Mcal
Newbie
Hello my friends, it is I, Dimitri the Magnificent. While I am sure by the time you are reading this, my adventures in escaping the Cairn are well known legends, sung by the greatest Bards of your age, I am here to pass on useful knowledge for those that come after me.
There are several types of creatures you may encounter while exploring the Cairn, and possibly the areas directly near the entrance and exit. I will detail what I have learned about them in this volume.
First off are the Lizard Folk, also commonly referred to as Lizardmen. Ranging anywhere from 4 feet tall to over 6 feet tall. Or, .75 Quinleys to 1.25 Quinleys. This is surely still a standard unit of measure as you are reading this.
The Lizard folk come in a few varied forms, which I will detail in a moment. However they share several qualities among them.
Among the variety of the Lizard folk, you will likely encounter 4 types. The first, being the standard Lesser Lizard Folk.
The Lesser Lizard Folk tend to be lightly armed and weak, often doing no more damage that an Elf with a Dagger could do. They are also frail and often fall to 1 or 2 blows from a skilled Fighter or Rogue.
The next most common variety you will see are the Spitter Lizard Folk. They are easily distinguished by a bulging Throat sack.
The Spitters are usually as weak and frail as their Lesser cousins, but posses the ability to spit a virulent poison that can cause a range of maladies ranging from Nausea and Vomiting to Hallucinations and Paranoia. These effects can easily be countered with a Antidote potion or a Purify spell. The effects do not last too long, perhaps 10 minutes, so you can also wait it out if need be.
The third, and much more dangerous variety of Lizard Folk is the Noble caste. These are much more dangerous and should be treated thusly. They are often Elementally attuned and some cast magic.
The Noble caste will always be traveling with a retinue to protect them. They are often much tougher and stronger. Be wary of those wielding weapons, as they will very likely be attacking with Elemental damage such as Flame or Lightning. Be sure not to use the same type of Element against them or you may inadvertently heal them. The Magic casting variety is often easily identified. They rarely have a large variety of spells at their disposal, but they will cast them frequently and accurately. Drop them first and from range if possible. Be on the look out for Web spells.
The final variety of Lizard Folk you may encounter is the Bloodscale Hunter caste. These are possibly the most dangerous variety, equal to the Nobels, and their danger depending on circumstance.
The Bloodscale Hunters are particularly tough and evasive. It will take many blows from a skilled Fighter to down one, and they posses the ability to Dodge away from many blows and even Resist a small number of Spells. Their attacks are very damaging and can often drop those with light Armor in 1 or 2 blows, and have a powerful strike that they seem to be limited to doing once. They prefer to attack from hiding while the adventurers are unaware, so keep your head on a swivel when dealing with groups of Lesser Lizard Folk.
This concludes the section of Lizard Folk. Next we will discuss the Constructs that once patrolled the Cairn. These Magical, Crystal like magic automatons were once the protectors of the Cairn and operated under the control of The General. At the time of my writing this, an uneasy armistice has been reached with The General, so the Constructs may no longer be a threat at the time you are reading this. I will, however, note what I have learned of them here in case. The Constructs tend toward being large and strong, with Crystalline faces with facets and of a purple like, iridescent coloring. They frequently wield giant hammers that can often do Massive damage to a unprepared adventurer.
The Constructs are not intelligent per se, but they have the ability to speak and run on a type of magical programming. While not usually aggressive, they can turn aggressive if their commands are not followed. Those commands usually involving dropping ones weapons or leaving the area. Avoiding combat with The Constructs is fairly easy, but not always an option depending on what the Adventurer needs to do. If you must fight them keep in mind the following:
The final group of enemies you are likely to encounter within the Cairn and possibly the surrounding surface, is what my Adventuring party has lovingly named The Leyline Exposed Cannibals. These unfortunate creatures are, surprisingly, Humans, or Null to those of you that use the old names. They lived, secluded in the lower levels for many generations. Cut off from the other races, and even from other humans. Their bloodline became thin and they resorted to cannibalizing other Humans, other Races of the Cairn, and possibly each other. They come in 3 varieties that I have seen. First is the Daryl’s.
The Daryl’s are the younger sons and daughters of this loathsome family. When speaking to one another, they all refer to themselves as the name Daryl. They are fairly weak, and not very tough. They are however fearless and will often attack large groups of Adventurers with no regard to their own safety. They are quite numerous, and can be dangerous in large enough groups.
The second variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals clan is the Parent. Also known as the ‘Ma or ‘Pa variety. They occasionally go by the name Jebidiah when speaking to each other.
The ‘Ma/’Pa variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals is usually a low level spell caster. Not much tougher than the Daryl’s but a bit smarter. While they lack high level spells, they should still be treated with some caution as even a low level spell can shift a fight.
The final variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals is The Gimp. The Gimps are younger and more wild versions of the Daryl’s. While they are their equal in strength and toughness, they are a horror to behold. They will be unleashed, quite literally, by a ‘Ma or ‘Pa and sent screeching into a Adventurer party. They often wield two axes that they can be seen clapping happily together when they are not fighting or eating someone.
Well that is all I have for now. I hope everyone reading this finds it useful in your future adventures. Keep a look out as I will soon be releasing “Dimitri the Magnificent’s handy guide to the Foes of the Surface: Volume 1.” It will be available at your local scholars guild.
There are several types of creatures you may encounter while exploring the Cairn, and possibly the areas directly near the entrance and exit. I will detail what I have learned about them in this volume.
First off are the Lizard Folk, also commonly referred to as Lizardmen. Ranging anywhere from 4 feet tall to over 6 feet tall. Or, .75 Quinleys to 1.25 Quinleys. This is surely still a standard unit of measure as you are reading this.
The Lizard folk come in a few varied forms, which I will detail in a moment. However they share several qualities among them.
- While they can speak, they can almost never be reasoned with, and the lesser ones are barely smarter than a well trained horse.
- They tend to be very aggressive and food motivated.
- 3 They rarely seem to wear armor.
- They posses the ability to recognize people by Scent.
Among the variety of the Lizard folk, you will likely encounter 4 types. The first, being the standard Lesser Lizard Folk.
The Lesser Lizard Folk tend to be lightly armed and weak, often doing no more damage that an Elf with a Dagger could do. They are also frail and often fall to 1 or 2 blows from a skilled Fighter or Rogue.
The next most common variety you will see are the Spitter Lizard Folk. They are easily distinguished by a bulging Throat sack.
The Spitters are usually as weak and frail as their Lesser cousins, but posses the ability to spit a virulent poison that can cause a range of maladies ranging from Nausea and Vomiting to Hallucinations and Paranoia. These effects can easily be countered with a Antidote potion or a Purify spell. The effects do not last too long, perhaps 10 minutes, so you can also wait it out if need be.
The third, and much more dangerous variety of Lizard Folk is the Noble caste. These are much more dangerous and should be treated thusly. They are often Elementally attuned and some cast magic.
The Noble caste will always be traveling with a retinue to protect them. They are often much tougher and stronger. Be wary of those wielding weapons, as they will very likely be attacking with Elemental damage such as Flame or Lightning. Be sure not to use the same type of Element against them or you may inadvertently heal them. The Magic casting variety is often easily identified. They rarely have a large variety of spells at their disposal, but they will cast them frequently and accurately. Drop them first and from range if possible. Be on the look out for Web spells.
The final variety of Lizard Folk you may encounter is the Bloodscale Hunter caste. These are possibly the most dangerous variety, equal to the Nobels, and their danger depending on circumstance.
The Bloodscale Hunters are particularly tough and evasive. It will take many blows from a skilled Fighter to down one, and they posses the ability to Dodge away from many blows and even Resist a small number of Spells. Their attacks are very damaging and can often drop those with light Armor in 1 or 2 blows, and have a powerful strike that they seem to be limited to doing once. They prefer to attack from hiding while the adventurers are unaware, so keep your head on a swivel when dealing with groups of Lesser Lizard Folk.
This concludes the section of Lizard Folk. Next we will discuss the Constructs that once patrolled the Cairn. These Magical, Crystal like magic automatons were once the protectors of the Cairn and operated under the control of The General. At the time of my writing this, an uneasy armistice has been reached with The General, so the Constructs may no longer be a threat at the time you are reading this. I will, however, note what I have learned of them here in case. The Constructs tend toward being large and strong, with Crystalline faces with facets and of a purple like, iridescent coloring. They frequently wield giant hammers that can often do Massive damage to a unprepared adventurer.
The Constructs are not intelligent per se, but they have the ability to speak and run on a type of magical programming. While not usually aggressive, they can turn aggressive if their commands are not followed. Those commands usually involving dropping ones weapons or leaving the area. Avoiding combat with The Constructs is fairly easy, but not always an option depending on what the Adventurer needs to do. If you must fight them keep in mind the following:
- They are usually tough and as powerful as a skilled Fighter, and those wielding the giant hammers can often damage you even upon a successful block with your weapon and they power through your guard.
- They can usually resist 1 or 2 spells, so waste a lower level spell on them before using anything more powerful.
- A powerful blow or spell that can cause them to Shatter will usually destroy them instantly, assuming their spell resistance has been dealt with.
The final group of enemies you are likely to encounter within the Cairn and possibly the surrounding surface, is what my Adventuring party has lovingly named The Leyline Exposed Cannibals. These unfortunate creatures are, surprisingly, Humans, or Null to those of you that use the old names. They lived, secluded in the lower levels for many generations. Cut off from the other races, and even from other humans. Their bloodline became thin and they resorted to cannibalizing other Humans, other Races of the Cairn, and possibly each other. They come in 3 varieties that I have seen. First is the Daryl’s.
The Daryl’s are the younger sons and daughters of this loathsome family. When speaking to one another, they all refer to themselves as the name Daryl. They are fairly weak, and not very tough. They are however fearless and will often attack large groups of Adventurers with no regard to their own safety. They are quite numerous, and can be dangerous in large enough groups.
The second variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals clan is the Parent. Also known as the ‘Ma or ‘Pa variety. They occasionally go by the name Jebidiah when speaking to each other.
The ‘Ma/’Pa variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals is usually a low level spell caster. Not much tougher than the Daryl’s but a bit smarter. While they lack high level spells, they should still be treated with some caution as even a low level spell can shift a fight.
The final variety of the Leyline Exposed Cannibals is The Gimp. The Gimps are younger and more wild versions of the Daryl’s. While they are their equal in strength and toughness, they are a horror to behold. They will be unleashed, quite literally, by a ‘Ma or ‘Pa and sent screeching into a Adventurer party. They often wield two axes that they can be seen clapping happily together when they are not fighting or eating someone.
- Remember, The Gimp is likely no stronger or tougher than its Daryl brothers, its just crazier.
- Don’t try to run from it. You won’t get away. It WANTS you to run.
- Stand your ground, you should be able to kill it in one or two hits, or even a low level damage spell.
- Try not to let it touch you, because…its gross.
Well that is all I have for now. I hope everyone reading this finds it useful in your future adventures. Keep a look out as I will soon be releasing “Dimitri the Magnificent’s handy guide to the Foes of the Surface: Volume 1.” It will be available at your local scholars guild.
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