Dark Young Conversion

I used this entity against James Paterson in a new World of Darkness conversion of "The Dark Child" which, I believe, can be found in the Cthulhu Britannica books. I hedge my bets when I say that because it's been several months since I ran it. Since James was alone and didn't have much in the way of armaments, I played it more like an environmental obstacle. Despite being a vampire at the time, he nearly died and was only saved because its summoning demanded that it avoid leaving a certain (rather small) radius of the house. Bear that in mind when fielding this in World of Darkness. Cthulhoid monsters are meant to be very tough and very scary. This certainly manages to be both.

The Dark Young are greater (yet less sentient) splinters of the idigam, Shub-Niggurath, which can materialise and become fully corporeal in the real world.  This is why the Dark Young haven't been discovered in our world despite our dwindling woods - they exist mostly in the Hisil.  They are still potent and terrifying beings, however, whose mere presence can force you to flee in terror.  They appear much like trees yet their ropy branches writh and thrash and their bark-like hide splits to reveal gaping mouths with gnashing teeth that drools green sap whose trunks function as short legs yet they smell lie the charnel house.  They are also quite thick for their height - generally only reaching between 12 and 20 feet high.  Among its ropy branches it possesses four ropy sinuous tentacles which it uses to attack up to four different targets in a round.  These can strike or grapple their foes or it might trample a victim with its massive hooves.  It makes hooting and bellowing sounds.

Rank 4 Spirit

Power 9, Finesse 3, Resistance 15.  Essence 25.  Defense: 15.  Size: 12.  Health: 27.  Initiative: 18.  Speed: 13 (Species Factor 1).

Numina: Ban of Power.  Ban of Power.  Camouflage (look like tree).  Chorus (commune with other Dark Young).  Fearstruck (instinctively cast on all viewers).  Gauntlet Breach (allows it to cross the gauntlet whenever it pleases). Materialise (becomes solid in our world).  Stalwart (harder to damage).  Elemental Immunity (Fire, Acid, Electricity).  Multi-Attack (May spend essence to gain additional attacks up to four attacks that each use Power as their dice pool and must be used against creatures on the same plane of existence - mundane world, Hisil, Twilight - these manifest as tentacles).  Knockdown Attack (May spend a point of essence and roll a resisted Power versus Strength or Power to knock down an opponent who is on the same plane of existence using the Trampling Hooves attack - if the Dark Young fails this roll then the target still takes damage but isn't knocked prone).

Attacks

Trampling Hooves +5B (14 dice - Power with a +5 bonus due to size)

Sucking Mouth

Tentacles +1L (10 dice, may grapple for 9 dice)

Black Shuck

A quick and dirty copy of a World of Darkness critter I used in one of my games. Hope you enjoy.

Black Shuck

The Black Shuck

Intelligence 1, Wits 3, Resolve 3, Strength 6, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Presence 4, Manipulation 1, Composure 2.  Size 6.  Health 12.  Willpower 5.  Initiative: 7.  Defence: 5.  Speed: 20.  Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Stealth 2, Survival 2.  Tooth & Claw Fighting Style 3.

Teeth +1L: 10 dice.

Teleporting Leap: The Black Shuck can spend a point of essence and roll Strength + Athletics to teleport up to 100 yards away.  This is a standard action and must be completed on its own turn.

Heat Trail: The Black Shuck can spend two points of essence while making a mundane leap over a person or object to set it aflame with a successful Strength + Athletics roll.  This fire is equivalent to a torch but the person must make a roll to put out the flame.

Wisps: Blue Birds of Playful Serenades

Wisps: Blue Birds of Playful Serenades

(Image courtesy of Juliano Coutinho)

There are 13 Wyrd 2 wisps in this particular litter.  Their mask makes them appear to be literal blue birds but their mien shows them to be pale blue fairies that are about as tall as an index finger with translucent and shimmering blue wings.  They wear dresses in Autumnal and Icy colours with hands covered in a layer of frosting.  Their voices sound like the tinkling of bells and only True Fae can comprehend the language they speak unless some sort of power is used that allows one to understand supernatural languages.  As Jack Frost currently lacks a 'Place' title, they currently reside in a pouch token at his hip.  They all have the same attributes and skills but their powers can vary.

Virtue: Hope

Vice: Gluttony

Seeming: Fairest
Kith: Playmate

Intelligence: 2

Wits: 3

Resolve: 2

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 4

Stamina: 1

Presence: 4

Manipulation: 3

Composure: 1

Academics: 0

Computer: 0

Crafts: 4 (Painting)

Investigation: 0

Medicine: 0

Occult: 0

Politics: 0

Science: 0

Athletics: 2

Brawl: 1

Drive: 0

Firearms: 0

Larceny: 1

Stealth: 3

Survival: 0

Weaponry: 0

Animal Ken: 1

Empathy: 1

Expression: 4 (Singing)

Intimidation: 0

Persuasion: 3

Socialise: 2 (Playful flitting)

Streetwise: 0

Subterfuge: 0

Wyrd: 2

Willpower: 3
Size: 1
Health: 2

Merits

Striking Looks (****)

Faerie Healing (**)

Hedge Gate Sense (*)

Siren Song (***)
Brownie's Boon (*)
Enchanting Performance (****)

Powers
Their powers differ depending on the wisp so see below to see which ones have which powers.  Unless otherwise marked, these powers come from Changeling contracts.  Those with another genre marked refer to powers that come from that particular species, as suggested in the box out on page 95 of Equniox Road.  Although they literally have one mind when outside of Arcadia, they still manifest different personality traits.

Matilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Majesty 3 (Vampire), Hours 2.  Excitable, artistic, easily bored.
Rosafilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Auspex 3 (Vampire), Hours 2.  Curious, patient, dreamy.
Gemmanilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Celerity 3 (Vampire), Smoke 2.  Sneaky, sulky, deceitful.
Alissarilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Dream 5.  Gossipy, childish, loves stories.
Terisasilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Hearth 5.  Studious, bossy, maternal.
Fionakilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Communion (Ice) 5.  Aloof, impatient, demanding.
Carachilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Smoke 5.  Crude, tomboyish, loves fart jokes.
Moiravilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Moon 5.  Moody, changeable, distracted by the moon.
Beccazilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Darkness 5.  Grumpy, mean, hates apples.
Dorapilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Artifice 5.  Attracted to bright lights, loves cats, collector.
Richayilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Reflections 5.  Flirtatious, sultry, eager for attention.
Norinally: Elements (Ice) 5, Forge 5.  Lonely, socially awkward, hopeful.
Hattirilly: Elements (Ice) 5, Animation 5.  Soulful, expressive, talkative.

Fae Weakness: Other than being split from the whole, they are each vulnerable to being killed on Earth (and thus destroyed) and can be unmade by a child forcefully banishing them from their lives / bedrooms.

Fianyarr Werewolves

There are plenty of options for what to do with werewolves in Fianyarr. In fairytales, werewolves represent the repressed brutality and cruelty within us all that can be sparked by rage and insanity into a terrible moment of violence that leaves us devastated and confused. Within it lies the seed of every real life story of a mother who kills her baby because it wouldn't stop crying or spouse who kills the beloved they found in bed with another person. They also represent our fears toward those people within the community that hide terrible acts behind a calm facade, sneaking off at night to butcher their victims or abuse their family members. Thus the werewolf is a seemingly normal person who flies into a primal rage when the moon is full, transforming into a monster that stalks the lands, before reverting to their human forms.

In a darker story, the werewolf is a normal person outside of those moonlit nights and those who confront them are forced to kill an otherwise innocent person driven to madness by a curse. The somewhat better option is the werewolf curse that strikes an innocent and makes them evil so that they are sociopaths during the rest of their days which at least allows the PCs a chance to kill them without wrestling with their conscience. In less dark tales, the werewolf was an evil person cursed to reveal their evil on nights of the full moon.

In more modern tales, werewolves are more ambiguous creatures who are neither inherently good nor evil. Perhaps this is due to our fascination with anthromorphising animals (thinking of animals as people) or perhaps it's simply the result of so many childhood years wishing we could grow fur and fangs so that we could run with the animals. Sometimes the werewolves are more in touch with nature. Sometimes they still have that bestial rage but it is tempered by human reasoning and compassion. Sometimes the werewolves actually are more, y'know, wolfy and have a more animalistic nature that encompasses a wider range of wolf-like behaviours. After all, most modern werewolves behave more like Tasmanian devils with their aggression and viciousness rather than the more socially inclined wolves.

But all of that aside, how would you like your werewolves?

Firstly, think of the transmission. Are they born or bitten? Both work in a light fantasy or dark horror setting. Those who are born to be werewolves might grow up as humans before transforming into monsters on some heart-rending night that involves the loss of their sweethearts.

Secondly, think of whether you want them to be the ambiguous evil (lots of heavy hearts and emotion surrounding their deaths) where they are never common and each instance is a moment of tragedy. Or whether you want a chance for your PCs to cut down an entire pack of evil nonhumans without having to worry about feeling sorry for them the way a PC might feel sorry for cutting down an evil mercenary warband. Or whether you want them to be another race in their own right, complete with their own traditions, mannerisms, hopes and dreams. Or outsiders who hide away their strangeness for others. Or something in between.

You could even have two superficially similar werewolf strains but where one turns humans into shapeshifters, the other makes them rampaging monsters. That would certainly make sense for an alchemical poison transmitted through the saliva. Perhaps the failed variant turns folk into killers and got loose from the alchemical laboratory. Who knows?

Finally, how will you create them? Naturally they need to be able to turn into wolves but that could be as simple as creating a Nixie and giving them the ability to turn into a wolf by spending a glamour. Alternatively you could use the Werewolf: the Forsaken wolves and pick whichever gifts and auspices seem to work. You could even use the disciplines from Vampire: the Requiem but make it so that the werewolves have to eat human meat rather then drink blood to regain their 'vitae'. The physical discplines such as celerity, vigor and resilience, not to mention Nightmare and some of the bloodline disciplines are all quite fitting for a home brew werewolf.

With all that in mind, you should be able to develop your own werewolves pretty easily.

So what would I typically do with werewolves?

I like giving them a little complexity so I would be most prone to developing them into little communities of about 30 who oversee their territory. They clash with the agrarian settlements that are start to push forward and through their territories, especially as the settled races don't recognise the werewolves' sovereignty and so expect to buy and sell land through other people. If the werewolves build their own homes or start to sell their own materials, they would be liable for taxation by the nobility. The fact that werewolves are also far superior in combat abilities compared to the average person means that the nobility are also eager to have the werewolves swear themselves into vassaldom so that they could be fielded in battle against other liege lords.

This naturally is creating quite a bit of tension and the situation has reached a political stalemate. Unfortunately for the settlements the werewolves are supreme guerillas with greater power, regeneration, and raw desire to win then the average conscript. Unfortunately for the werewolves, the settlements have a huge numerical advantage and even if the settlements were entirely wiped out there would soon be more as people from neighbouring countries seek fame, fortune and freedom in their lands - quickly repopulating the lost settlements.

You can imagine that a campaign could easily form from this along as the PCs try to navigate the political complexities of the situation, choose sides, and try to find a way that is palatable to all.

Of course, in reality, you'd need a third party to foster unification before anything got done. Perhaps a sociopathic necromancer hell bent on world domination? Or a sentient plague trying to destroy everyone in those lands? I wouldn't introduce the third party until well into the second Act. Best let the players muddle about in their sandbox first.

Fianyarr Spirits

So I've been building the Fianyarr fantasy world out of various mechanics from the World of Darkness and, naturally, I've needed to populate a bestiary.  The Hisil is a dangerous place and as it overlaps and functions concurrently with our world its important to have a few potential spirits in mind.  As most of the spirits listed in the Book of Spirits and Werewolf books can largely be reused I thought I'd talk a bit about how to get the most bang for your buck from spirits as well as providing three rather interesting spirits that have sprung from myth and which are likely to be found on our side of the gauntlet.

Using Spirits from the Books

Naturally one of the difficulties you'll have with utilising spirits found in the various supplements is that those spirits often have a modern flavor.  In truth you should be use any of the Natural spirits like spirits of dogs or cats but Artificials and Conceptuals can require a bit of thinking.  The trick is that you can often do a bit of a reskin to make a spirit that doesn't work become a spirit that does.  Car spirits can become carriage spirits.  Electrical spirits could be conjured from alchemist's laboratories or a lightning rod.  Data spirits could be linked to data crystals (hold them in your hands to download information).  Oftentimes having to sit back and justify its abilities and its background when adapting an old spirit can cause you to come up with more unique options than simply creating a new one.

Developing Your Own

You can, of course, always develop your own spirits.  Just be sure to find a way to make the ban meaningful as monsters having an achilles heel is a pretty big fantasy trope. So don't give them a ban regarding having to avoid the colour red unless that could be used as a meaningful exploit by the players during the session.  This goes a bit against the grain for those used to using spirits as the spirits' ban is only based on what makes sense to the spirit rather than what might be sensibly used and therefore they are seldom useful. As for finding the inspiration and initial concepts, well, simply dive into myth or your favourite fantasy videogames to get some ideas brewing. You can create a spirit around any concept. After all, that was kinda the idea behind White Wolf's creation of them.

Hellhound
Spirit of Unjust Cruelty

A hellhound is a translucent figure with glowing green fur, glowing eyes, great strength and speed, a sulphurous odor and the ability to talk.  These spirits are raised by the concepts of unfair death, hypocrisy and cruelty and thus they tend to be raised by communities who have a lot of cruel secrets where decent people suffer for the crimes of the cruel.  They are exceptionally likely to be formed in an area where a person is killed for a crime they didn't commit.

Bans (any two): It must answer five questions to any who have anointed themselves with sulphur.  It must attack any oath breakers it finds and attempt to drag them back into the Hisil.  It must strive to kill any who have seen a hellhounds' eyes thrice (even if they were different hellhounds).

Rank 2.  Influence: Fire ** and Dogs ** 

Power 4, Finesse 3, Resistance 2, Size 4, Initiative 4, Defence 4, Health 6.  Essence 15.

Numina: Terrifying Howl, Blast (fire), Abduct, Materialise, Two Numina for an extra Bane, Extra Influence.

Fury
Spirit of Vengeance

Sisters to the Valkyries and on good terms with them still, the Furies help the defenceless protect themselves but do so in a violent and controlling manner.  When a person is possessed by a Fury it is to get vengeance against some terrible wrong and the vengeance will be bloody indeed.  Even when a Fury chooses not to possess a person and fetters to them instead that person will be driven by a desire to gain revenge on others for it is that burning need to avenge oneself that feeds them essence.  The Fury's spirit form appears as a tall woman with clawed fingers spattered in blood.  They are demonics and will sometimes bless a particularly vengeful couple with a tiefling.  Pregnant women who are ridden long enough to give birth will also bear a tiefling child.  Naturally such tieflings are more predisposed to the vice of wrath with a focus on vengeance.

Bans (any two): A Fury must possess anyone who approaches them with vengeance in their heart and a plea on their lips. A Fury can't release its victim from possession until either the vengeance has been fulfilled or the target is dead. The Fury must respond to be the screams of a woman harmed by a man.
Rank 3.  Influence: Vengeance *** 

Power 6, Finesse 3, Resistance 6, Size 5, Initiative 9, Defence 6, Health 12.  Essence 15.

Numina: Materialise, Possession, Fetter, Speak Mortal Tongues (can speak any language and not just the spirit tongue), Emotional Aura, Harrow.

Valkyrie
Spirit of Honorable Battle

These battle spirits temporarily possess warriors and grant them a measure of their power and strength.  They can also be beseeched by powerful warriors to provide them an entrance to the underworld.  They appear to be highly attractive humanoid warriors of whichever race or culture they favor at the time.  They will only favor those races that favor them with legend, song, and deeds done in their name.  Their presence in an area often marks a society's calendars with festivities and their cities with shrines to their name to which the Valkyrie spirits sometimes fetter on special days.  They don't attach to armies who have conscripts or slaves in their midst nor ones that commit rape.  It's said that in the latter case they may well inform their sisters, the Furies.  They shun squads who kill civilians though they don't depart the army.  Valkyries attached to enemy armies do not hate each other nor do they disrespect the opposing side's soldiers.  There is glory in war and both sides must be willing or else there is no sport in it.

Bans (any two): The Valkyrie never possess an individual who hasn't requested it. The Valkyrie must relinquish control over the host once the battle is over. The Valkyrie will only attack an armed enemy. The Valkyrie must exempt one person from death whom the host least wishes dead.

Rank 3.  Influence Bravery ***.

Power 5, Finesse 5, Resistance 5, Size 5, Initiative: 10, Defence: 5, Health 10, Essence 20. 

Numina: Possession, Materialise, Gauntlet Breach, Fetter, Terrifying Howl, Empower Vessel (spend essence on a one for one basis to boost one or more of the host's physical statistics for a single turn - maximum physical attribute of 10).

Fianyarr Plants

Even though most plants are deadly and, by their very nature, can't really move very much there's always an interest in fantasy games to have some plant to slay. In the world of Fianyarr, even the plants can be dangerous. Some are mobile. Others lure you to them. Still more are simply dangerous in a very real world manner with poisonous berries or toxic thorns that can kill the unwary. In Fantasy Land, even the trees can kill you. There are no pictures at the moment because for some reason I can't upload any. Ah well....

Writhing Strangle Weed

The Writhing Strangle Weed looks like a normal piece of ivy though it can only be found dangling from trees or rocks without having any roots in the ground.  It often appears to be just moving in a wind as it slowly drops a tendril (see Stick Insects for an idea of how these things move) though a closer inspection will reveal that it has many little barbs on its underside that give it its grip.  While it appears quite plantlike it moves more similarly to an underwater creature, flinging out its ivy 'arms' to grip higher branches and move away.  Once it has strangled a person to death it latches on and inserts tiny roots that gather sustenance from the decomposing corpse and also often hides the body from prying eyes.  It is weak to fire though being a green wood isn't particularly flammable.  It has Armor 2 unless you are using either Fire or a slashing weapon to hack at it.

Power 3, Finesse 3, Resistence 3, Size 3, Health 6, Brawl 3 (Grappling), Stealth 5.

Mantrap

The Mantrap is what many people think of when they think of dangerous plants although it is, at least, quite obvious if you're paying attention.  The mantrap has two sinuous rounded leaves with hair-like fronds at either end that look a bit like ferns.  When someone tickles those ferns and provide a great enough weight, the mantrap slaps closed and the person so trapped struggles and likely suffocates as the sinuous fibres are actually quite tough to get through.  People on the outside can use a lever action to open it up easily enough but those inside can't quite get any purchase.  If seen out in the open it can be easily avoided but someone running through a jungle or otherwise confused by a plethora of flora might not see it until it's too late.

Power 4, Finesse 2, Resistence 4, Size 8, Health 12, Brawl 3 (Shut) (Stay Shut).

Gaseous Bulb

This bulb releases a sedative gas that causes those who inhale to fall unconscious.  As it dissipates quite quickly in the air it is unlikely to reach a high enough initial dose unless a person is reaching into the bulb or an animal is perched above it.  The bulb is about ten foot high with a wooden and bark-like edge which has a series of branches poking out of the bulb that make for an easy climb.  It smells delicious and the fermented water it contains within are a potent alcohol and drug that can leave a person both inebriated and quite chipper.  This is what lures in even those who know about the plants' other effects - the gas that is released from little sacs along the inside of the bulb.  Even those who try not to inhale will find themselves feeling dizzy as they try to get at the liquid (which is six feet down by the way).  Once a person has fallen inside they are sedated and will drown - causing the fermented liquor to have an altogether different sort of taste.

Power 4, Finesse 2, Resistance 2, Size 9, Health 11. Sleeping Poison 11 dice versus Stamina + Wyrd.

Evilberry

This plant doesn't poison to feed itself but rather poisons to protect itself.  The raspberry bush has evolved to look akin to the Evilberry bush to protect itself from people poaching its fleshy fruits and this means that people accidentally consume Evilberries - so named due to the terrible symptoms that, in humanoids, causes symptoms similar to gastroenteritis.  It is rarely lethal except in the very young or quite old.

Evilberries are Toxicity 4.

Deathshead Cacti

This cacti is otherwise indistinguishable from most tall cacti but for its white-tipped black thorns which are tipped with a fast acting neurotoxin that will cause death by paralysis - even the heart stops working.  It works so fast that the person so stung will likely not make more than a few steps before dying and providing nutrients into the soil.

Deathshead Cacti thorns contain Toxicity 9 poison.

Fianyarr Mounts

At least this mount doesn't need to be
food.
(Skyrim)

This article is about a sub-set of creatures for the Fianyarr world.  If you would like to read more about the world or its races and classes you can find more articles here.  Not everything on Fianyarr is predatory toward sentient races, let alone outright cruel and malicious.  The Angelics are those entities that look kindly on at least one of the races of the First which means that what is a Demonic to one may be considered an Angelic by others. All of the mounts mentioned below have the statistics of horses at their base but move at twice the usual speed. At the Storyteller's discretion a mount could have a bear, tiger or other animal at their base though for more powerful mundane creatures it would be wise to charge them experience points as though the mount were one dot higher.

One Dot Mount

One dot Fae Mounts have this speed bonus and gain the ability to come when called (though unlike the merit description they do not materialise out of thin air unless that is the power chosen for them).  These can be giant cats, riding dogs, white buck, a special breed of horse, or even a skeletal mount with a really well-designed saddle for comfort.  For each dot bought beyond the first the mount gains an additional ability that could range from a Toxicity 4 poison, fire-breathing equivalent to the damage dealt by a torch (see World of Darkness core rulebook), walking across water, flying up to Speed 12 and carrying up to 300lbs, or something of similar potency.  All mounts have Wyrd 1, can spend up to one glamour a round (including to activate certain relics) and can hold up to 10 glamour.  Each type of mount has a preferred type of glamour.

Two Dot Mount

White-Winged Pegasi / Giant Eagle / Roc (Giant bird)

There are a number of flying mounts to choose from with the most common being the above.  Each of these has an animal's intellect and can fly up to Speed 12 while carrying up to 300lbs on their backs.  The pegasi is a vegetarian while the other two are carnivores that require a substantial amount of meat to keep themselves happy.

Nandi

The Nandi is a large bull that is tame enough to be ridden though it can be aggressively protective of whomever they choose to be their rider.  Rather than having double the normal Speed it has an extra point in Size and two points in Strength compared to a horse and gains a +2 lethal attack with its horns.

Goldhorn White Buck

This large male buck has the ability to climb walls - even perfectly smoothy vertical walls - by spending a point of Glamour.  It can only be tamed if it is somehow cut from its herd and even then it will only attach itself to an apparently vulnerable rider.

Three Dot Mount

Water Horse

Though these horses are sometimes confused for kepies that are neither as predatory nor as sophisticated.  These horses can run across water or sink into it at will and have the power of speech which allows them to communicate with others.  They can learn multiple languages.

Simurgh

The simurgh is a giant dog-headed copper-colored peacock with the claws of a lion with human breasts and a human face complete with teeth.  It despises snakes of all kinds and prefers to lair in areas near water.  It has an enmity towards snakes and its natural habitat is a place with plenty of water.  It can fly and carry up to six riders.

Sleipneir

This eight-legged horse can spend a point of Glamour to move at twice its usual speed for a round and it has the power of speech and can converse with its rider.  The Sleipneir are vegetarians though they also enjoy sweets and mead.

Four Dot Mount

Unicorn

Unicorns are attracted to innocence and can only be ridden by those with a Morality score of 7 or higher.  Despite myths that unicorns can only be ridden by virginal women, each unicorn has its own rider restriction and it will refuse anyone who doesn't meet that requirement.  A unicorn can touch a person with its horn and spend a glamor to downgrade one point of damage in the target and it may do so thrice per day.  Unicorns can also make themselves emanate a gentle light at will and, should they choose, may spend a point of glamour to create a flash of blinding light that requires a Wits + Composure roll in those nearby to avoid being blinded.  A unicorn's horn is also a +2L weapon.

Silver Winged Pegasi

These pegasi are similar to normal mounts although they tend to have a fairly strong personality and know what they want.  Such pegasi can fly up to Speed 12 and carry up to 300lbs like any winged mount but they also have the power of speech and can release an electrical charge from their hooves when striking an enemy - causing the enemy to have to successfully roll Stamina + Wyrd versus the horse's Resolve + Wyrd to avoid being knocked prone.

Griffin

This carnivorous creature has the body of a lion yet the head, wings and forelegs of an eagle. It can fly, deal +2 lethal damage in a turn, and can make an attack in the middle of a full move mid-flight which only costs them their Defence so they don't have to stop to attack their enemies.

Five Dot Mount

Night Mare

These entities are feared across the realms as they are Demonics who nonetheless come to favor certain mortals whose fates they find particularly impressive.  They tend to prefer riders who hunt down those who are greater and more powerful than themselves - of course, this means they might equally chose a Priest who slays potent entities within the dreamscape or a cruel lord who wishes to take down an entire kingdom.  Night Mares have four abilities.  They can float an inch off the ground and leave no Fire breathing (treat as torch attack on page 180 of WoD), ability to fly at Speed 12 and carry 300lbs, can enter the Dreamscape by spending a point of Glamour and flying into the mind of a sleeping mortal (and can bring a single rider with them), and may spend a point of Glamour to ignore all circumstance penalties from uneven or poor terrain as they float a quarter inch above the ground.

Kelpie

Kelpies are difficult to train but not impossible.  It is a strong and powerful black horse (sometimes a dark green horse with a black mane) that has a constantly dropping mane with soft skin like that of a seal and cold flesh.  They are a carnivorous sort of horse that prefers its victims drowned and sentient - though some can be convinced to avoid doing so since they can become attached to a would-be victim who is witty or interesting enough.   A Kelphy's four abilities are that they can spend a point of glamour to become a water breather (and must do the same to become an air breather), can spend a point of glamour to cause the skin on its back to become adhesive so that the rider can't fall off (or dismount) and must spend another point of glamour to turn this off, has a humanoid intellect and can spend a point of Glamour to turn in a humanoid (normally Nixie, Tiefling or Yuki) who has base mortal statistics and always has damp hair.

Gold Winged Pegasi

The pegasi are similar to normal mounts although they tend to have a fairly strong personality and have the power of speech to tell you everything they want you to know.  They can fly up to Speed 24 and carry up to 300lbs and may occasionally fly at double that simply by spending a point of Glamour - making them one of the fastest creatures in the land.  They may also spend glamour to heal bashing or lethal on a one for one basis or may downgrade a point of aggravated damage to lethal by spending two points of glamour.

Fianyarr: Magical Beasts

The Gnawer is the type of magical beast you don't befriend.
(The Witcher)

What is the point of running a fantasy game like Fianyarr without something interesting and bestial to throw against the players?  Magical beasts have their own Power Stat (Potency) but they spend essence rather than glamour and can regain a point of essence for each devoured creature.  If they consume a creature with a Wyrd score they can also consume the creature's glamour and convert it into essence.  If they have an Intelligence score above Negligible they are also capable of sentient thought.

Gnawer

The gnawer is a dangerous and violent beast with the body of an insect, sharp and pointed limbs, a horned chitinous maw and a scorpion tail lined with poisonous spines laced with a powerful paralytic.  It eats every part of its prey from clothing to bone to the sword they wore on their belt.  They live in nests of around five individuals and take care minding for the piles of eggs which they carry using tiny pincers on their underbelly. They are both male and female.

Intelligence 1, Wits 3, Resolve 3, Strength 6, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4, Presence 4, Manipulation 1, Composure 2.  Size 6.  Health 12.  Potency 3.  Essence 12.  Willpower 5.  Initiative: 7.  Defence: 5.  Speed: 20.  Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Stealth 2, Survival 2..

Claw +1L: 10 dice.

Tail +1L: 10 dice.

Paralytic Poison Tail: Toxicity equal to the Gnawer's Potency.  The victim must also make an additional Stamina roll versus the Gnawer's Potency or take a -1 penalty to all physical attributes.  They must make this roll each time they are injured and once the penalty is equal to any of the victim's attributes they immediately fall unconscious.

Alkonost

The Alkonost has a birdlike body and the head of an attractive woman whose song is so impressive that it can cause a person to become an amnesiac who wants for nothing but to hear the being sing.  She spends part of her life in the Underworld and only ventures out through cliff-face caves to lay her eggs on a beach and roll them to sea.  When those eggs hatch the area will be rent by a terrible thunderstorm and such an event rarely occurs more than once every fifty years.  While it spends much of its time in the Underworld it is actually a living being.

Intelligence Negligible, Wits 3, Resolve 3, Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Presence 4, Manipulation 1, Composure 2.  Size 2.  Health 4.  Potency 3.  Essence 12.  Willpower 4.  Initiative: 5.  Defence: 2.  Speed: 20.  Athletics 2, Expression 3, Stealth 2, Survival 3.

Amnesiac Song: The Alkonost can choose to use a particularly beautiful song to remove the memories of a particularly irritating listener - often if the listener has noticed where the eggs lay - and thus must make an opposed Presence + Expression roll versus the listener's Resolve + Wyrd.  All listeners within 60 yards must make this roll.  This song can be cured by true love's kiss, the tear of a siren or by convincing the Alkonost to sing this song backwards by revealing to it an incredibly beautiful artwork made in the land of the dead. 

Crocotta

This hyena-lion hybrid switches between a female and a male form and can simulate human speech, often learning a person's name, and then trying to lure them out of their homes so that they can tear them to pieces.  The animal also digs up corpses though it rarely does more than nibble at them.  If spotted, it can be identified by eyes that are simultaneously a thousand variations of color, and a Crocotta hiding as a normal dog can also be detected by passing another dog through its shadow.  If that real dog loses its voice then the identified creature is a Crocotta.  Crocottas rarely move in packs and prefer to roam either singly or in mated pairs.

Intelligence Negligible, Wits 4, Resolve 2, Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Presence 3, Manipulation 3, Composure 3.  Size 6.  Health 12.  Potency 1.  Essence 10.  Willpower 5.  Initiative: 7.  Defence: 5.  Speed: 20.  Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Stealth 3 (shadows), Survival 2.

Bite +1L: 8 dice.

Ventriloquism: With the expenditure of a point of essence, the Crocotta can call out a name it has heard before and make it sound like any voice it has heard and make the source appear to come from anywhere within 30 yards of its present location.

Steal Voice: The Crocotta reflexively spends a point of essence to steal the voice of any dog which passes through its shadow.  It need only do this once.  From this point onward it can sound like that dog with no roll made.  The dog can never bark again.  This does not work on dogs that are magical beasts themselves or otherwise animal companions due to their connection to the Wyrd - either through themselves or through their masters.

Fianyarr Golems

Not every golem can blend in.
(The Witcher)

There have always been people who would try to create artificial life in order to have a more active hand in how their progeny are formed and to gain mastery over the characteristics that their progeny will have.  It is no different in Fianyarr than in our world although in Fianyarr such attempts can become quite successful.  Of course, the creators don't always know the ramifications of their actions. 

Player Created Golems

While such creations are generally outside of the range of your average player character, one could always create a variant of the Circle of the Crone Homunculus and Gargoyle rituals.  Naturally such rituals would be difficult to accomplish but there are rules for how they work and how they can be designed so they are a good option for those whose players really wish to dabble.

Prometheans

The Storyteller could always include Prometheans, if they so choose, those the wasteland-like effects that follow them around need a little consideration.  Is it that they are sustained by the life energy of the world around them and so decay where they walk?  Do the Gods themselves or the Masters of the Paths shun and curse them?  Were they simply built wrong?  And most importantly of all, is their fate the only fate available for truly sentient golems or are they simply an anomaly?  Remember, too, if the goal is to run a group of Promethean PCs through Fianyarr that the definition of humanity is a little bit different when humans are only one of ten different races.  Which race do they attempt to become?  How does that affect their choices?  And does it even matter in the scheme of things?

Alchemical Child

The Alchemical Child is a replica of one of the mortal races that is created through alchemical processes and, despite looking like one of the races, lacks some essential quality which defines a certain personhood. This most likely involves an eccentric and stilted personality, lack of conscience and inability to feel anything beyond the scraps of emotion. Most often an Alchemical Child becomes more 'real' if people of the appropriate races are rendered down as part of the process. Their attributes, skills and merits are similar to most people but they lack any of the racial or class benefits and blessings. They can sometimes be formed in inhuman shapes or with specified mutations such as additional arms, eyes or even claws, though such additions are more often atrophied and useless. Some very rare Alchemical Children have access to psychic merits and magical rituals but most do not. On the plus side, they suffer no wound penalties and are immune to poison and disease.

Stone Construct

The Stone Construct is hand-carved from stone by powerful willworkers and repeatedly annointed with special compounds in order to bring it to life. The final step is to insert a small enchantment scroll into its mouth. It most likely appears as a gargoyle or a statue in order to blend with the surrounding materials as they spend their free time standing utterly still. Instead of Stamina they have Durability and their Durability can range anywhere from 1 to 6. Their Size can range incredibly high though most are made between Size 3 and Size 8. They have limited intelligence that is more based around finding their way around obstacles or accomplishing very simple tasks set by their master. They have no mental or social skills and their physical skills can never venture above 2. Merits are subject to the Storyteller's discretion but it's recommended that they have few, if any. What makes them scary is their implacable nature and the difficulty one has in damaging them, not their stylish fighting techniques.

Flesh Golem

The Flesh Golem is a nightmarish figure of twisted meat and bone, inspiring tales of Frankenstein's monster stitched together from other people to chimeras built from creatures. These entities are always entirely insane and generally quite difficult to control without a magical leash or other special collar. They are most often released to roam labyrinths around important artefacts or to protect the grounds when those who live within such fortifications have other methods of entry and exit - such as flying. Their attributes, skills and merits can vary wildly and some even manage to retain a few of the magical abilities, race and class blessings of some of the component creatures cobbled together. Even a relatively benign Flesh Golem will have at least one major derangement, most have at least a few minor ones as well.

Fianyarr: The Fae

Beware the Fae Ferryman who may take you across the river
... to Arcadia.
(The Witcher)

The Fae in Fianyarr may be considered Angelics or Demonics though more often they are too unearthly and ... aloof for such labels.  They are too busy delving into their stories and playing with proscribed fates in defined stories rather than actually bonding with the mortal races for good or ill.  The Fae also deny the existence of the First People and consider themselves to be more akin to a race of gods who, despite their immortality, must obey certain rhythms and tales year after year.

When designing the fae in this model you should consider the pagan gods like those of Greece and Egypt where powerful entities repeat similar actions according to their portfolios and gather mortal worshippers which they guard jealously.  While most of the races are well aware that these are not gods, merely powerful entities that may, at best, be temporarily banished from their Arcadian Realms of Divinity through slaying their Avatars in this world, there are some who do worship at their altars and considering them to be gods and goddesses of their realms.

While there are rumor of demi-gods borne on mortals, more often these are merely other fae who have been given the role of such a figure though few among the mortals are aware of whether the fae have any reproductive strategy to produce more of their own.  In truth, their procreation would create a tiefling or an aasimar and not a demi-god.  Those thought to be demi-gods are actually what happen when a fae's tale loses relevance and they are forced into banishment for a period of time or until they accomplish a certain number of quests.  Once they have accomplished the agreed upon quests they are then allowed to rejoin the Arcadian Realms as a True Fae in their new guise.

Building Your Own Fae

While you don't need to use the True Fae rules from Changeling: the Lost Equinox Roads, you are certainly welcome to do so if you have that book handy.  There is no reason why these semi-divine beings couldn't be designed with Contracts, Titles, and other such creation rules.  Of course you could build them however you like as they are meant to be able to feign being gods.  You could give them Disciplines, Gifts, Numina, or even abilities you made up yourself.

A Fae can have attributes and skills from anywhere between 1 and 10.  Their attributes can be spread out at 10 / 7 / 5 and their skills as 21 / 13 / 7.  After all these are meant to be powerful figures who are dangerous to fight and who, if they were in our world, would have inspired tales of not only the Celtic Fae but also of Heracles, Athena, and Thoth.  They should be obscenely powerful and wherever they tread stories will follow.

There are methods to appease them, however, forever and always.  If you obey these rules, which thankfully most nearby mortal races know, then you will be safe from those depredations.  This might mean taking care of a shrine, bowing whenever you see one, or ensuring certain sacred festivals are followed.  It also means never, ever unfavorably comparing a True Fae to a mortal or other creature.  No one else should be declared to be more beautiful or more intelligent than the True Fae.

Using Changeling's True Fae

There are some distinct personality differences between these Fae and the Fae as written, not to mention the fact you'll likely need to sprinkle a few more attribute and skill dots around.  As to personality, these True Fae are often quite similar to humans in personality - they're just more archetypal and larger than life.  They are also quite predictable and are not necessarily toxic to mortal life.  They also won't kidnap you simply to experiment upon you though you might find yourself taken as a bride or servant or turned into a stag if you don't obey the rules of the area.

There are also a number of Fae in the Changeling books who would be quite anachronistic to use in a fantasy world.  Even if you take their stats you will likely need to tweak them to make them generally less unknowable and more akin to a god - often with a portfolio or other aspect that connects them.  This doesn't mean that you couldn't use Fae based on myths of huntsmen or playful fools, but twin doctors might not be as appropriate.

Tweaking Jack Frost

You can find the article that includes his statistics over here.  Add 1 to his Manipulation, Socialize, Investigation.  The next thing you would want to do is consider how he might fit into the theology.  A male youth connected with snow and the cold, with fun within the cold, both represents its benefits, its temptations and its perils.  Parents would likely warn their children about dancing off with Jack Frost, about how he might lure them onto the ice with pretty patterns, or encourage them to stay out after dark.  Jack Frost, being a youth rather than a child, might also be a tempting figure for young lasses.

The next thing you would need to do is determine his relationships with all of the other local fae.  Perhaps he is thought to be the rebellious son of Old Man Winter?  Or perhaps he exists in duality with Old Man Winter as both sides of manhood - old age and youthful exuberance.  Is there an Aphrodite figure who might try to tempt him even while she is married to someone else?

Also bear in mind that the local fae in the area, if worshipped as gods, will make an impact on people's expectations of archetypes.  A Jack Frost figure suggests a playful innocent archetype that is most often reserved for young women rather than young men.  How might this impact on the local tribes?  Might people try to be more like him?  Or is he a cautionary tale due to too many people dying out in the snow (less likely with Yuki tribes)?

More True Fae?

If you take a look at my Changeling: the Lost tag in this blog you'll be able to find a few more True Fae among them.  Alternatively you could purchase the various Changeling: the Lost books and grab a few Fae from over there.  Or, y'know, just build them yourself.

Fianyarr Ghosts

I know this is out of turn but I need to put some more work into the Fae article so for now you will get ghosts!  Ghosts are a traditional enemy in both horror and fantasy games though, oddly enough, they tend to be a bit underpowered in the World of Darkness.  Sure they're hard to hit, being incorporeal and all, but they don't get to do nearly as many interesting things as spirits though that's easily sorted if you give them access to spirit numina.  In the Fianyarr fantasy world, ghosts can fulfil a number of functions from guides to information sources to guardians to enemies.

Building A Ghost

There are three different ways to build a ghost.  You could look through the various Numina lists (World of Darkness core rulebook and Book of Spirits predominately) and then come up with creepy uses of existing Numina.  You could come up with a backstory and figure out what type of ghost might be left behind and what their unfinished business might well be.  You could figure out their role in the plot and determine what you would like them to have as well as what sort of Numina would be applicable.

You also need to know what sub-genre you will be using for your horror story.  A tragic tale of misery and mystery will be undermined by a heavy hitting ghost that materialises to howl in your face and then belt you across the room.  Something subtle would be more fitting there.  On the other hand an action adventure where the ghost is little more than a mild telekinetic force that flings the occasional book isn't very interesting on it's own.

Also think a bit about what ghosts represent in your world.  If they only the souls of evildoers and/or victims of terrible crimes they will be quite different than if the gentle ancestors of the past can also roam the night.  Depending on your mythos, ghosts might be capable of fully materialising like normal human beings, be invisible to all who don't have the right sight, or be forever visible but unable to touch the world around them.  They might be able to wander or be anchored to a single point.  It might even vary between ghosts.  Go with wherever the story takes you.

You may want to consider increasing their attributes as well.  When you have no skills to modify your attributes (assuming the ghost you're creating has no skills), then you really need a higher Power, Finesse and Resistant stat to get anything done.  Most ghosts are meant to have between 1 - 5 in those attributes with anything higher reserved for the truly powerful.  Give the ghost what it needs to be a reasonable threat or an interesting ally.

Faking It

There is nothing to say you have to rely on the Numina you have in front of you.  You can feel free to make your own.  You could even treat ghosts as a series of magical traps, really, with a dice pool listed by every event.  Enter the living room and the fireplace erupts for Power + Finesse dice with a chance of setting alight any player character who fails a Dexterity + Athletics roll.  Then if you go into the kitchen you must cope with a nauseating stench (Power verus Composure roll) that might well levy a -2 penalty, and so on and so forth.  This can actually work out better more often than not as it feels more natural.

Examples

Naturally I'm going to include a few more of the violent sorts of ghosts that are a bit unusual since you can largely create your own haunting patterns or regular ghosts as you please.

Myling

The myling is an infact who died after a life without knowing the love of a caring parent and whose bodies were left without a proper burial.  Those who cross the woods at night might well hear the Myling mewling and moaning and if they search for the sound of the babies cries they will find a baby in the woods.  Mylings are filled with pain, frustration, coldness and hunger

Mylings are thought enormous and apparently grow heavier as they near the graveyard, to the point where any person carrying one (or more) could sink into the soil. If one should prove unable to make it into the cemetery, the myling kills its victim in rage.  If the person who picks it up has an unclean heart (Morality 5 or lower), the Myling inflates to an enormous size and attempts to crush or rend apart it's victim (brawl attacks on a grappled target). 

If picked up by someone with a clean heart (Morality 6 or higher), it seems to weigh down on the person carrying it as though the burden of its sorrow, frustration and misery presses down on the person's shoulders and the ground before him is like a bog that he slowly sinks into.  The carrier must roll repeated Resolve + Composure checks to carry on and for every failure he sinks half a foot into "bog" before him.  He must make such a roll 10 times before he will reach his destination and he cannot put his burden down nor can it be wrested away from him without taking the skin off his hands as well (two aggravated damage).

Power 7, Finesse 5, Resistance 6, Size 2 - 10.  Numina: Banshee Wail (child-like), Drain, Morality Crush (read description).

Rusalka

Rusalkas are ghosts formed by those who died by drowning and now haunt their resting place as beautiful versions of themselves with long green hair like floating weeds and pale skin.  Such ghosts can only be seen after dark, often spotted dancing beneath the moon, sometimes calling out watchers by name to lead them into the water to drown.  Some are known as river-women, most often killed by lovers.  Either way the ghostly entity is anchored to the body of water where they died.  They have the same racial blessings as a Nixie though they were rarely Nixies in life.

Power 3, Finesse 7, Resistance 3, Size 5.  Numina: Call Water, Camouflage, Choke, Deluge.

A good list of numina can be found here.

Fianyarr Defenders

Dryads are (attractive) guardians of the wilds.
(The Witcher)

There are creatures in Fianyarr who are fantastic to have around.  Creatures which will risk life and limb to protect people or communities under their care.  Sometimes these are demonics who can be quite dangerous to outsiders as they won't always allow exceptions and some of them can become petty tyrants in their own way, but mostly they are angelics and a breath of fresh air for a community besieged by wandering monsters.

Dryads / Naiads

Dryads are built much like regular mortals and can even gain Paths which has made some wonder if they might not be what occurs when aasimars continuously breed with certain nature angelics until the children become something else entirely.  Dryads gain all of the benefits of the Yuki and Beastfolk while Naiads gain all the race benefits or the Yuki and Nixies.  They often protected natural places and can rebel violently against incursions that seek to irrevocably change the wilds though may sometimes befriend those who are willing to live with nature.  This is because their very lives are bound up in the creeks, rivers, sections of lakes, or glades they protect.  The easiest way to destroy them is to defile such locations which will cause them to sicken and die.  All Dryads and Naiads have at least Striking Looks 2 though some can reach Striking Looks 6.

Sphinx

These guardians enjoy the company of the sentient races and once it has found a settlement whose culture and customs pleases its sensibilities, it will settle down to watch over the location.  It might wait by the gates to see those coming and going (in which case markets often spring up by those gates) or by the communal fire in a small village or even in the palatial ballroom.  Once it has chosen a place, none can force it to move unless they battle it and as it brings protection with it few would dare.  While all sphinxes have the same basic attributes there is a variation in appearance. 

The generic Sphinx has the hindquarters of a lion, wings of a bird, and face of a woman. 

The Androsphinx is similar to the generic sphinx but has the face of a man. 

The Sharabha looks like a generic sphinx but gains the Peaceful Presence* special ability. 

The Nicolonia is part mortal and part eagle with a preference for guarding gateways and secret places, demanding unknown individuals answer riddles that are actually designed as passcodes or be either refused entrance or killed. 

The Narasimha has the body of a lion and head of a human being (no wings means no flight).

Manussiha have a special preference for positions where they can watch children play and are defensive of children - sometimes even rearing whole villages of orphaned children. 

The Norasingh is an upright walking entity with the lower body of a lion and the upper body of a human.  It protects certain routes to keep them safe from violent criminals and thus doesn't bother thieves or highwaymen who never shed blood as the Norasingh sees little value in nonessential property.  The only thefts they care about are those that could end in death - such as stealing blankets in a cold climate or water in a hot one.

Attributes: Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Resolve 4, Strength 4 - 8, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Presence 4, Manipulation 4, Composure 5
Skills: Athletics 1 (Swim), Brawl 2, Survival 3
Willpower: 9
Initiative: 9
Defense: 4
Speed: Varies, Fly Speed is 1.5x walking speed.
Size: 8 - 22
Armor: 4
Health: Varies
Weapons/Attacks:
Type Damage Dice Pool
Bite 2 (L) Varies
Swipe 1 (B) Varies

Sharabha Special Ability: Those who wish to do violence in its presence (within 100 yards diameter) must succeed in a contested Wyrd + Presence roll for each round of violent action.

Yaksha (male) / Yakshini (female)

These benevolent spirits protect glades that contain powerful relics and will often only give up their treasure to those who prove their skill and purity of heart with a vital quest.  Sometimes if the area around the relic is besieged by cruel spirits and temptations, simply reaching this point is enough.  They are generally found in natural areas.  Both the male and female versions have exaggerated masculine and feminine forms though the Yaksha generally  look like exaggerations of old men while the Yakshini tend to appear more nubile.  They are compelled to assist those with pure hearts (Morality 7 or higher) or those who have great need and good intentions.

Power 3, Finesse 5, Resistance 7, Size 5, Initiative: 8, Defence: 5, Health 12, Rank 3, Essence 20.  Numina: Materialise, Gauntlet Breach, Fetter, Commune, Choir, Clothe the Form (once materialised a Yaksha or Yakshini can go one step further and spend an essence to become wholly physical for a single scene).

Fianyarr Race: Elf

This is an extreme display of emotion for an elf.
(Dragon Age 2)

Campaign World: Fianyarr.

Nicknames: Pointy Ears, The Heartless, The Fair Folk.

Origins: Before the sundering of the bridge between this world and the Heavens, there were those of the First who made their homes in the forests and the jungles of this world.  Such places were dangerous and required careful deliberation from those who walked through the trees and even the First lost a few of their number to otherworldly beings who made their home in that place.  When the First found themselves trapped here, those that would become the Elves found it necessary to swallow their grief and move forward in order to survive. 

Demeanor: Elves have a resolute determination to survive the jungles and forests (which also accounts for the longevity of some - not all - members of this race) which is what has made so many others find them callous and cold. They feel as keenly as all the major races but often find it hard to allow themselves to show such vulnerability.  Elf hair and skin are similar to that of a humans but for the clan marks which each elf bears which may cause thick strands of hair to be of a different colour or which might create a pattern across their skin.  No one recalls what these patterns truly mean though many have created their own metaphorical significance to meet the needs of their own tribes.

Rumors: Elves are thought incapable of forming attachments to others and its thought that they only defend each other out of mutual benefits.  Due to this, some of the more mercenary settlements try to approach individual elves to betray the group with promises of cash or future alliances with that individual elf.  While elves can be as treacherous as anyone else, the difficulty most people have with reading their emotions means they often pick the wrong elf to offer the deal.  This somehow has only served to further entrench the idea that elves are treacherous sociopaths when those individual elves go straight to their communities to explain what they have been offered.

In other places, elves are regarded as people who have seen too much.  In claustrophobic jungles and tight forests, its hard to see what might be coming for you and those settlements that border or lurk within the confines of such a place are far more sympathetic to the way the elves conduct themselves.  Strong alliances are maintained and romances often flower as the elves are attracted to the emotional vulnerability apparent in the other races - with a desire that perhaps such a spouse might help ease the pains that elves hold tight within themselves.

Racial Abilities

Attribute Bonus: +1 to either Composure or Stamina.

Weakness: Due to your inherited desire to avoid showing vulnerability, you take a -2 penalty to any attempts to convince another of your emotional state, such as to convince someone that you truly love them.

Cold-blooded
Due to the difficult conditions of life in a forest, elves have learned to keep themselves to themselves as well as coming to better cope with poisons and toxins which are so common among the flora and fauna.  The character gains a +1 bonus to Composure to resist mundane emotional manipulation and +2 for Stamina checks when attempting to resist poisons (Changeling Coldscale Kith: Winter Masques page 67).

Careful Quickness
Elves have learned to be quick when it really matters and thus can spend a point of Glamour to add their Wyrd to either their Speed or their Initiative for the scene (Changeling Airtouched Kith: core book page 109).

Keen Senses - Ears
An elf's ears are better shaped for picking up on sound and they therefore gain a +2 to all attempts to listen to something.  They can also spend a point of Glamour to increase their ability to listen to a truly astonishing degree for a turn.  Think about what a dog or a cat can hear and roll accordingly.  (Changeling Cleareyes Kith: Winter Masques page 67).

Runnerswift
Sometimes when an elf runs, they really need to run.  This is reflected in their slim runner's build and the +2 bonus they have to their Speed.  They made spend a point of glamour to double their speed for a single round (Changeling Runnerswift Kith: Changeling the Lost 102).

Racially Restricted Merit
(****) Long of Days: Some elves have an extended lifespan due to their desire to survive.  Those that do age at half speed from whenever they took this merit.  Normally an elf ages at the same rate as the other races.  This merit only ever takes affect at pubery (or later).  An elf with this ability also gets Common Sense for free but only to do with life threatening events or issues.

Fianyarr: The Changed



Curses can make folk so pretty ... like this Wet Ghoul.
(The Witcher)

 The world of Fianyarr is a place of transformation where adventurers and important people step up to complete incredible tasks that will leave them forever changed.  Sometimes, too, changes are wrought on a more physical level whether by alchemical experimentation, strange plants or terrible curses that turns people, often irrevocably, into something else.  These are the Changed.

Wet Ghoul

The wet ghoul results when alchmemical experiments upon Nixie corpses try and fail to resurrect them, leaving bizarre deformities and an overwhelming desire to cannibalise the dead in place of the usual personality.  Such beasts also aim to convert the living by dragging them down into the watery depths and breathing polluted air into their lungs while the victim struggles not to drown. Wet ghouls create small communities that behave similarly to stereotypical rats, investigating threats, fighting for food, and otherwise appearing to be beasts. These are not, contrary to popular opinion, undead for they are actually something quite different. A sentient gas created by the alchemists flows through their veins and can sicken those who cut them at a melee range.

Attributes: Intelligence Negligible, Wits 3, Resolve 2, Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Presence 2, Manipulation 1, Composure 2
Skills: Athletics 1 (Swim), Brawl 2, Survival 3
Willpower: 4
Initiative: 5
Defense: 3
Speed: 11
Size: 5
Weapons/Attacks:
Type Damage Dice Pool
Bite 1 (L) 5
Health: 8

Alchemical Gas: When dealt lethal damage the wet ghoul releases an alchemical gas that causes a -2 penalty to everyone within a 5 yard radius that fails a Stamina + Composure roll.

The Seeded

There are certain bushes deep within the jungles of Fianyarr that create seed pods which drift upon the wind by way of sparkling filaments. These seed pods stir to life when drifting past sentient beings, drawn by the essence of Wyrd, and then drag themselves on the breezes with their whirling filaments toward such individuals, grappling with them to try to implant themselves into their victim's spinal column.  Those wearing thick clothing and neck protection are thus immune to implantation.

Once implanted, the person becomes mindlessly violent, territorial and ageless as it carefully tends to the various new seeds produced by the pods. After decades such individuals can gain some level of mindfulness and may even begin to use basic humanoid communications. After a century of existence, the seeded regain the host's skills and slowly form new communities among themselves.  They are indistinguishable from mortals of their host race, except for green skin and luminscent mould-like patterns across patches of their skin. At this point they are no more dangerous than any other creature, until after a millenia of growth, the new sets of plants are ready to burst forth seed pods that stretch out across the lands and convert still more humanoids into mindlessness.

The Seeds
Health 4, Size 1
Implant: 4 dice opposed by victim's Strength + Stamina to pull away.

The Seeded
Same statistics as the host character though Intelligence is negligible for the first century.  After this point the Seeded gains the Intelligence and mental / social skills of the host and may gain further Intelligence by spending experience points.  They regenerate health levels at a rate of 1 bashing damage every minute, 1 lethal damage every hour and 1 aggravated damage every week.

Animal Transformation

Some people are unlucky enough to enter the wrong area, insult the wrong demonic, or pick up a cursed item that will leave them turned into an animal and left to roam the wilderness.  Such victims often lose their memories over time though some aren't so lucky and remain intelligent and sentient creatures even as they learn to adapt to their new existence.  Some such creatures are then forced to serve the one that curse them through the use of specially prepared bronze collars that compel obedience toward the maker.  Their physical attributes are turned into that of an animal while the rest of their characteristics remain unchanged.  If a resistance roll is required to apply such a curse involves a Wyrd versus Wyrd roll.

The Bestial Accursed

There are those among this world who have such powerful souls, or whose deaths are so terrible, that with their last dying wish they can lay a terrible curse upon their killer(s).  This curse twists the target into a hideous beast that desires only to destroy every last one of its loved ones, tribe or countrymen (the curse varies). For so long as this task lasts, the beast is immortal though not quite invincible.  Once this task is complete, if ever it is complete, the beast returns to its mortal form with all of its memories intact.  It has the cunning of a human though without any technical skill and thus must resort to monstrous tactics to overpower its enemy.  The curse involves an opposed Wyrd + Sin Level (which is Morality - level of the sin involved so a truly heinous act adds 9 dice while petty theft adds 3) versus Morality roll.

Strength: 8, Dexterity: 5, Stamina: 8, Intelligence: 2, Wits: 3, Resolve: 5, Presence: 4, Manipulation Negligible, Composure: 1.
Skills: Athletics: 4, Brawl: 5, Intimidation 3, Stealth: 4, Survival: 3.
Willpower: 6
Initiative: 6
Defense: 3
Speed: 21
Size: 8
Health: 16
Armor (thick hide): 3

Weapons/Attacks:
Type Damage Dice Pool
Bite 2 (L) 15
Gore 1 (B) 14 plus Knockdown (requires the Accursed to charge, then opposed Strength + Brawl roll, loser falls prone)
Trample 2 (B) 15, only affects prone targets.

Once the creature begins a charge it takes two rounds to stop.  Therefore if a target is over 42 yards away and uses their turn to step aside or if their target comes early on the Initiative tree but suspends their action until the creature's turn in order to leap aside, then they have a chance to get out of the way and possibly cause the creature to slam into a wall and thus roll damage against itself (ignoring its own armor).  In order to be successful in this, the target must roll Dexterity + Athletics to spring out of the way. 

Fianyarr Race: Djinn



See the pretty Djinn patterns?
(Dragon Age)

Campaign World: Fianyarr.

Nicknames: Flamesirens, Genies, Pyromaniacs.

Origins: The First People to this world visited many strange and exotic places but none visited the most dangerous locations as the Djinn who delved into the molten magma and dangerous depths of the burning world.  They felt the bridge being sundered and, realising the peril of their encroaching mortality, rushed for the surface.  They were lucky to make it out for the fire scorched their newly mortal forms as it did any other.  They fled the fires and the volcanoes and made their homes on the planes and foothills of such places.  Over time they moved onward and can often be found in almost any location in the world ... even the icy tundra ... though they tend to prefer warmed climates.

Appearance: The light of the flame that nearly claimed them still lights their skin in patterns as well as colours their bodies in reds, purples, oranges and bright pinks.  While the striking patterns appear luminescent they do not glow with their own internal light and thus a djinn can hide in the darkness like any other.  Djinn often have irises in flame-like colours and the 'whites' of their eyes are nearly always 'black'.  Sometimes they have horns though not always.

Demeanor: Ever since their forefathers and foremothers barely escaped the flame, they have been drenched in an adrenaline-fueled blast of hormones that leads them to wild displays of sincerely felt and often changing emotions.  They have found a way to cope with the inevitable issues such outbursts create by being incredibly forgiving - so long as they are convinced of the sincerity of the other person's intent.  This forgiveness can seem borderline saintly at times but it is only because the djinn embrace the future and live in the present.  Though they don't forget the past, with all its griefs and horrors, they don't let it claim them.

Rumors: Other races often find the djinn to be primitive and wild beings that can't be accepted in polite society and this often suits the djinn just fine who live better on the outskirts of such mixed communities anyway.  The people who surround such communities often take advantage of the djinn's better nature and then use their nature as an excuse for why they deserve mistreatment.  If the djinn were truly mistreated, they wouldn't forgive and wouldn't smile so readily, would they?  The violence that such mistreatment creates is also then used to justify holding them at arm's length.

In other lands, the djinn are fully integrated and the various members of the community find much to like in their honest and earnest expressions of emotion.  When you are with a djinn, it's hard not to feel their sadness and happiness as though it were your own and many groups court them as lovers, entertainers, and even simply as visitors to their festivals and celebrations.

Racial Abilities

Attribute Bonus: +1 to either Presence or Wits.

Weakness: Djinn are emotional and passionate creatures prone to wild outbursts and fiery connections.  Due to this, they suffer a -2 penalty in any situation that requires tact and gentle politeness for extended periods of time.  They may spend a Willpower point to negate this penalty if the situation (i.e. a funeral or a visit to the Queen) is significant enough.

Prismatic Heart
A djinn's heart is full of everchanging passions and they can use this to their own benefit by spending a point of glamour to gain a +2 bonus to resist emotional manipulation (including mystical manipulation) for a scene.  All empathy checks against the djinn also suffers a -1 penalty during this time (Changeling Polychromatic Kith: Winter Masques page 84).

Flamesiren
The djinn can spend a glamour to glow with an otherworldly light across her patterns that causes everyone looking to have to roll Resolve + Composure or else suffer a -2 penalty to all actions during that scene or until the djinn ends the effect (or is out of sight) (Changeling Flamesiren Kith: Winter Masques page 83).

Tyranny of Ideas
There is just something so inspiring about being around a djinn that makes other people better at their own social skills.  A djinn can spend a glamour to give a mortal a +2 bonus to a single Expression, Persuasion, Socialize or Subterfuge roll (Changeling Muse Kith: Changeling the Lost page 114).

Bright One
A djinn can use their innate ability to light up an area approximately the size of a smallish room with a soft and gentle light equivalent to candle light for a scene.  If the djinn spends a glamour, this light can become blinding and anyone who is trying to target the djinn must take a -2 penalty to hit her as though she were partially concealed (Changeling Bright Ones Kith: Changeling the Lost page 113).

Racially Restricted Merit
(* to ***) Mercantile Skills: Due to the amount of time that many djinn spend travelling or simply bartering for goods, it really isn't hard for them to get credentials as a genuine merchant at the various blackmarket or otherworldly markets around Fianyarr.  The djinn's ranking in this merit is added as a bonus to any rolls specifically related to your area of trade in and around marketplaces.