Full Description

Found in an amazingly wide range of colors that vary from a painfully electric orange to a bruised hue of murky brown, these repellent organisms are completely flattened in shape, allowing them to wrap their infinitely flexible forms over the bodies of many species of aquatic creatures that are much larger than them such as fish or turtles. A highly useful function, this phenomenal stretching ability of the Ahoi worm enables it to latch its numerous orifices on the nearest living thing within reach and drain the unfortunate creature of blood until its voracious appetite is sated. To ensure that its host does not resist, its numerous feeding holes release a powerful toxin that is strong enough to immobilize a large crocodile for the duration of a few hours straight.  Once this is accomplished, it burrows into the flesh of the immobilized prey with the aid of a vicious little spike that projects from its underside, and begins the process of depositing a large clutch of eggs in the cavity it has created. Then it detaches itself from the dazed animal and floats away, leaving its victim to recover from the ordeal.

But the eggs hatch following a period lasting no more than a couple of months. Upon doing so, they follow the example of their parents and attach themselves to the insides of their erstwhile incubator until they finally succeed in draining it of all its blood. After this fatal act of paratisim, they leave the wizened husk of the unfortunate animal though its rectal cavities.

The Ahoi worm is not native to our world. In the early stages of their aggressive campaigns of conquest against their closest neighbors, the Quarsooth encountered these ravenous invertebrates in the course of establishing a military base on Ahoi, an obscure swampy little planet that orbits their home-world. Intrigued by the worm’s interesting habit of sustaining itself, some specimens were collected for the purpose of research. The results that arose from the eager effort channeled into this project, proved to be extremely satisfying for the Quarsooth. Enthralled by the ability of the worm to paralyze large animals, one of their brightest armourers devised the idea of using it at a tool to capture the precious host bodies of other sentient beings rather than resort to slaying them in a wasteful manner with lethal weapons. The result was a steel pistol that contained a hollow inner tube filled with fluid that housed an Ahoi worm. When the trigger was squeezed, the worm would be propelled outwards from the nozzle with great force, flying with great accuracy towards the target. Once contact was established, it would obey its natural instincts and release its toxin into the quarry, rendering him easy prey for capture.

To prevent an infestation of the host from taking place, an antidote was developed that would slay both the eggs and the parent. But that was no great loss, considering that these asexual things were able to breed quickly in laboratories.

The worm enabled weapon remains as the mainstay of the Quarsooth, though there is less need for its use now, given the policy of peaceful domination that they currently pursue.
    

Additional Information

Updated: http://www.strolen.com/content.php?node=2279

This is the URL for the original post that has inspired all the Quarsooth offshoots.

Inspired by David Eddings

Full Description
The beasts of Urghul are primitive animals originating from the vale of Urghul, a remote, forested valley within the Cyllerean Mountains. From that location they spread throughout the eastern parts of the Dhargenaas continent. In the beginning there was nothing that could stop the huge predators, so the Urghul population boomed, resulting in widespread death and destruction. For the Beasts of Urghul are gigantic carnivores with a physique resembling gorillas, but with a dark bluish-green scaly skin and huge ram horns protruding from their low foreheads.

They live in the trees and move about on the ground by knuckle-walking. In the trees they move about by jumping from tree to tree, often causing the entire trunk to shake. Thus their appearance is often heralded by the severe shaking of trees, ever closer to their prey. They have long black nails on all digits and their fangs and jaws are powerful enough to shred through platemail with one bite. They are about 7 feet to 8 feet tall (213 cm - 244 cm) and a male usually weigh in excess of 1400 lbs (636 kg), while the females are smaller.

They need not pluck the meat from the bones, rather choosing to fully devour their victims, sometimes even armour. In one week their strong digestive system will completely digest a victim and in this period the beast will be satisfied and peaceful, only responding to direct physical confrontation. Their droppings take the colour of various nuances of reddish-black and omit a vile stench of rot. The valued Tareeka mushroom thrives in the soil fertilized by such droppings and thus expeditions are mounted into Urghul territory when it is mushroom season.

Additional Information
There is an adage among the Belemarian Imperials. Rather one dragon, than an Urghul herd in mating season, which sums up the dangers of the Urghul and teaches the young to be careful. More than one fool of a knight has been killed for drawing the attention of a hungry Urghul, yet it has become the mark of a true warrior to hunt and kill a beast such as this. This has led to the huge incursion of local and foreign nobles accompanied by large entourages of soldiers, maids and servants into the areas formerly considered the sole domain of the Urghul. While this has caused a slight decline in Urghul population, it has also become a feast of sorts for those Urghul who has been strong enough to survive. Indeed the rumours talk about an Urghul Lord which is so strong and powerful it can only be killed by the most valiant knight.

Full Description
There are several different species of Black Leaf Bugs, each resembling the shed leaves of various deciduous trees. They all share a few traits in common: swarm behaviour, poor flight, behavioural mimicry of leaves blown by the wind, defenses, feeding modes, and means of reproduction.

In appearance, Black Leaf Bugs resemble a cluster of fallen leaves, blown about by the breeze. It is not uncommon to see more than one species represented within a swarm. When they encounter a large animal however, they quickly swarm and paralyze it. Individually, their bites are small, and their paralytic venom weak. However, in a swarm, the collective toxin can quickly subdue even a cow, and keep it paralyzed until the larvae have devoured it. The adult females feed on animal blood, leaving pinprick sized holes on the paralyzed victim, barely noticable even under scruitiny. Adult males, ironically, feed on dead vegetable matter. All however, swarm and inject their paralyzing toxin.

The eggs hatch within a few hours, and the tiny larvae burrow their way deep inside the victim’s flesh. The paralyzed victim is eaten from the inside-out, while it is still alive and conscious for the early stages. The skin & bones are not consumed by the developing larvae, but muscle & soft tissues are. This leaves (pun unintended) the victim in the latter stages resembling a horrific type of scarecrow—the frame & skin are stuffed with wriggling vile leaves. These burst out from the victim, and become a new swarm.

Full Description
They are a dark brown rust color, nearly the color of dried blood and have a body that is approximately 5’ wide, not including their legs. They are covered in short dark hair and enjoy grooming themselves to stay clean. This has been observed to be a mating oriented function as only mates will groom each other. No outside spider has been known to touch another in such a maternal state. Even offspring are rarely groomed by their parents after they mature.

Society
The Blood Spider is normally a solitary animal, preferring the company of it’s victims then it’s own kind. They will usually live away from the bustle of humanity where they will not be disturbed and hunt on large animals for food. Only during mating season will they gather together, the males fighting for dominance over the females for rights to mate. Those who win, mate with the females and leave them to their own ends.

The females do not lay eggs often. Once every five to six years will a female become fertile and lay her eggs. These watermellow sized eggs are dry and dusted with a fine white powder that causes pain and numbness if touched bare handed. This effect lasts for a few hours and fades will no ill side effects. The female can only lay about five to eight eggs, with a mature ratio of only about one to two surviving. Because of this limited number of offspring it has kept the population down considerably.

Home
They tend to live in tight fitting hollows that they dig in the ground. These hollows are usually under boulders or old trees where there is ample seclusion and protection. While it leaves ample room for animals and intruders to wander in, they are more than capable of protecting themselves even in the tight confines of their hollows.

One thing that is different with these spiders, other than size, is the lack of spider silk. They do not produce it and therefore can not spin webbing. Some have thought that because of their size they can not produce this spider silk while others believe it is because of the venom that they produce. The sacks that normally produce silk were replaced with those that produce their venom. Regardless, because of this there is no visible warning on entering into a den of a blood spider. Not even a smell from their victims as they devour ever drop of liquid inside the bodies leaving no death smell.

Resources
They will normally attack their prey by surprise, knocking them to the ground with their two front legs and then stinging them with a small protrusion that extends from their mouth. This stinger has a fast acting venom, that when it is injected into their victim they begin to go numb.

Because of their size few will be found among the boughs of trees, but in some areas where the ancient trunks are thick and strong, they have been known to drop from on high and pounce on their victims. Using size and poison to efficiently harvest food.

Vision will go first, then motor skills, until they can no longer move. This stinger leaves a very small and unnoticeable mark when they puncture the skin. It is not a deadly toxin and rarely will kill, however it gives them the oportunity to feed on their victim at their leisure. Once stung and unable to fight, the spider then haul them back to their lair, where they inject a small protubance into the victim and drain their blood.

The venom can be harvested up to three hours after the Blood Spider has died. This venom has been known to be used by countless assassins as well as for medical purposes.

Full Description
Chokesprout is a fast growing fungus that requires only two things to flourish, moisture and warmth. It spreads across the surface of muds and shallow bodies of water in a fibrous carpet of white tubules.

Origins
Chokesprout originated in the Gant swamps where it grows on the thick armored carapaces of the meter long swamp insects as well as creating entire fungus bogs. The insects there devour the fungus at a voracious rate, which is the main reason why the fungus grows so rapidly. A spore to grow to fruiting size in a matter of a few hours, growing as much as two inches as hour in ideal conditions.

Precautions
Conditions within a normal human, or demihuman mouth closely matches the ideals for chokesprout growth. This is where the fungus has gained its name. Many an explorer has awoken with his mouth almost closed off by fibrous growths of the plant. Removing it is generally unpleasant as many small fibers have generally infested the mucus membranes of the mouth and nose, making the matter dangerous and painful.

On rare occassions said explorer hasnt awoken in time and ends up choking to death with his mouth and nose completely obstructed by the stuff. To prevent this ignoble fate, there are a number of things that can be done. The most common cure is to wear some sort of covering over the mouth and nose in areas where the fungus is known to be a problem. this is also done by avoiding areas where the thick white mats are found. Only a fool sleeps in a fungus soft bed.

Other remedies include drinking some sort of acidic beverage, with fruit juices or a dilution of vinegar being popular. This makes the mouth too acidic to support fungus growth. A folk remedy is to avoid cheeses and milk before sleeping as this alters the pH in favor of the fungi’s growing conditions.

Plot Hooks
Fungi Bogs - The PCs crossing a swampy region find a thick fungus bloom that makes the ground look solid until they reach a deep spot and vanish through the previously solid seeming mat. After they leave the bog, all of their clothes and gear are infested with the spores. Wet food goods sprout tubules in a matter of hours, and they run the risk of a choking death from the stuff.

Bad bad Salad - After a long rain, farmers find chokesprout bubbling up from the soil, and it is spoiling their crops. Its not long before the cost of basic non-preserved foods goes through the roof. Options for food on the road fall to smoked and dried goods, stores that were intended for the winter. A small famine ensues with the PCs feeling a little leaner for it. What if the PCs are the ones who brought the spores from their previous encounter in the bog.

The Fungi-Golem - a demented swamp gnome has constructed a golem from the chokesprout and blackwood. When the weather shows signs of rain, he unleashes the pale monster to rampage, and in its wake the fungus sprouts in profusion. fighting the monster is difficult as it can fully heal its wounds in an hour, no matter how grevious.

Full Description

The jungle seems a tangle of vines and stalks and leaves. The only way you move through the impenetrable wall of green is with a machete. Hacking with the knife, you can slowly make some progress, but the work is exhausting. Finally, you seem to be reaching the jungle’s edge. Only a few heavy vines block your way.

You swing your machete and it strikes the three-inch-thick vine, slicing it neatly in two. Suddenly the jungle around you comes alive. The vines in the nearby trees start moving. You step back, but it’s too late. One wraps around your ankle. You raise your knife to cut through it, but before you can swing, another vine twists around your arm, stopping it. A third vine, as thick as a fire hose, curls around your waist and you are knocked off your feet. It drags you into the thick underbrush. Suddenly the jungle parts up ahead and you see an orange pod as tall as a man. It opens and you are thrust into its dark interior. You find yourself waist deep in a sticky liquid that burns your skin. As the leaves close up behind you, trapping you, your fellow adventurers voices can be heard…

When it blooms, the Corpse Flower can reach at height over nine feet in height and smells like a mixture of rotting flesh and excrement. And that is exactly what it is, it can take up to three weeks to fully digest a mature human being. The pungent odor also attracts bees which are trapped in the flower until they are covered with pollen. Then they are released to fertilize other plants.

A blooming Corpse flower’s "flower" (it is technically a leaf or spathe) can be three feet across. It can move slowly around, to slow to catch up with a prey that has already noticed it. But slow enough to avoid being discovered. It is found in deep woods with heavy underbrush. The main body of the plant is orange and about the size of a man, this is where the mouth used for meat eating is located. It has ten vines which it can use to catch it’s prey. These vines have small poisonous needles. The vines can also knock out or strangle opponents. There are no teeth in the plants main body, but hundreds of small needles with poison. There is also much liquid inside the pod used to both intoxicate and digest the victims.

Additional Information

*It is notoriously difficult to kill one of these plants. The only way to permanently kill one is to set it on fire. If slashed and damaged greatly the Corpse flower may retreat into the underbrush again.

*It’s name, Corpse Flower is a direct translation from the natives language;Pla-Liki. Amongst the Island inhabitants it is quite legendary. They usually avoid the places where it grows. But when someone is eaten by the flower; It’s considered a gift from the pagan Ankorill gods. They believe that the spirit of the consumed man becomes one with the forest and lives forever.

*The corpse flower could easily be used in any jungle with some minor modifications by the Game Master.

Full Description
A tree that appears oaklike, but has a good number of large spikes growing on it. The spikes are an average of 9 inches long, some larger, and have a bulbous burl at the base. The spikes are actually the seeds of the Devil’s Thorns. In much the same way ferns reach for the sun and some desert plants swell up and launch thier seeds in rain, the Devil’s Thorns searches for the heat living creatures give off.

When it is strong enough to indicate the creature is in range, a rush of sap swells the burl and fires the thorn at the target, with intent to kill. The thorn bark is posionous and micro barbed like a porqupine quill, so even a shallow hit can be dangerous. The posion isn’t abnormally strong, but will wear on the creature’s health. The thorn will be eventually fatal if not treated.

If or when the creature is killed, the seed now has a lovely decomposing body to provide fertalizer for it’s new life. And the cycle begins anew, and if left unchecked, a whole forest could be thickly mixed with these deadly plants.

Full Description 
The Dire Vine is a semi-mobile plant that is able to collect its own nutrients by luring small animals or catching unlucky humans, and dropping the remains near their roots where corpses become rich fertilizer. It has been witnessed "eating" in one occasion.

...We watched from the air as the boar was dragged through the dirt, its fearful squeals echoed through the branches. The large tendril raised the helpless animal high into the air, and bashed it against the ground, a tusk splintered from the impact, and the sound of bone snapping was enough to make one of my party turn and refuse to look back, as the Dire plant began its meal. 
The smaller vines uprooted from the soil and began to massage the skin, prying into the flesh as it spread through muscle and deeper between bone, until the creature gave way from the tearing force. It was not unlike a small explosion of flesh, fat, and bone.
The roots returned to the earth, nourished by the wet soil, the bark stained red, and the remains littering the area. We were glad to be above the forest, far from the reach of the thick appendages of the Dire Vine.

The Vine entangles its prey if they happen to wander into the plants long reach, triggered by the vibrations or any physical contact, the vine instinctively snatches up the trespasser.  By bringing the body closer to the trunk, much smaller vines emerge slowly from the soil, like worms after rain, or maggots, the begin to crawl across the body while roots underneath penetrate into exposed flesh, or seek out chinks in armour to tear apart and make fertilizer of the captive creature, sometimes while it is still alive. It has been thought that the Dire Vine has a malicious sentience, but if that were true, it would surely work faster.

The lashing limbs of a fully grown tree have been known to reach 20 ft in length and 5 inches thick, but they are also exceptionally strong and durable, able to pull a man of 10 stones in weight towards it, slowly but steadily. The vine is also hard to cut free from, and the sap very sticky and red, adding to the stuckness of those trying to escape.
Smaller vines shoot off from a main stem, mimicking a true trees’ structure by growing a large distracting canopy filled with a red, purple-spotted fruit that resembles a large pear, but with a much tougher skin and is extremely poisonous to humans and large mammals. 

The much deadlier aspect with the Dire Vine is when one is able to live long enough or is nurtured to produce more vines. These are known as Assassin Groves. 

Assassin Groves

Assassin Groves are large plots of Dire Vine, at least an acre, growing outward of one main Vine, which looms from the center like a great Oak. The edge of a grove has small saplings which are not as powerful but as prey travels further in, the smaller trees move their small vines to create an outer fence to prevent escape from the larger vines within. All smaller stems work to feed the large central vine which at that size has become a monstrous plant with a ravenous appetite. 
 
Plot Hooks

• The PCs have heard the king of the region has transformed the grounds of his garden into an Assassin Grove to watch it feast on the captured soldiers of the neighboring state. The King at war with him will gladly pay the PCs to rescue them as his own son is the general of the captured regiment. 
• Dire Vine fruit, poisonous but sweet smelling, makes unique oil which craftsmen and assassins use in traps or as treatments to weapons. There are some who would pay for a single fruit, but others would pay for a cutting to grow their own. PCs have been set to retrieve fruit or an actual vine. 
• Among the branches of a great Dire Vine lies a great weapon of a great hero who stumbled into its roots after a battle that weakened him enough for the long tendril to take him unaware, the weapon lies embedded in the trunk, stuck in the bark, halfway up. 

Of the Necrosia Animensis, by Solomon Haelbergh

“A foul thing to beholde, the Necrosia Animensis (Dead Man’s Seede in vulgar) is like to a great budding Plante, which bears numerous and singularly repulsive Tendrils, each extending a near seven handspans and each adorned with various clinging Spines which allow the necrosia a steady graspe upon its Prey. The Bulbe of the Plante is like to that of an enormous Onion, yet bearing upon it many Pustulent Boils like to those borne by Plague-ridden Vermin. Yet the singular most Repulsive aspecte of this Plante lies not with its outward Appearance, nor yet its terrible Stench, like to that of molde and Witches’ foul herbes. This Vegetable seems to exude an intangible Aura of Fear, Loathing, and Nausea, such that even were a Gentleman within sufficient distance of the Plante yet unable to see nor smell it, still would it work its vile Charms upon the minde, forcing those near to severe Discomforte and Mental Anguish.

“Yet more repulsive than the Plante’s aspects of Physical and Psychological nature is the manner by which it subsists, not upon the minerals in Soil that wholesome Vegetation so cherishes, but instead upon the discarded Bodily Manifestations of those that have Departed this Plane of Existence. With utter disrespect for the Healthe of the Spirit that has so recently evacuated the Body, this heinous Plante will spread its Seede within the Hearte of the newly Deceased and there spring to Budding and Full Growthe ... whilst Expanding within its Repulsive Neste, a bizarre Phenomenon will manifest itself, as the Deceased Corpse will begin to exhibit a Heartbeat, despite a compleat lack of the necessary Spirit for such an Operation ... As the Plante springs to Maturity, its tendrils curl around the Hearte, forcing its Chambers open and shut in a twisted Mockery of honest Living Entities ... The vile thing exudes a sort of Sap, which appears to function very much like the Bloode which courses in honest Men’s veins, and is forcefully Injected into the Deceased’s arteries, dissolving the dried Bloode which once made use of those very Passages for the Nourishment of a Living Being ... Within days, the Plante has gained enough Control over its Hoste so as to Animate it, as is exhibited in Twitches and Jerks of dead Muscles ... After a week, the Plante is freely able to move its Hoste as it pleases ...

“Yet this gruesome Animation is filled with an utter Lack of Human qualities, as the Monstrocity does not walk Upright as a Man, nor displays any of the Four Characteristics of Humanity as set down by Maensen: neither Beauty, Logic, Emotion, nor Vigor is present in its Being, as it simply shambles, barely standing, in search of Prey, which it falls upon and Murders, afterwards implanting its own hideous Strain within its victim in a repulsive manner like to that of Impregnation. It is for this reason that I greatly advise Against the keeping, breeding or further study of this most Awful Abomination, especially in the presence of Ladies and Womenfolk of a Sensitive nature.

“Since the vile Plante’s Deceased Hoste is not technically a Part of its Anatomy, any attemptes to Kill the Monster using regular methods is likely to prove Futile, especially that of Beheading the Creature. It seems to regarde its Head as a most Unnecessary part of its Composition, and thus as it moves its Head exhibits a frightening lacke of Expression, and lolls in a way most Unpleasant to observe.

“... I can but pray to Our Champion’s Holy Spirit that my exposure to such a Vile Thing has not tainted my Soul for Departure, as many Witch-practices are known to do. Despite this Creature showing no signs of Enchantments of any Dark or Unnatural persuasion, still I feel an unpleasant similarity between this repulsive Vegetable and the varied methods used in the heretical Animation of the the Dead by the accursed Witches and Warlocks whose Kind would do better to be Expunged from our Good Earthe.”

-Exerpt from Solomon Haelbergh’s Anthology of Natural Phenomena , Guildhall Presses, Long Ford, 1879.

Full Description
The Ocadian PitFiend is a colony creature, where several different lifeforms combine together.

1) On the surface there are what appears to be shrubs. They are actually two different plants living together. One is Brycanthis, which produces a low woody shrub, the other Sochrin Vines, primitive relatives to Treller Vines. Combined, they make a low woody shrub with green leaves and small red flowers. Neither of these plants should be able to survive in this environment due to soil and water requirements, but as part of the colony, they can.

2) Deeply, there is Ocadian Fungi. The giant subsand relatives to the mushshooms can grow to huge sizes, encompassing several acres underground. They are just under the heat level (where the sun’s warmth no longer warms the sand/ soil). They provide liquid and stability for the PitFiend.

3) In the Middle combines three creatures. Ocadian SandCoral (or a variation of) is the backbone of the creature. These small creatures eat organics in the sand, protecting themselves from heat and predators by creating small shells of silicon… thus creating a coral. They create the stable foundation for the plants to root to and the Pitfiend to grow from. It is unclear if it is two or three kinds of microplants that make up the Fiend Proper. One plant produces “spoors” that stun and can immobilize creatures once stimulated (stepped on or agitated by chemical signals produced by the bush plants being disturbed). In addition the spoors begin the digestive properties. They grow on the surface out of the SandCoral. The colonies of Sand Anemones will shoot their “once in a life cycle” tentacle… drawing the creature into the pit. (they will then reproduce, drawing upon nutrients from the caustic goo inside the bulb). Inside the bulb of the fiend (held together by coral and the plant roots) is a number of microplants and animals that digest flesh quickly and even can break down bone and metals. The goo inside the bulb can completely digest a human in about four hours, passing nutrients and water out of the bulb to the rest of the colony. In fact they are so acidic that they must remove the water quickly less it becomes so unacidic that they die. One of the microcolonies of the goo does nothing but that.

The Yak was attracted to really nice looking plants that should not be able to survive here in the desert. It seems to act drunk, unsteady. It is slowed and stunned by breathing in spoors. Then tentacles shoot out, drawing its prey underground. If small enough, it disappears completely under the sand… but the Yak is too big, it appears to slowly sink into the sand among the nice bushy plants. 

Even if you rescue someone from the bulb, part of their body will be dissolved and will be infected by a number of microbes that will continue to try and digest the victim. Even being near the plant is dangerous, as inhalation of the spoors will lead to tiredness, fatigue, paralysis, and begin to break down the lungs and wet tissues they touched, causing bleeding from the eyes, nose, and lung… as they are slowly digested by the spoors.

In fact, the rizone (mushroom) element counts on things getting away… they will then decompose and feed both it and the PitFiend.

Spoors will be an issue for people, but by the time people realize someone has been infected, not only have all of you have been effected, but much damage has already been done. The PitFiend wound (swallowed) can be stopped by the “Old Ranger Trick” of swabbing the wound with a honey and water mixture. Magic can resolve some of it, but there will be 1-6 “diseases”/ parasites that will need to be removed (thus 1-6 spells of removal). Also one of the microflora put out a strong anti-magic field (for a microanimal) so it is difficult to resolve anyways. After all, it is the most dangerous creature in the desert. It can kill from a distance, it can kill you if you escape, and it will make you “gone” if you stray near it.

Additional Information
The only thing that gives this creature away are the innocent shrubs that are somewhat out of place and the caustic smell that bubbles up if it is digesting something.

Throughout creation there are locations which serve as nexuses of sorts; conduits between one place and another. Such are the rules of translocation that only areas that border each other can be traversed by physical or magical means. Finding such an area is no small feat and only the power sensitive witches and warlocks can truly sense the presence of a conduit. Apparently this also applies for ravens and crows and other animals, which are repulsed by them.

For common observers these areas would seem devoid of animal life. If an animal was brought into such an area, it would soon react with unease, which would get stronger as the animal got closer to the nexus. There are two kinds of nexuses: Those that have been harnessed and those who remain wild.

Maros pulled at the reins again, but Imaro, his faithful steed, would simply not budge. Exhausted the young warrior in his blood-smeared, dented breastplate removed vital items from the horse and into his backpack.

"Damn, that old fool never mentioned having to walk all the way up to the complex", he muttered under his breath.

The Ancient Gateways

  A harnessed nexus requires a mosaic, usually a circle, star or a square, with a unique pattern. This mosaic serves as a mental focus for the magi as he teleports from one nexus point to another, merely by concentrating on the pattern on “the other side”. Theoretically this will allow time travel, but that requires powerful side components such as certain stellar constellations, human sacrifice or an eclipse.

There are few, if any, mages who have mastered the art of time travel though and the nexuses, or the Ancient Gateways as they are called in literature, are sometimes controlled by factions who zealously guard their portal. These factions often require something to allow the usage of their portal, among other things membership, fees and favours, and (if not controlled by the ruling authorities) they are wont to hide it's presence for fear of losing control.

The traveler needs to know the pattern of the destination he is going to travel to, or he won't get anywhere. This has led to booklets sometimes being sold (by those who control the gateway) in which artists have drawn the pattern of a handful of nexuses, thereby letting the user study the drawing while concentrating. Sometimes these drawings include a name and maybe even a description of the location, but at other times the drawing is without information or even false or flawed. Flawed and false patterns simply result in the nexus being unable to function, while the usage of an unknown pattern has led many a traveler into perilous circumstances.

Those with power sensitivity will notice currents of essence within the mosaic pattern, the mechanism which allow the patterns to be used in such a manner. Destroying parts of the pattern in any way might result in the nexus collapsing, which in turn might inflict major damage on the fabric of reality.

Some mages opt to use silver when using the Ancient Gateways. Silver, usually inlaid in runic grooves upon stones of power, is potent when shaped as runes and used in conjunction with the Ancient Gateways. Such stones can allow several men to travel even though only one concentrate on the pattern, provided everyone touch the stone. Other uses of such a stone is to translocate anyone upon the mosaic on the other side of the mosaic to the owner’s location. The power and ability of such a stone is determined by the quality of the runes, the amount and purity of silver used as well as the rune in question.

Though it had not been used in a very long time, and dust and cobwebs covered everything, it was easy to see that the hall had once been a grandiose sight. Arching windows let minute amounts of light in, the forest outside obstructing much of the sun's rays. On the floor an intricate mosaic could be vaguely seen behind the dirt, and as Maros crouched down he wiped a small area clean with his left hand. The sight was marvelous, the tiles keeping their vibrant colors and gloss in spite of the passing of the centuries.

This had been an important place once, the seat of a council of mages close to the king, but when the last of the Kings died and the kingdom rose in rebellion, Umbranth, the last High Mage of the council, uttered the council's words of sanctuary and a fey mist began to cover the land. When the bloody civil war ended a few months later, the mist gradually disappeared, and a dense, mysterious forest began to appear, growing at alarming speed. The seat of the council was lost, or so it seemed, for no one could find it anymore.

"But here it is!", Maros shouted in excitement, clapping his hands in enthusiasm as he did so. His client had paid him well for his services, and this was just what he requested.

The warrior was a skilled artist, and after an hour he had drawn the symbol on the floor on a high quality piece of parchment the client had provided him with.

Rising, Maros entered the center of the circle, and withdrew another parchment, this one depicting the strange mosaic he had been shown in the client's basement.

How was this supposed to work again?

The Wild Conduits

In some locations wild conduits can be found; untamed links to other places that have yet to be claimed. The manipulation of these conduits is far more difficult and requires hours and hours of ritualistic magic. If the other end is another wild conduit, a scrying device is required, for it is vital to physically see the other end. For a lonesome mage it is very difficult to open such a conduit all by himself / herself, but often entire cabals of sorcerers participate, in which case the exercise is routine though exhausting. If the other end is an Ancient Gateway, the operation is much easier as the presence of a focal pattern removes the need for scrying on the location.

The presence of a wild conduit is extremely rare and the Ancient Gateways are few and far between. Not nearly all major cities have a gateway and often long periods of travel is required to reach the desolate place in which some witches’ coven has claimed an Ancient Gateway. These conduits are so vital that spellcasters often wage small wars to attain control of the location, as the ritual for converting a wild conduit to an Ancient Gateway is an expensive, gruelling and time consuming task. Additionally it has to be mentioned that wild conduits and Ancient Gateways are the only locations in which a portal or gate to heaven or hell can be opened. It is also the only means through which entry to the Other Places, outside Creation, can be attained.

Seneschal let his white, cracked tongue glide along the edge of his short, sharp blade. The blood of his hireling tasted of iron, and within minutes his apprentice necromancers had removed the body; another specimen for the apprentices to play with.

It was vital that no one knew about his discovery; the gate of the Iberlander High Mage Council. Seneschal had been but an apprentice when his master first told him of the legendary council, and how its final steward, the mage known as Umbranth, had hidden the gateway from the enemies of the king.

Carefully, with the studied delicacy a collector shows the price specimens of his collection, Seneschal placed the scroll with the others.

I have five now, though two of the gateways are controlled by someone else. If only the messenger I sent to the forest would return with news of the unharnessed nexus...

Seneschal entered the mosaic, and while furrowing his brows he concentrated on his new symbol. 

Short Distance Teleportation

Some creatures defy the rules of translocation and are able to teleport short distances up to thirty meters and within line of sight. These creatures are often highly magical in nature and sometimes even circumvent the laws of gravity and time. There has been no reported case of translocation beyond thirty meters without the use of a conduit.

 He was so pleased! Smiling broadly, his white gums revealing missing teeth and his cracked parchment lips tearing slightly, Seneschal looked up into the domed ceiling of the hall.

There, in the center... It must be... Yeees, this is it! That is High King Ulsard Iberlander surrounded by his concubines, his generals and his councilor mages. I finally discovered the location of the Iberlander Council Gateway!

Seneschal looked around, and soon his eyes fell on a balcony above. Smiling triumphantly, the disciple of Necrotae pressed the tips of his fingers against each other and touched his forehead. There was a sucking sound of a vacuum as he ceased to exist in one place and the gush of wind as he appeared in another.

The elder mage stood upon the balcony as he began working new magic. The dust, dirt and the cobwebs simply would not do!

Summoning

Summoning is quite different from other means of translocation. When something is summoned, the name of the summoned entity as well as a piece of hair or a fingernail needs to be in the summoner’s possession. Summoning always requires a long ceremony and does not always succeed, for the summoned entity must usually agree to its coming. Simple animals often wish food and shelter, while more insidious creatures require greater sacrifice to answer the summons. Additionally the presence of a wild conduit or an Ancient Gateway makes the summoning quicker. It is difficult to banish a creature once summoned and if the creature is unbound and not agreeing with the spellcaster’s demands, it will do as it pleases and might pose a threat to the summoner. Banishment requires a ritual of magic. The duration and difficulty of the ritual is dependent on the might of the summoned being.

Full Description
A disgusting bug twice the size of a regular tick,and ten times as voracious, these odious parasites are very common among the unwashed orcs. Not that the orcs mind them greatly, having gotten used to their presence. Some even go so far as to say that the ticks help to keep them healthy by purging their bodies of toxins. All orcs have sworn that it was the presence of these little blood suckers that have rescued them from otherwise fatal diseases. If this is just an orcish belief or a reliable cure for the orcs, none know for certain.
What people do know,is that the ticks carry a virulent blood transmitted illness that only orcs are immune to.  Any human who has the misfortune to be bitten by one of these ticks,will suffer a painful death within the space of a week, as was hediously demonstrated during the siege of the border town of Hulart. The wily orc war chief who besieged the town,succeeding in causing the deaths of hundereds of townsfolk when he had his warriors launch numerous clay vessels filled to the brim with the deadly ticks, over the city walls.

Full Description

The worker ants are up to an inch long and a dark red in colour, with elongated jaws that can cut through cloth, silk, and skin, and who inject a narcotic when they bite.The Queen is the size of a human thumb but humans have rarely seen her.

They dig an underground home that compared to the size of the ant is as large as a city. The ant can eat almost everything-leaves, resin from tress, insects and spiders, small animals-and larger prey that it catches in pit traps which it digs close to, and linked to, the nest.

These traps can be up to three feet deep, with a webbing at the bottom made by leaves that the ants have chewed, and a thin layer of soil supported by webbing at the top.The webbing is not very strong but it does not need to be.

As soon as the animal or human falls into the pit,thousands of ants swarm up the legs and bite.Although each ant bite by itself is not very dangerous, the combined effects of hundereds of bites given at the same time sedate the victim long enough for the ants to overpower it and strip it to the bone before the poison wears off. Within hours the victim is a pile of dislocated bones which the ants bury.

Additional Information

These ants can be used to torture PC’s, as a booby trap, as a way to dispose of bodies in a Mafia-type game, or as a non-dangerous annoyence.It takes over a hundered bites to cause really serious harm. If the victim survives, a few days later the bites will itch, a tear-the-skin-off type itch.

The XKH-71, also known as Panther, system is an incredibly versatile weapons system. designed to provide complete domination in a battlefield situation.
The gun is simple in its design. It consists of a very long barrel, surprisingly made of frictionless ceramic rather than the conventional metal. Instead of a firing pin, an extremely powerful laser is located at the end of the barrel. This laser has the job of creating a plasma from the ammunition.  a very powerful electron gun (a more powerful version of the cathode in a TV) is also located at the rear of the weapon, and allow the charges to be ionised if needed. The barrel is itself surrounded for its entire length by a large gold coil, which is protected by the casing. This gold coil allows the weapon to create a very strong electromagnetic field inside the barrel, which is what accelerates the ionised projectile.
None of this would be possible without the support of a very efficient powercell, which is located over the stock of the weapon.
The ammo itself is incredibly simple. In the 40 round magazine, there are 40 metal slugs. These slugs have no propellent, and are usually made of solid copper. most malleable metals will do, and there have been successful trials with iron, aluminium, lead, steel, magnesium, nickel zinc, gold and silver. In one particular case, the laser was overpowered and the slugs were even made of iridium. These slugs look like 70mm(~2.75in) long cylinders of metals, with a diameter of 18mm(~0.7in). Since they are so trivial to manufacture, they can even be smelted in the field using a small clay furnace and available metal ore.
The gun fires by vaporising the metal slug using the laser. depending on the laser’s firing time and intensity, the projectile can either be:

1. Partially vaporise, which creates the same effect as a normal chemical weapon as the hot plasma expands behind the rest of the slug. This is achieved with a very intense but short pulse.
2. Molten, in which case it will then be ionised by the electron gun and accelerated by the barrel
3. Completely vaporised, in which case the entire slug is transformed into a dense metal plasma, and can be accelerated at will.

Also notable is the weapon’s Muzzle. When firing ionised projectiles (molten or plasma) the muzzle is electro-magnetic, and the fluid can be forced into a wide variety of configuration. 

The rifle is designed in a bullpup configuration, to maximise barrel length. (bullpup: magazine behind the grip) They are remarkably bulky in their design, with a blocky appearance. Remarkably, they have only one internal moving part besides the trigger (which incorporates the safety mechanism.). The slug loader is mounted on a quick response solenoid. This is in fact the bottleneck which reduces the rate of fire to about 420 rounds per minutes. This low rate of fire is a constant point of discontent amongst Liberty operative, and has forced a spirit of precision marksmanship amongst the Panther users.
The rest of the rifle is encased in a poured lightweight resin, protecting all the elements from the environment, and effectively allowing the system to work in difficult condition, such as underwater (plasma causes supercavitation, which allows a reasonable underwater effectiveness.) 
The optics are streamlined with the weapon, and are mostly electronic, although a combat sight is attached. They integrate fully with the Liberty infantry data system, effectively allowing the warrior to have sighting information on his head-up display. This effectively allows the Guardians to fire their rifle without line of sight. 
From a standard human point of view, the rifle is very long, nearing 1.25m (nearing 50in) and would be classed as a general purpose machine gun for its size. (it must be remembered that Guardians are genengineered)
(For an idea of the look and feel, the Panther looks like a bulkier and longer FN F2000)

It must be noted that this is by now means a definitive list, since the weapon’s many variables can be changed to give rise to a wide variety of uses. But it is a list of the most common configuration. The soldier’s individual preferences can be programmed into the thumbwheel fire selector, from 1 to 5. The finer variable adjustments are carried out through the HUD software. ‘P’ designates plasma rounds, ‘M’ molten or metallic, while ‘S’ slugs, which are only partially consumed. All projectiles other than the ‘S’ also cause severe ionising damage if in contact with skin or clothing. This effectively means tissue necrosis around the point of impact.

This projectile is created by constricting the muzzle magnetically when firing a full-plasma projectile. This creates a long, thin needle shaped projection. It has excellent range, and will penetrate through most metallic armour simply by melting it. The projectile itself burns brightly, and will often set fire to flammable material it comes into contact with. against reactive armour, this fares well, since by the time the armour has fully reacted, the projectile has still not fully made contact. (the needle is ~1m long) Against ceramic armour, this lacks the kinetic energy to break it, but the splash damage will often be sufficient to disable the target. 

By reversing the polarity of the magnetic muzzle, the Plasma can be dispersed widely when it leaves the barrel. This creates a travelling and spreading plume of plasma, which will penetrate most metallic armours, but is incredibly efficient against unarmoured or woven protection. The plume reaches the size of a basketball at approximately 150m, and looses its effectiveness soon after that. It retains the brightness of the ‘P’ needle projectile.

This configuration resembles the firehound, but with molten metal. Since the metal has far greater coherence in flight than the plasma, the effective range is far greater, retaining full effectiveness at 450m. The kinetic energy is considerable, and can be approximated to being hit by a very large sledgehammer. Even if well protected by a ceramic armour, Immediate 3rd degree burns are often caused by the dispersion of the molten material.

The ‘Slug’ or solid round is created by giving a very intense but very short blast on the laser. This vaporises the rear of the round, which creates an expanding cloud of plasma behind the remaining slug. To keep this plasma at an adequate temperature, two further laser blasts occur at 1/3 and 1/2 of the barrel length to keep the plasma expanding.. The projectile itself, will be softened by the effect of the plasma, which will help it achieve a slightly aerodynamic shape during flight. Since this is effectively copper, it has some chance of fragmentation upon impact. This is however not the preferred use, since the effective range is very short. Surprisingly, the report is not very loud, comparable to modern weaponry.

This special use is the same as the ‘M’ blast. The difference is that the laser fires again when the projectile is near the muzzle, so that the liquid metal is heated to its point of spontaneous combustion, and immediately begins to oxidise in the air, burning at extremely high temperatures (not quite the plasma range). This allows the defeat of even the thickest metal armour, and will usually set fire to most substances.
In an some situations, the laser itself can be used without any projectile, creating an invisible attack on the target. Atmospheric effects, however, can cause this to be temperamental at long ranges, although at short or medium range, it is devastating. This is commonly used to defeat all types of personal armour in close quarter combat, as well as armour penetration when within close range. In silent or stealth situations, the invisible nature of the laser (the pulses is in the nanoseconds), as well as the lack of sound makes it a very effective tool.

Type: assault rifle
Mechanism: Liquid metal/plasma gaussian acceleration
Effective firing range: 1700m (the plasma automatically shapes itself to a teardrop shape from air resistance) the range of a solid or molten slug is considerably less. The muzzle velocity can also be very high.
Overall length: 1256mm (49.4in)
Barrel length: 924mm (36.4in)
Weight: 21.45kg(loaded) 15.10kg(dry)
Round: 18mmx70mm LIB
operational powercell life: ~4200 shots