. They often provide assistance to rebels and afflicted.
A great number of Jorri lives in the Delta de Pozaverde in Gargoña and all along the rivers which flows into it, in Guadalante, Saragon, La Pampa Rica and Torreon, while few live in the Rio Guadiana in Narvaez for the religion problems explained above.
A relevant number of Jorri lives on the New Hope River from Cimarron to the Orcish territories north of Robrenn. They usually have neutral relations with humanoids but are willing to help humans and other races which could find themselves hunted in the region.
Some more Jorri live also near the Bastião do Tartarugas and have friendly relations with local tortles and Vilaverdans. A few Jorri live along the coasts of Robrenn and Eusdria, but many more in Helmet Bay, mainly in the Tortles Coast and in the Ilhas Gémeas.
A few live along the coast of Bellayne, but a much greater number among the many islands of Terra Leaoça. Very few Jorri, if any, live in Herath, as they fear the local wizards.
Even less survive on the coast of the Dark Jungle, which was once a land heavily inhabited by them. Now however most of the Jorri have migrated north to The Horn and the Wallaran coast.
Many more Jorri communities live along the Arm of the Immortals and the Yavdlom Peninsula.
Jorri have good relations with Tortles and Omm-wa, but are enemies of Sea hermits and Snappers. They know of the existence of other sea creatures and occasionally come into contact and trade with merrow and kna. They know of the existence of other Undersea races but they rarely have relations with them. Due to their semi aquatic nature, the Jorri however could be the ideal means with whom a DM could introduce Savage Coast players to the people of the Undersea.
Jorri can communicate with normal otters, seals and beavers and use them to better surveil the area near their dens. Jorri youngsters often have animal friends, including small amphibians and reptilians. Jorri practice some agriculture near coasts and rivers but their main diet is still made of fish, crustaceans and algae. They can eat raw food but prefer to cook at least once a day in the evening. Jorri do not use money or gems but they may have some for trading with other cultures. Most of their culture is oral, but they are able to produce some books in the shape of scrolls made with paper obtained from algae. They also typically build tools made of wood and shells for a variety of uses, as forks, knives and anything else they may need. Jorri who travels among other races easily adapt to local custom, wearing clothes and using money.

Jorri personalities

Sesialein (Jorri 7/Shaman 5) is the leader of the Jorri of Helmet bay and live with her familiar group in the eastern Ilha Gémea. She is particularly active in fighting Sea hermits hunters along the Dunwick coast and is trying to establish an alliance with local omm-wa, tortles and Dunwick and Texeiran authorities.
Toshirin (Jorri 8) is one of the few jorri who drive and command a ship, the Sea Otter, with a crew composed of jorri, tortles, lupins, rakasta, neshezu, wallaran and humans. He is very active against Herathian and Hulean ships and Dark Jungle orcs and for this reason he is protected and even financed by other Savage Coast nations, particularly Texeira and Vilaverde.

Adventure ideas

Krolli

Krolli⁷ are winged lizardmen native to the Arm of the Immortals. They live mostly in the mountains around Aeryl and south of Eshu. They have good relations with many races, not only Ee’aar elves and enduks, but also with wurmlings, pegataurs, dragons, other lizardkin and humanoids. Many Krolli are trained as warriors, but they are very interested in trade, so they prefer to maintain cordial relationship with everyone, when possible. Krolli may be related to pteryx⁸, a winged reptilian race that now mostly survive only in remote areas of Davania, the Hollow World and the Hollow Moon.

Krolli as PCs

Krolli may be easily encountered in the Savage Coast as followers and bodyguards of wurlings or enduks. Most of them are interested in trading rather than adventuring, but they could be also encountered alone or in a group during a mission for their masters. Some sages speculate that krolli are so willing to serve other races just to learn more about other lands and then establish their own trade networks. It is possible they are indeed doing the same in other regions, such as Gombar and Suma’a or the Yezchamenid empire.
Krolli have a movement of 100 feet per turn (33 per round) walking and 180 per turn (60 per round) flying, and a +1 bonus on constitution and a - 1 penalty on charisma.

[Table: Krolli Character Class]

Krolli spellcasters and Immortals

Krolli can become wizards, clerics or druids, but most of their spellcasters are clerics of Ka. They are indeed almost monotheistic in their devotion to the reptilian immortal, but also pay homage to other immortals, mainly Ixion, Ordana, Djaea, Ilsundal and Palartarkan. Almost 5% of the Krolli population are clerics.

Skills, languages, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Krolli’ preferred skills are those based on Strength, Constitution and Wisdom, given that their culture is heavily influenced by warriors and clerics, mostly Intimidation, Muscle, Ram, Rip, Wrestling (str), Alertness, Bravery, Danger Sense, Detect Deception, Healing, Self Control (wis), Endurance, Resist Exhaustion, Stamina, Quick Charge (con).
Krolli have their own language but often speak at least two others, commonly Elvish, Enduk, Wurmling and Espa, at least those who travel around the world.
Krolli prefer to use their four claws and their bite to attack, and rarely use weapons. When they have weapons, they prefer spears, to be thrown at their enemies while flying. They often use shields, as they understand how useful they can be against magic and missile fire.
The most common magical items Krolli carry are enchanted shields and amulets of protection. They only wear light armour, if any, to not hinder their ability to fly.
Krolli live outside the Legacies Regions, so they normally do not develop Legacies or Afflictions, but they know about the Red Curse and always require the needed amount of cinnabryl for protection, if travelling in the cursed nations.

Krolli lands and society

Krolli live in the Arm of the Immortals, in communities called eyries which are typically on the tallest mountains. They live in the Yezchamenid Empire only in small numbers, as they always refused to serve in its armies, differently from Pegataurs. They are more numerous in the unclaimed lands of the peninsula, particularly south of Eshu. When possible they try to get along with other races living in the same region, including dragons, mountain and cloud giants, hivebroods, rakasta and humanoids. Their best relations however are with elves, enduks, the tanagogre of Gombar and Suma’a, the gyerians of Adilli and the wurmlings of the east (for Krolli, i.e. the Yalu bay and the Savage Coast). They do not trust either the Tanagoro humans of the south⁹, the humans of Nastoreth¹⁰ and the Jakar rakasta, and therefore few Krolli live in the Southern part of the Arm.
The krolli eyries are quite complex structures built mostly with woods on the tallest mountains, and all the eyries of a region normally communicate with one another through light signals, to trade, to warn others of dangers or simply to chat. Krolli practice some horticulture on their mountains and can forge metals, even if they use little weapons and armors, and do not use coins among themselves. Krolli domesticate animals, mostly different species of birds and small pterodactyls which live in the Arm. They get along with rocs, griffons and hippogriffs, but have sometimes violent confrontations with the more aggressive manticores, chimeras and hydras.

Krolli Personaliries

Vadruk (Krolli 9) is a powerful warrior that normally lives in Richland, Yalu Bay, in the Haze area but outside the Legacy regions. He is the krolli who helps other of his race find employment with wurmlings or other races, and intervenes personally if he finds out a krolli is in danger or has been cheated by someone. He appreciate the philosophy of the Lawful Brotherhood and has helped the organization many times in the past, as much he is considered something of an informal member.
Ashak (Krolli 5/Cleric 8 of Ka) lives in Um-Shedu, the Nimmurian city occupied by the enduks. She mostly coordinates krolli who do not work as bodyguards but are rather employed by the enduks for delicate missions in the Savage Coast.

Adventure ideas

Mugumba mud-dwellers (Kasturi)

Kasturi is the name these creatures use for themselves, and they do not like much the name given to them by Yavdlom inhabitants¹¹. They do not like much either that the name given to beavers in thyatian and mileanian (castor) is so similar to their own, while they call normal beaver “sikastri” meaning “small, minor kasturi”. Contrary to a widespread belief, kasturi do not live only in the Serpent Peninsula, but also in many other regions of Brun¹² and, possibly, Skothar and Davania. They have a matriarchal, peaceful and reclusive society.

[Image: Kasturi pirate]
Caption: A kasturi pirate

Kasturi as PCs

Kasturi rarely become adventurers. They led a peaceful life and normally they value too much their work in the native community to leave it for any reason. However outcasts exist and accident happens, as do attacks of hostile people, therefore some kasturi adventurers do exist, motivated either the need to learn or find something for the community, to track a missing family member or an hated enemy¹³.
Kasturi have a movement of 120 feet per turn (40 per round) on the ground and a initial 60 per turn (20 per round) swimming, and a +1 bonus on intelligence and no penalty.

[Table: Kasturi Character Class]

Kasturi spellcasters and Immortals

Kasturi have spellcasters, mostly female clerics of Ordana, Terra or Djaea, but clerics of other Immortals, druids and wizards are not unheard of, males included. The kasturi society encourages the development of such abilities for the benefit of the community. The worship of entropic immortals however is strongly discouraged, and extremely rare.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Preferred kasturi skills are Engineering, Hide (int), Swim and Woodcutting (dex) but they can also learn any other skill. They speak their own language and often they do not learn others, due to their relative isolation. However kasturi adventurers or travellers will be provided with some magical mean to understand and speak foreign languages or will quickly learn what they need.
Kasturi prefer to use wood and stone weapons, but they know metal is stronger and are able to work it into weapons, even if they may have little if any in their wetlands home and could be forced to obtain some through trade. The axe is their preferred weapon, but they also use bow and arrows. If necessary they wear armour made of algae and weed which can be thick as leather armour or even as chainmail. These items can also be enchanted by the spellcasters in the community if a kasturi adventurer needs them.
Many kasturi communities are outside the Legacy Regions, but also those who are inside them rarely develop Legacies (only a 5% chance, even less than jorri). Anyway kasturi clerics and druids in the region know of the Red Curse and the appropriate spells to keep it at bay and cure afflictions.

Kasturi lands and society

Kasturi communities can be found in all the wetlands of the Savage Coast, the Yalu Bay and the Arm of the Immortals. Differently from jorri who live on the coast and are commonly known by sailors, kasturi typically have isolated inland communities, and therefore may go unnoticed by nearby human nations. Kasturi have normally good relations with jorri, rakasta, lupins and torles, while the relations with other inhabitants of the wetlands, such as lizardmen, caymen, gatormen and frogfolks vary from region to region. Small kasturi communities exist in Las Ciénagas, the marsh east of Torreon, in the Guadalimas north of Narvaez and in the Delta de Pozaverde in Gargoña. Others live along the New Hope River west of Cimarron and north of Robrenn. Like the jorri, they try to remain on neutral terms with the local goblins, gnolls and orcs as much as possible. The western territories have big swamp who are inhabited by relevant kasturi populations. One is in Ator, where the local kasturi have submitted to gatormen rule, providing tools and engineering skill to defend the bayou if necessary. Another is in the heart of the Dark Jungle, where the local kasturi have no choice but to lend the same service to the dragon lord Pyre. Two more are in Forbidden Highlands, in the swamps east of Nimmur: the local kasturi have established friendly relations with phanatons, wallara and the enduks of Um-shedu, but they do not fight against manscorpions unless they are forced to defend their communities. More kasturi live in the big Yazak swamps between Richland and the city of Yazak. They are often caught in the local struggle between the Lawful Brotherhood and the Chaotic Sisterhood, even if they would very much prefer to be left alone. Lastly two important communities live in the eastern Arm of the Immortal, in the Rot Swamps west of Porto Maldição and in the Grubb Nest Marshes of the Western Orclands. Despite being menaced by trolls, orcs and hivebroods, in the first case, and by orcs, manticores and hydras, in the latter, they have managed so far to survive and preserve their independence.
Kasturi society is matriarchal and matrilineal, with the communities ruled by sisters who oversee the complicate hydraulic operation the kasturi love to have around their villages. Such pools are created to have food and clean water in otherwise hostile swamp environment, to keep pests and predators away and to defend the community from floods and enemies. It is therefore extremely hard to attack a kasturi community without falling prey to some “water trap” they have prepared. The kasturi also use normal beavers, copyu and other local rodents as allies and sentries. They do not keep animals for meat and milk but practice aquatic and semi-aquatic agriculture and eat fish, snakes, eels, and many plants (roots, fruits, berries, and nuts), which are often farmed inside or around their pools. They are wary with foreigners and slow to grant their trust, but can become very reliable friend if they decide a visitor is not a threat to their community.

[Image: Kasturi woods]

Kasturi Personalities

Sho’trok (kasturi 5/wizard 9) is a rare example of kasturi adventure, very world wise, who can often be encountered in Richland but is known to travel from the Serpent Peninsula to the Arm of the Immortal, and sometime employ adventurers of other races for his purposes. Even if it is hard to pinpoint his true age, Sho’trok seems quite old and experienced.
Jei’akila (kasturi 4/cleric 5 of Djaea) is a kasturi female travelling with a kasturi male bodyguard, Ko’kriom (kasturi 8), to find knowledge and help in Robrenn, Eudria and other nations of the Coast on benefit of her people under the yoke of Pyre in the Dark Jungle.

Adventure ideas

Mythu'nn folk

Mythu’nn¹⁴ are tiny creatures only 6-9 inches (15-23 cm) tall. Their ability to become invisible and cast dimension door at will make them more similar to sprites and pixies than other races, so sages speculate they may be related to pookas. Mythu’nn live in the highest mountains around Aeryl, the homeland of the Ee’aar elves in the Arm of the Immortals, but reports of several travellers mention them in all the Endworld line highest peaks and possibly even in the Black Mountains.

[Image: Mountains]
Caption: High peaks in the Arm of the Immortals

Mythu’nn as PCs

Mythu’nn are curious creatures and love to travel, so they are known to accompany good natured adventurers, especially Ee’aar elves. They may be more cautious to trust adventurers of other races, unless they have proven to be respectful and trustworthy. Being accompanied by a mythu’nn will grant a +3 on the reaction table to any adventurer encountering elves, treants, faeries or fairy folks. Mythu’nn PCs or companion will want to return to their original home after a year or so of adventuring, to return to their family and narrate their experiences in the wider world.
Mythu’nn have a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) when walking but have a Sprint special ability, meaning they can run at 360 feet per round¹⁵ for a maximum of 5 rounds, then they have to rest for 5 others to run again. Mythu’nn have a +2 bonus on charisma and a -1 penalty on constitution and strength. Their maximum strength is 11.

[Table: Mythu’nn Character Class]

Mythu’nn spellcasters and Immortals

Mythu’nn normally do not become spellcasters and do not worship Immortals, as they normally consider their innate magical abilities more than enough to escape any trouble. However some mythu’nn becomes wizards, clerics (of nature immortals) or druids and usually there is almost one in each community. These mythu’nn spellcaster almost never leave their community as they provide any magical service the rest of their people may need, but their apprentices often travel with adventurers to learn more of the world.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Mythu’nn have a high dexterity (+5 to the roll, 8 to 23, average 16) and can run at a very high speed for 5 rounds, so they have great advantages in any Dexterity skill. They also have an advantage of +3 when using Charisma skills with humans and demihumans (including “demianimals” as lupins, rakasta and others, but excluding humanoids), beside their reaction bonus toward elves and fairy folks, due to their “cute” appearance. They have obviously at a disadvantage if they try to use Strength skills on creatures bigger than them, but they can learn normally any Intelligence or Constitution skill.
Mythu’nn have their own language but they have to speak very slowly for it to be understandable by other races. Sprites and pixies can partially understand the mythu’nn language. They quickly learn other languages however if they travel with other races.
Mythu’nn normally carry little equipment if any, but those who defend their mountain homes or travel with adventures often have magical spears with metal points and defensive amulets, created by the spellcasters in their communities. These objects will hardly be usable by human sized creatures.
Mythu’nn never acquire legacies or afflictions and have no need of cinnabryl, even when travelling the Legacy regions. This property is not yet widely known in the Savage Coast, but it is imaginable that Herathian and other nations wizards could be very interested in studying a mythu’nn to understand why they have this particular resistance.

Mythu’nn lands and society

Mythu’nn live mostly near Aeryl in the Arm of the Immortal and in other peaks of the Endworld line, but small communities would be also present in the Black Mountains and on the most remote peaks of the Eusdrian mountains. Mythu’nn are ignored by giants and dragons, as they are too small to be of any concern. Likewise humanoids rarely know of the existence of the mythu’nn and if they do, they do not bother them out of superstitious fear. Yet mythu’nn have enemies. In the Arm of the Immortals the worst is the tyminid and other flying predators, such as griffons, manticores and chimeras, may also occasionally hunt the mythu’nn. In Eusdria and the Black Mountains the most serious dangers could be giant bats, hawks, owls, rats and weasels, centipedes, spiders and scorpions, but mostly only if the mythu’nn venture to lower heights, or adventurers hoping to profit from the mythu’nn’ magical capabilities.

Mythu’nn Personalities

Ikchi’v’lin (mythu’nn 2/wizard 2) is a young apprentice now in Dunwick with a group of local adventurers which includes a Ee’aar elf. Most people will mistake him for a familiar, but Ikchi’v’lin is willing to explain who he is in the right circumstances (for example, to people who have helped his group overcome some obstacle or defeat some enemy).
Se’ish’v’kla (mythu’nn 5/cleric 7) is a rare example of experienced mythun’nn spellcaster which live outside her community. She is indeed a sort of ambassador among the phanatons of Jibarù, who regards highly her and the mythu’nn. Se’ish’v’kla has another reason to be in the region, as her son went missing in some unspecified place of the Savage Coast during an adventure, and she is gathering all possible clues to track and save him.

Adventure ideas

Neshezu

Neshezu are intelligent forest dwellers vaguely similar to orangutan, goblins and orcs. They are described as evil in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium entry¹⁶, but that could be considered a biased description from Herath, as they are the true masters of the western Herathian forest. Neshezu could be only a subspecies of other monkey and ape-like creatures living in Mystara. Rock baboons appeared in the original red D&D Basic Set and in the Rules Cyclopedia: they are described as more organized than animals, but not enough to form a complex society. However the Vanara from Indian mythology appeared in D&D 3ed Oriental Adventures and the Hadozee appeared in the D&D 3ed supplement Stormwrack. Vanara are curious, honest and loyal creatures modelled on Eastern mythologies, while Hadozee are described as a seagoing people. Cold dwelling ape-like creatures, the Taer¹⁷, appear in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, similar to but more intelligent than the Snow Apes and White Apes appearing in the red D&D Basic Set. While Vanara and Taer would be more appropriate in Skothar or other lands, Hadozee could be used as the coast dwelling and seafaring neshezu. They could also be present in northern Davania, in either way not unknown in the Savage Coast.

[Image: Jungle]
Caption: Deep jungle in Western Herath

Neshezu as PCs

Neshezu do not leave often their jungle, but adventurers may exist, either exiled by some powerful chief, or survivors of clans wiped out by Herathians or a rival neshezu clan, or captives captured by Herathians or Dark Jungle orcs. The DM may also decide to use the same statistics for Hadozee, which should be more similar to chimpanzee in appearance. Hadozee could also simply be the name of the coastal dwelling and seafaring neshezu.
Neshezu have a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) walking and 150 per turn (50 per round) brachiating. Neshezu have a +1 bonus on strength and constitution and a -1 penalty on wisdom and intelligence.

[Table: Neshezu Character Class]

Neshezu spellcasters and Immortals

Neshezu can become spellcasters, normally each tribe has at least a shaman or a wicca with one or two apprentices. These spellcasters are often female, as such studies fit well with the poison lore which is exclusively pertinence of female neshezu. Neshezu druids are always female and expert in poisons, but they will also defend the jungle from Herathians, orcs and humans. Neshezu worship several immortals, mostly Hel, Masauwu, Talitha, Jammudaru and Karaash, all known with their local neshezu names. Worship of other immortals, mainly Ka, Ordana, Djaea, Terra may occur too among individual rebellious neshezu or whole tribes who hope to gain an advantage against competitors. Coastal dwelling neshezu (hadozee) often worship Protius and Calitha.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Neshezu of the jungle often learn the most useful skills for their environment, such as Lumberjack, Wrestling (str), Hunting, Nature Lore, Odour tracking, Orientation, Snares, Survival, Toolmaking, Tracking, Woodsmith (int), Alertness, Animal empathy, Danger Sense (wis), Acrobatics, Blind shooting, Climbing, Dart, Dodge, Evade, Find traps, Net making, Surprise, Treewalking (dex) Endurance, Stamina (con), while neshezu of the coast (hadozee) may also pick Navigation, Sailing, Shellworking, Shipbuilding, (int) Fishing, Weather (wis) Harpooning, Knot tying, Net making, Rope making, Seamanship, (dex) gain trust, persuasion, singing, storytelling (cha).
Neshezu have their own language and those living in the jungle rarely learn another, but the most intelligent ones living near Herath or the Dark Jungle may be able to learn Herathian or Orcish. The Hadozee of the coast normally know also Verdan and Espa, and they may also know Herathian, Bellaynish and Renardois.
Neshezu do not normally use armour, or only leather, but sometimes use shields and they always use weapons, scimitars, daggers and even wheellock pistols. They normally obtain the latter from merchants on the coast or through hadozee piracy, but have their own forges to produce steel weapons, even if they often have to buy iron on the coast or through Nimmur or the Forbidden Highlands. Scimitars, daggers and shields may be enchanted by neshezu spellcasters. Blowguns with poisoned darts too are used by the neshezu and are sometimes enchanted too.
Neshezu live outside the Curse area, but they do not acquire Legacies even if travelling in the affected regions.

Neshezu lands and society

Western Herath is a huge region of more than 24,000 square miles which is claimed by the magocracy in name only, but is in truth the region inhabited mostly by neshezu. Other races may inhabit this jungle too (rakasta, lizardmen, manscorpions, wallaras, phanatons, aranea and orcs) but neshezu are the dominant power almost everywhere. Western Herath has a small coastal area of about 16 miles which is inhabited by hadozee and a safe port for pirates of the whole Savage Coast. Small groups of neshezu also inhabit the forests of Nimmur and Jibarù, the Dark Jungle, the Wildwoods of northern Herath, the Wyndham forest of Bellayne and the forests of Shazak and Cay. These group are often endangered or subject to the main local population. Some hadozee inhabit the coasts of the Arm of the Immortals.
Neshezu of the jungle are aggressive and often behave like pirates, using ambushes, hit and run tactics, poisoned weapons and darts, traps and nets to rob or capture members of other races. They have infravision and prefer to attack at night and hide during the day. Neshezu villages are built in the treetops on platforms of wood and woven vines, and they move through vines when possible.
They do not care much for money and gems except as bargaining tools, and prefer to take weapons and other equipment. They also take captives, to ransom them with weapons and other useful equipment, such as iron ore, red steel, liquors or jewels. They are capable of forging their own weapons if needed, but prefer to steal or buy them when possible.
The hadozee of the coast are willing to trade and share bounty with the neshezu of the interior, but they have a much less aggressive attitude toward strangers, alternating piracy with legitimate trade with Texeiran, Vilaverdan and other nations’ ships.

[Image: Neshezu]
Caption: Neshezu in a Herathigan drawing

Neshezu Personalities

Shavla (Neshezu 5/ Shaman 9) is the matriarch of the Purple Sabers tribe, who live just beyond the coast and have therefore privileged access to hadozee and human traders and raid in Herath and the Dark Jungle. A great expert of poison, Shavla has become chief of the tribe after the death of her husband many years ago, defying neshezu’s patriarchal customs. Her tribe grows in power daily and she is contemplating the unification of the whole Western Herath under her absolute rule, forcing the Herathians and other nations to recognize her dominion.
Kushu (Hadozee 7) is a pirate king and trader on the coast, with different personalities as appropriate to the situation. Sometimes he is a legitimate trader with Espa and Verdan ships, sometimes he is a pirate or a privateer, captain of the Blood Monkey, and sometimes the owner and manager of Cutthroats Haven, a cove for pirates, a village and a inn on the Herathian coast. Kushu is willing to ally with Shavla, thinking he can use her rise to his benefit.

Adventure ideas

Wurmlings

Wurmlings are a strange, ancient race of intelligent worms who can grow to 50 feet of length (15 meters) and 15 tons of weight¹⁸. They have a brown, leathery hide. They are highly intelligent and are masters of subterfuge and blackmail, so in the Savage Coast they are often leaders of Thieves Guilds and other not completely legal organizations. Wurmlings can live up to 1,500 years and are hermaphroditic. Even if they aren’t social creatures, they often they have a younger offspring with them and several retainers and underlings, up to 200 or more.

[Image: Wurmling]
Caption: book depiction of a wurmling

Wurmlings as PCs

The most probable wurmling PCs will be a “young” who just turned 100 years old and therefore has left his parent and is now out in the world to establish his own lair and gain his followers. This process could be an interesting adventure in its own right. Despite their size, wurmlings can move quite fast, either slithering or rolling.
Wurmlings have a movement of 240 feet per turn (80 per round) slithering or rolling, 30 feet per turn (10 per round) burrowing in loose ground. They have a +2 bonus on intelligence and a -2 penalty on dexterity.

[Table: Wurmling Character Class]

Wurmlings spellcasters and Immortals

Being highly intelligent, wurmlings can become excellent wizards, thus becoming even more powerful and dangerous. They rarely, if ever, become clerics or druids, or maybe they have clerics and druids only in their mysterious underground homeland. If the wurmlings worship the Immortals, or one in particular, no one knows nothing about that.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Wurmling have thief abilities as a thief of equivalent level, and are immune or resistant to many illusion and mind altering abilities. They also learn many skills, in particular those related to intelligence and charisma, such as Appraising, Bargaining, Gambling, Knowledge, Negotiation, Poisons, Science, Signalling, Snares, Torture, Trapbuilding (int), Danger sense, Etiquette, Philosophy, Lore, Self-control (wis), Forgery, Lockpicking (dex), Deceive, Gain Trust, Oration, Persuasion (cha). They have their own language, but rarely have cause to use it on the surface, and rather learn local languages. They normally speak from 5 to 7 languages, usually Espa, Verdan, Renardois, Bellaynish and others.
Given their power and intelligence, wurmling often acquire a variety of magical items, mostly protection and scrying items, and a wurmling in danger will surely have at least a teleport, dimension door, turn rock to mud or an invisibility spell to go away as quick as possible. Their vaults are indeed extremely rich in coins, gems, jewelry, cinnabryl, red steel and magic, but to enter into such vaults is never an easy task, and typically involves facing multiple traps and guardians.
Wurmlings gain permanent legacies as Inheritors and normally have 5 to 7 of them, and require cinnabryl to support them. The most common legacies among wurmlings are Anti-Poison, Crimson Fire, Digging, Farsight, Red Shield, Shape Stone, and Temperature.

Wurmling lands and society

The only widely know wurmling lives in Eusdria, maintaining a contraband trade of red steel from Withimer to the Heldannic Knights, even if the Eudrian authorities have not been able to pinpoint on him any illegal activity. Sages speculate wildly about the nature and the presence of wurmling in the Savage Coast. They are suspected to be in control of many undercover organization dealing with contraband and illicit activity in all the main cities of the region, but in a way they behave as a lawful and honorable organization, upholding their word and demanding the same to their “customers”. Therefore some say they are in truth the “shadow branch” of the Lawful Brotherhood. For others, they are instead the forefront of a vast underground civilization who is trying to take control of the whole Savage Coast. Others suspect they may be secretly agents of Hule or the Chaotic Sisterhood, Herathian spies, or pawns of some power in the Dark Jungle or the Immortal Arms. Others say they are already the true mastermind of the whole region and they always have been, as they are the most ancient race living here. No one knows the truth about the wurmling, except them, and they do not tell it to anyone.

Wurmling Personalities

Hujav (Wurmling 8) also simply known as “The Leader” is the head of the underground organization which dominates contraband and other illicit activity in Withimer, Eusdria, but also maintains a legitimate business operating both in Withimer and in the capital Gundegard, and in other cities too. Hujav supplies small quantities of red steel to Heldannic Knights and Thyatians

Adventure ideas

[Image: Savage Coast East]

http://pandius.com/savage-coast-east.png

[Image: Savage Coast West]
http://pandius.com/savage-coast-west.png

Caption: Main regions inhabited by the creatures described in the article, over Thorfinn Tait’s 8mph map of the Savage Coast. First two letter of the creature’s name are used to identify them (Fa is for Fachan, Jo for Jorri, Ka is for Kasturi, aka Mugumba Mud-Dwellers as described above, My for Mythu’nn Folk, Om for Omm-wa, Ne for Neshezu, SH is for Sea Hermit, Sn for Snappers, Wu for Wurmlings).

[Image: Arm of the Immortals]
http://pandius.com/Central_Arm_of_the_Immortal_24.png

Caption: Main regions inhabited by the creatures described in the article, over my 24 mph map of Brun (Arm of the Immortals region, modified from Kal’s map of Brun). First two letter of the creature’s name are used to identify them (Jo for Jorri, Ka for Kasturi, Kr for Krolli, My for Mythu’nn, Ne for Neshezu, Om for Omm-wa, Sn for Snappers).

People of the Sea

This section details the intelligent creatures living in the seas around the Savage Coast seas, Trident Bay, Yalu Bay and the Western Sea. Other intelligent inhabitants could well be present in the local seas, as the creatures detailed in PC3 The Sea People (Tritons, Merrows, Acquatic Elves, Sea Giants, Kna, Kopru, Nixies, Shark-kins and Devilfish) and other intelligent creatures of the sea (Acquatic Beholders, Crabmen, Marine Decapus, Noble Dolphins, Shimmerfish dolphins, Sea Dragons and Dragon Turtles, Mesmer, Narwhal, Velya, Wereseals).

Sea hermits

Sea hermits are creatures of the deep sea¹⁹, their underwater kingdom lies hundreds of miles from the coast and hundred of feet deep. They are also shapechanger and sometimes they dwell on the coast to capture land dwelling creatures. They are not exactly slavers, as the reason why they capture people of the surface is to study them, learn magical secrets and anything that can be useful to them in competition with other aggressive undersea races.

[Image: Sea hermit]
Caption: Sea hermit underwater

Sea hermits as PCs

It may be hard to imagine why a Sea hermit, or many of them, should ever decide to become adventurers or travel away from the coast. They can hardly travel far from the sea in their natural, big crab form, so they would have to do it in humanoid form, leaving their precious shell unguarded and hidden. However there can be many situations in which such a thing may occur. Either some young sea hermits were left stranded and shelless by an enemy attack, or the mysterious sea hermits civilization decided to send one or more of their people to learn something about the lands farest from the coasts they know.
Sea hermits have a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) on the ground, or the same of their humanoid form. They have a movement of 120 feet per turn (60 per round) swimming in their natural form. They have a +2 bonus on intelligence and a -2 penalty on dexterity and charisma (only in their natural form).

[Table: Sea hermit Character Class]

Sea hermits spellcasters and Immortals

The more commonly encountered sea hermits, sent to collect “specimens” in the dry lands, are commonly spellcasters, more commonly wizards than clerics. Druids rarely if ever leave the underwater kingdoms. Sea hermits worship several immortals of the sea, commonly Protius, but also Gorrziok and Crakkak, Malafor, Sharpcrest and Calitha, Saasskas and the Water Elemaster. Even if the rest of the world know nothing about this, deep divisions runs into the sea hermits kingdoms, cities and society about different philosophies and the ways to deal with outsiders. Something that could be quite useful for air breathers taken to sea hermits kingdoms.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Sea hermit are highly intelligent and can pick up any skill known to intelligent races. They also have a special ability which allows them to a 20% chance of being able to use the spells and skills of its previous prey. For the same reason, they may possess in humanoid form, or stored in their shell, any equipment taken from previous captives, including magical items.
Some parts of a sea hermit's natural form can be used in magical preparations to obtain water breathing and shapeshifting. A tortle wizard had one of their majestic shells enchanted to act like Daern's instant fortress. All this is not yet common knowledge in the Savage Coast, but soon adventurers could be quite interested in capturing a sea hermit, thus turning the predator into a prey.
Sea hermits never gain Legacies and do not require cinnabryl, but they may still be interested in acquiring red steel and other connected substances to study and store them.

Sea hermits lands and society

Sea hermits kingdoms lie under the sea at a far distance from surface lands, yet the fact they have been spotted several times in the Savage Coast and the Arm of Immortals lead to think their kingdoms, at least some of them, must lay somewhere between Brun and Davania.
Other sea hermits kingdoms could exist in all the Mystaran sea, but they do not need to be identical, as each may be dominated by a different philosophy or Immortal and have a very different attitude toward surface races.
All the sea hermits kingdom anyway are advanced civilizations, which have learnt much in magic and technology both from their ancestors and from the study of other races. Traditionally they are suspicious of other people and hardly accept them in their territories, but more tolerant sea hermits may exist which have found a way to coexist with other intelligent people of Mystara.

Sea hermits Personalities

Shug (Sea hermit 11/Wizard 11), if this is his real name, is a powerful wizard which has taken an orc form and has come to dominate a whole clan of the Yamekh orcs in the Western Orclands of the Arm of the Immortals. No one knows of his true nature and no one could ever learn of his true motives, whatever they may be. If he becomes more powerful he will probably be noticed by the Yamekh king Furul Fire-breath and possibly also by Pyre himself, who has agents in the region trying to gain control of the western tribes.
Tivaksha (Sea hermit 12/Cleric 13), is a powerful cleric of Protius operating on the shores of Terra Leaoça. Vilaverdan authorities do not have a clue about her existence, but the local jorri rightfully suspect her of kidnapping some of their people. Tivaksha true goal however is learn all she can about Herath, and possibly capture an Herathian noble.

Adventure ideas

Omm-wa

Omm-wa are a race of intelligent manatees²⁰ who lives in a vast area along the tropical waters of South-western Brun and Northern Davania. Some explorers says that a related specie also live in Skothar. In the area of the Savage Coast, they are more common from Dunwich to the Yalu bay and on the eastern coast of the Arm of the Immortals, where the waters are warmer. Omm-wa breathe air but spend almost all their time in the sea or in rivers. They have normally friendly relations with jorri, tortles, merrows, nixies, sea giants and kna, and are normally neutral toward land people. They have instead bad relations if not open warfare with snappers, devilfish, kopru, sea hermits, shark-kins and gatormen.

[Image: Common manatee]
Caption: Common manatee, related to Omm-wa

Omm-wa as PCs

Omm-wa males often become warriors and are renowned for their bravery, while females often become priests or thieves and are much more cautious, but both sexes normally have strong ties to their community and family, so leave it in search of adventurers only for very serious reasons, such as a pressing danger or an unavoidable need. Recently however omm-wa are trying to find more trade partners to escape the monopoly the Herathians had with them for a long time, so they are multiplying their contacts with other people, primarily Vilaverdan and Texeiran.
Omm-wa have a movement of 30 feet per turn (10 per round) crawling on the ground and 180 feet per turn (60 per round) swimming. Males have a +1 bonus on strength and constitution and a -1 penalty on dexterity and wisdom, while females have a +1 bonus on intelligence and wisdom and a -1 penalty on strength and dexterity.

Omm-wa spellcasters and Immortals

There many priests among female omm-wa, normally worshipping Terra, and less commonly Ordana, Djaea, Calitha, Malafor or Protius. The cult of Terra, which is called Mother Ocean among the omm-wa, is indeed almost monotheistic, but exceptions exist. Males sometimes become battle priest of Thor, which is called Dugong by the omm-wa. Druids are relatively common among the females, while wizards are much more rare, but some exist both among males and females. Omm-wa wizards often have relations with Herathian wizards, obtaining spells from them in exchange for informations and items about the undersea lands and people.

[Image: Omm-wa adventurer]
Caption: Omm-wa adventurer

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Omm-wa can learn any skill appropriate to undersea people, but they rarely master dexterity based skills due to their bulk. Strength, constitution and intelligence based skills are more common.
Omm-wa have their own language but usually they speak at least another undersea language and a land dwelling language, depending on who are the nearest people with which they have contacts.
Omm-wa do not wear clothes but they often have belts for weapons or tools and necklaces of beads which are really their way of writing, so commonly contain a message, an official function or a statement. Such belts, necklaces and beads, beside the weapons and tools themselves, can also be enchanted. Omm-wa warriors sometimes use shields too and some may also have light armour made with algae, improving their natural AC from 6 to 4.
The omm-wa living on the coasts near the Legacy regions develop legacies. Usually afflictions are keep in check by clerical magic, but some omm-wa also wear cinnabryl and have red steel.

Omm-wa lands and society

Omm-wa are relatively common along all the coast from Dunwick to Richland and from Preuve to the south in the Arm of the Immortals. They are less common along the Orc’s Head peninsula where they have been harassed by local orcs, and more common in Herath, where they trade with the local inhabitants, in Wallara, where they have good relations with the locals, and in Ator, where they often fight against the gurrash. They are now becoming more numerous in the areas of the Vilaverdan and Texeiran colonies, as they would like to develop commercial relations, and near Dunwick and the Tortle coast, for the same reasons.
Omm-wa have a matriarchal society where female priests rule. Males can be aggressive if they perceive a threat, so they do not always listen to female counsel. Omm-wa do not really build houses but only shelters, preferably in small inhabited islands and coral reefs. They build however extensive aquafarms and create messages and art on the sea floors they inhabit with pebbles, shells, corals and beads, so their communities can be easily noticed and are a wonderful sight to behold. They create tools and weapons and can smelt iron and mine metals from seafloor nodules.
Omm-wa knows of the existence of wereseals and are usually tolerant with them, considering them possible allies to communicate and trade with humans.

Omm-wa Personalities

Saa-gaa (Omm-wa 5/Priest 8) is the matriarch and leader of an extensive clan she has just moved from eastern Herath to Terra Leaoça. She has established already friendly relations with local jorri, tortle, rakasta and humans. The sea hermit Tivaksha (see above) is spying on her and the two could well start a war if they come to have opposing goals.
Oth-won (Omm-wa 12) is a powerful warrior, assisted by a younger brother, Ko-wom, who is also a powerful cleric of Dugong (Thor). Together they have successfully defended their tribe from gatormen attacks and they are considering to turn the war for defensive to offensive. Their mother and matriarch, Sha-wan, is having a hard time trying to keep them at bay.

Adventure ideas

Snappers

The so called snappers²¹ consider themselves just sea dwelling tortles, but they despise their land dwelling cousins, blaming their weakness for the proliferations of invaders in the Savage Coast and their cowardly for selling out ancestral tortle lands. Snappers think to themselves as the true, original inhabitants of the land and have labelled almost any other race (with few exceptions such as wallara, kna, kopru, shark-kin and sea dragons) as invaders. They maintain they have been forced to escape to the sea by invaders who took their lands, so they are glad to jump at any occasion to attack humans, orcs, rakasta, lupins, tortles and many other races.

[Image: Common sea turtle]
Caption: Common sea turtle

Snappers as PCs

Snappers breath air and can walk on land as tortles, but they are much faster and effective on water, where they can also hold their breath for up to two hours and reach impressive depths. Therefore snappers PCs should be more common in underwater adventures and campaigns, but a group forced to tread on land for some serious motive can exist. Snappers can easily disguise themselves as tortles in the presence of other races, but true tortles will immediately recognize them and become suspicious about their motives.
Snappers have a movement of 60 feet per turn (20 per round) on the ground like tortles, but are much faster in water moving at 180 feet per turn (60 per round) swimming. Snappers have a +1 bonus on constitution and a -1 penalty on dexterity.

[Table: Snapper Character Class]

Snappers spellcasters and Immortals

Snappers can become wizards and priests, and druids too. They often worship the more violent immortals of the sea, such as Slizzark, Gorrziok, Crakkak and Sharpcrest, but some also worship Protius, the Water Elemaster and even Malafor or Calitha. Snapper chiefs are usually warriors and spellcasters are typically their counsellors, but some spellcasters have risen to lead warbands and tribes.

Skills, language, equipment, magical items and the Red Curse

Snappers can learn any skill appropriate to sea dwelling people but often have skills related to hunting, tracking, survival and resistance.
Snappers have a language very similar to the Tortle one. They rarely bother to learn the language of other races, but they may speak kna or shark-kin, as they often have neutral or friendly relations with such races. Snappers do not wear clothes, but they build tools and weapons. Their favorite weapons are nets, tridents and spears, and their spellcasters are well capable of enchanting them. Sometimes they use shields too and amulets of protections.
Living in the sea, as far as possible from the inhabites coasts, snappers rarely if even develop legacies, but they are vulnerable to them as the tortles are, and so would require cinnabryl or magic to ward off afflictions.

Snappers lands and society

Snappers are still air breathers, so they need lairs near land, ideally on coral reefs or inhabited islands. This is the reason why they are often at odds with the omm-wa. Even if they do not strictly number the omm-wa among the “invader races”, they compete for the same ecological niche. The same happens sometimes with jorri. Snappers know of sea hermits and would like to establish a cooperation with them, but have failed so far. They have established alliances with shark-kin and kopru, but probably the latter are just controlling snapper clans for their own purposes.
Snappers are more common in all the regions where tortles also live, in the southern Yalu bay and on the eastern shores of the Arm of the Immortals. Several isolated islands in the sea between Brun and Davania are also heavily inhabited by snappers. Snappers are normally organized into warrior clans dominated by a male leader, who can be often challenged by other males. However it happens that a powerful female, particularly if she is a wizard or a priest, can come to dominate a tribe.
Snappers when possible try to gain the help of sea dragon, dragon turtles and cläu-rin, often becoming vassals of such powerful creatures. Snappers train and ride into battle their own nikt'oo²² mounts.

Snappers Personalities

Kwoken (Snapper 11) is a powerful chief who is trying to unite several different clans in the sea several miles south of Presa. To this end he has in the course of years obtained the help of several dangerous creatures: a clan of shark-kin, unscrupulous kna traders, a dragon turtle and a cläu-rin, and even an aquatic beholder. So far, Kwoken has been able to play the latter three against each others and to his clan gains, but the game could easily explode into his snout. Or he could succeed and become a major threat to shipping in the region.

Adventure ideas

[Image: Rocks on the sea]
Caption: Rocky coast, the environment favored by omm-wa and snappers

Appendix: Cläu-rin and Kla’a’tah

These giant and highly intelligent sea turtles²³ are powerful protectors of tortles and snappers. Their true origins are mysterious, and the exact number of such creatures is unknown too, but at least two are known to exist, and they have appeared in the past to protect endangered communities of tortles and snappers. The most recent sightings have been in the Dark Jungle, where a Cläu-rin destroyed an entire clan of orcs which was preying on snappers breeding grounds, and near Presa, where a Kla’a’tah sunk a pirate ship who had enslaved an entire village of tortles.
Cläu-rin and Kla’a’tah, big as they may be, are less than a third of a much more powerful dragon turtle. Yet they somehow are capable of directing dragon turtles attacks away from tortles and snappers targets. For some reason, sea dragons too respect Cläu-rin and Kla’a’tah and never attack them and the people under their protection.

Tables

[Table: Fachan Character Class]

[Table: Jorri Character Class]

[Table: Kasturi Character Class]

[Table: Mythu’nn Character Class]

[Table: Neshezu Character Class]

[Table: Snapper Character Class]

Images

1Official TSR product which used AD&D statistics, only released online and available here in the Vaults of Pandius: http://pandius.com/sc_monst.html

2They were not detailed in the original “Voyages of Princess Ark” series. but more recently Bruce Heard wrote quite a detailed description of them and related subraces, goatlings, ovinaurs and caprines, in his blog: http://bruce-heard.blogspot.it/2012/05/goatmen-of-kavaja.html

3See their entry in the compendium here: http://pandius.com/fachan.html

4See complete list of BECMI Skills including those appearing only in Gazetteers and other supplements by Pasi Anias and Mischa E Gelman in the Vaults http://pandius.com/skills.html

5See the chapter about The Curse and The Legacies in the “Red Steel” boxed set or in the “Savage Coast” Campaign Book, Characters of the Savage Coast, also available in the Vaults of Pandius http://pandius.com/svgecst.html. A list of Legacies is on page 59 of the “Red Steel” boxed set or page 70 of the “Savage Coast” Campaign Book.

7Their entry is in the SCMC under lizardkin http://pandius.com/lizadkin.html

8See original entry by Sharon Dornhoff http://pandius.com/pteryx.html and more material in Threshold issue #5 and #9 and in others “Once in a Blue Moon” articles by Chimpman in issue #2, #4, #10 and #13

9See the article “The Southwestern Arm of the Immortals” by Atila Pires dos Santos in the previous issue of Threshold.

10Created by Geoff Gander, see its description in the Vault of Pandius http://pandius.com/nastorth.html

11See their description in the 3ed conversion by Jamie Baty in the Vaults http://pandius.com/mugumba.html and BECMI statistics for Mugumba PCs by Havard http://pandius.com/mugumba2.html

13The Mugumba character class was created by Havard http://www.pandius.com/mugumba2.html but here I eliminated the water breathing spell-like ability at level 7.

14See their entry in the SCMC at the Vault of Pandius http://pandius.com/mythunn.html

15Mythu’nn movement is indicated as 60 feet per turn, but the description says they can run so fast it may be hard to see them, hence I decided to give them this special ability.

17See their description in the Forgotten Realms wiki http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Taer

18See their entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/wurmling.html. Wurmlings are clearly inspired by the Hutts of Star Wars http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Hutt

21See the Tortle and Snapper entry in the SCMC http://pandius.com/tortle.html

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Whelp	-192,000	7	4d8+1	1x1d6 kick or weapon	1 Legacy Infravision 60’
Youngster	-88,000	6	5d8+1	1x1d8	+1 Legacy (max 2)
Teenager	-44,000	5	6d8+1	1x1d10	Hurling rocks 1d4+1 +1 Legacy (max 3)
NM	0	4	8d8	1x2d6	Hurling rocks 2d4+2 Surprised only on a 1 1d4+1 Legacy (max 5)
1	192,000		9d8	1x2d6
2	492,000		10d8	1x2d6
3	792,000		11d8	1x2d6	50% chance +1 Legacy (max 6)
4	1,092,000		12d8	1x2d6
5	1,392,000		13d8	1x2d6
6	1,692,000		+2 hp	1x2d6
7	1,992,000		+2 hp	1x2d8	50% chance +1 Legacy (max 7)
8	2,292,000		+2 hp	1x2d8
9+	+300,000	3	+2 hp	1x2d10

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Teenager	-1,200	6	1d8+1	4x1d2 claws /1x1d3 bite or weapon	Hold breath 10 minutes Swim 120’(40)
NM	0	5	2d8+1	4x1d2/1x1d3	Lock bite (See SCMC)
1	1,200		3d8+2
2	3,600		4d8+3
3	8,400		-
4	18,000		5d8+4
5	37,200		6d8+5
6	75,600		7d8+5
7	152,400		-	4x1d3/1x1d6
8	306,000		8d8+5
9+	+300,000	4	+2 hp

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Child	-4,000	3	1d8	2x1d4+1 claws /1d2+1 bite or weapon	Jump
Teenager	-2,000	4	2d8	2x1d6+1/1d4+1	Glide
NM	0	5	3d8	2x1d8+1/1d6+1	Fly Airborne attack Acute sense
1	4,000		3d8	2x1d8+1/1d6+1
2	12,000		4d8	2x1d8+1/1d6+1
3	28,000		-	2x1d8+1/1d6+1
4	60,000		5d8	2x1d8+1/1d6+1
5	124,000		6d8	2x1d8+1/1d6+1
6	252,000		7d8	2x1d10+1/1d8+1
7	508,000		-	2x1d10+1/1d8+1
8	808,000		8d8	2x1d10+1/1d8+1
9+	+300,000		+2 hp	2x1d12/1d10 (progresses to 3x1d12 at level 15, 3x2d8 at level 25, 3x2d10 at level 35)

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Child	-3,000	9	1d8	2x1d2 claws	Swim 60’(20)
Teenager	-1,500	7	2d8	2x1d3	Hold breath
NM	0	6	3d8	2x1d4	Engineering
1	3,000		3d8	2x1d4
2	6,000		4d8	2x1d4
3	12,000		-	2x1d4	Camouflage
4	24,000		5d8	2x1d4
5	48,000		6d8	2x1d4	Swim 120’(40)
6	96,000		7d8	2x1d6
7	192,000		-	2x1d6
8	384,000		8d8	2x1d6
9+	+300,000		9d8 +2 hp for each level after	2x1d18 (progresses to 2x1d10 at level 15, 2x2d12 at level 25)

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
NM	0	3	1d4	1d2 with weapon or unarmed combat	Invisibility Dimension door Infravision 120’ Sprint 360’ Good luck to friends (see SCMC)
1	3,000		2d4	1d2
2	6,000		3d4	1d2
3	12,000		4d4	1d2
4	24,000		5d4	1d2
5	48,000	2	6d4	1d4
6	96,000		7d4	1d4
7	192,000		-	1d4
8	384,000		8d4	1d4
9+	+300,000	1	9d4 +1 hp for each level after	1d6 (progresses to 1d8 at level 15, 1d10 at level 25, 1d12 at level 35)

	[Image: Bestiary] Manuscript of the book "The Books of Treasure" of Brunetto Latini. Page of the bestiary which describes the monkey, via Wikimedia commons	Source
	[Image: Fachan] Woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493, by Michel Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Delta] Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi, USA, via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Jorri mariner] Original drawing by I. Calvin https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kfH3bHILFQnJyRPHI1Ynn_r0iEBigJuw/view
	[Image: Kasturi pirate] Original drawing by I. Calvin https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sttkP7_ldFbVKWjr4p_LB3pArbm4YKQ3/view
	[Image: Kasturi woods] Beaver damage to the forest on the north shore of Robalo Lake, Navarino Island, Chile, by James Cadwell via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Mountains] Torres del Paine range, Chile, by NASA via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Jungle] Rainforest in Kinabalu Park, Borneo by Dukeabruzzi via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Neshezu] Rama and monkey chiefs via Wikimedia Commons, from a British Museum painting early 19th century (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?assetId=229541001&objectId=182857&partId=1)	Source
	[Image: Wurmling] "Speculum naturale" by Vincenzo di Beauvais via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Savage Coast East] Original work by author, modifying Thorfinn Tait composite map of the Savage Coast
	[Image: Savage Coast West] Original work by author, modifying Thorfinn Tait composite map of the Savage Coast
	[Image: Arm of the Immortals] Original work by author, modifying Kal’s map of Brun
	[Image: Sea hermit] Hermit crab at Rapid Bay Jetty by Peter Southwoody via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Common manatee] Underwater photography on endangered mammal specie manatee by Ramos Keith, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Omm-wa adventurer] Original drawing by I. Calvin https://drive.google.com/file/d/172LCIoIFzgUThJMn-tKO7bQ1fAtEU1aD/view
	[Image: Common sea turtle] Loggerhead Sea Turtle at Océanopolis, Brest, France by Strobilomyces via Wikimedia Commons	Source
	[Image: Rocks on the sea] Clipper Ship at Los Arcos, Cabo San Lucas by Lisa Andres via Wikimedia Commons	Source

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Whelp	-1,024,000	8	4d8	1x2d4 bite/1x1d4 tail or weapon	Roll over 4d4 Spell immunities Magic resistance 8% Infravision 180’ 1 Legacy
Youngster	-480,000	7	6d8	1x2d6/1x1d6	Roll over 6d4 Magic resistance 12% 3 Legacies
Teenager	-240,000	6	8d8	1x2d8/1x1d8	Roll over 8d4 Magic resistance 16% 4 Legacies
NM	0	5	10d8	1x2d8/1x1d8	Roll over 10d4 Magic resistance 20% 5 Legacies
1	1,024,000		11d8	1x2d8/1x1d8	Roll over 11d4 Magic resistance 22%
2	1,324,000		11d8	1x2d8/1x1d8
3	1,624,000		12d8	1x2d10/1x1d10	Roll over 12d4 Magic resistance 24% +1 Legacy
4	1,924,000		12d8	1x2d10/1x1d10
5	2,224,000		13d8	1x2d10/1x1d10	Roll over 13d4 Magic resistance 26%
6	2,524,000		13d8	1x2d10/1x1d10
7	2,824,000		14d8	1x2d12/1x1d12	Roll over 14d4 Magic resistance 28% +1 Legacy
8	3,124,000		14d8	1x2d12/1x1d12
9+	+300,000	3	15d8	1x2d12/1x1d12	Roll over 15d4 Magic resistance 30%

Level	XP	AC	HD	Damage	Powers
Whelp	-64,000	3	4d8+2	2x2d3 pincers	Shapechange Infravision 60’
Youngster	-48,000	2	6d8+3	2x2d4
Teenager	-32,000	1	8d8+4	2x2d6
NM	0	0	10d8+5	2x2d8	Spell use 20% Cut limbs on 19 and 20 (see SCMC)
1	64,000		11d8	2x2d8
2	192,000		11d8	2x2d8
3	448,000		12d8	2x2d8
4	748,000		12d8	2x2d8
5	1,048,000		13d8	2x2d10
6	1,348,000		13d8	2x2d10
7	1,648,000		14d8	2x2d12
8	1,948,000		14d8	2x2d12
9+	+300,000		15d8	2x2d12