Creatures of Fear

Monsters from Medieval Legend

by Andrea Sfiligoi
Abasy
ST: 8-12 Move/Dodge: 7/7 Size: 2
DX: 10-13 PD/DR: 0/25 Weight: 150-230 lbs.
IQ: 10-13 Damage: * Origin: ML (USSR)
HT: 10-15 Reach: C Habitat: Sub
The Abasy (plural: Abasylar) is a demonic creature, a long-dead person who dwells in
subterranean caves and is utterly evil. Abasylar can move through virgin rock or earth in
insubstantial form (at their normal Move), but otherwise they are substantial in all
respects.
They hate and envy all living people, especially those who are healthy and merry. They
are grim figures who despise sunlight; it does not harm them, but is horribly painful to
their eyes, and they will always flee the sun immediately.
Abasylar feed by casting the Pestilence spell (see p. M65) at skill 14. If the target
resists, the Abasy cannot cast it again on that person for a full day. Otherwise, a
successful casting lets the demon possesses the victim, feeding on his life force until
the Abasy is exorcised or the victim dies. The possessed person is not completely
controlled, but the spirit of the Abasy will cause the subject's body to resist any attempt
to cure the disease or banish the demon.
Abasylar also know the Sleep spell at level 13-16, but they can cast it only on members
of the opposite sex. The spell requires no concentration and costs no fatigue. Once
asleep, the victim is forced to have sexual contact with the Abasy and must roll vs. basic
HT. If the roll fails, the victim is cursed, and he or she will not be able to have intimate
contact with anyone unless the curse is lifted. Looking for a way to lift this curse, for a
PC or NPC, can start an adventure.
Some Abasylar suffer from a severe fear of sharp objects (Aichmophobia) and so must
make a Will roll in the presence of swords, knives, etc.
Adze
ST: 0 Move/Dodge: 3/8 Size: <1
DX: 15-16 PD/DR: 0/0 Weight: none
IQ: 11+ Damage: * Origin: ML (Africa)
HT: 10/1 Reach: C Habitats: J, F
The Adze is the vampiric spirit of a tribal warlock, able to leave the body while asleep or
in a trance. From a distance, an Adze looks like a common firefly, but an Occultism roll
at -4 will identify it.
The Adze feeds on blood, like a vampire, except it does not need to physically touch its
victim. For every three seconds that the Adze flies in the same hex as its victim, the
target is drained of 1 HT point of blood. The Adze can be tricked into drinking coconut
juice or something similar with a successful Fast-Talk roll (the person must know the
mage's language).
Adze can be attacked with enchanted weapons (at -11 to hit due to its small size) or
caught with the hands (DX-5 roll). If captured, the Adze will revert to human form, with
full HT but stunned for 3 seconds. In human form, it can be attacked and slain by
normal means. If killed, it vanishes forever.
There are magical spells and rituals for dealing with an Adze, but they're not common
knowledge.
Asp, Red
ST: 2 Move/Dodge: 4/6 Size: <1
DX: 13 PD/DR: 0/0 Weight: 2 lbs.
IQ: 3 Damage: * Origin: ML (Italy)
HT: 15/4 Reach: C Habitat: M
During very hot summers, an unlucky traveler might find this deadly creature sunning
itself on mountain tracks. It is a red, two-foot long snake with a glittering red gemstone
set in its forehead.
Anyone who sees the snake will automatically look at the gem in its forehead, unless
they know about this creature. If the GM says "You see a large red snake," and a player
says "I'm looking away!," give them an IQ roll at -3 to avoid looking at the Red Asp's
gem. Any character with Naturalist skill should get a Naturalist-1 roll to realize the
danger of the Red Asp; if they realize the danger, they get the same IQ-3 roll to avoid
looking. A failed roll means the PC is subject to the Charm spell (see p. M59). A
success means they look away, and can flee or attack see below.
The asp's Charm spell requires no casting time or fatigue cost. Entranced victims fall to
the ground, paralyzed, and the snake bites them, injecting a type A, 1d-1 damage
venom. At that point, make a reaction roll at -2 if the victim has a Red Asp gem in their
possession, and -6 if they possess a dead asp. On a Neutral or better reaction, the asp
will let its victim go. Otherwise the asp continues biting, once every 3 seconds, until the
victim is dead.
The red asp will show itself and deliberately paralyze a foe only if disturbed or taken by
surprise, and will never pursue a fleeing victim. Likewise, if its Charm fails, the asp will
flee usually into a hole in the rocks. They are timid creatures and avoid encounters
with men if at all possible.
Anyone who avoids the asp's initial Charm can try to attack the snake. Each attack
requires another IQ-3 roll before the attack itself is rolled. The total penalty to bit the
asp, counting both size and the difficulty of striking without looking at the head, is -6. If
someone finds a clever way to deal with the asp without looking at it, so be it!
The red gem on the asp's forehead is a 10-carat ruby, which also acts as a Powerstone
(10 points). The Powerstone has the quirk that it can only be used to power spells
resisted by IQ; there will always be one other quirk, often having to do with reptiles in
some way. Removing the stone from a dead Red Asp requires a Jeweler skill or DX-4
roll. If the roll fails, the gem is ruined as a Powerstone, but is still worth $200 as a jewel.
On a critical failure it will shatter into worthless shards.
Some mages use Red Asps as guardians, allowing the snakes to roam freely within the
gardens or forests around their strongholds. This suggests that there is an amulet or
spell which reliably protects against the Asp's charm.
Alber
ST: 7-8 Move/Dodge: 40/7 Size: 3
DX: 13 PD/DR: 2/0 Weight: 50-75 lbs.
IQ: 4 Damage: 1d-3 imp Origin: ML (Italy)
HT: 13/20 Reach: C Habitat: M
This huge, flame-sheathed bird of prey is nocturnal and rarely encountered. Those who
see the Alber's flame swooping in the distance must make a HT roll or stand frozen in
place, paralyzed until they hear the tolling of church bells (occurring at daybreak in most
populated areas). Otherwise the paralysis can be cured with a Remove Curse or similar
treatment. Once a successful HT roll is made, the PC is immune to the bird's effects
until the next midnight unless he chooses to enter combat with the creature, in which
case a HT roll is required every second.
Anyone unfortunate enough to see the Alber up close (within 10 yards) immediately
gets the Unluckiness disadvantage. The Unluckiness can be removed with a successful
Will roll and 1-6 days of prayer and fasting (assuming the PC is pious, and realizes that
the Alber is the source of the curse). Alternately, the GM may allow more exotic
methods of dispelling the enchantment, or require a quest for unusual materials or more
information.
If attacked, the Alber defends itself by pecking with its sharp beak, doing 1d-3 impaling
damage. Anyone adjacent to the bird for any reason must also roll against DX every
second to avoid taking 1d-2 damage from the flames. It is otherwise a timid creature
and never purposely attacks people. Given its magical powers, it is not surprising that
no Alber has ever been captured or studied, and a live specimen would be highly prized
by wizards and alchemists.