동물

Animals are the mundane creatures which dwell in the Ironlands. Some animals are native to these lands; others were also common in the Old World.

Most wild animals are skittish and do not pose a threat to humans. Those creatures have no rank, and can be attacked or interacted with using appropriate moves. For example, Resupply (page 63) can represent hunting for deer or small game.

A few notable exceptions—predators, aggressive creatures, and animals trained to fight—are noted here.

• Rank: Formidable (1 progress per harm; inflicts 3 harm)
• Features: • Fearsome teeth and claws • Thick hide
• Drives: • Find food • Defend cubs
• Tactics: • Roar • Pin down • Maul with savage force

Most bears are not aggressive. They avoid Ironlanders and are unlikely to attack unless they see you as a threat.

There are exceptions. The silver bears of the Veiled Mountains, which sometimes range as far south as the Tempest Hills, are territorial, powerful, and aggressive. Likewise, the ash bear, encountered in woodlands throughout the Ironlands, is known for its ferocity and cunning. If either catch your scent, they are likely to hunt you down and attack.

Quest Starter: A group of hunters felled a large ash bear with several arrows. It tumbled into a river and was swept away. Unfortunately, the bear they thought dead is now stalking the group as they make their way back home.

• Rank: Dangerous (2 progress per harm; inflicts 2 harm)
• Features: • Wiry coat • Long tusks • Vicious
• Drives: • Forage • Protect territory • Defend sows
• Tactics: • Charge and gore • Circle and attack again

In the Old World, wild boars were belligerent and dangerous animals. Here in the Ironlands? They are even bigger and meaner. They attack without warning or provocation. They will run you down, gore you, bite you, and circle around to do it all again. And again. And again.

Quest Starter: A boar hunt ends in tragedy when an Ironlander is gored and grievously wounded. How do you know this person? What terrible truth do they reveal as they lay dying?

• Rank: Dangerous (2 progress per harm; inflicts 2 harm)
• Features: • Horse-like creature with a lean, skeletal frame • Ghostly pale eyes • Black, scaled hide
• Drives: • Run like the wind
• Tactics: • Rear up • Charge • Trample

A gaunt is a creature unique to the Ironlands. They maneuver across the rough, dense terrain of the Deep Wilds and Hinterlands with uncanny speed and grace. This makes them ideal as mounts for the elves (page 142), who breed and train them.

A gaunt will not usually act aggressively without provocation, but they are as deadly as the fiercest warhorse under the command of a talented rider.

Quest Starter: Villages in the Hinterlands have fallen prey to a large band of gaunt-riding elves. They attack with sudden and violent force, and are gone before any sort of defense can be mustered. Their leader, a warrior of unmatched skill, rides a distinctive white gaunt. What has driven these elves to strike out against the Ironlanders?

• Rank: Troublesome (3 progress per harm; inflicts 1 harm)
• Features: • Beady eyes • Long tail
• Drives: • Eat everything • Breed
• Tactics: • Swarm and bite

The marsh rat is a rodent of unusual size. They are all-too-common in the Flooded Lands or in wetlands within the Hinterlands and Deep Wilds.

They eat almost anything, including carrion and waste. Our grain stores and pantries are an easy target for marsh rats, who dig tunnels or chew through walls to get at the food. They will also try to make a meal out of living prey— deer, cattle, or even an unlucky Ironlander. A pack of marsh rats can kill a horse and reduce it to bone in a matter of hours.

Quest Starter: Marsh rats raided the stores of an isolated settlement. How will you ensure the Ironlanders have enough food to survive the coming winter?

• Rank: Dangerous (2 progress per harm; inflicts 2 harm)
• Features: • Keen senses
• Drives: • Fight rivals • Mark territory • Run with the pack
• Tactics: • Stalk • Pack rush • Drag to the ground

The Ironlands are home to several breeds of wolves. Most are not aggressive and stay clear of settlements and travelers. Despite that, attacks against Ironlanders are not unknown. A harsh winter and insufficient prey can drive a pack to hunt livestock or even an unwary Ironlander. As night falls we hear their howls, and hope they are well fed.

Quest Starter: You find the grisly remains of a pack of wolves. All are dead, even the cubs. What caused this? Why is it a harbinger of a greater danger?