|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:11 pm
Know Your Enemies
Though Queen Maya and her advisers seek peace and safety for all Herla, there are many dangers that threaten all, even in the quiet solace of Whitemoon Glen. Large, feral predators haunt all edges of the Hartlands, and many are not afraid to venture further into Herla territory in the hopes of an easy meal. Hulking monstrosities creep out of the Dead City and the Powerplant and encounters with these mutated beasts rarely end well. The swamps are full of deadly creatures both large and small and even the flora there is likely to kill. These three places are best avoided.
Aside from these natural threats, there are several other sentient species around the Hartlands, and each of these present their own dangers. Tensions with the Talons remain high, and the Ghavials are on the brink of declaring outright war. Even the Bears, who have shared a fragile treaty with the Herla since the end of the Talon Wars, are apt to have violent confrontations with any doe or buck that wander into their territory.
Despite all of this, the land in and around the Hartlands is beautiful and exciting and almost begs to be explored. If a Herla is resolute enough to brave the perils of the unkown and head out into the world....who knows what they might find?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 12:41 pm
Talons
Locations: Desert, Dead City, Western Edges of the Hartlands
Talons are fast, carnivorous creature that closely resemble prehistoric raptors. Though they often sport scales, they are warmblooded and may have mutated from birds. Talons are fairly small, large Talons will barely reach a Herla's shoulder and weigh 30-40 pounds on average. Many Talons, members of the Wind Clan specifically, have feathers. They are incapable of flight, however, though they are able to jump long distances and climb very well. Water Clan Talons are amazing swimmers and are the exception in that they don't generally eat red meat, sustaining themselves instead on a primarily fish diet.
Due to their small size, Talons almost always travel in packs. Despite this, even a lone Talon can be very dangerous as they pride themselves in their ability to fight and have the inborn weapons to back this up. Most Talons have sharp teeth or beaks, savage claws on both their front legs and feet and spines or horns. In addition, it is very rare for a Talon to not have a curved, blade like claw on the inside of each foot which they use to slash at their prey.
Most Talons have strong familial bonds and will defend their mates, relatives and hatchlings fanatically. They generally respect power above all other things, and most altercations are solved with violence whether they are fighting another Talon or not.
Allied Tribes - Embroiled in the tail end of a violent civil war brought about by divided beliefs during the Talon Wars, the Seven Allied Tribes of the Redclaw Desert currently have little attention to spare on the Herla. They are unlikely to attack unprovoked....but it would not take much to provoke them. The Council of the Allied Tribes is made up of respected elders from each of the seven tribes. They are often referred to as the Council of Seven, and advise the Warlord. Only reached by proving oneself in battle and then challenging and defeating the prior ruler and all other opponents seeking the title, the position of Warlord is that of a supreme commander. It is a station of great honor, and though the Council of Seven has clout, it is the Warlord who makes the final decisions on matters pertaining to the Allied Tribes. The Fire Talon Faramhin is the current Warlord. He is an honored veteran of the Talon Wars, winning many battles against the Herla. Faramhin and the Talon warriors he lead were responsible for the deaths of King Johan and several other high ranking members of the Herla fighting force. After this battle, Faramhin chose to withdraw from the war, and took not only his tribe but a few others with him. Outraged by this, the other tribes abandoned their battle with the Herla to attack the offending Talons, bringing about a terrible civil war. Now that he is Warlord, Faramhin is working to crush his remaining detractors. He has greatly disrupted the society and traditions of the Talon tribes with his strange sense of honor and a respect for those who fight for freedom and peace rather than power. Despite his many enemies within the Seven Tribes Faramhin has many followers and is a cunning and brutal fighter himself, efficiently dispatching all who challenge him. Though his rule is absolute, Faramhin puts great faith in the advice of his consort Rusi, a pure white, rose-eyed Wind Talon that can speak with Guardians. At the behest of Rusi and the Guardian Odelia, Faramhin eventually seeks out a treaty and alliance with Maya, Queen of the Hartlands and if possible, the Bear King and his people. Un-Allied Tribes - These relatively small tribes of Talons are unaffiliated with the seven tribes and do not answer to their warlord or council. With a few exceptions, these small familial groups did not participate in the Talon Wars and do not hold the grudging respect for Herla some of the Allied Talons developed after the war. These Talons tend to be brutal and barbaric, often having violent confrontations amongst themselves as well as any Herla they might come across. Dead City Talons - The Talons of the dead city can barely be referred to as sentient creatures. They are savage, almost feral. Even though they hunt in packs, they hold no loyalty to one another. If a member of the pack is no longer able to hunt, he or she is either abandoned or slain and eaten. These Talons are extremely dangerous and will attack anything in sight. It is unlikely they even know of the existence of the Allied Tribes, but if they did, they wouldn't care.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:23 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 7:44 pm
Ghavials
Locations: Swamp, Powerplant, Delta
Ghavials are large (10' to 20') creatures that loosely resemble crocodiles. They have both reptilian and insectoid features, which make them a horrifying sight to behold. A mutated species originally from the edges of the swamp closest to the Power Plant, they generally have low intelligence. Ghavials are abysmally slow on land, but once they submerge their considerable bulk in water, they are fast and deadly. Social Structure - The Ghavials are unique from other creatures in that they operate as a colony (much like bees or ants) and share a psychic link with each other. Susar, the enormous Ghavial Empress, can communicate with any Ghavial in any location at any time. The loyalty to the Empress is absolute. The majority of the Ghavials are sexless 'drones', they do nothing but eat, patrol, and bring food and present back to their Empress. Living in the Power Plant with Susar are the princes and princesses. The princes are the consorts of the Empress, and fertilize her many eggs. The princesses also lay eggs that hatch into drones, and when Susar dies, they will fight until there is only one left, and that one will become the next Empress. Though the previous Empress did not care on way or another for Maya's kingdom, Susar considers the Herla to be encroaching on Ghavial territory, and though she will not declare outright war against the Herla due to the Ghavials' relatively small numbers, she encourages her people to hurt or even kill Herla whenever they can get away with it. Biology - Ghavials are a bizarre mutation indeed. Though at first glance they look very similar to alligators or crocodiles, they have a variety of differences to make them much, much more deadly. Ghavials have three sets of legs. The front set are smaller that the rest and have a long, sharp stinger that, though not deadly, will cause great pain to anyone stung. A Ghavial's head, chest, shoulders and upper back is encased in an almost impenetrable carapace, though the belly and throat are left vulnerable. They have a long narrow snout full of larger jagged tusks. One of the most dangerous attributes of a Ghavial is their tail. Long and extremely flexible, a Ghavial tail has a row of spines near the end that are tipped with the same stingers on the forelegs. At the tip of the tail is a small venom gland and a long stinger that secretes a venom far deadlier that the spines. Though one sting is unlikely to be deadly, the venom is a powerful neurotoxin that will rapidly slow down or paralyze the Ghavial's victim. More than one sting will almost certainly result in a quick but painful death.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 9:26 pm
Natural Predators
Though much of the inner Hartlands has become a thriving, safe place for the Herla, there are still many natural predators that feed on the deer when they are able. They have long been enemies of the Herla, and in some cases hunted them as far back as before the fall of mankind. While the Herla evolved intelligence and compassion, these creatures evolved better ways to kill them. Most of these hunters flourish on the edges of Herla territory and the further one gets from the center of the Hartlands, the more likely they are to encounter one.
Do not forget: few dangers are more perilous than the foe that can not be reasoned with.
Wolves - Massive wolves that live deep in the forest and parts of the Icefall Mountains. (More Info Coming Soon!) Yappers - The piranhas of the Dead City, these small voracious creatures will swarm their prey and literally strip the flesh from their bones in a matter of minutes. They closely resemble a very small canine, though they lack a tail and have large ears to help them zero in on any potential food. Yappers are always hungry, they will gorge themselves endlessly, and have been known to eat until their stomachs literally burst. Wary Herla can often get a warning of an incoming attack as these beasts will let loose short, high pitched cries that have given them their name. Sabercats - Large felines that are like a cross between a smilodon and a hyena. They travel in mated pairs, don't hunt unless they are feeding themselves or their cubs, not openly aggressive but are completely fearless when they feel threatened. (More Info Coming Soon!)
Cimeras (Blind Horrors) - Few have seen these terrifying creatures. They are seen fairly regularly in Bear Territory where the Bears often compete with them for caves to live in. Cimeras are very rarely seen in the Hartlands and only inhabit certain areas of the Icefall Mountains and the darkest corners of the Dead City. They avoid light and hunt only in darkness when their innate blindness and sonar give them the advantage. Cimeras are about the size and shape of a human child, though they possess elongated limbs and fingers, twin crests that can spread like a fan behind each ear to help them catch every sound and a long, spined tongue that protrudes from a gaping maw lined with needle like teeth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
