Natural Fauna

AX.GAN.13.02 - Natural Fauna

The native fauna of Andrus predate all three lineage arrivals. These creatures evolved alongside the world's primordial energies and occupy specific ecological roles, apex predators, pack hunters, ambush specialists, that were stable before the World Gate opened and have been disrupted by the Blasted Reach's expansion ever since. Creatures whose territory borders the Reach have grown increasingly stressed and aggressive as fissure activity expands. This is not corruption in the Murin sense; it is an ecological system under pressure.

Non-combat resolution: Fauna threats can often be avoided, redirected, or driven off through environmental means, fire, altitude, territorial challenges from a sufficiently imposing threat. Animals that have been driven from disrupted Reach territory may be redirected toward safer hunting grounds through careful application of scent-masking, terrain, and patience. The Misa, Kasia, and Yusk cultures have extensive practical knowledge of these techniques; a character with relevant cultural connection or Lore (Creatures) can access that knowledge with a successful roll.

CANOPY RAPTOR (Minion)

Pack hunters of the jungle canopy, small, quick, and dangerous in numbers.

Small aerial predators native to the deep jungle territories of Misa and Kasia cultures. Canopy Raptors are no larger than a large hawk, but they hunt in coordinated trios called a strike, a behavior so consistent that Misa territorial lore records it as reliable as weather. A solo Raptor is a nuisance. Three Raptors coordinating a dive attack on a traveler distracted by footing on an unstable path is a different problem.

Type: Beast (Aerial, Pack Hunter) | Power Level: Minion | Size: Small

Attributes - Body: 2D | Speed: 2D | Wit: 0D

Talents - Strike: 1D - Acrobatics: 1D - Notice: 1D

Combat Statistics - Health: 27 (20 + Body 2 + Minion Modifier 5) - Defense: 1 (Speed 2 + Armor 0 = 2 ÷ 3 = 0.66, round down to 0, +1 base = 1) - Armor: None

Saves - Body Save: 2D (Body 2D + Fortitude 0D) - Speed Save: 3D (Speed 2D + Acrobatics 1D) - Wit Save: 0D

Attacks - Talon Rake: Body 2D + Strike 1D = 3D vs Defense, 2 damage typical - Diving Screech (Special, see below)

Beast Traits - Keen Sight: +1D to Notice checks for movement at Near or Far range - Natural Weapons: Talons and beak (Strike pool above) - Pack Tactics: When 2 or more Canopy Raptors attack the same target in the same Turn, each deals +1 damage on a successful hit

Special Abilities - Opening Screech: The first Raptor to attack in an encounter makes its Talon Rake from elevation. If the attack hits, the target must make a Wit Save Threshold 2 or gain the Shaken condition (−1D all rolls until end of next Turn). Subsequent Raptors do not trigger the Screech; it only disorients on the first unexpected contact. - Flock Withdrawal: When 2 of 3 Raptors in a strike are reduced to 0 Health, the survivor immediately disengages and flees. Raptors do not fight to the last member of a strike.

Tactics Canopy Raptors select targets at the edge of a group, the character furthest from others, or anyone separated by rough terrain. One Raptor opens with a dive screech to disorient, then all three press the advantage simultaneously. If the target responds effectively and the strike loses a member, they reassess quickly; they flee before losing a second. They do not pursue into open ground away from canopy cover.

Lore & Ecology Canopy Raptors are ambush specialists of the deep jungle. They are not drawn to human settlements but follow prey migration into marginal territory during dry seasons. The Kasia keep active track of Raptor territory boundaries because the birds will investigate unusual activity near nesting sites during spring. Misa hunters sometimes use captured Raptor calls as an alerting system, if the calls stop suddenly, something larger has entered the canopy.

Remains - Raptor talons (3–5 per bird): used in Kasia ritual ornamentation; minor trade value - Primary feathers: fletching quality for precision work; 1–3 IM per complete set

SERPENTINE WYVERN (Standard)

Pack hunters that stalk young True Dragons and isolated travelers through coordinated aerial assault.

Wyverns are serpentine aerial predators whose primary prey, in healthy populations, is large megafauna. The critical problem for Andrus's post-Gate ecosystem is that the True Dragon population represents accessible large prey, specifically, young dragons whose aerial maneuverability is not yet developed, and wyverns have learned to exploit this. Every sept near Dragon Spine territory maintains active patrol against wyvern colonies. The creatures are not sapient and not malicious. They are predators that have identified an opportunity.

Solo wyverns are dangerous but manageable. Wyvern packs of three to five, working coordinated assault patterns against an isolated target, represent encounters requiring serious tactical consideration even for experienced parties.

Type: Beast (Aerial, Pack Hunter) | Power Level: Standard | Size: Large

Attributes - Body: 3D | Speed: 3D | Wit: 1D

Talents - Strike: 2D - Acrobatics: 2D - Notice: 1D - Fortitude: 1D

Combat Statistics - Health: 33 (20 + Body 3 + Standard Modifier 10) - Defense: 2 (Speed 3 + Armor 0 = 3 ÷ 3 = 1, +1 base = 2) - Armor: None (natural scale hide provides no mechanical armor value)

Saves - Body Save: 4D (Body 3D + Fortitude 1D) - Speed Save: 5D (Speed 3D + Acrobatics 2D) - Wit Save: 1D

Attacks - Bite: Body 3D + Strike 2D = 5D vs Defense, 3–4 damage typical - Tail Sweep: Body 3D + Strike 2D = 5D vs Defense, 2–3 damage typical; on hit, target makes Speed Save Threshold 2 or knocked Prone

Beast Traits - Keen Smell: +2D to Notice checks based on scent; can track targets through terrain by smell alone - Pack Hunter: When 2 or more Wyverns attack the same target this Turn, each attacker gains +1D to their attack roll - Natural Weapons: Bite and tail (Strike pool above)

Special Abilities - Diving Assault: A Wyvern attacking from at least Far elevation gains +1D to its attack roll and deals +2 damage on a successful hit. After using Diving Assault, the Wyvern's movement brings it to Close range; it cannot immediately use Diving Assault on its next Turn. - Target Lock: Once a Wyvern pack identifies a priority target (typically the youngest, smallest, or most isolated creature in the encounter), all Wyverns in the pack receive +1D to Notice checks to track that specific target and will not voluntarily switch primary targets until the locked target is incapacitated or flees beyond Far range.

Tactics Wyvern packs divide labor: one approaches at altitude for a Diving Assault while others circle to cut off retreat routes. They identify the most vulnerable target first, young, injured, or isolated, and maintain Target Lock regardless of which other party members attempt to intercept. A pack losing two members will break off the current engagement; they circle at Far range and reassess. If the pack is down to one Wyvern, it disengages immediately.

Lore & Ecology Wyvern colonies typically contain twelve to twenty individuals. They establish territory based on prey availability and will shift colonies seasonally. The Ustara Covenant maintains active monitoring of wyvern colony movements near Dragon Spine territory, and Aedyn aerial scouts assist with this surveillance by mutual agreement. A wyvern colony that has established itself within a day's flight of an Ustara sept is treated as an emergency requiring immediate response, not because individual wyverns are unmanageable, but because they hunt in coordinated packs that can overwhelm even guarded hatching areas if a security gap appears.

Remains - Wyvern hide: leatherwork applications; 10–20 IM per usable section - Wing membrane: watertight material for specialty applications; 15–30 IM per usable section - Venom glands (vestigial): Wyverns have trace venom in their saliva; not pharmacologically significant but useful in Kasia alchemical work; 5–15 IM per intact pair

BETHIR (Champion)

Terrestrial apex predator, six-clawed, fume-breathing, and the only creature known to successfully poison a True Dragon.

The Bethir is the most significant natural predator on Andrus by any measure of threat capability. Large enough to physically grapple an adult True Dragon, equipped with six talon-tipped claws and two biological weapons with no natural counters, and resistant to the flame breath that is most creatures' final resort, the Bethir is a reason the True Dragons developed complex threat-detection behaviors in the first place.

Bethir are solitary ambush hunters. They do not form packs, do not display territorial behavior toward each other, and do not compete. They are simply apex: nothing preys on them. The Ustara Covenant maintains an ongoing research program into Bethir venom with no completed antitoxin to date. The medical chronicles on this subject are extensive and, to the scholars involved, personally motivating.

Type: Magical Beast (Terrestrial, Apex Predator) | Power Level: Champion | Size: Huge

Attributes - Body: 5D | Speed: 4D | Wit: 2D

Talents - Strike: 4D - Fortitude: 3D - Acrobatics: 2D - Notice: 2D - Stealth: 2D

Combat Statistics - Health: 50 (20 + Body 5 + Champion Modifier 25) - Defense: 3 (Speed 4 + Natural Armor 2 = 6 ÷ 3 = 2, +1 base = 3) - Armor: Natural Medium (+2, dense layered hide and scale composite)

Saves - Body Save: 8D (Body 5D + Fortitude 3D) - Speed Save: 6D (Speed 4D + Acrobatics 2D) - Wit Save: 3D (Wit 2D + Resolve 1D)

Attacks - Six-Claw Rend: Body 5D + Strike 4D = 9D vs Defense, 7–8 damage typical - Bite (Venom Delivery): Body 5D + Strike 4D = 9D vs Defense, 5–6 damage typical + Bethir Venom - Fume Cloud: Special (see below)

Magical Beast Traits - Flame Shrug: When the Bethir takes damage from mundane fire, reduce that damage by 3. When the Bethir is targeted by a tradition-based fire attack (Elemental Fire, Draconic Essence fire application, Hearthblade heat), roll 1D after the attack resolves: on 4+, the Bethir ignores the attack's effects entirely; on 1–3, the Bethir takes half the normal damage (round down). - Venom Immunity: Completely immune to all toxins, including Kasia compounds and alchemical poisons. - Apex Presence: Creatures of standard intelligence or below (Wit 1D or lower, including most fauna) will not willingly approach within Near range of a Bethir. This does not apply to sapient creatures.

Special Abilities - Bethir Venom: Any creature struck by the Bite attack must make a Body Save, Threshold 3, or gain the Poisoned condition. Unlike standard Poisoned, Bethir Venom is escalating: if untreated, make another Body Save (Threshold 3) after each Long Rest, on failure, the condition worsens (−2D Body pools; movement halved; tissue damage begins). After a second failed rest save, the condition becomes critical and requires Draconic Essence (Restore, Threshold 4) or equivalent magic to arrest. For True Dragons specifically: True Dragons are otherwise immune to all venom; Bethir Venom bypasses this immunity entirely. The Covenant maintains urgent research on this topic. Treatment options are currently limited to early-stage Draconic Essence application. - Six-Claw Grapple: When the Bethir's Six-Claw Rend attack hits, it may forgo dealing damage to initiate a Grapple as part of the same action, gaining +2D on the Grapple check. If the Grapple succeeds, the Bethir's rear claws automatically deal 4 damage as a free attack, no additional roll required. The Grappled creature is Immobilized until it breaks the Grapple (Body Save Threshold 3 as a Primary Action). - Noxious Fume Cloud: Primary Action | Recharge 4 Turns. The Bethir expels a cloud of noxious biological gas filling a Near-range area centered on the Bethir. All non-Bethir creatures within the area make a Body Save, Threshold 3: on failure, gain the Staggered condition (−2D Body pools, movement halved, until Long Rest) and take 3 damage. On success, take 1 damage only. The Bethir is immune to its own fumes and those of other Bethir.

Tactics The Bethir hunts through patient ambush, it establishes position downwind of prey routes and waits, sometimes for days. When it strikes, it targets the largest or most threatening creature first, attempting a Six-Claw Grapple immediately. Once prey is Grappled and rear-claw raked, it deploys the Fume Cloud to suppress supporting creatures. It uses the Bite (with Venom) against still-mobile threats. The Bethir does not retreat, it has no evolutionary history that taught retreat as a useful behavior. If reduced below 15 Health, it focuses entirely on the Grappled creature, attempting to eliminate it before addressing other threats.

Lore & Ecology Bethir are solitary and territorial, each adult maintains a range of several square leagues and actively marks it. Territories do not overlap. The total Bethir population on Andrus is believed to be small; they are rarely encountered except near Dragon Spine territory and along the margins of the Blasted Reach, where their ambush hunting style takes advantage of reduced visibility. The Reach's expansion appears to be displacing some Bethir from their established territories, a secondary threat implication of the Murin incursion that the Kyne Daas have noted in their monitoring records.

The Ustara consider a Bethir encounter near a hatching ground to be a critical emergency requiring immediate full-sept response. Rider-Dragon pairs handle Bethir more effectively than ground-based parties, aerial mobility denies the Grapple, and a dragon who maintains altitude can apply breath without exposing their Rider to fumes.

Remains - Bethir hide (sections): +3 natural armor quality for crafters with specialized tools; 200–500 IM per workable section - Venom glands (intact): active research subject for Ustara scholars; non-monetary value in Covenant contexts; 100–300 IM in other markets - Claw sheaths (6 per Bethir): rare material used in Durakai precision instruments; 30–80 IM each

Adventure Hooks

The Displaced Colony, A wyvern colony has relocated from its historical territory near the Reach margin into established Aedyn aerial scout lanes. The Aedyn won't approach that airspace without resolution. What drove the colony out of the Reach? The territory they abandoned may hold answers the players are looking for anyway.

The Bethir's Mark, A Kyne Daas scout has returned from the deep Reach with a distinctive fang wound that the local healers cannot classify. The wound pattern matches what the Ustara chronicles describe as Bethir venom, but the Bethir's established territory doesn't extend that far into the Reach. Something has changed.

Strike Season, Three different travelers have reported Canopy Raptor strikes along the same jungle route, unusual frequency for the species. A Misa territorial hunter investigating the pattern has gone quiet. The raptor territory normally contains a natural deterrent. Something has removed it.