Arachnid Centaurs

April 18, 2026July 29, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

***

“Coming through the game trail, we suddenly happened upon a small meadow adjacent to a pond. The trees on all sides of the meadow had been clothed in a shimmering silver cloth, or so it seemed. The finely spun cloth seemed to encroach upon the center of the meadow from the top of the trees such that a clearing some 100′ in diameter at its base opened up to the sky for only about 30′ at its top. The cloth cast no shadow upon the scene, seeming instead to illuminate the entire place with a bright silvery light. Vines had woven themselves throughout the silver cloth, and different colored flowers emerged at intervals from the vines. A few small strands of the vines stretched from the canopy down toward the center of the pond wherein a small cluster of lily pads floated peacefully. Koi played about in the crystal clear waters, and dragon flies buzzed to and fro.

Across the meadow, we heard a voice; “We will have your names, please…”

Taragen Saliéss, Explorer

***

Appearing as a hybrid of a giant spider with a torso much like that of a human or an elf, Arachnid Centaurs appear to be a tremendous paradox. To many, their spider bodies are inherently discusting even frightening, and yet their humanoid bodies are consistently beautiful. In any event, these strange creatures are always surrounding themselves with objects of great beauty, much of which they create for themselves. From their clothing to their dwelling places, everything resting long in the company of one of these creatures seems to become that much more pleasant to behold.

Seldom does one of these creatures get far in life without taking up certain artistic skills. Arachnid Centaurs are also known for their devotion to nature, and few endeavor to create anything which would long outlast themselves. The ideal of beauty for one of these creatures is closely tied to nature. Given a choice, an Arachnid Centaur will almost always use natural materials to create anything of interest to her.

Arachnid Centaurs are not particularly friendly to intruders. They will typically use a variety of stratagems from traps to hidden trails to keep outsiders away from their places of dwelling. If that fails, an Arachnid Centaur may or may not take the time to assess the intent of an uninvited guest. Those sharing interests with an Arachnid Centaur may well find themselves at home with these creatures for a time, sharing skills and learning from one another, but an Arachnid Centaur will in time make it clear that it is time for guests to move on. Those with little interest in art of nature will survive the encounter only if the Arachnid Centaurs trust them to leave peacefully (usually with the understanding that they are never to return).

***

Riparian Variation: Some Arachnid Centaurs are native to riparian settings. These creatures typically reside in swamps or at the edges of remote lakes and slow moving rivers. They are otherwise much the same as their land-loving cousins.

Rules for playing Arachnid Centaurs in Tunnels & Trolls can be found here.

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Carapacians

April 18, 2026April 18, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

***

“What in the Hell is a Ninja?”

– Bori Mugafed, Turtle Shaman.

***

Carapacians are usually gentle creatures content to keep to themselves. Give them a warm place to sleep and a nice plate of raw veggies and they are living the good life as well as any shell-bearing creature could be.

Though Carapacians usually live relatively solitary lives, they are not without a sense of community service. So long as the neighbors aren’t too bothersome or intrusive, any self-respecting Carapacian is usually happy to play a positive (if limited role) in the community. Under normal circumstances, this will not involve any kind of violence. Often Carapacians will act as traders, connecting remote locations to goods and services from larger cities and distant lands. This sometimes entails more social interactions than a Carapacian would prefer, but it also provides them with a positive role in the lives of neighboring peoples, one that often serves as a second protection shell so to speak. A successful Carapacian is one worth more dead than alive to most anyone around them, and that is a good thing. Your average Carapacian lives a long and relatively uneventful life.

Carapacians come in two varieties, tortoise people and turtle people. The former prefer to live in warm desert environments whereas the later can be found in forests and swamps. They much prefer the swamps.

Scaped Goat

April 18, 2026April 18, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

***

“Sometimes the scaped goat returns.”

– Ankmerde Sholiguest, High Priest

***

When a Scaped Goat returns, it returns twisted and transformed by the weight of all the sins it has been forced to carry, sins which twist it into a ghostly creature, its flesh and coat rotting slowly from its body, and its eyes glowing faintly green.

What the Scaped Goat wants (and desperately so), is to unload its burden; to return its awful guilt to mankind. When it attacks, the goal of a Scaped Goat is seldom to kill or destroy an entire party; it seeks merely to give back at least one sin to each of the party members. Accomplishing this, a Scaped Goat will often proceed to look for others more deserving than itself of the terrible burden which it carries.

Uzassa

April 17, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

***

“Beware, lest your companion trade the charms of her evening visage for a less pleasing appearance.”

– Mincenti, the Pure

***

Uzassa are among the more mysterious creatures of the world. Details vary, of course, but these humanoids could never be confused with any other specific kindred. The appearance of an Uzassa changes over the course of a day, as do their abilities. If nothing else about them appears to follow any consistent patterns, their changing nature is inevitable.

Uzassa appear as terrible and crude, even beastlike, in the daylight, but they are alwayss beautiful and compelling in the evening. It isn’t simply their physical demeanor that changes with the condition of light, however, as their powers change considerably along with their appearance. In daylight, Uzassa can be quite terrible warriors. In the evening, they are persuasive and mysterious spell casters.

Uipisi (Meadow Gump)

April 17, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

***

“You got to get to the mage, yes, but to do that you got to go through her!”

– Glissiwok Keshelraen

“Nevermind”

– Pavo the Disappointed.

***

If a dwarf had grown from the stump of an oak tree, it would look much like an Uipisi. With arms of branches, and leaves about its head and shoulders, an Uipisi can be physically intimidating. They don’t move fast themselves, but few would close with one of these creatures of their own accord.

Uipisi prefer to live on the edge of remote woodlands and meadows. They like the company of sprites, but generally shy away from humans and others prone to cutting down trees and building large cities. Uipisi will often serve as guards for those who respect the forest. They don’t need for much themselves, but Uipisi are naturally protective, at least with those who share their own love of nature.

Mucky Loons

April 17, 2026August 28, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

***

“These bizarre little creatures have defied the narrative skills of far more eloquent people than yours truly, but I shall try my best to explain. If you can imagine a duck… now take away its wings and its feathers, lengthen it’s feat just a little bit, and replace its beak with a small elastic mouth capable of forming into a shape not unlike that of a tiny bugle. Now make the creature brightly colored. It can be any hue, but it will always be bright and, well, colorful… If you’re still with us on this, now just imagine about a dozen of them frolicking about a meadow, running around at high speed and causing all kinds of mischief. Imagine all that, and you have the general idea, sort of.

“Mucky Loons do not speak, though they use a range of toots and honks to communicate basic emotions with one another. The overall effect of their appearance and behavior is usually one of such homeliness that it somehow passes over into cuteness.”

– Arglemis Schmee, Gnome Story-teller.

***

Mucky Loons generally keep to themselves, and avoid sentient beings as much as possible. They spend their lives eating plants and small bugs and playing in the meadows and forests. When threatened, a flock of these creatures can become quite dangerous, however, swarming about a foe and bombarding it with acid spittle until even the bravest and toughest of creatures beats a hasty retreat. For most of these little creatures, that is enough, but the occasionally mean-spirited loons have been known to chase down and slay retreating foes. Most survivors will lick their wounds (carefully) and eventually go on about their lives. Should an opponent reveal himself to be a serious danger Mucky Loons will generally scatter and run away at great speed.

Specific rules for playing a Mucky Loon in Tunnels and Trolls can be found here.

Sea Giants

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 / danielwalldammit / Leave a comment

***

Sea Giants could easily be confused with normal humans were it not for their great size and strength. They average about 9’ tall, and weigh around 800 pounds. Their features are much like those of a normal human.

Living along the seashores of remote northern lands, Sea Giants are known both for their magical lore and for their great seamanship. Both of these characteristics are combined in the creation of the great ships in which these giants travel. No-one outside their own circles is quite certain whether ships manned by Sea Giants are made of stone which has been treated to add buoyancy or wood which has been treated to add hardness. Either way, these great vessels are widely regarded as great wonders among the seafaring peoples of the world. By most accounts, it takes magical powers to man a Sea Giant vessel.

Sea Giants generally hold themselves aloof to mankind, preferring to keep to themselves. They will occasionally help others in need, but rarely will Sea Giants make any commitments or take sides in the great conflicts of their days. Few friends could elicit more than a little advice and perhaps a helpful spell from Sea Giants; still fewer enemies would be foolish enough to provoke them into more direct involvement.

Tsidatsidi

April 16, 2026July 9, 2026 / danielwalldammit / 1 Comment

***

“The world contains nothing within which a Tsidatsidi could not find beauty, nor anything the beauty of which she could not reveal to others. Give her a burlap sack and she will hand you back the finest of dresses. Shatter a glass and she will use it to sculpt the very light of the sun. Cut your finger and she will paint with your blood a rose of such beauty that you will soon forget the pain that birthed it.”

– Pali Gundith, Merchant

***

These creatures appear as brightly colored humanoids, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that they are actually plants. The skin of a Tsidatsidi is smooth. The internal structure of her body is a highly pliable form of wood, and her blood is in fact a clear sap.

As it turns out, an individual Tsidatsidi can change her color patterns over a night of sleep. Individuals use this ability as a form of artistic expression. Most Tsidatsidi will adopt a distinctive personal color motif and explore its variations for some time before moving on to something new. If a Tsidatsidi is slain, the color her entire skin will fade to green, a fact which lends the color special significance among this kindred. To a Tisdatsidi, Green is the color of death. Few members of this species would allow themselves to go purely green without adding at least some splash of color.

Due to the changes in coloration, it can be somewhat difficult to recognize one of these creatures amongst her own kindred, but the task is not impossible. (Treat as a target of 20 on a Mental Task Roll for any other Kindred.)

Tsidatsidi are born with a love of visual arts and a gift for producing them. Tsidatsidi will create something beautiful whenever given the opportunity to do so, often producing great works of art out of odd materials and placing them in the strangest of places. It matters little to one of these creatures whether or not a work of art lasts. When the notion strikes, a Tsidatsidi will happily create something with even the most transient of material. No member of this kindred would think it an objection to a piece of art that it had not been made to last. So long as the artist survives, a Tsidatsidi will remind you, there will always be another piece of art to replace those that deteriorate.

Rules for playing Tsidatsidi in Tunnels and Trolls can be found here.

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