Temperate Plain

Porcupines are omnivorous mammals that often climb trees in search of food. The spines on their back provide camouflage as well as protection from natural predators— typically other small mammals. Though primarily nocturnal, porcupines do occasionally graze during the day, eating the twigs, roots, and stems of bushes, coniferous trees, and other flora. Porcupine quills normally lie flat against the creature’s body, but stand stiffly on end when the porcupine feels threatened.

Ponies are smaller breeds of horses better suited to halflings, gnomes, and dwarves, but they also make fond pets for humans as well. They stand 3 to 4 feet tall and weigh about 600 pounds. A light load for a pony is up to 100lbs, a medium load is 101–200lbs, and a heavy load is 201–300lbs. A pony can drag 1,500lbs. The statistics presented above are for a typical pony. Tougher ponies with the advanced simple template exist, but are relatively uncommon and, unlike horses, these creatures are not generally called “heavy ponies.” Like horses, ponies can be trained for combat with the Handle Animal skill, and such mounts often serve halflings, gnomes, and other small races as steeds in combat.

Horses stand 5 to 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh between 1,000 and 1,500 pounds. The statistics above are for a typical riding horse, called by some a “light horse.” A light load for a light horse is up to 228lbs, a medium load is 229–458lbs, and a heavy load is 459–690lbs. A light horse can drag 3,450lbs.

Some horses are larger and heartier, bred for labor such as pulling plows or carriages. These horses are called “heavy horses”. A light load for a heavy horse is up to 400lbs, a medium load is 401–800lbs, and a heavy load is 801–1200lbs. A heavy horse can drag up to 6,000lbs or three tons.

Unlike regular moles, which survive on earthworms and other mundane fare, brain moles feed on the psychic energy of other creatures, seeking it out with an addict’s fervor. Whenever a brain mole encounters a likely victim— preferably a spellcaster—it latches on via its toothy, circular mouth, then magically siphons mental energy until the prey either escapes or falls comatose. After draining energy from a foe, a brain mole usually flees rather than staying to fight, and uses its psychic ability to cast expeditious retreat to aid its escape.  Spellcasters of 5th level or higher with an alignment within one step of neutral can gain a brain mole as a familiar by taking the Improved Familiar feat.

Jack-o’-lanterns are semi-intelligent plant creatures spawned by fell magic and driven to burn and consume living flesh. Though they are mobile, jack-o’- lanterns prefer to remain in one spot until their food supplies run out. They typically lair within pumpkin patches, where they lie in wait and use their pumpkin form ability to ambush unsuspecting prey. Jack-o’-lanterns have been known to grow where the corpse of a powerful evil witch or wicked fey was buried, though this form of reproduction sometimes takes decades. Jack-o’-lanterns can also reproduce on their own. Immediately after killing and devouring an intelligent being, a jack-o’-lantern excretes its victim’s remains as a smoldering, paste-like slurry that quickly sinks into the ground. One day later, 1d3 fully mature—and ravenous—jack-o’- lanterns emerge from the tainted soil.

The krenshar is a strange creature that resembles a large but earless hunting cat, save that it can retract the fur and skin on its face to reveal the glistening skull and musculature underneath. Combined with its strange, keening wail, this horrifying display is enough to paralyze prey and send formidable opponents running. Krenshar’s retractable skin allows it to dine on carrion with a lower risk of picking up disease-carrying vermin, much like a vulture’s bare head and neck. When the creature finishes eating, restoring the facial skin to its normal position scrapes off gore and clinging bugs. The ability to retract their skin is demonstrated in other contexts as well—male krenshars bare their skulls at rivals as a challenge over mates, females use this ability to ward off undesired suitors, and hunting adults use it to scare prey into ambushes. Though krenshars generally prefer to stalk herd animals like deer or cattle, they have no qualms about taking on humanoids when food is scarce. They average 4 to 5 feet in length and weigh approximately 175 pounds. Scholars have long debated the confusing nature of krenshar intelligence. While clearly more intelligent than mere animals, the creatures seem to lack all but the most rudimentary language of snarls and yowls, and aside from the scare tactics that make them notorious, tend to behave much like mundane cats or wolves, even going so far as to occasionally be befriended by rangers or druids. Those who deny krenshars’ intelligence, however, need only look into their strange violet eyes or observe the ease with which they manipulate and outmaneuver their prey to realize their folly—an error few make twice.

Aurochs (both singular and plural) are large herd animals similar to domesticated cattle.

Keen-witted and powerful avian predators, axe beaks compete with wolves and hunting cats for prey upon vast, open steppes and prairies. Although feared for their boldness and territorial natures, these giant birds prove eminently tamable, making useful guardians, hunters, and even steeds when kept well fed. Axe beaks are relatively social creatures, forming small groups in which both males and females hunt together. They nest in immense mounds made of sticks, branches, leaves, and whatever else they can scavenge (including the bones and equipment of previous meals), with each nest used by a large group of axe beaks. Females typically lay clutches of 1d4+1 eggs once per year, which the parents take turns keeping warm for 2 months before they hatch. Mature axe beaks stand 9 feet tall and weigh as much as 500 pounds. Their plumage varies widely, from gray to brown to black in temperate climes, but taking on exotic shades of gold, red, blue, and other vibrant hues in more tropical environs. Axe beaks have lifespans of up to 50 years. An axe beak requires training before it will bear a rider. Taming an axe beak requires 6 weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check, after which it can be taught tricks as normal. Riding an axe beak requires an exotic saddle. Axe beak eggs are worth 1,000 gp apiece on the open market, while young are worth 1,500 gp each. A light load for an axe beak is up to 200 pounds; a medium load, 201–400 pounds; and a heavy load, 401–600 pounds.

Other types of large, predatory flightless birds exist— the axe beak is but the most commonly encountered and well known of this breed of predator. Two less common variants of the axe beak are summarized below.
Diatryma: While the dark-feathered, orange-beaked diatrymas are smaller than the average axe-beak, standing at a mere 6 to 7 feet in height, they are no less ferocious. Diatrymas are axe beaks reduced to Medium size; they have 2 Hit Dice and are CR 1.
Terror Bird: Terror birds stand a full foot taller than the average axe beak, and their powerful talons serve as additional weapons. Terror birds are axe beaks advanced to 5 HD that gain Improved Critical (bite) as a bonus feat. They also have two additional natural attacks, a pair of talons that do a base damage of 1d4 damage each. Terror birds are CR 4.

Though they resemble sleek, long-eared canines, blink dogs are as smart as humans. As social creatures, blink dogs travel in large packs, roaming forests and plains, running off evil creatures, and hunting for phase spiders— one of their natural enemies. Despite their intelligence and friendly natures, blink dogs tend to avoid humanoids, keeping their packs either hidden or frequently on the move. This shyness doesn’t keep the blink dogs from helping out when needed, however, and they have been known to come to the rescue of a prairie village in their territory. Packs are typically led by an older, experienced male or female, called an alpha. Blink dogs are fiercely loyal, defending their own pack or creatures they befriend to the death, and maintaining oaths handed down from litter to litter. Honor is paramount to blink dogs, and different packs often have unique traditions (such as whether a pack’s alpha is male or female, or an oath to always protect and aid a particular humanoid race like elves or half lings) in addition to those shared by most blink dogs. Blink dogs have a great interest in the stars and movements of celestial bodies. Through their myths and folklore, blink dogs have names for constellations, and through this zodiac they note the seasons, births under auspicious stars, and omens from unusual stellar conjunctions. Blink dog names often contain a reference to a specific constellation under which the dog was born. Blink dogs stand nearly 3 feet at the shoulder and weigh upward of 180 pounds. They can live up to 75 years. They use their abilities to quickly surround prey, and make use of flanking to deal with especially dangerous opponents—particularly creatures like phase spiders.

Blink Dog Sages
A pack’s alpha selects the wisest and most intelligent member of the pack to serve as its sage. This blink dog often has sorcerer levels (typically with the celestial or destined bloodline) and is charged with maintaining the long-running oral histories of the pack, which extend back for centuries and link the packs together. A blink dog sage also decides when a pup is old enough to join his first hunt, performs birth and burial rites, and counsels the alpha on the meaning of omens or upon tactical matters involving interactions with neighboring races and creatures. In some packs, the sage is the alpha’s mate, while in others the sage is always a gray-muzzled elder hound beyond breeding age.

A nymph’s charm and beauty are such that she can seduce nearly any creature that she sets her attentions on—and often, unfortunately, creatures she would rather not consort with. When a nymph catches the attention of a fiend and the fiend takes advantage of the creature, the resulting offspring is not always a half-fiend. Roughly one in 20 such incidents results instead in a strange creature known as a forlarren—a unique creature that possesses its own unusual abilities and qualities. Few nymphs survive the ordeal of giving birth to a forlarren— those who do might attempt to raise their children in loving environments, but the evil that lurks in a forlarren’s soul is powerful. In most cases where a nymph attempts to raise a forlarren child, it’s only a matter of time before the forlarren grows resentful and its evil nature compels it to murder its mother. Most forlarrens are female, and few are capable of conceiving children of their own. A forlarren grows to adulthood with astonishing speed, reaching full growth in only a year—even those who come into the world as orphans are capable of defending themselves and seeking out food. Yet despite the rapidity with which they reach maturity, few forlarrens survive to adulthood. Cast out from both sylvan and fiendish society, the typical forlarren is a lonely creature, cursed by its own existence. It detests itself and everything it sees, and soon becomes consumed by hatred of life itself. The forlarren vents its rage on good and evil alike, lashing out at anything that approaches it. The forlarren attacks with its clawed hands, typically focusing on a single opponent at a time and attacking until it or its opponent is slain. Yet curiously, when a forlarren succeeds in killing an opponent, the kindly traits of its fey mother sometimes surface, and it shows profound remorse for its cruelty. With such a pendulum of erratic behavior, it is no wonder that forlarrens are all but incapable of forming lasting friendships—even with others of their own kind. The majority of forlarrens inherit little in the way of the magical abilities possessed by their fey mothers, but they do gain a small measure of the powers of their fiendish fathers. In most cases, this manifests as the ability to use heat metal three times per day, but some forlarren instead gain a different spell-like ability chosen from the following list: chill metal, flame blade, flaming sphere, gust of wind, summon swarm, or warp wood. A forlarren stands 6 feet tall and weighs about 160 pounds. In theory, these creatures can live for hundreds of years, but most perish through violence before they turn 10.

More so than its smaller kin, the human-sized giant porcupine is a foul-tempered creature that is just as content chewing on carrion as on living creatures. Worse, giant porcupines are notorious in their almost foolhardy bravery, and have been known to attack creatures much larger than their own size. This unexpected aggression, when combined with their tangle of spearlike quills, makes the giant porcupine a dangerous foe.

Legendary hunters and skilled warriors, centaurs are part man and part horse. Typically found on the fringes of civilization, these stoic people vary widely in appearance, their skin tones typically appearing deeply tanned but similar to the humans who occupy nearby regions, while their lower bodies borrow the colorations of local equines. Centaur hair and eyes trend toward darker colors and their features tend to be broad, while the overall bulk of their bodies is influenced by the size of the horses their lower quarters resemble. Thus, while an average centaur stands over 7 feet tall and weights upward of 2,000 pounds, there are vast regional variations—from lean plains-runners to burly mountain hunters. Centaurs typically live to be about 60 years old. Aloof with other races and at odds even with their own kind, the centaurs are an old race only slowly coming to accept the modern world. While the majority of centaurs still live in tribes roaming vast plains or the fringes of eldritch forests, many have abandoned the isolationist ways of their ancestors to walk among the more cosmopolitan cities of the world. Often such free-spirited centaurs are considered outcasts and are shunned by their own tribes, making the decision to leave a heavy one. In some rare cases, however, whole tribes under progressive leaders have come to trade or make alliances with other humanoid communities—typically elves, but sometimes gnomes, and rarely humans or dwarves. Many races remain wary of centaurs, though, largely due to legends of territorial beastmen and the regular, violent encounters the centaurs have with stubborn settlers and expansionist countries.

Stupid, vicious, and repulsive, cockatrices are avoided by other creatures due to their magical ability to turn flesh to stone. Legends say that the first cockatrice emerged from an egg laid by a cockerel and incubated by a toad. Whether or not the story is true, today’s cockatrices breed true in terrifying and filthy dens haphazardly excavated by as many as a dozen of the squawking creatures. Males greatly outnumber females in these flocks, and are distinguished only by their wattles and combs. The typical cockatrice stands just over 2 feet high and weighs 5 pounds. While their diet consists primarily of seeds and petrified insects (which conveniently double in the creature’s gizzard as both gastroliths and nutrition as they grind away), cockatrices fiercely defend their territories from anything they deem a threat, and the wanderings of rogue males seeking new spots to build dens sometimes bring them into unintentional contact with humanoids, with devastating results. The cockatrice’s strange ability to turn other creatures to stone is the creature’s greatest defense, and a cockatrice lair is invariably littered with petrified remnants of foes. In an ironic twist of fate, however, weasels and ferrets— the creatures most likely to slip into cockatrices’ nests and consume their eggs—appear to be completely immune to the effect. For unknown reasons, cockatrices are both terrified of and enraged by conventional roosters, and are equally likely to flee or attack when confronted by one.

Brain moles who gorge themselves on psychic energy occasionally find their bodies wracked by magically infused tumors that vastly enhance their intellects and psychic spellcasting but condemn the moles to slow deaths. These individuals, called brain mole monarchs, connect to their fellow brain moles in a psychic hive mind. Most use their newfound mental abilities to attempt to secure a legacy or to provide for their nests once they pass on, and their mad plots become increasingly eccentric and aggressive as the end nears.

The glyptodon is often hunted for the value of its outer armor, made up of bony plates in turn composed of many smaller, knobby “scales.” The creature is quite capable of defending itself with swipes from its deadly claws, as its ill-tempered nature often urges it to do.

The arsinoitherium is a herbivore, but it displays a fierce and threatening behavior when it perceives danger: bellowing, stamping, and tossing its head. Threats that do not recede from such warnings are met with a fierce bellow and a charge.

While the capramaces’ exact origins are unknown, many legends hold them to be abominations resulting from some magical combination of goat and human. Certainly their humanoid shape suggests such a melding, although they show no signs of humanoid intelligence. Farmers who find their fields beset by capramaches must be careful not to startle them, lest their terrible, deafening screams call more of these monstrosities to their aid. Brave inhabitants of remote settlements sometimes entice capramaces into service as work animals, but most people regard this a foolish endeavor at best. While these creatures are both strong and hardy, they are difficult to control, and even the slightest mistreatment can cause them to turn on their would-be masters with little warning.

Creatures of unbridled violence and decadence, maenads roam the world inviting others to join in on their debased revels. Though they can otherwise pass for humans, maenads appear bestial when raging or engaging in a bloody revel. They consume massive amounts of wine and food, cause fights, and tear their foes limb from limb. They control people’s minds, subconsciously inviting them to engage in their bloody festivities and fostering urges that lead to excesses of hunger, lust, anger, and violence. Maenads can live for thousands of years. They insinuate themselves into normal society before attempting to inf luence the community. They travel their entire lives in search of creatures to inf luence into debauchery, cannibalism, and gluttony.

The elasmotherium is an enormous rhinoceros with an equally enormous temper—while it is an herbivore, the elasmotherium is incredibly aggressive and often attacks without provocation.  An elasmotherium is 20 feet long and weighs 8,500 pounds.

Although ferocious in shape, with radiant scales, cobralike hoods, and powerful serpentine bodies, guardian nagas serve as dutiful protectors of places of fundamental power and sanctity. Their scales often bear elaborate patterns similar to those of exotic jungle snakes. A typical guardian naga stretches 14 feet long and weighs approximately 350 pounds. While many guardian nagas adhere to the exotic practices of ancient or forgotten faiths, others are merely drawn to sites of innate wonder—towering waterfalls, natural spires, mountaintop temples—minding them out of their own senses of duty and reverence. Often these nagas join a living faith, serving as protectors of sanctuaries or ancient treasures. A pair of nagas might take up residence near a site they deem worthy of protection, hatching a brood and raising their offspring there. When the young grow to adulthood, they have the choice of departing to seek their own homes or staying to protect their elder’s charge. Sometimes, a guardian naga protecting a ruin or temple is but the current protector in a line of sentinels stretching back centuries. Such sentinels often take the same name as their forebears to appear as a single, exceptionally long-lived figure.

This monstrous, insectlike beast resembles a huge beetle with gleaming black armored plates. Around its head and neck the chitin forms a great mane of jagged spikes. Its insides swirl with acidic juices. Myrmecoleons live in remote areas where they claim large territories of wilderness as their hunting grounds. They’re often drawn to far-f lung ancient ruins and sites of mythic power, and sometimes act as guardians of such places. This has led some sages to theorize that some myrmecoleons aren’t born but are spontaneously created by sites thrumming with mythic power. These creatures only rarely interact with others of their kind—and these interactions usually end in brutal and destructive death matches. Myrmecoleons are cannibals and readily eat those they defeat. When fighting, these insects put on great displays to intimidate rivals or other threats. Myrmecoleons are known to roll in the corpses of their prey, impaling the bodies upon their carapaces and leaving them there to rot. Why they perform this gruesome act remains unknown. Those who have studied the creature to understand its rudimentary intelligence hypothesize that it might be some sort of a display to showcase its strength to others of its kind, or even be one part of an elaborate mating ritual.

While these massive giants might appear brutish, they are actually esoteric wanderers and thinkers who take very little notice of the world around them. Instead, their attention is fixated on the heavenly bodies, as they search for the empowering presence of solar or lunar eclipses. While in their search for such cosmological events, eclipse giants are uncaring and may be obliviously destructive, as they are quite large, and they don’t watch where they step. While in the presence of an eclipse, however, an eclipse giant becomes truly active, unlocking an inspired inner self that varies from giant to giant. While one eclipse giant might enter a violent frenzy and rage against the world and other creatures, another might produce a fragment of writing that will one day become one of the greatest plays of her generation, and another might solve a complex formula that predicts the celestial movements of the planets.  Eclipse giants stand 40 feet tall and weigh 30,000 pounds.

ECLIPSE SEER
Eclipse seers are able to predict the coming of eclipses. While some believe this knowledge is divinely inspired, in truth most such giants are able to derive the eclipses using mathematical formulas. A typical eclipse seer has the advanced simple template or a few levels in bard, investigator, or wizard (specializing in divination).