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digitalsatyr23 · 4 months

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Creatures of Arachnia (The Underworld)

Every culture has their own name for the deep dark caverns beneath the world's surface, but one common name given is simply "The Underworld." Some of its denizens are subterranean races, others are wandering spirits, and others still are man-made monsters - chimeras and other experiments long abandoned and forgotten by the passage of time. Listed here is but a small sample, reported by huldra in Southern Tenrai, exploring their corner of the Underworld beneath the village of Qulala...

Barbed Platyguin

Description: "A small creature waddles through the water towards you. Wet and fuzzy, it looks up at you with round green eyes that shimmer with an innocent light. It's then that you notice its body is covered in barbs, its beak is sharp, and its talons are reaching out for you..."

Lore: With eyes like innocent puppies and hearts of stone, the barbed platyguin is an unusual predator in the Underworld. Cute, cuddly, yet diabolical in nature, it is said that they were transmuted from petrified ancient beasts. When they emerged from their stone eggs, they instinctively began making use of their calming aura before going in for the kill. Deemed too dangerous for the surface world, they were banished to the wet reaches of the Underworld, and there they stayed, hunting and killing whoever was too foolish to realize the danger they presented.

A typical platyguin stands just under 4ft-tall and weighs about 90 pounds. Its tactics usually involve approaching an unwary foe, using its disarming aura, then immediately blasting their prey with paralyzing gas from their beaks, after which point they will either maul the victim on the spot or drag the foe underwater, where the victim likely drowns while they are eaten alive.

Beithuddie

Description: "A majestic creature gallops towards you, stopping just a few feet away. His upper body is like that of a muscular huldra, with wild flowing hair, an angular face, and piercing eyes. His ears are like fins, and he wears fine jewelry, along with simple leather armor protecting his shoulders and arms. Small scales blend in with his skin as it tapers down towards his lower half, which is like that of a four-legged drake, blue and serpentine, with each leg ending in three black talons. Then a tail slithers its way around, looking like that of a small sea serpent, and in unison, the creature's head and tail speak to you."

Lore: Beithuddie are an alchemical cross between willing sjora and serpents, resulting in the strange centaur-like fusions that they are today. Their creation dates back hundreds of years, and while they lead very different lives underground, the beithuddie consider themselves allies of Southern Tenrai to this day. The beithuddie largely live underground for two reasons: 1) They try to ensure that nothing too dangerous ever reaches the surface world, and 2) They have laid claim to the watery caverns of the Underworld for so long it is considered their ancestral home. While they do not mind occasionally surfacing, only a handful in power in Qulala know of their existence, so their appearance can be somewhat surprising to the unaware. Even so, legends of these creatures exist in the village and even outside of it. It is said that if a beithuddie meets you, you will be blessed with a decade of good luck.

Beithuddie are of two minds, with one being the more humanoid-looking torso on one end of the creature and the other being their serpent tail. Each part of their body can even speak, though they will rarely make use of both halves to do so. It is believed that the front half of a beithuddie contains all of its goodness whereas the back-end controlled by the serpent is where a beithuddie's wants, desires, and primal urges reside - though this is far from true. Neither side is divided, as they are two halves of a whole. Beithuddie do not have internal monologues, however, and their two halves may converse with one another whenever they need to think things over.

Beithuddie culture is one of honor, duty, hard work, but also resting when it is needed and finding pleasures in one's existence, either through art, music, play, or seeking out a mate. When two beithuddie court one another, first their front-halves converse, then their back-ends. If each pair are in agreement, the serpent heads will coil around one another as if in union. The pair spends time together, getting to know each other, bonding, and eventually mating. While not as common as male and female relationships, beithuddie have been known to engage in homosexual unions, and even find interest in other races - albeit their interest is tempered with their knowledge that their anatomy can present problems. Despite this, beithuddie are highly devoted to those who they consider their loves, and willingly give their lives if it means their spouse and children (birthed or adopted) get to live another day.

Bolt Phantom

Description: "The dark cavern suddenly lights up with a spark, and the ghostly phantom of a bird appears before you, its feathers white and cyan. As it floats around, you see blue and purple electricity follow in its wake."

Lore: Bolt Phantoms are bird-like spirits of death and storms, often the reincarnation of creatures that have died as a result of a lightning strike. Their shrill call seems to mimic what the dying scream of a humanoid would sound like, rather than the call of a bird. Despite their origins, bolt phantoms are most often found underground rather than above ground, as the earth often claims or "grounds" the spirit of the deceased, processes the ether, than generates these foreboding phantoms.

A bolt phantom is very simple in nature. It simply floats about its territory, making eerie songs before it takes notice of living prey. Bolt phantoms love to chase and harass the living, hoping to add another poor soul to its electrified choir. As hostile and destructive spirits, the only way to know peace is to strike it down so the soul may finally reach Styx and reincarnate properly.

Crested Cave Hydra

Description: "A towering tangle of white-scaled serpents with blue underbellies, this beast reaches over thirty-feet-tall. Each head has two glowing blue eyes, a long forked tongue, and colorful crest feathers that show every color of the rainbow."

Lore: The king of the upper-most region of the Underworld, the crested cave-hydra is a chimeric hydra infused with draconic and elemental essence, leading to its destructive powers. Fire, ice, lightning - it can do it all. It is an intelligent creature as well, speaking in the tongue of its distant ancestors. Proud, wrathful, yet inquisitive, a crested cave hydra will happily converse with its next victims, seeing it as a kind of formality - though it will show no mercy to those who strike first and ask questions later.

Long ago, hydra eggs were stolen and experimented on, which led to this new breed of beast. Originally meant to be living engines of war, they ultimately proved too proud to be ordered around and would have otherwise laid waste to the countryside, so the few existing adults were slain while the remaining eggs were taken back underground, where they were eventually raised by the existing hydras deep beneath the earth. Inevitably, such beasts are rejected by their cousins and must migrate further up. With no home above or below, these solitary beasts carve out a life of solitude and hatred.

Cyclopes Tree

Description: "What you thought was an old petrified tree suddenly comes alive. A gigantic eye opens, as well as a fang-filled maw. As an overly long tongue rolls out, its bloodshot eye takes notice of you, shimmering with a magic glow."

Lore: A transmuted breed between certain kinds of lizards and dead, petrified wood, the creatures that emerged were slow but clever predators that learned how to magically manipulate space, teleporting their prey to them so they didn't have to give chase. In addition to this, its saliva can naturally slow its targets down, making them easy pickings for this sharp-toothed beast. A relatively simple but nonetheless feared denizen of the Underworld. According to old legends, these creatures were engineered for war and would have been strategically placed in forests where they would naturally blend in with their environment, but the creatures proved too hostile and hungry to be brought to heel, so instead they were banished to the Underworld where their magical abilities made them ideal predators.

Fungal Corpse Hound

Description: "The pitter patter of paws makes its way towards you, and as it grows closer, you notice an eerie green glow - first from its backside, and then from its eyes. Soon enough, this pale bony hound comes into full view, its back dominated by bubbling green slime and mushrooms."

Lore: A unique type of mushroom grows in the Underworld, one that is easily identifiable by its bright green glow. This mushroom has many unusual properties, not the least being its adversity to any type of kinetic energy. Once thoroughly wiggled, the mushroom will naturally burst with explosive force, sending its built-up spores everywhere. Some call these "Boomshrooms" while others call them "Nitroshrooms", but whatever the case may be, they're dangerous… Worse yet, they share properties of other mushrooms, which can raise the dead. Of course, this was no accident. These creatures were bred due to alchemical experiments. Slain foogs were to be used as charging suicide bombers against attacking northern huldra, and despite the danger they posed, the experiments were a success… For a time. The ethics of these creations were highly contested, and after much debate, the remaining creatures were quietly escorted underground. While the exact body the shrooms are connected to may vary, they're always certain to leave an explosive impression on newcomers.

Gravefrost Snail

Description: "You feel a deathly cold as you realize the cave around you is full of snow and ice crystals. Soon enough, you find the source - a strange dog-sized snail with a shell of spine-covered ice. Its body is like a serpent's skeleton, and its skull has two long horns."

Lore: Spirits of cold and death, these creatures form from animals and people dying slow, painful deaths due to freezing winters. Transformed into malevolent undead, they use their ice powers to propagate their own kind, creating even more gravefrost snails in the process. Naturally attracted to water and moisture, they can be found near rivers, lakes, or even underground - which is the case here, as they patrol the Underworld in search of more living prey to slay. Despite true snails having no skeleton to speak of, gravefrost snails seem entirely composed of spiny bones, their spiked shell, and their horned skull for a head. Why they take on this appearance is debated among scholars. Some believe the bones are a physical manifestation of the deal soul that turned into the spirit, while others believe that the spirit simply collects the bones, forming it into a physical body. Indeed, gravefrost snails are curiously social with their own kind, sometimes coming together like hermit crabs and exchanging shells. Perhaps there is more to this spirit than meets the eye…

Iridescent Eye-Slug

Description: "Crawling out of a simple mud hut is the most colorful snail you've ever seen. About three feet in height, its body is made up of rows of different colors, being bright orange, yellow, cyan, sapphire, and ocean blue, repeating in myriad patterns of a bumpy, slimy form. The snail has two eye stalks, as well as a large bump on its back covered in polyps and ringed with blinking human-like eyes."

Lore: These slow-moving creatures are magically gifted, both in terms of offense and defense. Many develop magical abilities as they age, with each eye on their backside controlling one ability at a time. While very simple-minded, they have an intuitive ability to make use of their magic in order to survive or even pass the time. Many learn how to magically manipulate mud, resulting in mud-shaped structures and simple small mud golems (often referred to as "mud buddies" by delvers).

Iridescent eye-slugs are herbivores, preferring to eat roots, moss, or leafy greens, but on rare occasion they'll also nimble on corpses, especially the blood, which contains vital nutrients the slug needs. Eye-slugs are passive by nature, but if intruders venture too close, they'll feel threatened and lash out with magical attacks. Curiously, the iridescent eye-slug is telepathic, and will sometimes communicate simple messages in Undercommon. It also uses this ability to communicate with other eye-slugs, and they're very social animals as a result. Eye-slug communities range in size from 4-10, and small mud huts in tight clusters are a sure sign of such a community.

Magic Pot

Description: "What seemed like an ordinary chalice comes alive, and a creature made of slimy black goo manifests, its form like that of a fuzzy black monster with four arms, three red eyes, and a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Sporting a top knot and beautiful jewelry, the creature grins at you before it speaks."

Lore: Extremely dangerous denizens of the deep, the magic pot is a name given to strange oily creatures that often take up residence in jeweled pots, vases, goblets, and cups. Why this is, no one knows for sure, but it is believed to be a behavior carried over from their early years spent as ambush predators. When they're young and still developing their powers, magic pots have been known to lie in wait before springing on their victims, either jumping out of a cup or pot to attack.

Magic pots are devious beings known to trick people, either getting the jump on them or trying to gain sway over their victims' minds through the art of suggestion. They do this by asking a series of trick questions. The more questions their target gets wrong, the more frustrated and desperate they become, making them easier targets for the magic pot to control. Once their target's will is sufficiently shaken, they become just weak enough for a magic pot to mentally paralyze them, allowing the magic pot to leave its current home and seek out a new one inside the victim's body.

A horrifying sight to behold, magic pots love nothing more than to slither into a victim's mouth, take control over the person's body, and move them around like puppets. When this occurs, the victim's only hope is to be knocked unconscious or restrained, after which time a magic pot will either attempt to escape or find a new host to invade and possess. While exceptionally deadly, a magic pot is at its most vulnerable when not inside of a host, and it knows this, so it will do whatever it can to find a new host. Many older magic pots have found that gold, jewels, and magic items are the perfect way to entice unwary adventurers and delvers, for greed and pride may blind people to the true danger a magic pot represents. The only surefire way to avoid the danger is to either flee at the sight of the creature or answer all of its questions correctly. Magic pots hate to lose, but they are compelled to follow their own rules in order for their magic to work. As such, if their questions are all answered correctly, the magic pot will have no choice but to leave its treasure behind and seek a new victim elsewhere.

Man-Serpent

Description: "A pack of humanoid serpentfolk make their way towards you. Their muscular bodies are covered with smooth brown scales, and are pale along their neck, torso, and inner arms. Wearing thick pants, leather armor, and waist cloths, the creatures point curved blades at you and stare with malicious green eyes."

Lore: A type of chimeric creature made through the willing union of huldra and serpent, this led to the creation of a physically capable but temperamental race known as the man-serpents. Strong, durable, with keen senses, poisonous flesh, and a lust for battle, they proved too difficult to control as guards and soldiers and were banished to the confines of the Underworld, where they have carved out a part of the caverns for their own uses. Despite their aggressive nature, man-serpents are content to live in the Underworld so long as they are left alone. However, they will not hesitate to attack invaders and take prisoners, either ransoming them back to the surface world for wealth or simply eating them.

In the hundreds of years they have existed, man-serpents have developed a very efficient albeit cold-hearted culture. The weak, crippled, and old are culled from their ranks, leaving nothing but either the young (who must still grow and train) or healthy adults. However, these killings are not committed without some shred of "honor" (if it can be called that). Those who are sentenced to die are given a time and a weapon, and if they prove themselves capable of surviving the attack, then their time alive is extended. As such, perhaps the most fearsome man-serpents of all aren't the young and brash, but the old and scarred. These long-lived serpents have proven themselves worthy of life time and time again, putting their would-be executioners to the sword.

Life in a man-serpent village could be described as training, exercise, and sculpting. Indeed, the only art that seems to exist in their society is that of people who work with their hands, making strange and twisted-looking statues to deities unknown to all except the man-serpents themselves. Once upon a time, a captured man-serpent was interrogated and questioned about his peoples' statues. The man-serpent replied, "When I dream, I hear the voice of God."

Mind Reaver

Description: "You pass by a pool of water in the cave, and for just a moment, you swear you saw a glowing blue eye staring back at you. You turn, thinking to spot the source, but you see nothing. It's then that you feel an immense force worming its way into your mind."

Lore: There are whispers from delvers who claim to have undergone strange changes in demeanor, outlook, and personality for a time. Exact details vary, but one thing that is always mentioned is that before this change, the delver saw a blue cat-like eye staring back at them. In some cases, the delvers never made it back at all. Signs of in-fighting among groups or even suicide has been reported. But why? The answer is the insidious mind reaver.

Born with incredible mind-altering powers, the mind reaver is a type of magical starfish that loves nothing more than to prey upon the living and mess with their heads. While gaining unwitting allies or a new source of food is useful enough, their true aim is to simply cause misery. No one knows the true reason why they do this. Perhaps it's out of spite for being born as such intelligent yet slow-moving and lowly things. Maybe they hate surface dwellers. Maybe they're spirits of pure spite. Whatever the case may be, encounters with such monsters can be deadly. All it takes is a nudge in the right direction to change a person's outlook on life…

Polyp Snake

Description: "This man-sized sea green serpent has orange eyes, a pale underbelly, and strange orange polyps that wriggle and writhe along its head and backside. It turns its head, almost inquisitively so, like it's deciding whether to talk to you or eat you."

Lore: Chimeric creatures that are a cross between giant snakes and water spirits, polyp snakes have made their home in the watery depths of the Underworld, using stealth and sleep-inducing venom to aid in their hunts. Most typically, a polyp snake with hide in a watery hole using the water as cover, using its sensitive polyps to detect movement, then lunge at prey passing by the water at the last possible second, knocking them out and dragging them into the depths below. While polyp snakes are ambush predators, they have been known to chase down prey at great speeds when desperate, able to swiftly close the distance between itself and even the fastest of foes.

According to local legends, these beasts can communicate with the dead, though they seldom do so except to sate their curiosity. They are not dumb animals, and can even communicate in dragon's tongue, but they are also creatures of few needs, so little in the way of culture has been found among their lot. Even so, polyp snakes can sometimes be found holding conversation with another of their kind, and a few have even been found whispering in its slithery tongue to seemingly nothing… Perhaps if a polyp snake could be reasoned with, more could be learned about them, and they could act as mediums between the living and the dead.

Ratfolk, Spinetail Clan

Description: "A pack of ratfolk inch their way towards you, their fur grey and white, their ears, hands, feet, and tails a bright pink, and their eyes a deep red. Wearing thick metal armor with spikes and skull motifs, they all point their spears at you, clinging together in a tight formation."

Lore: A breed of tough tinkerer ratfolk that have learned to thrive in the harsh environment of the Underworld for countless years. They breed fast, train fast, and lead short but fulfilling lives as warriors, hunters, guards, and soldiers. A typical spinetail ratfolk stands around 4'2" and weighs 90 lbs. Most are born with dark grey and white fur with bright pink tails. As they grow older, many members of the clan develop rigid bony spines along their backside and tails (hence the clan name). While these do not offer much in terms of defense, it allows for easy identification should an encountered ratfolk's allegiance be called into question. Spinetail ratfolk are fiercely loyal to members of their own clan and near xenophobic of everyone else, and such behavior has proven important to their continued survival. They consider the man-serpents to be their greatest rivals in the Underworld and, should the opportunity present itself, they try to ambush any hunting parties they encounter. Spinetail ratfolk believe they are at constant war with the snake people, and one day wish to wipe them all out so the Spinetails might reign supreme over their cavernous territory.

Spinetail society is very simplistic and rigid. The strong rule over the weak, and while females have some rights, it is a largely accepted reality that females must devote their efforts to breeding and raising children. As such, the Spinetail clan is patriarchal by design - although not as harshly as one might imagine. Because of the importance of breeding and raising children, females are seen as extremely valuable members of society and are protected at all costs. As a natural consequence of this, females are only encountered within the Spinetail clan's village, as men are the ones sent out to hunt and patrol the caverns. It is considered of utmost importance that men in the clan breed with a female at least once before death - though especially weak or pitiful males may have trouble in this regard, as the stronger males hoard mates. It is believed that as long as the strongest among them continue to breed and produce offspring, the Spinetail clan will continue to grow in strength. This means that weaker males are not only ostracized in their society, but also considered more expendable. Of course, once a male has "fulfilled his purpose", any would be considered expendable. The life of many is prioritized over the life of the individual. This has been ingrained into their society so much that a single warrior will gladly give his life if it means the rest of the his hunting party survive. A troublesome combination of traits indeed…

Tarantula Smith

Description: "By the time you realize you're stuck in a web, it's too late. You see the web vibrate as a gigantic tarantula with pale grey fur skitters towards you. It has three large red eyes that almost seem cute compared to its toothy mandibles, and its legs are curiously covered in metal plating, as if it were wearing armor."

Lore: Mind mages of the deep, tarantula smiths are intelligent arachnids that were created via transmutation long ago, even before the huldra of Qulala had established themselves in the region. Some say they were creatures made by the Carthagians, though proof of this has yet to be unearthed. What is known about the tarantula smiths is that they're intelligent, resourceful, and have a great love of metallurgy. Their unusual abilities allow them to telekinetically manipulate metal and other minerals, bending, morphing, heating, and chiseling them as if via unseen hands and tools. This is most often used to create armor for their legs and bodies, which they can be seen sporting, but in a pinch, a tarantula smith might use its power to toss a boulder or two at would-be invaders!

While no one has been able to hold conversation for long with these beasts, it has been found that they are able to understand certain tongues, and if appeased with an offering of metal, they will go back to their business. Of course, since southern huldra abstain from metal, such things are in short supply in the village. Nevertheless, those who are prepared to make this offering will find their travels through the Underworld a little safer. Who knows? Maybe if they're lucky, they could even get their weapon repaired or improved! Few people can claim they've had their sword smithed by a giant spider!

Trick Slime

Description: "You hear a strange sound like 'mofu mofu' and turn, realizing a seven-foot-wide purple slime creature is bouncing towards you. Sporting a pair of purple feathered wings, it flutters to the ground and sticks its tongue out at you, not a singular thought behind its dozens of yellow eyes."

Lore: These unusual alchemical creatures are the result of haphazard research into immortality. Effectively offshoots of existing slime creatures, they have the uncanny ability to swap their lifeforce with that of another living being. This trick, used in self-defense, has brought low many unwary delvers in the Underworld. Such a fearsome ability is only outdone in the sheer silliness the creature exudes. Large, cute, and unapologetically stupid, this winged slime will tackle living prey as a means of consuming it, ignoring obvious signs of danger until it comes close to death, at which point something shifts in the creature's nonexistent brain and it finally uses its trickswap ability.

As an odd extension of its love of lifeforce and positive energy, if it is fed a healing potion, it will become delighted with this gift and leave treasure behind before vanishing. No one knows where trick slimes go when they vanish, but many hope that they never return…

Twintail

Description: "Flying gracefully through the air, you notice a pair of bright blue stingrays, each sporting two yellow horns and antennae, as well as yellow barbs lining their wings. They have forward-facing cat-like eyes, and they quickly size you up before swooping in to attack."

Lore: Air and water-borne predators, the twintail is a stingray known for its yellow horns and barbs, as well as its twin stingers, earning it its name. Twintails can be found throughout the Underworld in search of prey, and are especially known to hunt mind reavers, which bear a weakness against the twintail's electric attacks due to their water-soaked bodies. Twintails are immune to the effects of their own abilities, however, and their hides are highly sought after for their ability to shrug off electricity and cold temperatures. The creatures are even immune to poison, making them able to hunt a variety of the deadly denizens of the Underworld.

Typically, Twintails hunt in pairs. The second twintail could be anything, from a sibling, mate, parent, or even a child. Twintails are naturally social creatures and loathe being alone, so they will use a second twintail to improve their chances of success in a hunt. Once their prey has been killed, the creatures will either pick up the creature and fly away with it to be devoured with its hunting partner later, or if circumstance allows, they'll land on the ground, awkwardly shimmy over using its body and wings, and begin eating the creature on the spot. Their prey needn't be dead for the feast to begin, for as long as their prey has stopped moving or struggling, a twintail will not hesitate to begin gobbling up chunks of meat - so long as no other threats are present.

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