Enviroments of the Great Empire 2

7/29/2019 Enviroments of the Great Empire 2

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Enviroments of the Great Em pireVolume One W etlandsI am writing these great tomes in the hope that I will be a le to portray the vast array of habitats andcreatures that dwell wit in t em as a complete guide the Empir of Karl Franz in the year 2521. I hopethat you the reader will gain much insight into these various climates and from that insight you will bebetter prepared for t e world around you.

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hv eVolume One covers the Marshlands of the Empire, where I shall explain the basicEnvironmental hazards one may expect before del ing into an in d pth bestiary of creatures one is likely ifunfortunate to encounter while in the marshlands of the Empire.

Wetlands in the EmpireA marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that issubject to frequent or continuous flooding.Typically the water is shallow and featuresgrasses reeds and rushes, along with varioustypes of moss.The m arshes of the Empire contain simulor butdifferent enviroments the two most common ofthese are Swamps and Bogs. A swamp is awetland with some of large areas of landdispersed with large shallow bodies of waterr.A swa mp generally has a large number ofislands of dry land, covered by aquaticvegetationn. The two main types of swamp a reswamp forests and shurbland swampsThe waterof a swamp m ay be brackish stale and stagnentor seawater.Q wetland w ithout woody vegetation which isshallower and has less open water surface than aswamp is known as qua gmire whcich is a low-lying wetland of deep, soft soil or mud that sinksunderfoot with large algae covering the water'ssurface..A bo g, quagmire or mire is a wetland that isbuilt up from deposits of dead plant amd anima lmateral Thr groun d in a bog is heavilywaterlogged, and the water often a horrible deepbrown B ogs form in a variety of different areassuch as valleys amd across flat lands and

provide a unique enviroment for species tosurvie.W etlands can be found across our beloviedEmpire from the fabled Cursed M arshes, downto the imfamous Helfen and dangers from theEnviroment can b e as hazardous as the creaturesthat dwell within. I shall list some morecommon hazards below.N avigation: These large areas of land arelargely uncharted, and feature few landmarks,generally due to high v olumes of rainfall it isscantly possible to see w here the sun lies in thesky let alone a rought navigational bearing, yetto make matters worse, dense mists and fogs canappear out of nothing leaving a traveller unableto see more than scant inches infront of him. Iwould strongly recommend a local guide if youare forced to cross such terrian that and a silentprayer to Ranald.Quagm ires: Boggy areas lead to treacherousfooting, many travellers have met a slow deathsinking into these muddy depths. W ith the poorvisibility in wetland areas it can be im possible tospot these bogs, as such I advise travellers tonever cross the wetlands alone and to walk in aspaced line so that if one traveller becomes stuckhis comrades are able to com e to his aid.


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D isease: The water is stagnant, the ground isfilled with rotting ma tter as such sickness and illhealth are virolent. When travelling across thewetlands you will need to bring fresh cleanwater, keep your food dry an d clear of thesurrounding rot. I would also suggest cleanbandages and wra pping for any injuries onesustanes have a high risk of becoming infected.M arsh Ga s: Pockets of trapped naturalgases bubble up from beneath the murky depthsin swampland areas, if an unwary traveller iscarring a naked flame the results can be quiteexplosive. Gas pockets can normally be detectedby a foul smell and the water around it w ill bebubbling. I advise using on covered flames whilein these areas, and only then when it is vitial toyour journey.Bloodroot: T his carniverious plant is a dangerto any traveller in the wetlands wrapping itsbarbed vines around the unwary while they rest,it is rarely a fatal experence but one im sure wecould all live with out. Travellers would bewise to carry a short blade to help cut awa y suchdangerous plants.Bog Flowers: These virbrant exotic lookingflowers are usually found on the waterways ofthe Wetlands. T hey may look exuisite but thearoma is a strong seditive leaving the unwary tofall into a deep coma like sleep, the large padssurrounding the flower slowly digest theirvictims. In this world that we inhabit I haveoften observed that beauty is best admired from adistance and in this case I couldnt be closer tothe truth.Leeches: I have discovered that no matter whatkind of wetland one ventures into one w illalways find these vampa ric parisites. Leechesare by no m eans life threatening yet they willdrain the strength of an unwary traveller,leaving them sleepy and weak. This can beextremely dangerous in such a dangerousenviroment.

Insects: A constant plague upon m an, yet inthe wetlands they seem to thrive in vast num bers.Swarm s or hives of insects are very dangerousto unwarery travellers, their stings may be smallbut in hundred or thousands they can be asdeadly as an venom, let alone having a vastnumber of small injuries is just asking forinfection in wa ter areas. Insects cannot a bidesmoke as such if you think they are likely toappear light fires and burn wet plant m aterialthis should keep them away.Poisonious Amphibious Reptiles: Fromsnakes to toads these are best left to experiencedtrappers to deal with, as they often have highlyvirolent poisons that can kill in a m atter ofheartbeats. M y advice is to carry anti-toxinkits with you at all time, and generally stayaway from such poisonious animals.


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A Compendium of Beasts in theWetlandsIn this section I will divulge details of anumber of na tural creatures found in thewetlands of the Empire, and I will provide vitalstatistics for those creatures not currentlypresented within other such m anuscripts.Amoebae:

Cavity worm,

Chameoleeches,

Lashworms:

Insect swarms,

Monstrous leech:

Primitive Bloodsedge:

Bog octopi:

Fenbeasts:

Fenworm:

River troll:

Stir Pikes:


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Sentient Creatures of the WetlandsW hat follows is my in depth summary of thedominate sentient species that dwell within theW etlands, I have not list creatures that can befound in a m ultitude of habitats instead I havegone into greater d etail explaining two racesthat are only normally encountered w ithinW etland areas the Troglagobs and the Fimir.

Troglagobs:Troglagobs are a n aquatic sub-speciesof goblins, making their homes in coastal orwater logged regions. T roglagobs are slightlysmaller in stature than their land based kin,getting no larger than three and a half feet inheight. Their skin while being green tends totake a bluish almost turquoise hue, which theycan alter slightly to blend in w ith theirsurroundings lending them excellent camouflagewhen submerged in water.The skin of Troglagobs excretes an oil

like substance, which reduces water resistance,while masking their presence from aquaticpredators. The hands and feet of a Troglagobare webbed, and they have both gills as well aslungs, allowing them to breathe comfortablyabove and below water, and sw im with the samecapability as their land based kin w alk.Troglagobs never venture far from their waterbased habitats as they need to submergethemselves regularly or risk drying out.Troglagobs are ha ve skittish nature,and like all goblin kind are cowardly when facedby competent prepared foes. As suchTroglagobs primarily use stealth and ambush totake their foes unaware, commonly using hit andrun tactics to weaken their quarry whileremaining out of danger themselves. Whilehunting Troglagobs show patience and tacticalcunning that is highly unusual amongstGreenskins making them a far more dangerous

foe than their diminutive size suggests.A larmingly unlike other Goblinoids

Troglagobs a re not as prone to infighting,tending to work in a far more co-operativefashion, infighting only occurring to establish anew TrogB oss from amongst their hunters orPike. Being able to live on land as well asunderwater T roglagobs tend to make their lairsin semi submerged caves w hich preferably canonly be accessed by underwater tunn els, wherethey can safely rest and keep their treasures orshinnies safe from thieves.Troglagobs w ay of life has evolvedwith very little influence or contact from commonGob lins, leaving few social similarities.Troglagob com munities or shoals as they namethemselves have based their structure on theFimir as the dominant huma noid species in theirhabitat. Within Troglagob shoals members areput divided into a caste system chosen at theirsprouting. The larger members are hunters orwarriors known as P ikes, while smallermembers are the fungus farmers, and cooks forthe shoal are known as Gobies. Troglagobshoals contain swamp Gn oblars, called B aitthatare used as slaves. The shoals leadingP ike is known as the Trogboss, who is thetoughest and most cunning Troglagob of theShoal. T he highest caste of a TroglagobShoal is its Shaman, w ho is the Shoalsknowledge keepers and council. Troglagobs likeother G oblinoids, capture and use river trolls,for heavy labour and as shock troops whenforced to war.Troglagob Shaman do not pray toGork an d M ork like other Goblins, insteadthey have based their religion on theirenvironment, giving sacrifice and worship toStromfels, the lord of predators. Yet like allGreenskins their shamans magic is generated bya natural energy that is given off by allTroglagobs, as they become more excited theTroglagobs seem to produce more energ y, whilstthey giving off less when they a re frightened orcowed. Troglagobs languag e is similar togoblin tongue but far m ore basic containing veryfew spoken verbs or adjectives, which arereplaced by body language, and minor changes


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in skin tone. Troglagobs rarely comm unicateverbally with each other, only using their spokendialect to communicate with other humanoids.Troglagobs a re self sufficient, but theywill trade with other Goblinoids, andTroglagob shoals. Troglagob shoals basednear F imir strongholds will often have analliance of sorts, providing regular tribute andwarriors to the stronghold, but receivingprotection of sorts in return.Troglagobs use a variety of poisons,charms and fungal concoctions that they trade toother sentient marshland creatures, in exchangefor food or shinnies which they covet for theirlairs. Troglagob G obies also cultivate aaquatic squig variant, Gater Squigs which aretrained guard their lairs, as well as to devastatethe shoals foes in times of war.

M arsh Gnoblars BaitMarsh Gnoblars are the lowest members ofTroglagob society, they do menial tasks fromrepairing the shoals equipment to wa shing thelatrine cavern. M arsh Gnoblars work ingroups under supervision from TroglagobGobies as they are unable to follow even simpleinstructions without messing up. W hen aTroglagob Shoal goes to war, MarshGn oblars accompany them, fighting with whatlittle equipment they can lay their webbed clawson, fighting with piles of enthusiasm with enough

numbers, they can sometimes even injure some ofthe enemy or failing that provide a distraction ortarget for the enemy to aim at.Special Rules.A mphibious, Blinding light, Expendable,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, Night Vision,Water C amouflageCowardly: W ill not become engaged in meleewith any target that is not out num bered at least3-1. Suffers 2 misfortune on all combat actionsagainst targets not out numbered.A utomatically fails discipline tests against fear,terror, or group moral.Throw F ish: Ma rsh Gnoblars use fish, shellsand whatever else comes to ha nd as m issileweapons. Treat as Improvised weapons with -1CR&DR.Blow Pipes: Troglagobs use hallowed tubes

made from tightly wound reeds to fire paralyzing

sea urchin spines, dipped in viper venom at their

quarry.

DR 1 CR:5 Thrown (Ag not Str) Pirece 2 Enc:1

Exotic Cost 1s

Sea Urchin Spines: Characters suffering oneor more wounds must pass an average (2d)

resilience test or gain the weakened condition until

able to take an extended rest. If passed or not

character gains sluggish condition for his nextturn. Cost:50s per 10 Unique Enc:N/A

Reik Viper Venom: A virulent mix of watersnake venoms used by Traglagobs to bring down

their target with as little risk as possible. (See card

or page: 6)

Cost 1gp per dose, Unique Enc N/A

Troglabog G obiesGob ies are the most common mem bers ofTroglabog society they maintain the fungusfarms, keep the Shoals weapons in good repair,cook meals and make sure the MarshGn oblars get there work done. Gobies are notwarriors, but in defence of their lairs and intimes of war they are reasonable if somewha tcowardly ambush troops.Gob ies are fight with hand weapons and b lowpipes.Special Rules:Ambush, Amphibious, Blinding light,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, Night Vision,Water C amouflage

Cowardly: W ill not become engaged inmelee with any target that is not out numberedat least 3-1. Suffers 2 misfortune on all combatactions against targets not out numbered.A utomatically fails discipline tests against fear,terror, or group moral.


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Troglagob ShoalersShoalers are the most experienced and elite ofthe Gobies, they are charged with the trainingof the shoals Gator S quigs, and Trolls. Whena Troglagob S hoal is going to war, or forcedto defend its lair S hoalers set loose trainedGa tor Squigs, and goad the S hoals trolls intoconflict. Shoalers are better equ ipped and farmore reliable in combat than their lessexperienced brethren.Shoalers are normally equipped with, whips,blow pipes and prodders. (Ha lberds)Special RulesAmbush, Amphibious, Blinding light,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, Night Vision,Skittish, Water CamouflageHerder: Trolls and Gator Squigs gain afortune die on all tests and actions while withinclose range of a Shoaler.

Troglagob PikesTroglagob P ikes are the Shoals hunters; theyare considered above all Troglagobs other thanSham an. Pikes spend large amounts of timeaway from the S hoals lair, setting traps, and

preparing ambushes to keep the S hoal fed. It isthe Pikes job to defend the Shoal, and they arethe Shoals w arriors, fighting withuncharacteristic courage for greenskinsespecially in defence of their lair. In when theShoal is forced into war, the most crazed Pikesare given fungus potions by the tribes Sham anand ride trained Ga tor Sqiugs into battle.P ikes are equipped with spears, shields andblow pipes.Special Rules:Ambush, Amphibious, Blinding light,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, Night Vision,Skittish, Water CamouflageP oison: Pikes coat all their weapons in thevenom of various aquatic snakes. Treat as R edViper Venom.Crazed P ikes: Gain swift, and their funguspotions mean they are frenzied and have + 2soak.H unter: Pikes have stealth trained.


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Troglagob TrogBossThe largest, strongest and m ost cunning of theShoals P ikes, a TrogBoss is an experthunter, and skilled warrior. It is his duty totrain, and commit the S hoals resources in themost effective way. The T rogboss has therespect of his entire Shoal, and only need payrespect to his shaman. The T rogboss is selectedthough ritual combat, and can on ly be replacedwhen dead. In combat a T rogboss inspiresTroglagobs around him leading them byexample, if a Trogboss is defeated in battle it islikely the remaining Troglagobs will flee.A Trogboss will be armed with the Shoalsbest equipment, equipped i the same way asPike with weapons having the superior quality.n

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Special Rules.Ambush, A mphibious, B linding light,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, N ight Vision,Water Cam ouflagePoison: Pikes coat all their weapons in thevenom of various aquatic snakes. Treat as RedViper Venom.M aster Hunter: A Trogboss has one ranktrained in W apon skill, Ballistic skill, andtwo in stealth.

Troglagob ShamanThe most respected members of TroglagobShoals, Sham an are lore keepers, healers andreligious leader rolled into one, the eldestshaman known as a Deep Shaman is worshipedby other Troglagobs and has his needs attendedto by the Shoals apprentice Sham an, who areexpected to learn from the Deep S haman,apprentices also create the fungus concoctionsand poisons used by the Shoal. When anapprentice is considered learned or old enoughhe is given the title of Shaman, it is Shama nwho provides the day to day support within theShoal. It is Shaman w ho speaks for the Shoal

when trading with other species, and in times ofwar providing magical support to theTroglagobs.All shamans are equipped with staffs andsymbols of their faith. Shaman often have minorwarding talismans while a Deep Shaman islikely to have a potent magical relic or two.*N ote the stats and rules given are for astandard Shaman.*

Special Rules:Ambush, A mphibious, Blinding light,Flammable, Lungs and Gills, N ight Vision,Skittish, Water CamouflageShaman: S haman have m agical sight, spellcraft and channelling trained. Shaman can usespell actions up to 2nd rank from theM arshland Shaman lore.Protective Charm: Harmful spell and blessingactions targeting the shaman suffer 2 misfortunedi .

Gator SquigsSquigs are a bizarre combination of fungus,flesh and teethMainly teeth. Gator Squigsare muddy red in colour, they slightly longerthan normal squigs being around six feet inlength but only three feet thick. They havedeveloped gills allowing them to becom eamphibious, which has only increased theavailability of thing to eat.Special Rules:Amphibious,Instinctive, Lungs and Gills,Water Cam ouflageRazor S arpe Teeth: Gator squigs attackshav pierce 2 and a CR2.he


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Enviroments of the Great Empire 2

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