TEXT: 1
  Fearsome Critters 
  of the Woodlands
  Bishop, Fehr,
  Gedak
  
  2
  Author
  Daniel J. Bishop, Perry Fehr, Mark 
  Gedak
  Development
  Daniel J. Bishop, Mark Gedak
  Editing
  Daniel J. Bishop, Perry Fehr, Mark 
  Gedak
  Cover Image
  Brett Neufeld
  Porphyra Logo
  Rick Hershey
  Internal Art
  Brett Neufeld
  Layout
  Mark Gedak
  Publisher
  Purple Duck Games
  Fearsome Critters of the Woodlands is a Dungeon Crawl Classics source-
  book for Judges. This sourcebook is a monster manual for the fearsome 
  critters of the North America woodlands and lumberjack camps.  Crit-
  ters featured in this volume are the agropelter, chousarou, fur-bearing 
  trout, hidebehind, hodag, joint snake, rumtifusel, shagamaw, squonk, 
  teakettler, and tripodero.
  DCC Patreons: Jim Dovey, Geoff Forcella, Maxwell Spann, Daniel 
  Bishop, Terry Olson, Michael Jones, Lorne Cooper, Trevor Bramble, 
  Stewart Wilson, Diogo Nogueira, Jeff Scifert, Stephen Murrish, Paul 
  Kensler,M Woolsey, Rompcat, Ryan, Patrick Pilgrim, Keith Nelson, 
  Tony Hogard, Wes Fournier
  Our DCC Patreon Campaign
  Fearsome Critters 
  of the Woodlands
  
  3
  Now it happened that there was a mining camp in Colorado where more than 
  an average number of the miners were bald. An enterprising hair tonic sales-
  man from Kentucky decided to take advantage of this golden opportunity. It was 
  a rainy summer evening. The salesman was headed towards the mining camp 
  with four bottles of hair tonic under his arm. As he was crossing one of the trout 
  streams which lead to the Arkansas River, the salesman slipped and dropped two 
  bottles of hair tonic into the water. The bottles broke, and spilled into the stream.
     Not too long after this incident, the fishermen along the Arkansas developed a 
  new method for catching trout. They’d head to the bank of the river carrying a red 
  and white barber pole and some scissors. Then they would set up the barber pole 
  and call out: “Get your free shave and a haircut here”. All the trout whose fur had 
  grown too long or who needed their beards trimmed would hop right out of the 
  water and be picked up by the fishermen. It wasn’t until the mills began muddy- 
  ing the waters so much that the fish couldn’t see the barber poles that the practice 
  died out.
  -retold by S. E. Schlosser
  Remote mountains and forest wildernesses are home to strange creatures that 
  are almost never found in dungeons, or any kind of captivity. Traditionally, 
  the only way to get information about these “fearsome critters” is to encoun-
  ter one, or talk to a lumberjack, miner, or hermit that lives in the area. Dis-
  cerning what is merely a tall tale, and what is stone cold truth, is a problem 
  for the players to solve!
     Whereas many role-playing game monster supplements draw heavily from 
  European mythologies, these fearsome creatures are all drawn from the folk-
  lore of North America. As a result, there are several Dungeon Crawl Classics 
  settings where they are already obviously appropriate – areas that deal with 
  Western, Appalachian, or post-Apocalyptic America. 
     The authors urge you not to be limited to just these settings when intro-
  ducing fearsome critters. Just as, in DCC, orcs might appear in a Western 
  adventure, or robots in what is otherwise a fantasy setting, so too might hide-
  behinds lurk within a dank forest near your PC’s home village.
  On Porphyra
  Fearsome critters are found in deep parts of The Great Green, with less fre- 
  quency in the Jotun Forest.  Some stray into the Scrublands or the Holdfast 
  of the Celestial Parishes, but only in regions far from inhabited areas. Elves 
  consider fearsome critters to be inherent parts of the environment, and nearly 
  sacred in aspect, from before the time of The Calling.
  
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  Agropelter
  Something like a sneering black ape is wrapped around the upper branches.
   Its whiplike arms and legs do not seem to have any middle joints. It stares down 
  at you with large black eyes full of gleeful malice.
  Agropelter: Init +3; Atk claw +3 melee (1d4) or throw splinter +3 
  ranged (1d3 plus bleed); AC 14 plus 1d3 (cover); HD 1d8; MV 30’ 
  or climb 30’; Act 2d20; SP bleed, cover; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will -1; 
  AL C.
  Bleed: Wounds from agropelter splinters bleed copiously and unnatu-
  rally. Each round, until a wound is staunched (taking 1 Action Die) 
  or magically healed, it bleeds for an additional 1 hp damage. This is 
  cumulative for multiple wounds.
  Cover: Agropelters are usually able to gain cover from the trees they 
  hide in. This gives them a +1d3 AC bonus each round.
  Agropelters are apelike creatures inhabiting boreal forests – some say they ex-
  ist to protect such places from human incursion. Similar being might exist in  
  more tropical climates. They are somewhat intelligent, and speak their own 
  language, although few are ever encountered in numbers. 
     An agropelter looks like a wiry, dark-skinned ape with no apparent elbow or 
  knee joints; those limbs act more like a snap- ping whip or flexible tube, and 
  the creature uses this property to hurl sharp splinters and heavy branches at 
  unsuspecting passersby below. These creatures do not hunt or eat humanoids; 
  at best they just enjoy doing it to see what will happen, as they have a rather 
  evil sense of humor. They subsist in small family groups on nesting birds and 
  their eggs, and can even eat rotten wood when they must.  
     They have a well-earned reputation for speed, and an agropelter encounter 
  usually consists of splinters hurled from ambush, a gleeful hooting laughter 
  from the trees, and then the flight of the agropelters before their victims can 
  otherwise react. Such assaults are repeated, over and over, in the hours and 
  days to come, so long as the victims remain in agropelter territory.
  Their favorite position to seek possible targets is in the hollowed-out top of a 
  large tree, about 30 feet up. They are fully capable of snapping off a splinter 
  and hurling it as part of the same Action.
     No love is lost between agropelters and hide-behinds, with the latter attack-
  ing the former if they have a significant advantage in numbers, with hide-
  
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  behinds killing any agropelter they find on the forest floor. There are dozens 
  of fireside stories explaining this rivalry, but the truth if it remains a mystery.
  On Porphyra
  Agropelters are found throughout the Great Green, especially in the west 
  where that ecosystem borders the orcish lands of Azagor. Some cast-out 
  agropelters have been said to have joined orcish society after learning to wear 
  clothes and be comfortable on the ground, gaining employment as javelin 
  throwers without their hosts really knowing what race they are. Most forest-
  dwelling giants near the southeastern border hate agropelters and will readily 
  push down trees that the creatures fling their wooden missiles from.
   
  
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  Chousarou
  What appeared to be a floating log rears up, with a small head on a long neck, 
  revealing large, paddlelike flippers.
  Chousarou: Init +3; Atk bite +4 melee (2d4), AC 15; HD 3d8; MV 
  walk 10’ or swim 40’; Act 2d20; SP gaze (DC 12 Will); SV Fort +2, 
  Ref +2, Will +1; AL N.
  Gaze: The chousarou can use an Action Die to turn its hateful gaze 
  upon a creature. That creature must make a Will save or lose its next 
  Action Die.
  Forest lakes and streams offer the chance to drink, bathe, and possibly catch 
  some fish for dinner, but logger and hunters know that they are not without 
  peril. Even lakes that have acquired sparse settlement often speak of old leg-
  ends of “something” living in the lake, creatures of surprising size but retir-
  ing personalities. These “lake critters”, or chousarou, are not very aggressive 
  towards humanoids, but have been known to bump into boats and canoes, 
  spilling paddlers into the water.  Whether this is done in play or sport, the 
  creatures may follow up by biting at their water-logged victims. Not every-
  one who goes out canoeing on a mist-covered lake returns. Bumping into or 
  climbing on a “log’ in a river or stream can also result in a dismaying encoun-
  ter with a sharp-toothed chousarou.
     Although chousarou are often shy, and not particularly malevolent, those 
  who choose to hunt the creatures – or even fight back against them – have 
  encountered they creature’s gaze, so filled with hatred that it sapped them of 
  the will to move or fight. Perhaps this has happened to some who were never 
  seen again, but often enough, the creature uses this chance to slip away, and 
  those who encounter the chousarou’s gaze live to pass their tales on to others.
  On Porphyra
  The term “chousarou” is specific to rivers and small lakes in the Great Green/ 
  Jotun Forest region, though secretive “lake critters’ are found all over Porphy- 
  ra, even in Landed territories. Most are given a nickname specific to the body 
  of water, and probably refer to a small family group that is seen individually. 
  Larger bodies of water may contain lake critters of even larger size.
  
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  Fur-Bearing Trout
  A plump, silvery-scaled fish leaps out of the frigid waters of the river and hisses! 
  Most of its body is covered with silky white fur, and it has four stumpy, webbed 
  feet.
  Fur-Bearing Trout Swarm: Init +1; Atk bite +2 melee (1d3), AC 12; 
  HD 2d8; MV walk 10’ or swim 30’; Act special; SP swarm traits, im-
  mune to cold;  SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N.
  Wily aquatic critters that have a habit of turning on those who would fish 
  for them, fur-bearing trout can be dangerous in numbers, forming swarms 
  of fish biting all targets within a 20’ by 20’ area. They have been known to 
  bring down a moose and eat it, hide and all. The fur of a fur-bearing trout 
  is soft and silky, much like a rabbit’s, and waterproof; if a fur-bearing trout 
  can be dispatched with a blunt weapon, the fur can be removed and sold for 
  1d10+10 sp per trout. A typical swarm contains 1 salvageable trout per hit 
  point.
  Bush Mackerel (Variant)
  Bush mackerel are a related species to the fur-bearing trout that spend almost 
  all their time on land. They spend much of their time in trees, raiding nests, 
  chewing twigs, or dropping on edible things that pass under them. Some 
  bush mackerels called holy mackerals serve Saren, the Tusked God.
  Bush Mackerel: Init +2; Atk bite +0 melee (1d3), AC 13; HD 1d4; 
  MV walk 20’, climb 20’ or swim 30’ ; Act 1d20; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, 
  Will +0; AL N
  Holy Mackerel: Init +1; Atk bite +1 melee (1d3), AC 12; HD 1d6; 
  MV walk 20’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP spellcasting (+6 spell check) 
  [blessing, protection from evil, word of command]; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, 
  Will +2; AL N
  On Porphyra
  Fur-bearing trout and bush mackerel are found in or near any small stream 
  or river in The Great Green and the Jotun Forest and the shrubbery nearby. 
  Their bodies, mounted by taxidermists, are found in many taverns in the 
  Western Continent, but very few of them are actually real amphibious fish.
  
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  Hidebehind
  You vaguely glimpse…something…out of the corner of your eye. And then it is 
  gone.
  Hidebehind: Init +4; Atk bite +4 melee (1d6+2) or claws +4 melee 
  (1d4+2 plus drag), AC 16; HD 3d8+3; MV 50’; Act 2d20; SP drag 
  away 30’ if two claws hit the same target [dragged creatures are un- 
  able to speak, yell, or cast spells], hide in forest +7 [this applies to 
  dragged creatures as well], sneak silently +7;  SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will 
  +1; AL C
  Too often has the mournful observation of “The hide-behind done got ‘im,” 
  been heard when a lumberjack or prospector did not return from a sojourn in 
  the forest. The critter has been so seldom observed, and even then so little of 
  it been seen by victims who survive, that it is difficult to give a proper de-
  scription. It is painfully thin, perhaps supernaturally so, dark, perhaps simian, 
  and moves with inhuman speed. The hide-behind has a taste for well-fed hu-
  manoids, which they quietly grab and drag off to their lairs under huge dark 
  trees to feast upon. Even when a hide-behind is slain, its body decomposes so 
  rapidly that little can be said about what it was in life. 
     Hide-behinds are quite intelligent and are suspected of listening to camp 
  conversations, using what they learn to secure lone workers for a meal. 
  Almost nothing is known of its habits, social or otherwise, though most are 
  sure it is a cruel being, which will growl words and make noises in the forest 
  to unnerve those that it is stalking. The hide-behind gets its name from its 
  typical strategy of stalking victims, only to “hide behind” the trunk of even 
  relatively slender trees when one turns around to look at what is follow- ing 
  him. 
     Though a hide-behind is more than 8 ft. tall, its chest expansion is barely 
  a foot and a half, and its skull is no bigger than a fox’s. Hide-behinds prefer 
  to hunt by the day, although they will hunt at any time. It is said that they 
  greatly dislike the smell or taste of alcohol, and lack of sobriety may have 
  saved more than one possible victim.
  On Porphyra
  Hide-behinds do not respect the presence of any races in their hunting ter-
  ritories, and will ambush elves, humans. They are hunted by well-equipped 
  teams of elves, but these hunts are not often successful.
  
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  Hodag
  The creature is the size of a tiger, but its dark fur and stocky build are more like a 
  bear’s. It sports huge, saber-like fangs, a double-row of teeth, horns, and a row of 
  spines down its back and whiplike tail. Its eyes glow redly as it moves towards you, 
  stiff-legged, with a low, hungry growl.
  Hodag: Init +0; Atk bite +6 melee (1d8+4) or horns +4 melee 
  (1d7+4) or claws +5 melee (1d6+4) or tail spikes (1d5+4 plus knock 
  prone), AC 14; HD 5d8+10; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP knock prone, 
  breathe smoke, stiff-legged;  SV Fort +6, Ref -4, Will +3; AL C
  Breathe Smoke: Once per hour, a hodag can breathe a cloud of irritat-
  ing smoke with a 10’ radius. Creatures caught within this cloud must 
  succeed in a DC 10 Fort save or lose their next Action Die due to 
  coughing and choking. This does not use an Action Die on the part 
  of the hodag.
  Knock Prone: A PC hit by the hodag’s tail must succeed in a DC 15 
  Strength check or be knocked prone. If knocked prone, a DC 10 
  Reflex save is required to maintain a grip on anything held in the PC’s 
  hands.
  Stiff-legged: A hodag’s thick limbs have no knee joints. If the creature 
  is ever knocked prone, it is immediately reduced to 1d14 for Action 
  Dice, and cannot rise without succeeding in a DC 15 Reflex save.
  These much-feared monsters are thankfully rare, for their voraciousness is 
  legendary. Believed to have first spawned in the alternate plane of Nisnocsiw, 
  they nonetheless have slipped through the walls that ward one reality from 
  another. They seem to do nothing more than hunt, feed, and sleep. No one 
  has ever seen a mated pair or young (or at least done so and lived to speak of 
  it), so details of their reproduction remain a mystery.
     Hodags cannot easily rise once they are prone, so they sleep leaning against 
  trees or in shallow caves (where possible). They tend to use the same spots 
  repeatedly. Those who would hunt these creatures look for the worn bark 
  where a hodag has repeatedly leaned against a tree. They saw through most of 
  the tree on the far side, and then wait for the hodag to lean against the trunk, 
  hopefully bringing down the tree and the creature with it. 
     The risk in doing this, of course, is that there is a ravenous monster hunting 
  
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  the area where the would-be hunters are sawing noisily through tree trunks. 
  Under these circumstances, the hunter can all too easily become the prey.
  On Porphyra
  Hodags are as rare on Porphyra as anywhere else, but they have been encoun-
  tered in both The Great Green and the Jotun Forest. Nothing is safe where 
  these ravenous creatures lurk, so that even habitual enemies may swear a 
  temporary truce to hunt the monsters down and put an end to them.
  
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  Joint Snake
  In the half-light of the forest you can see what looks like a heavy rope made of… 
  glass? It seems to be a long snake or lizard stiffly moving through the litter of the 
  forest floor.
  Joint Snake: Init +3; Atk bite +2 melee (1d3+1), AC 12; HD 1d8+2; 
  MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP absorb metal;  SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0; 
  AL N
  Absorb Metal: An injured joint snake can use an action to absorb a 
  metal object that weighs 2 lbs. or less. When it absorbs metal, it heals 
  1d4 hit points and gains a +2 bonus on its next attack due to renewed 
  vigor.
  Joint snakes are quite easily noticed, unlike most snakes that one sees in a for-
  est setting. Their glassy scales are heavy and stiff and they moves very deliber-
  ately - although they can strike a target with great speed. 
     Joint snakes are attracted to shiny things like themselves, perhaps because 
  they prefer to eat large beetles and the odd bush mackerel they migt come 
  across. Being somewhat intelligent, joint snakes like shiny coins and the like, 
  and often cozy up to a prospector’s pan or a stray pocketknife, which a joint 
  snake may incorporate into its body with its regenerative power.  
     Many prospectors have tried to cut up a joint snake found in their camp, 
  only to have it absorb the very weapon that was used against it! Putting an 
  end to the critter with a rawhide tent-peg hammer will get the tool back, un-
  less it scurries off into the bush. 
     Though attacks against a joint snake may sever pieces from it, it always 
  grows back to its full 4 ft. length unless pounded into pieces.
  On Porphyra
  Joint snakes are among the few fearsome critters that might be found in 
  typical “dungeon” settings, as they are comfortable underground, and are the 
  scourge of miners who sleep there during a long shift. They are infamous in 
  Creeper’s Rift for giving birth to live young among a pile of glittering ore, 
  where the snakelings will bite the first miner to touch it!
  
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  Rumtifusel
  Draped over the large stump, in the middle of the forest, is a gorgeous mink coat, 
  apparently just left there! Two buttons on the back of the coat gleam as though 
  they were of silver…
  Rumtifusel: Init +1; Atk envelop +2 melee (1d4+2 plus suffocate), 
  AC 15; HD 3d8+3; MV walk 20’ or climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP just a 
  jacket [5% chance per round to detect as a creature, if it surprises a 
  creature it gains a +4 bonus to attack], envelop (target takes ½ dam-
  age taken by creature), suffocate (1d4 temporary Stamina damage per 
  round);  SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0; AL C
  Suffocate: A creature enveloped by a rumtifusel takes 1d4 temporary 
  Stamina damage each round. The rumtifusel can be removed before 
  the creature’s death with an opposed Strength check vs. +6 or by a 
  Mighty Deed of 4+. If the victim survives, the temporary Stamina 
  damage is recovered at a rate of 1 point per round.
  Rumtifusels are solitary and sly creatures that look like nothing so much as 
  luxurious fur coats, perhaps with two pearl or silver buttons on the back (the 
  creature’s eyes). It is concerned only with its next meal, and perhaps claiming 
  a pretty bauble to attach to its hide as a sign of its prowess…and to attract 
  more humanoid dinners.
     They prefer humanoid meals, so they are attracted to the vicinity of logging 
  camps, traplines, and mine shafts, perhaps more than most fearsome critters. 
  They can subsist on forest animals if they must, such as squirrels and birds, 
  attracted to nesting materials, or crows attracted to eyes like shiny baubles. 
     Rumtifusels are never found in pairs or with young, so it is likely they 
  reproduce by fission or some other asexual method, keeping to large personal 
  territories. A rumtifusel will hibernate by folding itself into the crevice of a 
  giant tree for the hottest months of the year, awakening to hunt when the 
  leaves start to turn.
  On Porphyra
  Rumtifusels are rare anywhere, and live in parts of the deep forest that are 
  chilly and cold at the best of times.  Stories of “killer coats” have come from 
  as far east as the Giant’s Retreat and the logging and prospecting camps there.
  
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  Shagamaw
  An unlikely beast plods deliberately down the cut-line, its front half resembling a 
  bear with short, wicked horns, and the back half like that of an elk. It currently is 
  walking on its hind legs!
  Shagamaw: Init +2; Atk gore +4 (1d6+1) or claws +4 (1d4+1), AC 
  12; HD 2d8+4; MV 30’; Act 3d20; SP difficult to track [-2d on the 
  dice chain to track], rend for additional 1d6 if two claws hit the same 
  target in one round, shredding horns [Ref DC 12 when hit by a gore 
  attack or armor bonus is reduced by 1d3 per successful attack]; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1; AL N
  The shagamaw is an odd beast, even among fearsome critters, as its favorite 
  food happens to be clothing. Many a logger or prospector has hung his laun-
  dry out on the line, only to find it eaten to the clothespins by this large beast. 
  They have also eaten canvas tents out from over top of sleepers in the forest. 
  It has been observed in the wild eating the bark from large trees, but will go 
  to great lengths to ear cloth, even so far as to attack travellers. 
     They are also legendary for their strange method of locomotion. These crea-
  tures are equally capable of walking on front legs and back, alternating bear 
  paws and elk hooves in an unpredictable pattern, and many fights in-camp 
  have come about because of arguments as to what beast the gang had been 
  tracking that day.
     Shagamaws mate in the spring, as bear and elk do, and the female raises the 
  single young (rarely, twins). Apart from mating season, or a female and her 
  young, the creatures are solitary. Males duel over mating rights, woe to the 
  overcurious observer, as the males will tear any cloth-wearers apart in order to 
  impress any watching female with the resultant delicacy. 
     The call of a shagamaw is to the roar of dragons, which has raised the hair 
  on many the neck of a fearful logger who hears it.
  On Porphyra
  Shagamaws are quite widespread, though rumors of their presence may sim-
  ply be due to their maddening tracks, as signs of bear and elk are mistaken for 
  the fearsome critters. From the Scrublands to Giant’s Retreat, these beasts are 
  the bane of tent-owners and flag-bearers alike. There is a Shagamaw subclan 
  of orcs in Giant’s Retreat that prefer to fight naked, much to the dismay of 
  their enemies.
  
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  Squonk
  A truly hideous little beast, with ill-fitting hide covered with warts and moles,
  dripping rheumy eyes, and a faintly foul smell of moldy socks and spoiled beer.
  Squonk: Init +0; Atk bite +0 (1d3), AC 12; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 
  1d16; SP dissolve, immune to magic, nausea cloud 10’ radius (Fort 
  DC 10 or creature suffers -1d on the dice chain to all actions); SV 
  Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +1; AL N
  Dissolve: A squonk may dissolve into a puddle of its own tears as 
  an action. As a puddle it cannot be harmed and make no attacks but 
  it can still move. It heals 1 hp per round in this liquid form. It can 
  reform as an action.
  One of the more popular stories around logging camp and prospector camp-
  fires is that of the squonk, said to be the ugliest creature to ever see the light 
  of day. Constantly weeping with self-pity, the squonk is just smart enough to 
  know it is hideous, and cannot bear to be seen by another being. It dissolves 
  into a pool of tears when captured…sometimes even when observed. They 
  shun their own reflections.
     Squonks are carrion eaters that timidly seek food at twilight, though they 
  are often scared off by ants and flies that find a carcass they are feeding on. 
  Luckily, they need very little to sustain them. 
     The repulsive creatures are sometimes hunted by bush explorers for the 
  unique qualities of their ever-present tears. In their raw form squonk tears 
  can be applied to a blade, such as an axe, and it will gain a +1d damage bonus 
  on the dice chain for an hour. Some old hands say that if boiled down to a 
  thimbleful, squonk tears form a powerful liquor that is the equivalent of a full 
  bottle of rotgut whiskey.
  On Porphyra
  Squonks are found in the deepest parts of the Great Green. They are admired 
  and pitied by the elves and other races there as both an example and recipi-
  ent of true compassion, for they are constantly crying over nothing. The elves 
  look dimly on those who would hunt squonks for their tears, although the 
  few alchemists that believe in squonks prize their tears greatly and offer re-
  wards large enough to bring fools to the woods where fearsome critters dwell.
  
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  Teakettler
  This little creature looks like a potbellied gray dog with large pointed ears and
  faintly glowing yellow eyes. Wisps of steam seep from its mouth and… back end.
  Teakettler: Init +0; Atk bite +1 (1d3), AC 14; HD 1d6; MV 20’; Act 
  1d20; SP breath weapon [steam, 2d3 damage, Ref DC 12 for half 
  damage], immune to fire, spellcasting (spell check +8; choking cloud); 
  SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N
  Campfire tales often mention a tired and thirsty band of loggers hearing the 
  familiar whistle of a tea kettle with a full head of steam. Upon following the 
  sound, though, they find nothing, not even tracks of man or beast. Some-
  times even what looks like the billowing smoke from a fire of damp wood 
  shows above the treeline, and again, no sign of fire, man, or beast is found 
  when the source area is explored. These phenomena are the actions of the tea-
  kettler, a small doglike beast that is slightly brighter than the average hound. 
  These critters are rumored to be the personal hunting beasts of fire-based 
  elemental beings vacationing in burning forests.
     Most of the time, a teakettle isn’t trying to draw attention to itself. It is 
  steaming rabbits out of their holes or bush mackerel from their copses - or 
  using its talents to drive off larger predators. At other times, they just seem to 
  like making loggers and miners rush around in confusion, laughing a doglike 
  laugh while concealed in nearby bushes. 
     Teakettlers are almost impossible to track as they walk backwards with a 
  very light step, leaving no discernible mark.They mate for life and raise their 
  pups in shallow holes in riverbanks where they can scare up a fur-bearing 
  trout or two for dinner. There have been no stories yet of raising teakettler 
  pups in captivity, as they scald any stranger who tries to pick them up as read-
  ily as their parents do.
  On Porphyra
  Teakettlers inhabit forests near rivers in much the same proximity as amphibi-
  ous fish, wolpertingers and mundane rabbits.  There have been many stories 
  of influential zendiqi sultans who have obtained teakettlers as pets, sure that 
  they are sympathetic beings of elemental nature, though even their own 
  scholars are unsure as to the veracity of this theory, and the stories are largely 
  viewed as apocryphal.
  
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  Tripodero
  This bizarre creature resembles a large, fat crane with brown and green feathers, 
  balancing on a stiff tail. Its beak is long and tubular, and its legs are strangely 
  segmented, with clawed, circular feet.
  Tripodero: Init +4; Atk claw +2 (1d3) or pellet +4 (1d4+1 plus 
  knockout), AC 12; HD 1d8+1; MV 30’ or fly 50’; Act 2d20; SP 
  knockout (+1d4 deed die using Subdual Weapon Knockout table 
  from Mighty Deeds of Arms; does not add to attack roll or damage), 
  sniper, stable (-2d penalty on attempts to trip or bull rush); SV Fort 
  +1, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N
  Sniper: The pellet shot has the same maximum range as a crossbow. 
  Tripodero suffer no penalties due to range and can attack from sur-
  prise with a +4 bonus at long range.
  The fearsome critter called the tripodero is named so for its stance assumed 
  when it performs its dangerous attack, spitting hardened lumps of clay at its 
  prey through its tubular beak. It keeps its clay “bullets” stored in its cheek, 
  and is deadly accurate with them. Its typical prey includes birds and small 
  mammals, which it detects by telescoping its legs up to ten feet long, rising 
  above the scrubland and undergrowth of its preferred terrain. 
  A firing tripodero balances on its stiff tail, providing an excellent firing plat-
  form, and they attack in almost complete silence. Tripoderos move quickly 
  through scrub and undergrowth, and are not impeded by it. They will always 
  try to shoot at intruding prey rather than attack it in melee, saving their claws 
  for ripping apart stunned prey or defense if confronted. Tripoderos can fly, 
  but don’t like it, and will seldom take to the air for more than 1d3 rounds 
  before landing.
  Tripoderos are territorial and dislike intruders, even others of its kind, though 
  in mating season two tripoderos may hunt together until a pair of leathery 
  eggs are laid, and the chicks subsequently abandoned. 
  On Porphyra
  Tripoderos are found on the fringes of the Scrublands, to the west of the 
  Great Green, and near the shores of the Green Sea.
  
  25
  
  26
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