Date: Sun, 20 Mar 1994 13:50:00 BST From: "John R. Troy (JRT--Mad Demiurge of Vargaard)" <[j troy] at [genie.geis.com]> Subject: JRT-ART: New Monster Submission for Mythus Masters Magazine From: John R. Troy Editors Notes: I wanted to do a monster. Here it is, complete with an introduction based on a Scroll from the Mad Demiurge. Hope you can run it soon! :-) _word_ = Italic Type -------------- Begin Article -------------- >From the Scrolls of the Mad Demiurge. To: Ernst Grumbold From: T.M.D. Re: Creature you asked about Hey, Ernst, it's Vern!!!! Okay--first of all, you had *better* double-check the messenger services you patronize next time. From the scroll, it appears to me that you thought the practioner your hired to deliever the scroll was a Thaumaturge...um, he was a Demonurgist. Y'know, there are ways to tell the difference! I was rudely interrupted by this awful noise, as an Imp appeared in my study, dropped your message scroll and then began to taunt and threaten me, calling me names, and was about to start trashing the place. Unfortunately for him, the jerk didn't know what he was dealing with. Being the unique form of Demiurge I am, I know a lot of special magickal tricks, including spellweaving, technomagic, and heka-laced music. Basically, I sent him back to the netherplanes...never underestimate the power of disco music when imbuded with Heka...and they say the Kells know spellsongs--bah! Claremont's Poetic Prose, get your act together Grumbold! Be an informed shopper. As to the strange creature you described to me, It's no wonder you know little about it. The creature you named a "horror hound"--and hey, that's a pretty good name for what it can do, save that's it's more feline in form--is a _Yax_. It's a foul beast, that comes from the same place a Demodands. Man--you don't want to deal with such bizarre cats--pun not intended! The description of it matches my records...and I'm surprised you didn't suffer any damage looking at the beast...most people can't stand the sight of such brutes. Let me pop up some information on my Crystal Units here...apparently, the secrets of summoning these creatures were first known to Phaeree's own Nazi party, the Stinking Slaugh. The Yax might have a place in their dark Pantheon, which those of AErth know little about. They could be aligned with other pantheons, although I'm not certain...there are many factions and indepedent races and species of the whole of pandemonium. I should come out with a trading card set about the whole of Abyssial Evil! The first record of them comes from the very Journals of Fyrud Biskquirket, the "Onyx Outlaw". In fact, he was visiting Lorez Le Bocage at the time! Apparently one of his many enemies was a renegade Slaugh known as "The Oricalcium Tattoo", because of the Arcane Sigils etched into his flesh composed of that metal. Fryud knew that he was trying to become a god via skill with Devilshine and the formation of cults in his name. Anyway, this little meanie apparently summoned a Yax to battle him, then disappeared. Luckilly, Fyrud (the "Zorro of AErth" as I call him) had his trusty Epee handy, and was able to destroy the monstrocity. Score one for Swashbucklers everywhere! Since then, I've heard a few reports of them, appearing throughout Western AEropa. I'm speculating here, but perhaps the 'Tattoo left his conjuration castings around for others to find, or perhaps other Slaugh have left such information for said casters. Based on residual heka in the dust you've sent me here, I'd say a powerful Witchcraefter was responsible for this creature attacking the serfs under Sieur deVal. It was a cool thing for them that there was a local Friar of Apollo to deal with the creature, otherwise it would have done a lot more damage. Nixon's Lies!--I think you guys better send for a professional witchfinder and soon before an even greater tradgedy strikes. Gotta run for now...I've got some stuff to read. Enclosed in this scroll is a sheet with statstics and data about the beast. Hope it can be of use to both your messages to Earth as well as the citizens of the area. Good luck in defeating the evil. Peace! Wanga Wanga! YAX Identifier: Beast, Demondand Habitat: Pandemonium, Demondand Spheres Size: 2 x Human Size (4'-6'Long, 4' at Shoulder, #300 lbs) Number Appearing: 1 if Summoned/Conjured, D6 in Netherrealms Modes and Rates of Movement: Walk: 100 yds/BT Trot: 150 yds/BT Run: 200 yds/BT Charge: 400 yds/BT (1 BT only) Climb: 100 yds/BT Swim: (No Swim--walk on water/air) Initiative Modifiers: Outstanding K/S areas: Hunting/Tracking 60 STEEP Perception, Physical 50 STEEP Joss Factors: 2 Dodging/Avoidance: 13 and 20/44/10 Attractiveness: -5 (Nightmarish) Inner Beauty/Ugliness: N/A Invulnerabilities: Fire/Heat (up to Supernatural) Cold (up to Supernatural) Disease (up to Supernatural) Poison (up to Supernatural) Negative Heka effects (all DIRECT forms) Chemicals (up to Supernatural) Non-Enchanted Weapons Susceptibilities: Positive Heka (x2) Sunlight (d6/CT Exposure) Insinuation: Iron or Silver (x2) Contact: Silver (x1) Average Armor Protection: 12 Quirks: Attacks BAC Damage Type Base Bonus Claws x 2 55 C 3D3 16 (19)* Bite 50 P 2D6 16 (18)* Powers: Name: Stench Cloud Area of Effect: 1 Rod Radius Delivered by: Always in Effect Ranged: Centered on Yax Time: Instantanious Duration: Always in Effect Frequency: Always in Effect A Vile Stench constantly surrounds the Yax. Note, that, all those of Evil Ethos, nature, and the like (compatible with the Yax), such as the one who conjured it and his allies, for example, are immune to the stench. Otherwise, this has the effect similar to the Grade III Gloomy Darkness Casting _Stench Cloud_. Name: Panic Howl Area of Effect: 1 Furlong Radius Delivered by: Shout Range: Centered on Subject Time: 1 CT Duration: 2D3 ATs. Frequency: 1/Day This power forces the persona to make a SM roll at Difficult or flee the area as fast as one can. Name: Chill Bolts Area of Effect: 1 Target Delivered by: Gaze Range: 1 Chain Time: 1 CT Duration: Instantaneous Frequency: 6/day This power does 3D6 Spirtiual Damage and 3D3 Cold (Exposure) Damage to a persona. Name: Water/Air Walking Area of Effect: Yax Delivered by: Always on Range: Self Time: Always on Duration: Always on Frequency: Always on This power enables the creature to walk just above any liquid surface, thus allowing the Yax to walk over pools, oceans, and even dangerous chemicals without taking damage or slowing down. Furthermore, the beast can also walk over open pits, canyons, alleys from rooftops, and the like, without falling. Note that the beast can't climb air, but must remain at a level plane. Armor Scheme: Piercing Cutting Blunt Fire Chem Stun Electric Ultra 20 20 24 * * 24 12 Super 15 15 18 * * 18 9 Vital 10 10 12 * * 12 6 Non 5 5 6 * * 6 3 Averaged 12 12 15 * * 15 7 Attributes: M: 60 (Cunning) MM: 30 MMCap: 10 MMPow: 10 MMSpd: 10 MR: 30 MRCap: 10 MRPow: 10 MRSpd: 10 P: 300 PM: 150 PMCap: 78 PMPow: 28 PMSpd: 44* PN: 150 PNCap: 78 PNPow: 28 PNSpd: 44* S: 100 EL: 80 SM: 50 SMCap: 30 SMPow: 15 SMSpd: 5 SP: 50 SPCap: 30 SPPow: 15 SPSpd: 5 Commentary/Descriptions: Yax stand 6' tall at the shoulder. They look almost like skeletal panthers, with a wolf-like skull. The substance covering their bones looks like gaunt flesh that has been flayed many times, colored bright almost florescent green, coated with a plegm-like substance. The Skull-like head looks like a great wolf's, with sharper fangs. Instead of eyeballs, the Yax have glowing points of violet light in the center of the "skull's" eyesockets. The Yax exude a powerful odor which smells similar to bile, affecting all within its area of effect. The Yax are native to those vile spheres of Pandemonium where Demodands dwell. They hunt other beasts and brutes there. Sometimes, they are captured and enslaved into the service of powerful demodands, who use them as guardians and war beasts, as well as a form of "familiar". The Slaugh are known to conjure these creatures often and tend to use these beasts in certain hunts and war schemes. In fact, it is thought that the Yeth and Yax are related in some manner, Yax perhaps being a form of undead Yeth akin to ghouls. Vile practioners of the Material plane who know of their existance can attempt to Conjure them, and certain sects of Sorcerors and Witchcraefters know castings that summon them--although the knowledge is rare. Yax feed on the energy created by the death of their prey, as well as the emotion of fear. Thus, they like to torment their prey before slaying them. Yax are creatures of the darkness and like shadows opposed to light. They are irritated by even torchlight. Full Sunlight or Spells to that equivalent alter the substance of their "flesh", turning them into a ash- like substance. So too, positive Heka. Because of this allergy, like many forms of undead, they only come out a night. They can't be summoned into daylight conditions at all...all attempts to do so will fail. SENSORY ABILITIES: FN,HH,SE-I-U,TD,XA-H ------------ End Article ------------