Bestiary

  Avaggdu (Ever-Hungry, Bloody Tongues, ...    Goblyns    Jotuns (Giants)    Kreen    Oni    Ungolath (Great Spiders) 

Between the safeholds of mortal men and Old Ones dwell creatures of every description, both fair and foul. Beware the wilderness, uncivilized and untamed, for there roam beasts of monstrous intent and creatures who despise or hunt mankind--giant insects, man-eating beasts, enormous worms, and hideous serpents. These are not always creatures of magic or intelligence, good nor evil, but they are powerful and vicious, and any traveler of Ambar should be wary of their presence.

Avaggdu (Ever-Hungry, Bloody Tongues, Trolls) (updated 2004/05/02)

  Deurg'Ghuul (Ghuuls, Undead Trolls)    gallery: Avaggdu 

Foetid jungles
hold Bloody tongues and bloated young
Where the weak are crushed [ more... ]

Goblyns (updated 2004/05/04)

  Hobgoblyns (Goblyn Champions)    gallery: Goblyns    names: Goblyns 

Goblyns are feral half-men that fill the wildernesses of Ambar, raiding outlying human lands. While individually weak, Goblyns in large numbers form an everpresent threat on Ambar. They emerge from caves at night and in Nocturne, razing villages and dragging livestock and human prisoners back to their lairs. They also form the bulk of the mighty armies of the Great Goblyn Empire, which present an organized, potent threat to even the greatest empires of man.

The Goblyns are horrid in appearance, seemingly part-man and part fish, frog, or beast. Most have scaled or warty skin, and wide staring eyes that tend to swivel in different directions. Their voices seem only half-suited to speaking, and make horrid gurgling and croaking noises. They often have webbed paws, and walk with a shuffling hop. However, there are thousands of variations, and some even have seal-like fur. Some sub-species are known by names such as orcs, ogres, trolls.

The Goblyns were born and bred to worship the Gobbah sea-devils and extend their influence beyond the seashores.

Forged by the hammer and anvil of battle for centuries, the Goblyns have few talents besides war. They are more warlike than the Kith, more cruel than even the Avathar, and often as skilled craftsmen as the Dwur. However, they are unwilling to share the land with these other races, seeing them only as sources of slaves or food. Their chief weakness is that they are semi-aquatic and can only prosper in cold subterranean rivers and watery caves, so they do not willingly venture too far from their lairs. The armies of the Great Goblyn empire are driven by whip and goad from their caves to march upon far away lands and never return, finding it preferable to perish in glorious battle than from dessication and dust.

Goblyns who rise to become leaders and champions amongst their kind are known as "Great Goblyns", or Hobgoblyns. This is often due to a stronger Gobbah influence in their bloodlines. [ more... ]

Jotuns (Giants) (updated 2004/01/13)

The Jotuns are a race of giants, ogres, trolls, demons or mere myth, depending on whom you ask. They purportedly dwell in the coldest mountain regions, able to survive the coldest winters and stride through the deepest snowdrifts. The Dwur myths say that the Jotuns were born of a block of frost and ruled an empire of ice called Jotunheim in the northernmost, arctic mountains. There were thought to be two general types of giant: the frost-giants, who symbolized the severe winters of the area, and the hill-giants, who symbolized the mountains. [ more... ]

Kreen

  gallery: Kreen 

Insect men from the volcanic southern jungles, cruel hunters of all who enter their domain. They are also known as the Master Insects for their ability to command the obedience of lesser insects. Kreen are aggressive, always seeking to expand their territories and enslaving any creatures they meet. The Avathars, Baal, Alu, Tengu, and Vozen have all suffered bitterly from the depredations of the Kreen.

Kreen dwell in large hives, each ruled by a queen. Most tribes have different physical characteristics, such as variations in limbs, mandibles, or even wings. The hive complexes also vary in size and construction. Some hives are vast labyrinths of underground tunnels, while others are shallow caves in a cliff face or bowl of an extinct volcano.

There are large numbers of active volcanoes in their homelands which constantly exude clouds of toxic smoke and ash. While Kreen are accustomed to this toxic environment, humans who are exposed usually sicken and die. This has historically made it difficult for neighbor [ more... ]

Oni

The Oni are a race of blue-skinned ogres of immense physical strength dwelling in remote mountainous and jungle regions, particularly in the warm south. They are violent and ferocious cannibals who hunt men for sport and food. However, they are also subtle, cunning, and highly skilled in a form of spirit sorcery called Mthu Rygas.

Ungolath (Great Spiders)

Deep in the heart of the darkest forests dwell small groups of the deadliest foes--giant spiders as large as horses, running silently through the forest or along their rope-thick webs into the treetops. Speaking in hissing, creaking voices, their clever traps catch those travelers who dare step off the few safe roads or elf paths in the "Endless Forest". Spiders are competitors with Goblyns and Elves, and sometimes make pacts with Goblyns to conquer and divide Elven forests. [ more... ]