Bestiary

2 entries found.

Alzimul
level1
At Def Ag Int Phys Pre Spi H S W Ar MD Mv Fer Quick
10
15
10
2
16
8
8
20
0
0
2
0
1
0
67
Bite
:
A12
D15
Init10
damD6
Sting
:
A16
D15
Init16
damD8
Sting. Physical vs. 19 or D10 Weakening
Alzimul (literally Digging-Zimul) are large insectoid creatures related to the Zimul. Like a Zimul an Alzimul has many legs, a carapaced body, and a talent for digging. Unlike their pestilential cousins, the Alzimul can be trained, and do not have the same voracious appetite for root crops, instead being happy to devour almost any foodstuff (usually carrion) that comes their way.

Young Alzimul are around the size of a Keldian pup, and are to be found rooting around amongst the razor grass, eating new shoots, or smaller insects. They have 6-10 pairs of legs, the second pair of which are enlarged and used for digging. The first pair are much smaller, and carried folded near the head. These short claws are capable of delivering a nasty sting. (For juveniles the sting is D4, Phys vs. 19 or D4 weakening).

A minority of Alzimul grow to full sized adults. All female, they lay clusters of gem-like eggs which hatch into broods of newborn Alzimul's. There are (as far as Keldian Sages know) no males. Adult Alzimul are large enough to plow significant furrows in the soil, and can be domesticated for this use. Commonly a single village will only have 3-4 adult Alzimul on hand, lending them out to individual farmers as needed to tend their lands. When not at work the Alzimul are kept penned and fed on food scraps and waste material.
Zimul
level1
At Def Ag Int Phys Pre Spi H S W Ar MD Mv Fer Quick
13
14
10
1
18
5
14
26
0
0
5
0
1
0
84
Bite
:
A13
D14
Init10
damD6+3
Spray
:
D14
Init10
Area 8. Poison. Phys vs. 14 or nausea.
The Zimul is a massive Insect pest that inhabits the dusty soils and sands of the Drylands. Growing to as much as three paces long (an average Zimul is 2 paces in size), a Zimul is a heavily armoured and segmented creature. Roughly oval in shape a Zimul has small eyes at one end, along with whip-like feelers and cutting jaws. It has countless legs, each ending in a sharp point, and can dig with rapidity. Normally a Zimul will stay submerged underground, feeding on the roots of plants. A single Zimul can devastate patches of Maugey or Maize, ripping it's way through a field in a matter of hours.

When threatened a Zimul will unearth itself, and attempt to bite it's tormentors, relying on it's heavy shell to protect it. If wounded it will roll itself into a ball, presenting no weak points. In this form it has +5D and +3 Armour. Should the attacker relent it will slowly unroll and seek to run away. At the same time it will spray a noxious liquid from pores in it's flanks. Anyone close by must resist the poison or become sick (-6A/-6D) for 18-Phys rounds.

Zimul flesh is edible, but they are more commonly hunted for their poison and shell. The poison can be rendered into an ointment (Poisons Difficulty 15) which is good for treating burns (restores D4 Lethal), while the shell can be crafted into an effective shield (Shellworking Difficulty 14) with the same stats as a Wood and Hide Shield.