MONSTERS

The first monsters of the world were the malevolent offspring of Targo the Virgin, a goddess of purity and virtue. She relinquished her divinity to wed her mortal lover, the elven king Leonassus. Their wedded bliss was short-lived, for Targo discovered her husband’s infidelity while pregnant with their first child. Betrayed, she turned her wrath, along with what remained of her divinity, upon her unborn son, cursing the child in her womb. And so Gorgathoss, the First Monster, came into the world.

While her son grew to ravage and raze his father’s kingdom, Targo’s thirst for vengeance remained unquenched. She did not wish only the man who had deceived and humiliated her to suffer; she wanted all mortal men to feel her wrath. To that end, the former goddess lay with all manner of man, beast, and spirit, giving birth to horrific abominations to further punish the world.

Thus, Targo the Virgin became known as the Mother of Monsters.

Generations have passed since Targo’s wrath was first visited upon the world. While her final fate remains a mystery, mortals have long since learned to create monsters of their own, without the aid of divine fury. Whether conjured by magic, spawned through sorcery, or built by technology, the Wayward World now teems with monsters of all shapes, sizes, and classifications.

Arachnoid Sentry

After lying dormant for thousands of years, arachnoid sentries have begun reappearing in locations around the globe. Originally constructed by the enigma engine Periwinkle during a previous incarnation of the world, these spider-like constructs once patrolled the sentient machine’s subterranean data centers. Following Periwinkle’s destruction, the sentries entered a state of hibernation. Their sudden reactivation after millennia—fully functional and showing no signs of aging—is both curious and concerning. Arachnoid sentries are highly aggressive and equipped with a range of offensive capabilities. Civilians are strongly advised to avoid any contact. Only the most seasoned adventurers should attempt to engage them.

Diet: N/A
Intelligence: Malevolent
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: N/A

Durability: Impenetrable
Primary Habitat: Underground
Reproduction: N/A
Lifespan: Unknown
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Laser Web: A grid of deadly lasers the sentry can deploy cutting opponents into pieces.

Axledactyl

Axledactyls are vibrant yet fearsome, flightless birds found in the dense, uncharted jungles of Unkathu. Hunted for their vivid plumage, these avian monsters are not without their defenses. An Axledactyl’s razor-sharp beak can pierce even the toughest armor, while its powerful legs and claws allow it to run at incredible speeds, deliver devastating kicks, and unleash gut-rending slashes. Furthermore, their spike-tipped tails can impale the even the heartiest of adventurers, flinging them into the untamed jungle, never to be seen again. Despite their formidable defenses, these colorful terrors of the jungle, are stalked by the bravest and boldest of hunters. The wisdom of risking one’s life for a few colorful feathers is a topic usually discussed after an Axledactyl hunt has gone horribly wrong, with at least one member of the party having been savagely disemboweled by the large, colorful bird.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Primitive
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Resilient
Primary Habitat: Jungle
Reproduction: Egg Laying
Lifespan: Eighty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Grab and Stab: The axledactyl will grab its enemy with either it claws or tail and then stab it repeatedly with its deadly beak.

Beakbeast

Beakbeasts are powerful, aggressive predators native to the frozen tundras of northern Nundavhar. These creatures are instantly recognizable by their razor-sharp stone beaks, thick, muscular limbs, and dense, striped purple fur that shields them from the region’s punishing cold. A line of jagged blue crystal spikes runs down their backs, ending at their tails in a savage cluster they use as a weapon. While beakbeasts are notorious for their violent temperaments and overwhelming physical strength, the trolls of the region have managed to domesticate a select few. These somewhat tamed beasts serve as guardians, mounts, and companions, well suited to the harsh demands of life in the tundra. This unlikely partnership has flourished over generations, offering both species a reliable alliance built on survival, protection, and mutual respect. Impressive though the creature is on its own, a troll warrior mounted upon a hulking beakbeast is a truly terrifying spectacle to behold.

Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Hierarchical Packs
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Impenetrable
Primary Habitat: Tundra
Reproduction: Live Young
Lifespan: Forty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Death Shredder: With its beak, claws, and spikes, the beakbeast will overpower its prey and roll over it, clawing, biting, and stabbing it, until it turns its foe into a slurry of guts and gore.

Cactoid Guard

The desert sorcerer Shazadazzar had no intention of sharing his secrets. No longer able to keep death at bay, he commanded his loyal minions to construct a vast underground tomb in his honor, promising them immortality, despite being unable to grant it to himself. Upon its completion, Shazadazzar turned his evil sorcery against his own people, binding their souls to the tomb and transforming them into undying human-cactus hybrids: cactoids—thus fulfilling his “promise” of immortality. The cactoid guards are impervious to the harsh demands of the desert as they endlessly patrol their master’s resting place. With the menacing thorns that cover their bodies and their deadly cactus-based weapons, they are formidable adversaries to any who dare seek the secrets hidden deep within the Tomb of Shazadazzar.

Diet: N/A
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Territorial
Social Structure: Organized Group
Activity Pattern: Dormant until activated

Durability: Resilient
Primary Habitat: Desert
Reproduction: N/A
Lifespan: Possibly Immortal
Size: Medium

Special Abilities:

Needle Storm: A barrage of sharp needles piercing and impaling enemies within a certain radius.

Chewy Chomp

Crafted by the wizard Henrane the Lacking, the chewy chomp was envisioned as a farmer’s trusty sidekick, expertly trapping pests on its excessively sticky surface and eating critters with its massive jaws. Unfortunately, it seemed that Henrane's talent for creating creatures came with an unexpected side effect - the chewy chomps reproduced at an alarmingly fast pace. Their overpopulation left a scarcity of pests to pursue, so, these voracious monsters took to eating the very vegetables they were meant to safeguard instead. Which, inadvertently, turned farms into unintentional all-you-can-eat buffets for the sticky monsters. Chewy chomps are now a greater menace to farmers than the pests they were meant to control. Undeterred, Henrane the Lacking would seek out other ways to improve the life of the common farmer.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Territorial
Social Structure: Feral Swarms
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Resilient
Primary Habitat: Farmland
Reproduction: Budding Spores
Lifespan: Three Years
Size: Medium

Special Abilities:

Slime Loogie: A projectile of slime that will stick to any surface.

Ghost Fish

Neither a ghost nor a fish, ghost fish are wretched blobs of protoplasm that vaguely resemble their given name. Feeding off the energy of living things, ghost fish are primarily found in overgrown ruins, draining the energy of the plant and animal life that inhabit them. When adventurers come across these spectral creatures, they should be cautious, since they usually appear in groups and will attempt to swarm their unsuspecting prey. Ghost fish can’t be killed. Whether cut down by weapons or blasted by magic, the monster will reconstitute itself in a matter of hours. While some monsters gain the begrudging affection of both adventurers and the general populace alike, nobody likes the abomination that is the ghost fish.

Diet: Biotic Energy
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Skittish
Social Structure: Feral Swarms
Activity Pattern: N/A

Durability: Intangible/Phasing
Primary Habitat: Ruins
Reproduction: N/A
Lifespan: Infinite
Size: Small

Special Abilities:

Life Suck: A draining attack that saps life force energy.

Greater Platypus

The greater platypus is a formidable magical mutation of its lesser, more benign cousin, the common platypus. Equal in size and mass to an adult grizzly bear, greater platypuses boast powerful muscular limbs, fearsome beaks that can crush bone, strong flat tails capable of swatting away attackers, and sharp claws adept at rending flesh. Like their smaller counterparts, greater platypuses are semiaquatic, egg-laying mammals, with the male of the species possessing venom glands in its spurs capable of delivering a paralyzing toxin. Despite its intimidating appearance, greater platypuses are mostly harmless creatures, unless provoked. They are happy not doing much except swimming, sleeping, and foraging for food.

Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Skittish
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Nocturnal

Durability: Tough
Primary Habitat: Rivers
Reproduction: Egg Laying
Lifespan: Twenty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Poison Spurs: The greater platypus can shoot out or stab with spurs on its elbows to paralyze its foes with a powerful toxin.

Horned Tunnel Mole

The horned tunnel mole is both boon and bane to the dwarven race. These subterranean creatures possess an insatiable appetite for ores and precious minerals, inadvertently wreaking havoc upon the meticulously planned and executed mining endeavors of the dwarves. Yet, the excrement produced by these creatures, a substance of volatile potency, has become a valuable commodity for the dwarven people. The waste of the horned tunnel mole, carefully processed through secretive techniques known only to the dwarves, transforms into a potent explosive. This explosive is utilized in excavation, mining, and warfare, and more, proving to be a versatile asset and a lucrative export for the dwarven people.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Skittish
Social Structure: Hierarchical Packs
Activity Pattern: Nocturnal

Durability: Average
Primary Habitat: Tunnels
Reproduction: Live Young
Lifespan: Six Years
Size: Small

Special Abilities:

Explosive Toot: A flatulent defense mechanism that releases a small gout of flame.

Lordybug

Despite being monsters, lordybugs are both popular and well-liked. They are typically peaceful, harmless creatures with a vibrant appearance and gentle demeanor. Many cultures around the world regard it as a stroke of good luck if a lordybug takes up residence in one’s garden or, in some cases, actual home. Lordybugs are so beloved that their classification as “monsters” has been challenged many times over the years. Advocates for the creatures claim lordybugs are no more dangerous than a family dog, yes, aggressive in certain situations, but otherwise a well-behaved animal and certainly not a “monster”. Unfortunately, lordybugs don’t simply become aggressive in those proverbial “certain situations” - they go on a murderous, bloodthirsty killing spree instead. A lordybug, when provoked, will systematically murder every living creature it can until experienced adventurers can end its violent rampage. It’s unknown why such normally docile creatures have such an extreme reaction when vexed, but in doing so, they confirm their status as monsters, despite those who wish it weren’t so.

Diet: Herbivore
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Docile
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Average
Primary Habitat: Forest
Reproduction: Egg Laying
Lifespan: Sixteen Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Buffeting Winds: A powerful wind attack the Lordybug releases with its hidden wings.

Mawshroom

In the deep, dank places of the world, the fungal fiends known as mawshrooms lurk. These mutant mushrooms, with their jaws full of jagged teeth, seamlessly blend in with the many fungal growths that grow in underground caverns and cave systems. There they wait, ready to take a bite out of unsuspecting adventurers. If no wayward souls come near the creature, mawshrooms will stealthily hunt their prey, hopping from one location to another upon their robust stalks. It should be noted, there is a claim amongst adventurers that consuming some part of the mawshroom’s cap can cause highly potent hallucinations and delusions of grandeur. However, not a single soul has ever admitted to engaging in such behavior.

Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Adaptive
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Nocturnal

Durability: Resilient
Primary Habitat: Subterranean Caverns
Reproduction: Explosive Dispersal Spores
Lifespan: Six Years
Size: Medium

Special Abilities:

Fungal Breath: A noxious, yet intoxicating, spore cloud that will incapacitate any who breathe it.

Mechaflora

Mechaflora are sentient invasive plant monsters that have taken root in the remains of ancient abandoned mechas, wrapping their vines and tendrils around the rusted machinery, creating a seamless fusion of corrupted nature and destructive technology. Using the mecha as both armor and transport, the flora reanimates these hulking relics, lumbering across desolate landscapes in search of new territories to sow its seeds and new machines to infest. While their speed may be lacking, mechaflora are incredibly strong and it is crucial for adventurers to tackle them as a team rather than going solo.

Diet: Autotroph
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Calm
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: N/A

Durability: Impenetrable
Primary Habitat: Various
Reproduction: Seed Dispersal
Lifespan: Unknown
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Whiplash: Using it’s vines, and whatever components it has wrapped up in them, the mechaflora will flail any opponents into a bloody pulp.

Narwhalker

While classified as “monsters”, narwhalkers are a sentient species with their own language and culture. They are reclusive by nature and have actively refused to join civilized society. Except for some occasional trading with dwarves and trolls, narwhalkers keep to themselves. Hunted for their horns by those who are a part of so-called “civilization”, narwhalkers retain their monster status by brutally retaliating against the hunters who would do them harm. In doing so, narwhalkers have drawn the ire of human settlements along the northern coast of Nundavhar. During their mating season, Narwhalkers can be seen drifting by on ice floes, as the males compete in extreme flexing competitions hoping to attract suitable females. The month long event has become a popular spectacle among the wealthy and the curious.

Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Adaptive
Temperament: Playful
Social Structure: Nomadic Tribes
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Tough
Primary Habitat: Ocean
Reproduction: Live Young
Lifespan: Fifty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Whack-a-do Poke: After knocking its opponent off-balance with its infamous horn, the narwhalker with then stab them...repeatedly.

Powder Keg

Hunted and tormented for his errors, and never praised for his accomplishments (which were nonexistent), Henrane the Lacking had to defend himself against his critics. To continue working on his creations, Henrane needed guardians that would alert him in advance of any approaching enemies. Thus, Henrane devised the sentient and volatile powder kegs. Disguised as ordinary barrels, these creatures would initiate a countdown to detonation if disturbed, granting Henrane enough time to gather his belongings and depart, while giving his adversaries an opportunity to escape the impending explosion. Henrane considered this an act of selflessness on his part, even though these individuals intended to harm him for his innocent blunders in the past. With the creation of the powder kegs, Henrane’s fortunes soon take a turn for the better, as new, powerful friends in the weapons manufacturing business make themselves known to him.

Diet: N/A
Intelligence: Primitive
Temperament: Explosive
Social Structure: N/A
Activity Pattern: N/A

Durability: Fragile
Primary Habitat: Various
Reproduction: N/A
Lifespan: Unknown
Size: Medium

Special Abilities:

TIMEBOMB!: The powder keg counts down and explodes destroying itself and anything surrounding it.

Redfins

Redfins are diminutive shark-headed beastmen. Their origins are lost to time, but like so many of those classified as “beastmen” or “bestial”, a wizard lacking any common sense is their most likely creator. With their razor-sharp instincts and teeth, redfins are small, agile creatures that, unlike their aquatic animal equivalents, have no affinity with water and are social by nature. Their name is derived from the pointy crimson hoods they all wear, which vaguely resemble fins in appearance. They travel in small groups, inhabiting abandoned tunnels and dilapidated ruins. Their pack mentality and cunning strategies make them formidable hunters, ambushing and overwhelming their unsuspecting prey with calculated precision.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Hostile
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Average
Primary Habitat: Ruins
Reproduction: Live Young
Lifespan: Twenty Five Years
Size: Small

Special Abilities:

Feeding Frenzy: A combined effort by a group of redfins to overwhelm and devour their prey.

Roly Poly Pustule

Hoping to create an organism capable of devouring various diseases, Henrane the Lacking instead birthed a horror that embodied the very maladies it was meant to eradicate. The monstrosity was initially a single entity, but quickly divided and multiplied into countless rolling balls of pus, each one teeming with virulent viruses. Roly poly pustules, with their sickly, bloated, bulbous exteriors and the nauseating stench of rotting flesh, are a literal plague to all living things. These creatures actively seek out disease and decay and are frequently found in graveyards, dungeons, battlefields, and wherever the sick and infirm reside, hoping to both feast and infect freely. Responsible for yet another inadvertent monstrous creation, Henrane the Lacking became a wanted man. Wanted for painful torture and an excruciating death.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Malevolent
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Feral Swarms
Activity Pattern: Nocturnal

Durability: Fragile
Primary Habitat: Graveyards/Dungeons
Reproduction: Fragmentation
Lifespan: Five Years
Size: Medium

Special Abilities:

Pestilent Burst: The roly poly pustule bursts upon contact, spreading it’s diseased pus and internal gases.

Roostasaur

Having come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial to all if the standard chicken were a stronger, more resilient creature, Henrane the Lacking set out to do so. Through magical enchantment and selective breeding, Henrane found that the remains of an ancient lizard specimen he stole from the Library Perplexus, fused nicely with his chicken subjects. The hybrid chicken lizard was indeed stronger and more resilient than your standard chicken. They were also larger, with subsequent generations becoming larger still. As they increased in size over the years, so too did their aggression. The creatures soon outgrew their pens and, Henrane, lacking the resources needed to contain them further, released them into the wild. “Roostasaurs” have since been classified as monsters and are a menace to small villages and farming communities. Despite that, they are considered “good eats” to those willing to hunt them.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Primitive
Temperament: Territorial
Social Structure: Hierarchal Packs
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Resilient
Primary Habitat: Various
Reproduction: Egg Laying
Lifespan: Twenty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Cock-A-Doodle-Doom: A deafening cry that paralyzes prey within a certain radius.

Scorchling Drake

Carbunkle! has no dragons! The closest this world has to those legendary monsters are scorchling drakes, small, agile, flying lizards known for their fiery appearance and pesky nature. Scorchling drakes are diminutive in size, but make up for it with their tenacity and fiery temperament. Their bodies are covered in scales that glow with a smoldering heat, and flames flicker around their heads and tails, giving them a perpetually burning look. Scorchling Drakes are known for their ability to set objects ablaze with a mere touch. This makes them a constant nuisance in any environment they inhabit. While it is possible to tame these creatures, their tendency to ignite anything flammable makes it quite pointless. Scorchling drakes…Intelligent, flying, flaming lizards but definitely not dragons!

Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Instinctual
Temperament: Territorial
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Diurnal

Durability: Average
Primary Habitat: Mountains
Reproduction: Egg Laying
Lifespan: Ninety Years
Size: Small

Special Abilities:

Accidental Ignition: If excited or stressed, the scorchling drake with become totally engulfed in flames setting fire to everything in its wake.

Sightmare

Rarely seen but always seeing, sightmares are aberrations of grotesque design. The creature's entire form is adorned with countless eyes, each eye possessing a unique and deadly gaze, capable of unleashing curses, illusions, or even petrification upon those unfortunate enough to meet their piercing stare. As guardians of long-lost treasures and mysterious relics, sightmares haunt the desolate corridors and shadowed chambers of ancient ruins. Bold adventurers seeking to claim the riches within must contend not only with the treacherous terrain but also the ceaseless vigilance of the monster’s ever-watchful eyes. Sightmares, truly formidable with their gaze attacks, also have the uncanny ability to respawn if any of its many eyes aren’t destroyed—a challenge that tests the mettle and resourcefulness of those who are unlucky enough to come across these ocular terrors.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Territorial
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: Various

Durability: Regenerative
Primary Habitat: Ruins
Reproduction: Fragmentation
Lifespan: Sixty Years
Size: Large

Special Abilities:

Gaze Roulette: Various gaze attacks: illusions, sleep, petrification, hypnotism, blindness, and more.

Skello Shots

Offshoots of a greater gelatinous mass, skello shots run around dungeons trying to trick adventurers into following them back to the lair of their primary form to be absorbed and devoured. They often choose to incorporate skulls as the focal point within their gelatin cube bodies, hence their name, but sometimes they opt for random trinkets instead. Naive adventurers will often pursue the skello shots hoping to find the gear and treasure of the dead, instead they find themselves trapped in a thick oozing goo that quickly envelopes them, dissolving their bodies…all except their skulls that is.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Strategic
Temperament: Energetic
Social Structure: Collective Conciousness
Activity Pattern: N/A

Durability: Regenerative
Primary Habitat: Dungeons
Reproduction: Budding
Lifespan: Unknown
Size: Small

Special Abilities:

Adhesion: Skello shots working in tandem, will stick to their prey in an attempt to overwhelm it, then drag it back to their greater self to be devoured.

Spectral Stump

In the distant past, the once vibrant elven forest, Arrebrae, was teeming with life until it fell under the control of ogres who conquered the land and mercilessly cut down the majestic trees. The spirits of the forest lingered, disgruntled and vengeful, animating the remaining stumps of the felled trees to take vengeance on the living. With their appearance resembling that of ordinary tree stumps, spectral stumps are actually a terrifying fusion of wrathful spirit and dead tree. When an unsuspecting traveler seeks respite upon these seemingly harmless stumps, their true nature is revealed as they awaken and attempt to devour the traveler whole. The spectral stumps, though lacking in both agility and a wide array of offensive capabilities, should not be underestimated. They can prove to be a formidable adversary for weary adventurers looking for a momentary reprieve in the untamed wilderness.

Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Adaptive
Temperament: Aggressive
Social Structure: Solitary
Activity Pattern: N/A