Pirates of Martapa

Though very little of my story happens on the high seas, sailing and ship trade if very important to Tridon as well as Ariella.  Calabay, Weatherworn and the other sea port Houses all rely on sea trade to supplement their income.  The Dwarven Islands and Ariella also rely heavily upon trade to supplement items they can't get or need to travel a ways to get.

But when ever there is way of making money, there are people to steal said money. Pirates have always been a problem , especially along the coast lines of both Tridon and Ariella.  Calabay had such a problem they made pirate breaker ships, designed specifically to take down pirates without mercy.  Usually the pirates have a single ships under the direction of one leader, his second and twenty to forty crew hands.   Most crews know how to sail their ship as well as fight with swords, maybe bolos as well.  But they may not be proficient in either.  There was a famous pirate captain who would take on anyone as a crew hand and often they had a hard time just leaving the port (he was famous because he got caught so often, though never hung).

Most pirates are humans, though half-elves, half-ogres and even dwarves have been known to take to the pirate life.  Most are men, though there are a good share of women as well.  There is no centralized location or government for pirates, but there is a code.  One, a pirate will never take another pirate's booty if they are engaged in acquiring it.  Two, a fellow pirate is to be trusted.  (This is a little harder for them to hold to, but few violate the rule since they could be on the other side some day).  And three, pirates never rat on other pirates.  This is a stead fast rule and any pirate known for turning in one of his kind is in a race for his life.  No matter where he goes, some pirate might very well take his life.

Trolls of Martapa

Everybody has heard of trolls under the bridge and nearly every culture has their version of a troll.  Well, here is mine.

Trolls are semi-intelligent, above animal intelligence but not to the point of humans or even ogres.  They stand around seven foot tall, are skinny, covered in fur and have tusks of varying lengths and colors.  Fur color can be green to blue, though some yellow and bronze have been seen.  The men have a topknot of hair, while females actually have full heads of hair.  Both keep knick-knacks (such as rocks and bones) in them.

They live in two types of groups.  One is the roving male pack.  These are usually younger males who have not found a "herd" of females yet and go from herd to herd trying to gain their own by challenging the males.  Rarely do they break into a herd, but if they do they usually kill all the children under a certain age, along with all the adult males.  Women are kept as prizes.

The other type is a family "herd".  This usually consists of several generations of females, their children, and two to five males, depending on the size of the herd.  The strongest male leads, though the others help him keep the herd.

Trolls live in crude lean-tos or caves.  They wear crude leathers, hunt game animals with crude spears, and live off berries and roots.  They can be taught to do more complex tasks, but it takes time.  They do not like humanoids of any type (they barely like each other) and will attack them on sight.

In game terms they should have the highest possible strength and constitution (and, yes, they should regenerate in some way), but their intelligence and wisdom should be at a bare minimum.  They should have survival (though you might want to give them a bonus because of low intelligence/wisdom) and tracking.  Hit points should be at the highest die type possible and can be scaled to fit your campaign level, though they should be at least one hit die higher then the players.

Happy Gaming!

Ice Skeletons

Undead come in many varieties, from flaming giants to just plain skeletons.  One I like are ice skeletons.

Looking like your normal, walking undead skeletons, (really, normal undead...I guess there isn't any "normal"), they are tinged blue and a cloud of cold hangs about them.  A layer of ice covers all their bones and creeps on to anything they touch (including player characters).  They move a little slower then other skeletons but their grips are paralyzing.  They usually have little armor, but the ice seems to give them some protection from normal hits.  Fire harms them at twice the normal rate but they take no damage from ice.

So in game terms they are human sized, attack like a 2nd level character (because I know some monsters and some systems work this way), but a minus to the initiative (normally 1 or 2 depends on your system).  Fire is doubled for damage (no saves) and cold does no damage.  (If your system has a Damage Reduction system make their DR 5 or 10 depending on how  hard you want to make them.)  You can adapt to higher levels by making them a higher character level, it just depends upon your need.   Your victim needs to save versus magic or be stunned/paralized for three rounds (or what you deem appropriate) if they are struck by the skeleton. They carry no treasure (except the weapon they are using) though some necromancers may want bones from these creatures.

Griffons

These half lion, half eagle creatures are beautiful to behold, as well as deadly. Living in flocks of three to twenty, with the matron and patron usually being the parent/grandparents of all the adults, they tend to nest in high, inaccessible cliffs where they lay one to three eggs each nesting period. The hatchlings take two months to mature enough to fly and about three years to mature enough to have eggs of their own. In the wild they live up to fifty years, though the ones bonded with the Ancient Elves live quite a bit longer.

They are the size of large warhorses, their wing span twice the length of their body. They bare feathers on their head, neck and around the base of their feet, as well as their wings. Fur covers the rest of their body and they have a lion's tail. They attack with claws and beak, usually raking with their back claws if they get a good hold with their front claws.

The griffins don't usually allow humanoids of any type to capture them as pets, let alone mounts, but they have a relationship with the winged elves and work as partners with them. The griffins that live with the winged elves are bigger then their wild cousins and smarter. All griffins can understand languages (if exposed to them), but the griffins of the winged elves know many languages, though they can not speak any because of their beaks.

Griffins are found mostly in high, mountain terrain as well as high, rocky cliff sides (such as near the coast of Weatherworn). They will protect their territory vigorously and will not take well to any of their numbers (even those not of their flock) being captured.

Hungry Willows

Willows, in general, are very beautiful, little dumpy trees with overhanging branches drooping into the water they grow by. Their green, oval shaped leaves are always so bright in the summer and little birds love to hide in their branches. They shade the streams and provide food for the birds. But not all willows are so mundane.

Hungry Willows, as they are called, will still remain by tamely until some large prey animal wonders by, then wrap them up in their long branches and drag them into its giant maw at the base of the trunk. The size of the prey depends on the size of the tree, obviously. In game, it takes the tree 2 rounds to wrap up a victim and another 5 rounds to drag it to it's mouth. Once inside the gullet it takes an additional 5 rounds for the victim to die of asphyxiation. Spells can be cast while in its mouth, as can the use of swords. So theoretically a victim can bust his way out. These trees hate fire and take double damage from fire.

Pets of Martapa

As I look at my lazy cats lounging next to me as I try and be creative, I realize, you know what, even characters need pets. Here are some ideas for pets for your wandering adventurers:

The most common, of course, would be dogs and cats. Cats might be a little harder being on the road so much, but maybe they like to ride on horses or hang in a backpack. I've had some weird cats (including one that fetched like a dog and heeled better then some dogs) and it could be possible.

Parrots or other birds...Maybe your player wants that pirate look.

Some more fantastical animals might be pixie dragons, giant spiders, even a wolf. Let their imagination soar, though rein them in, as well. Giving them something to care about might give you something to do an adventure about later.

Happy Gaming!

Water Fairies

These elusive creatures are shy, but folktales say they are very important to the welfare of crops and the supply of water. Those in Ariella pay homage to these small sprites often, hoping they keep the wells and springs filled with life giving water.


Standing about six inches tall with teardrop shaped blue or sea green wings, their bodies appear to be made of water, transparent blue or sea green in color. They are solid enough, but can meld with water if they wish to travel great distances in but mere heartbeats. They have big blue eyes and antannae used for finding water when they can't find the water visually. They wear no clothes, either, but are beautiful to behold.


They live anywhere from solitary to in huge family groups. The Ariellans beleive that when the spring floods come this is when the little water fairies come together to have their celebrations and if anyone is stupid to disrupt them there are droughts to follow. Many leave small trinkets for the fairies so they will bless them with water. The fairies love the trinkets and in some places have become very protective of "their" humanoids.


They command the waters with ease and can save a life or snuff it out easily. They do guard water ways, wells, and springs and can take or give the water as they see fit.

Fairies of Martapa Part III

Fire fairies are a mean spirited little sprite. They are about six inches tall in shape of a small humanoid with flaming wings and flames framing their body. They are beautiful creatures, alluring and stunning in appearance. Their eyes are oval but filled with fire. They wear no clothes, since that wouldn't be practical with all those flames.

Fire Fairies are not social creatures, except when enraged. They are solitary creatures who like to play jokes on any one unfortunate to fall onto their path. They live near natural steam vents, lava flows, volcanoes and other fiery place. Once a year they will gather to trade information, supplies, and mate. Children grow fast and do not stay long with their mother. Scholars have no idea how long fire fairies live but suggest that they do not live long because of their burning aura.

Fire fairies will not help humans or other travelers but most likely will help them into more trouble, especially if they are in trouble already. They have the ability to shape change and might try to lure a humanoid into danger by turning into a beautiful version of the opposite sex.

Fairies of Martapa, Part II

Earth fairies are perhaps the most common of all fairies on Martapa. They stand about 6 inches tall, have large leaf shaped wings (oak, willow, maple...etc.) and are usually a brown or green color (from skin to hair) just varying shades. Their faces and bodies are rather androgynous, but there are two sexes. Hair of both sexes can be long or short, covered in leaves or grasses, or be just a tangled mess. The clothes are at a minimum and most just go naked, figuring a body is natural. Their eyes are big, round affairs, though usually green or brown in color. They also bare antennae, much like an ants, though what their function is remains to be seen.

Earth fairies live in "flocks" of about thirty to forty. Most of the time the flock is related to one another, but they have no problems bringing other fairies into their flock from different ones. There is usually one male and one female in charge of the whole flock, chosen by those of the flock to lead. They aren't necessarily a married couple, they can be brother and sister, cousin and aunt, father and daughter, etc. The leaders are followed for as long as the flock has confidence in them.

No one is sure how long an earth fairy lives, but scholars estimate into the hundreds of years. Little is known about their gestation period or how often they have children, so numbers are hard to estimate.

Magic is a big part of their lives for they have been known to save whole stretches of forest with their magic. Most magic they cast will be earth based, very little arcane and certainly not fire based. A little water and air, but these are hard for them to cast. They have been known to help travelers who have shown respect for their stretch of nature, but will not lift a finger if that traveler has harmed their haven in anyway.

Fairies

There are so many kinds of fairies in our world, from the cute Disney Fairies to the mean, nasty critters of legend. Mine are some where in between. Oh, don't get me wrong, they are cute, but they aren't the happy-go-lucky ones you'd love to have for your kids either.

On Martapa there are many different kinds of fairies, but all are linked to the elements in one way or another. The major ones are Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Life fairies, though there are many other lesser fairies that populate Martapa. In the next few days I'll detail how they defer and how they are the same in the hopes you can use them to help or hinder your player characters in your campaign.

Angel of Death

The Angel of Death is a rare, and unwelcome sight. Dressed in deep, enveloping robes, the apparition finds those near death to take them to Lokar's realm for judgement. Those who follow a God are sent to their God's realm for judgement if Lokar believes they should die. He can deny death if he believes it unfair, unjust, or untimely, but rarely does. If the person is important or has made a great sacrifice, Lokar himself will come and retrieve their soul. An Angel of Death is only seen by those who are about to die and those who are sensitive to reading magic auras.

Imps

Imps are small, humanoid creatures no more than a foot tall with scorpion tails. They are red, green, or black in color with big beak noses, large, pointy ears and a vaguely human form. They are very resistant to magic, can cast fire spells and fear their enemies. They can also paralyze a person with their touch if they so choose. Wizards use them as familiars often since they confer their resistances to their partners.

They speak demon languages as well as mortal languages and can teleport themselves short distances, though not others. They also have a poisonous sting they deliver with their tails. They live solitary lives, but come together once a year to mate and exchange information. Imp children are raised by their mothers for about ten years then are full grown adults. These creatures can live up to 5 decades.

The power of the imp is determined by color. The green are the weakest, red the strongest. Length of paralizations and fears, strength of poisons, and the resistances to magic is determined by their colors.

Flying Flame Skeletons

During the War of the Gods there were many forms of undead created by the Black Wizard Shaniko. One was a flying skeleton shrouded in flame. The membranes of the wings are arching fire between flame stained bones. The eye sockets flash with flames and they speak what ever language the corpse the skeleton came from spoke in life, though they understand their master's language.

They shoot balls of fire and attack with fiery swords. They are resistant to fire, but vulnerable to cold. They can cast spells, but only fire based. Life based priests can destroy them if they call upon their God's powers and have great faith.

Pegasi

Pegasi are winged horses of all sorts of colors. from white to black, purple to green tinged, depending on the area they are at. They live in herds with one dominant male, a dominant female and three to ten other females and their young. Males older then five years old form bachelor herds until they can take over a herd of their own. Females stay with their birth herds unless run off.

They nest in cliffs, though some nest in meadows. They can fly with passengers,thus are coveted as mounts. The Elven Clan Warriors of the Pegasus clan usually bonded with Pegasi. They are herbivores but bite, kick and trample to protect themselves. They live for up to 100 years, though Clan mounts live quite a long life because of the bond.

Creature: Fairy Dragons

Fairy Dragons are no bigger then two feet tall with a long tail. Their wings are colorful butterfly wings and their scales are so small their skin is actually smooth. Their tails are long and are prehensile.

Their colors vary by region, but their bodies are usually tiger striped. They live in small family flocks, where the males leave when they are old enough.

They are curious, innocently taking off with people's property. They are resistant to magic and have the ability to put humanoids and animals to sleep. They speak telepathically with whom they choose and can speak many languages. Many mages love them as familiars, though they will leave if not treated well.