Myths And Legends: The Favor Of The Sea Queen

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The Favor Of The Sea Queen

You want to be a sailor? To challenge the sea itself? Work your ass every day and night in hope of hitting big when you and your ship are the first to outrun one of the great storms and bring the rare and exotic spices or other fancy goods across the seas? Many, many wanted that... Some even succeeded... But even more ended at the bottom of the ocean, forever bound to Her palace...

There was that ship, The Albatross-King, the name itself should tell you something about its captain... A proud man, vain even, and not without a merit. He was a skilled sailor, a masterful navigator, forceful leader, and a devil with a blade, short or long. What's more he was handsome and virile, and as the story goes, a devil in bed as well. That was the captain of The Albatross-King, the man who was willing to challenge anyone, god or demon, face to face...

His antics on the sea were already widely renowned, for like many who venture on these waters, he was a trader when there was bargain to be made, a pirate when there was plunder to be looted, an explorer when the winds brought him to unknown shores, a hunter when beasts of sea emerged, and a warrior when attacked. Whatever the challenge he took on, he succeeded, often with price paid in the blood of his men, although rarely his own, despite him never giving less than his crew. Some say he was charmed, some say he was damned, a few that he captured the eye f the goddess of the wave, the Sea Queen herself...

Did he? Ha! Judge it for yourself.

The storm season was coming, forcing all that plied these routes to stay careful and sail slowly, avoid the worst weather. In such time, the trade grinds slowly, and yet, in such times fortunes are made by the bold, the foolish, and the lucky. One of the princes or kings of a seaside realm was throwing up a wedding, for oneself or the heir, few remember. The important thing was that suddenly the prices of exotic spices from far-away lands went up tenfold, twentyfold even. A royal ransom would await whoever would got there in time. So The Albatross-King took the cargo of spice. Some shook their heads, many warned the captain of the folly of his endeavor, others simply uttered prayers for the departed for the captain and the crew. He laughed at them and set sails for the open sea, right underneath gathering black clouds.

Early in the evening, the storms struck, a dark wall of wind, rain, and waves, where the difference between the sky and the sea blurs. His crew already wary, requesting that they would move out of the storm's path and seek calmer and longer route. He cursed them with names that made them, seasoned sailors blush, called them cowards and proclaimed that he won't back off of the storm, even if sent by the goddess of the seas herself. Thunders struck sending the crew on their knees but he only raised his voice and screamed his challenge to the roaring winds, there and then, he proclaimed that he would go through the storm and past the sea, for he was the the greatest of its captains. There, he promised the Sea Queen Herself, that he would mount Her and ride her like a mare on his way through, giving Her the travel She would never forget.

The sea and the storm responded with a great wave, wave, which the cowering crew was sure would consume the ship with its boisterous captain. The waves struck, shaking the ship, and when they could see from behind the curtains of water, She stood on the bow—her hair black like the storm clouds above, her naked skin dark turquoise like the sea underneath. She stood there, with a cruel crooked smile, face to face with the blasphemous captain.

I am holding you to your promise.

A smile quickly replaced momentary surprise on the captain's face. He bowed to her and led her to his cabin. For a moment, the storm calmed, only to strike again, with even greater force. The crew fought for their life and for the ship, and each time they thought the storm might be passing, it struck again, and again, and again. And yet, the mad wind throwing them on the sea was always behind them, the waves carried them. The storm raged for three nights, carrying them and throwing them around like a toy, giving them no time for rest.

And then, before the dawn of the third morning, the sea went silent. The First Mate gathered the crew on the deck to count them and estimate damages. Then, the door of the captain's cabin opened and She stepped outside, with an enigmatic, capricious smile on her lips, bearing the captain's splendid hat, adorned with the feather of a golden albatross. She stepped out and looked over the crew—for a moment her gaze meet eyes of each and every one of them. Without word she handed the hat to the First Mate, stopped to kiss the youngest and leaped into the sea. The sailors looked on each other, with strange calmness and confidence in their hearts, and then checked on the captain, though later they claimed they already knew what will they find—the captain was still there, naked and drowned on his bed, his arrogant smile forever staying on his face.

The same day, they entered the harbor of their destination, in three days having braved the rout that should take a week with the best winds. They sold the spice for their weight in gold, and as they shared the profits each of them become wealthy man. And yet, all of them sailed until the end of their lives, some sooner some later. The boy seaman who tasted the lips of the sea goddess leaped into the sea a few months later being the first to die. The First Mate remained the captain of The Albatross-King, the best navigator of the fastest ship for years to come. Others split and spread across many ships sailing many seas.

Monsters: Wight-spirits and Greater Wight-beasts

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Wight-Spirits

Wight-spirits—sometimes called wight-wraith or barrow-spirits—are vestiges of malicious will, intangible remnants of evil presences, too ephemeral to be even considered creatures at all. They roam the places infused with corruption and taint of death, usually intimately related to, although occasionally being simply summoned to any sufficiently tainted place that resonates with their ill will.

Wight-spirits lack form, even the immaterial shape of incorporeal undead. They often also lack active memory, they might recall key events and some random smattering of past experiences but they rarely form new memories, or if they do, they are fleeting and vague, often distorted by the mirror of the past. They are also extremely limited in their ability to influence the surrounding world or be influences by it. They can whisper to particularly sensitive individuals—children, dying, drunk, drugged, sick, insane, meditating, magically talented, or those engaging in meditation and spirit-seeking trances, although the communication tends to be one sided. They can, in the right circumstances, possess corpses, albeit their lack ability to animate them on their own—the power to rouse the dead must come from elsewhere, usually the lingering corruption of necrotic energies already accumulated in the surrounding land or the corpse itself. Occasionally, they manage to slip inside a body as it is brought to life or unlife by a powerful caster, giving the new undead unexpected sapience and remnants of personality, or a hidden dangerous passenger to a revived mortal. At times, multiple wight-spirits seem to ride a single being that was particularly strong in life, forming a more powerful entity.

Free wight-spirit are easy to ward off and banish for a time—anything that repels evil or undead works, even methods that are too weak to actually get rid of true undead—but they are quite hard to eliminate permanently. Only cleansing the very land they roam of deathly corruption and taint of evil will destroy them.

Greater Wight-Beasts

Where wight-spirits roam, wight-beasts often arise, if there is sufficient necrotic corruption spreads across the land. When a particularly big and powerful animal, including dire beasts, dies and becomes corrupted, it might attract many wight-spirits and become a greater-wight beast. Such monstrosities might lead packs of lesser-wight beasts, groups of more than two greater-wight beasts are almost unheard of, being clear marks of extreme corruption extending its tendrils into the lands of the living.

Greater Carrion-Wings (CR 4) form out of dire ravens and big vultures. Size Medium; Init +3; Perception +10; AC 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural); hp 30 (4d8+12); Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7; DR 5/magic and silver; Atk beak +7 (1d8+4 plus energy drain); Str 18, Dex 16, Con —, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 17; CMB +7; CMD 20; Skills Fly +10, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +10, Stealth +10. Special Abilities Carrion-mark subject doubles damage from bleeding and dying, and has a –4 penalty to saving throws against death effects, negative energy levels, massive damage, and coup d'grace attempts.

Greater Wight-Fangs (CR 5) are corrupted dire wolves and particularly large wargs. Size Large; Init +8; Perception +10; AC 19 (+4 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size); hp 42 (5d8+20); Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +8; DR 5/magic and silver; Atk bite +9 (3d6+10 plus energy drain and trip); Str 24, Dex 18, Con —, Int 15, Wis 19, Cha 19; CMB +11; CMD 25 (29 vs. trip); Skills Acrobatics +9 (+17 jumping), Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +12, Stealth +8. Special Abilities Grasp of the fallen victim, after failing three saving throws (DC 16) is physically dragged under the ground and buried.

Greater Foulgores (CR 6) are corrupted dire boars.  Size Large; Init +7;  Perception +10; AC 21 (+3 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size); hp 57 (6d8+30); Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +9; DR 10/magic and silver; Atk gore +11 (3d8+12 plus energy drain); Str 26, Dex 16, Con —, Int 15, Wis 19, Cha 19; CMB +13; CMD 26 (30 vs. trip); Skills Intimidate +13, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Perception +13, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +11. Special Abilities Foul vapors can be used twice per hour and lasts for 2d4+1 rounds.

Greater Bile-Bears (CR 7) form out of grizzly bears and some smaller dire bears.  Size Huge; Init +7;  Perception +15; AC 22 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural, –2 size);  hp 66 (7d8+35);  Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +10; DR 10/magic and silver; Atk 2 claws +12 (1d8+9 plus grab), bite +12 (1d8+9 plus energy drain); Str 28, Dex 16, Con —, Int 17,  Wis 21, Cha 19; CMB +16 (+20 grapple); CMD 30 (34 vs. trip); Skills Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (religion) +13, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +13. Special Abilities Dread roar DC is 17.

Greater Grave-Claws (CR 8) are tigers and mountain lions corrupted into undeath.  Size Large; Init +9; Perception +17; AC 23 (+5 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size);  hp 94 (9d8+54);  Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +11; DR 10/magic and silver; Atk 2 claws +13 (1d6+8), bite +13 (1d6+8 plus energy drain); Str 26, Dex 20, Con —, Int 17, Wis 21, Cha 21;   CMB +15; CMD 30 (34 vs. trip); Skills Acrobatics +17 (+25 jumping), Intimidate +17, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Perception +17, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +15. Special Abilities disturbing hiss saving throw DC is 19, rake (2 claws +13, 1d6+4).

Monster: Grave-claw

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Grave-Claw

A big black cat with glowing red eyes and a green luminescence outlining its shape.

CR 6; XP 2,400
CE Medium Undead
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +15

Defense
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 76 (9d8+36)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +9
DR 5/magic or silver; Immunities undead traits

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee 2 claws +10 (1d4+4), bite +10 (1d4+4)
Special Attacks acrobatic pounce, disturbing hiss, rake (2 claws +10, 1d4+2)


Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 17
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 24 (28 vs. trip)
Feats Acrobatic Steps, Combat Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +13 (+21 jumping), Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge (religion) +13, Perception +15, Stealth +16
Languages Common, Necril

Ecology
Environment plains, forests, hills, mountains
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Acrobatic Pounce (Ex) A grave-claw can make a full attack, including its rake attacks when charging. Additionally, it does not have to charge in a straight line, being able to change direction during the charge up to 90 degrees once, and can make charge over a difficult terrain, although it has to make an Acrobatics check to leap over the interfering terrain or the charge stops where it lands.

Disturbing Hiss (Su) As a swift action, a grave-claw can issue a hiss that disturbs and distracts a single opponent within 10 feet. Until the end of the grave-claw's following turn, the affected opponent can't make attacks of opportunity and has to make a concentration check to cast a spell (DC 17+spell level) or use any other ability that requires concentration. A successful Will saving throw (DC 17) negates this effect. A creature cannot be affected by this ability more than once in 24 hour period. This is a fear effect. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.


Grave-claws form out of dead leopards, cheetah, dire lynxes, and other medium cats, and are the most sneaky and patient of wight-beasts, but also the most unpredictable and highly aggressive.

Monster: Bile-Bear

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Bile-Bear

A sickly yellow, brown, and black bear with glowing red eyes and green luminescence outlining its form.

CR 5; XP 1,600
CE Large Undead
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +13

Defense
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 52 (7d8+21)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +8
Defensive Abilities rearing stance; DR 5/magic or silver; Immunities undead traits

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +9 (1d6+5 plus grab), bite +9 (1d6+5)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks dreadful roar

Statistics
Str 20, Dex 14, Con —, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 15
Base Atk +5; CMB +11 (+15 grapple); CMD 24
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Perception +13, Spellcraft +11
Languages Common, Necril

Ecology
Environment plains, forests, hills
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Dreadful Roar (Su) Three times per day, a bile-bear can issue a disturbing roar in a 30-ft. radius burst as an immediate action. Living creatures that fail their Will saving throw (DC 15) have all competence and morale bonuses suppressed and all their movement speeds are halved for the next 1d4+1 rounds. A successful saving throw reduces the duration of the effect to 1 round. This is a fear, mind-affecting, sonic effect. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based.

Rearing Stance (Ex and Su) A bile-bear taking a total defense action rears on his legs. It can continue to make attacks of opportunity and provide flanking benefits to its allies while doing so. Additionally, it grants the bile-bear temporary hit points equal to its HD plus its Charisma bonus (9 temporary hit points for a typical bile-bear), lasting until the start of its next turn.


Bile-bears form when a wight-spirit rouses to unlife a dead bear, bringing to existence a terrible entity full of anger and spite. Like other wight-beasts, bile-bears are far more cunning than their animalistic frame would suggest, acting cunningly and ferociously, though with little regard for its own existence.

Monster: Foulgore

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Foulgore

This boar has pieces of its skin falling away, revealing bloodied innards and gleaming ribs. Its eyes are glowing red, and all its form is outlined in green fluorescence.

CR 4; XP 1,200
CE Medium Undead
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +11

Defense
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 45 (6d8+18)
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Defensive Abilities foul vapor; DR 5/magic or silver; Immunities undead traits

Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee gore +8 (2d8+6)
Special Attacks boar-rush

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 14, Con —, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +4; CMB +8 (+12 bull-rush); CMD 20 (24 vs. trip)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness
Skills Intimidate +11, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +11, Spellcraft +10
Languages Common, Necril
SQ unearth remains

Ecology
Environment plains, forests, hills
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–5)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Boar-Rush (Ex) When a foulgore charges, it can make a free bull-rush attempt on its target with a +4 bonus, without provoking attacks of opportunity in addition to the regular attack.

Foul Vapor (Su) Three times per day, a foulgore can release a 10-ft. radius cloud of fetid mist around oneself as an immediate action. The cloud lasts for 1d4+1 rounds, acts as desecrate spell for purpose of animating and summoning undead, provides concealment against ranged and ranged touch attacks, and grants a +4 profane bonus to saving throws against positive energy and effects that would take control, repel, damage or destroy an undead creature.

Unearth Remains (Su) A foulgore can completely dig out a corpse with a full-round action, as long as the corpse is 5 or less feet underneath the surface of earth, snow, sand, or mud. It can break nonmagical coffin in two rounds, nonmagical stone cairn or grave in a minute.



Foulgores are wight-boars, savage, cruel, and yet surprisingly cunning and knowledgeable about the dark arts.

Monster: Wight-fang

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Wight-fang

A wolf with blackened fur, glowing red eyes, oversized grin with too many bloodied fangs, and a faint luminescent green outline to its shape.

CR 3; XP 800
CE Medium Undead
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +10

Defense
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 32 (5d8+10)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +6
DR 5/magic or silver; Immunities undead traits

Offense
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +6 (2d6+4 plus trip)
Special Attacks grasp of the fallen, howl of the barrows

Statistics
Str 16, Dex 16, Con —, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 15
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 19 (23 vs. trip)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+16 jumping), Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +10, Stealth +11
Languages Common, Necril

Ecology
Environment ruins, forests, hills
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–12)
Treasure standard (trinkets gathered from its prey)

Special Abilities

Grasp Of The Fallen (Su) As an immediate action, a wight-fang can send spectral presences to haunt a sapient creature within its line of that is prone. The victims experience vision of falling into an empty grave with numerous ghostly shapes and skeletal arms holding them down while a gravestone rises over them. Standing up requires a successful Will saving throw (DC 14), a failed saving throw wastes the action used to stand up and prevents the victim from trying again until the next turn. After three failed saving throws, the creature becomes paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds and the effect ends. The saving throw DC is Charisma-based. This is a fear, mind-affecting phantasm effect.

Howl Of The Barrows (Su) A wight-fang can issue a soul-piercing howl that grants all the undead beings that hear it +1 profane bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws as well as 5 temporary hit points until the end of the wight-fang's following turn. All the living creatures that hear it suffer –2 penalty to saving throws against fear effects until the end of the wight-fang's next turn unless affected by protection from evil or similar effect. The howl often attracts attention of undead creatures within miles, although it does not compel them to actually react in any way.


Wight-fangs are among the many varied wight-beasts that roam the places tainted with death and decay, dead wolves or hounds whose corpses are worn by a vile spirit like a terrible robe and tool of evil.

Monster: Carrion-wing

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Carrion-wing

This tattered vulture has blackened feather, glowing red eyes, and a faint luminescent-green outline around its silhouette.

CR 2; XP 600
CE Small Undead
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +8

Defense
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 22 (4d8+4)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5
Immunities undead traits

Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee beak +4 (1d6)
Special Attacks carrion-mark, sneak attack +2d6

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con —, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 13
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Combat Reflexes, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Fly +11, Knowledge (religion) +6, Perception +8
Languages Common, Necril

Ecology
Environment ruins, plains, hills
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–24)
Treasure standard (trinkets gathered from its prey)

Special Abilities

Carrion-Mark (Su) A carrion-wing can take an immediate action to mark a living (or dead) creature within its line of sight as touched by death. The target has to be dead, dying (including stable), disabled, diseased, or bleeding. The mark can be removed with break enchantment, dispel evil, or remove curse, but otherwise it lasts until the carrion-wing that placed the mark is destroyed, persisting even through death and revival. The carrion-wing can always sense the direction and distance toward bearers of its carrion-marks as long as they are on the same plane, and can sense when they are dead or revived. When making an attack against bearer of its carrion-mark, a carrion-wing can apply its sneak attack to the damage dealt.


Carrion-wings are undead vultures, giant ravens, and similar carrion birds ridden by a malevolent wight-spirit. They often feast on the dead, and they prey on creatures that are close to death—wounded, diseased, dying—stalking and observing their targets even if they recover. Sometimes they get a sick liking to their victims, following them and preying on those who get near death while around their favorites, they also often accompany necromancers and more powerful undead, ruthless conquerors, evil outsiders, and malicious fey.