Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 42 — Dragonfly, Sapphire

This is the forty-second 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The last series took a long time to put together. I'm dialing it back a bit so I can finish all the other tasks I need to get done before embarking on another major series.


Dragonfly, Sapphire

Beautiful and deadly. Sapphire dragonflies are thankfully rare predators, though are truly a sight to behold when they aren’t actively hunting. Their dancing is a complicated ballet of flashing blue and can grow to include numerous sapphire dragonflies in the area. Scholars have identified numerous different dances, but only some are related to mating. There are many more which mystify observers, particularly these group numbers — what they’re trying to communicate is elusive, though some scholars put forth it may be a performance for no purpose other than the joy of doing so, much like Namegivers may put on. Naturally, this is preposterous.

Sapphire dragonflies average around three feet long with over nine foot wingspans. Their bodies gleam like blue chrome with iridescent wings. Their movements are astonishing in their speed and precision; flashes of blue as they spot and intercept their prey. Smaller prey is simply consumed immediately in midair with their complex mouths. Larger prey is either grabbed with their claws and eaten while still alive, or bites are taken in darting attacks until the sapphire dragonfly eats its fill.

Their reflective coloration and speed makes them difficult to spot when they move to intercept their prey. This means sapphire dragonflies typically ambush their prey, even as they’re very easy to see while hunting. Even experienced adventurers are taken by surprise by these creatures, caught unaware even as they assumed they were safe. Particularly troubling for groups who rely too heavily on tricks like Astral Sense, which provides no protection against sapphire dragonflies’ particular tactics.

An unusual and often overlooked trait about these creatures is how they may hunt in packs against large prey, such as most Namegivers — windlings are small enough to be snatched and consumed while in flight. They descend as a voracious and harrying pack, reducing most to little more than bones in a few minutes. Those fortunate — or unfortunate — enough to see it describe it as perhaps the most lovely and disturbing thing to see.

Challenge: Journeyman (Fifth Circle)

DEX: 12 Initiative:         14 Unconsciousness: 46

STR: 6 Physical Defense: 14 Death Rating: 53

TOU: 7 Mystic Defense:          12 Wound Threshold: 10

PER: 7 Social Defense:         9 Knockdown: 8

WIL: 5 Physical Armor:         6 Recovery Tests:         2

CHA: 4 Mystic Armor: 5

Movement: 4 (Flying 20)

Actions: 2; Bite: 16 (14), Claws ×2: 18 (12)

Powers:

Ambush (10)

Awareness (12, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Bltizkrieg (Simple): The sapphire dragonfly may move double its Movement Rate to engage in combat.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Other] (6): Astral Sight, as the talent, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Enhanced Sense [Sight] (4)

Omnivision: The sapphire dragonfly can effectively see in all directions and cannot be Blindsided due to positioning.

Steathy Stride (17, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 170. The sapphire dragonfly must move over its Movement Rate to use this skill and may use it even if seen previously, requiring new tests to detect it.

Swooping Attack: The sapphire dragonfly may split its movement (Player’s Guide, p. 386) and not suffer any penalties, and doesn’t need to spend Strain.

Special Maneuvers:

Clip the Wing (Opponent)

Grab and Bite (Sapphire Dragonfly, Claws): This can only be used on small targets, such as windlings.

Ethereal Attack (Sapphire Dragonfly): The sapphire dragonfly may spend an additional success from an Attack test to affect Mystic Armor instead of Physical Armor.

Pry Loose (Opponent, Close Combat)

Loot: Up to four wings worth D6×5 silver pieces each..

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 41 — Deer, Violet

This is the forty-first 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The last series took a long time to put together. I'm dialing it back a bit so I can finish all the other tasks I need to get done before embarking on another major series.

Deer, Violet

A favored mount by elves and any others who call arboreal areas home, violet deer are majestic to behold and rare in the wild — though not unheard of in more untouched forests. They stand over five feet tall at the shoulder and are powerfully muscled. Violet deer get their name from their coat, which appears a deep crimson and white, but has a blue shimmer along with their impressive antlers when sunlight catches it. While not as impressive as stags’ antlers, hinds have antlers as well. Their antlers are razor sharp and intended only for defense, making them no less dangerous, but impractical for displays of dominance.

They’re able to navigate forests and undergrowth at speeds few other creatures can match, and even less of their size. It’s unknown if what are assumed to be “wild” violet deer are actually the natural variation or if they’re domesticated violet deer who became feral. There are no records of their domestication and origins, and the Book of Tomorrow made no mention of them at all in its natural histories.

Violet deer live in small family groups which are associated with an extended family group which gathers once a year. They’re unusually aggressive, but even more so when young are present and at these extended gatherings. This is both a valuable and dangerous trait in a mount, as it makes them well suited for war, but poorly suited for being around anyone other than those the creatures are bonded with. It’s a cruel trick for an adventurer to have an unsuspecting stablehand care for a violet deer.

Since violet deer are rarely found outside areas considered traditionally elf communities — even as they’re considerably more cosmopolitan — and it’s an offense punishable by death to kill one outside of circumstances where it cannot be avoided, it’s generally regarded as a grave mistake to hunt them for food or their antlers. However, some either feel the risk is worth it or they can fool the locals. Who may have access to magic such as Evidence Analysis. This practice is in no small part to keep the violet deer more docile and less aggressive towards Namegivers, which is a significant concern to the people who must live with them.

Violet deer are suitable mounts for elves, humans, orks, and t’skrang, and as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Third Circle)

DEX: 8 Initiative:         10 Unconsciousness: 42

STR: 9 Physical Defense: 12 Death Rating: 51

TOU: 9 Mystic Defense:         10 Wound Threshold: 13

PER: 7 Social Defense:         11 Knockdown: 13

WIL: 7 Physical Armor:         4 Recovery Tests:         3

CHA: 6 Mystic Armor: 4

Movement: 16

Actions: 1; Bite: 12 (14), Horns: 13 (13), Trample: 13 (11)

Powers:

Awareness (10, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Charge (5)

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Smell] (2)

Great Leap (8)

Natural Environment (Forest): The violet deer's movement isn't impeded due to being in a forest.

Resist Pain (2)

Sprint (6)

Willful (2)

Special Maneuvers:

Enrage (Opponent)

Overrun (Violet Deer, Trample)

Loot: Antlers worth 2D6×5 silver pieces; the antlers can be destroyed to harvest half this value in living crystal.

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 40 — Tisadeer

This is the fortieth 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The last series took a long time to put together. I'm dialing it back a bit so I can finish all the other tasks I need to get done before embarking on another major series.

Tisadeer

Small and adorable, tisadeers are curious little creatures. They weigh under 10 lbs and have fox-like features and feet, but proportionally longer legs and necks, more like a deer. A long, fluffy tail curls against their back and they’re covered in brown and white fur. Stick-like antlers adorn their heads, which gives them their common name, “twig deer.”

They’re very curious, though shy, and quite clever little troublemakers. Groups of tisadeers are called “romps,” which aptly describes their favorite activity. When they encounter Namegivers, it’s common for tisadeers to inspect, but keep their distance from them, perhaps darting in to steal an item and run around with it, taking it to play with their fellows. As far as the tisadeers are concerned, it’s theirs now.

Tisadeers flee at the sign of any danger and cannot be trained to engage in combat. While they may protect their young or loved ones, this isn’t a behavior they can be trained to perform. “Attack” simply isn’t a verb they comprehend. They’re beings of only exuberance and love.

They are highly social and many romps make up their extended family units. Tisadeers are notable because they include many different animals in their family units, including those who may otherwise see them as prey.

Tisadeers are suitable as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (Second Circle)

DEX: 9 Initiative:         11 Unconsciousness: 19

STR: 3 Physical Defense: 12 Death Rating: 22

TOU: 3 Mystic Defense:         10 Wound Threshold: 4

PER: 7 Social Defense:         11 Knockdown: 7

WIL: 5 Physical Armor:         1 Recovery Tests:         1

CHA: 9 Mystic Armor: 2

Movement: 16

Actions: 1; Bite: 12 (7), Horns: 10 (9)

Powers:

Awareness (9, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Smell] (2): Tracking

Great Leap (6)

Friends? (12, Standard): The tisadeer makes a Friends? test against the target’s Social Defense, who must be within 4 yards. If successful, the target sees the tisadeer’s big brown eyes and cannot bring themselves to harm the little twig deer.

Stealthy Stride (11, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 170.

Tracking (9, Standard): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 175.

Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Creature 39 — Merippi

This is the thirty-ninth 4E Anatomy of a Creature, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The last series took a long time to put together. I'm dialing it back a bit so I can finish all the other tasks I need to get done before embarking on another major series.

Merippi

Named after the call they make, these furry, little forest creatures live in large communities throughout Barsaive and beyond. They look similar to squirrels, though their fur is white with black ears, feet, and the tips of their two fluffy, prehensile tails which they use to help navigate their arboreal homes. Their tails can provide variable balance, allowing some stunning acrobatic feats, and wrap around branches like two additional hands, or hold items to be further manipulated by their hands with opposable thumbs.

Merippis are intensely curious and show little natural fear of Namegivers, though this can be learned through hunting and/or casual cruelty. Such Namegivers are remembered through generations and passed to other colonies. When encountering merippis in the future, even potentially far from where the offense was committed, the perpetrator may be met with a cacophony of shrieking calls and guerilla-style attacks on them and their belongings. At best, they get no rest while in the creatures’ territory.

It’s common for merippis to follow and observe Namegivers as they move through their territory. Inspecting them and their belongings if they make camp. Young adults, especially mated pairs with no offspring, sometimes take this opportunity to hitch a ride and travel to a new area, either forming a new community, joining a different one, or accompanying their new companions on their adventures. It’s very difficult to say no to their adorable faces and oversized, black eyes.

Depending who you ask, they make wonderful or terrible pets. Merippis possess an oversized confidence and personality. They never view themselves as subordinate to a Namegiver and grow frustrated if confined or otherwise have their movements curtailed. Still, they have nothing against someone else gathering food for them and do enjoy warm, soft places to sleep. Preferably somewhere cozy and protected. A sign of bonding is when a merippi wraps one of its tails around a limb and makes direct eye contact. Mated pairs often frolic with their tails wrapped together, using the other for balance.

When threatened, their first instinct is to flee and seek reinforcements. With suitable numbers, merippis can be dangerous to much larger predators. They use their agility and wits to devastating effectiveness, coordinating through their calls which create a droning chitter that causes most would-be predators to lose their concentration.

Merippis are suitable as animal companions.

Challenge: Novice (First Circle)

DEX: 11 Initiative:         13 Unconsciousness: 14

STR: 2 Physical Defense: 12 Death Rating: 17

TOU: 3 Mystic Defense:         9 Wound Threshold: 4

PER: 7 Social Defense:         9 Knockdown: NA

WIL: 6 Physical Armor:         0 Recovery Tests:         1

CHA: 7 Mystic Armor: 2

Movement: 14 (Climbing 14)

Actions: 1; Bite: 11 (5)

Powers:

Awareness (12, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 129.

Enhanced Sense [Hearing] (2)

Enhanced Sense [Smell] (2)

Great Leap (10)

Infuriatingly Clever: If the merippi learns or improves a skill through Animal Training, it can also learn a trick of its choice related to this skill. If the merippi learns a trick through Animal Training, it learns or improves a skill of its choice related to the trick.

Maddening Chitter (3, Free): Before Initiative is determined each round, one Maddening Chitter test is made, +1 Step per each merippi, and the result compared against the Social Defense of all non-merippis. If successful, the target is Harried for the round, which also reduces Social Defense.

Stealthy Stride (13, Simple): As the skill, Player’s Guide, p. 170.

Surprise Strike (5)

Willful (1)