Post by driver on Jul 3, 2008 6:28:06 GMT -6
I ran across this old write-up from the last time I ran B1 a few years ago. I generally don't go all Ed Greenwood and get this detailed with a monster, so I'm not sure what came over me, but the thread in General Discussion about Mike Carr reminded me of it:
"Brides of Zelligar" [Witch-Goblins of Quasqueton]
The Brides are about 3'2" tall, and weigh about 60 lbs. They are all quite fat.
Many have died through old age or misadventure; those who remain are geriatric, as it has been 20 years since their master, Zelligar, left Quasqueton.
The Brides have a fearsome appearance, with wicked oversized mouths filled with needle-like teeth, hard claws on their hands and feet, and oily yellow skin. Their faces are ugly and animalistic, with long hooked noses, sloping forehead, and prominent brow. They have deeply-set white-pupiled eyes and large, pointed ears. Their hair is long, lank, and has gone to white.
Like all Goblins, the Brides have excellent senses and powerful deepvision. Their stench is less than that of the typical Goblin, as the Brides keep themselves very clean (by Goblin standards) for the inevitable return of their master.
Each Bride is adorned with multiple hoop earrings of iron, brass, or copper. They wear nauseating green cassocks with ornamental brass shoulder-pieces, lacquered scale mail, and pointed leather helms. Each bears a long wavy-bladed knife (treat as short sword), a composite short bow, and a quiver of barbed, green-fletched arrows.
Zelligar took the Brides when they were but imps as tribute from the local Goblin tribe, and they were indoctrinated in his service from youth. They are fanatically loyal to Zelligar, and know that life with their tribe would have been a never-ending cycle of brutality and pregnancy. They were told to guard Quasqueton for Zelligar's return, and that's what they do.
The Brides are objects of superstition to their old tribe -- as Goblins rarely live two decades, few warriors remember the circumstances of the Brides' sojourn to Quasqueton, but all know the legends of their dark master and are terrified of incurring his wrath.
The Brides eat copious amounts of fungus from the Garden, along with what vermin they can catch. They avoid the areas that Zelligar told them to shun, and view the complex's Undead with fear. They do not molest the patrolling undead, nor will they enter Undead-controlled areas. They throw their garbage down the access shaft to area 56 of the lower caverns, and sometimes go below in force to harvest the succulent scavengers of the garbage room or a clawful of juicy bats from the Grand Cavern. They know about the Mother Spider and avoid her.
The Brides attack intruders with berserk fury, ululating wildly, hacking and stabbing away with their terrible blades. If hard-pressed, they retreat and regroup, marshalling their forces and trying to lead invaders toward traps or the Undead. They are intimately familiar with Quasqueton's layout, though they never enter forbidden areas and will not do so under pain of death. They fight to the death to preserve the awful sanctity of Quasqueton. They are also mortified by the thought that the local Goblins may one day overcome their fear of Quasqueton and assail the place, intending to take the Brides back to a life of squalor.
The Brides have painfully shrill voices, and all speak both Goblin and Common.
*****
Feel free to post any of your customizations for B1! I've run about 12 different versions over the years and never grow tired of stocking it with new stuff.
"Brides of Zelligar" [Witch-Goblins of Quasqueton]
The Brides are about 3'2" tall, and weigh about 60 lbs. They are all quite fat.
Many have died through old age or misadventure; those who remain are geriatric, as it has been 20 years since their master, Zelligar, left Quasqueton.
The Brides have a fearsome appearance, with wicked oversized mouths filled with needle-like teeth, hard claws on their hands and feet, and oily yellow skin. Their faces are ugly and animalistic, with long hooked noses, sloping forehead, and prominent brow. They have deeply-set white-pupiled eyes and large, pointed ears. Their hair is long, lank, and has gone to white.
Like all Goblins, the Brides have excellent senses and powerful deepvision. Their stench is less than that of the typical Goblin, as the Brides keep themselves very clean (by Goblin standards) for the inevitable return of their master.
Each Bride is adorned with multiple hoop earrings of iron, brass, or copper. They wear nauseating green cassocks with ornamental brass shoulder-pieces, lacquered scale mail, and pointed leather helms. Each bears a long wavy-bladed knife (treat as short sword), a composite short bow, and a quiver of barbed, green-fletched arrows.
Zelligar took the Brides when they were but imps as tribute from the local Goblin tribe, and they were indoctrinated in his service from youth. They are fanatically loyal to Zelligar, and know that life with their tribe would have been a never-ending cycle of brutality and pregnancy. They were told to guard Quasqueton for Zelligar's return, and that's what they do.
The Brides are objects of superstition to their old tribe -- as Goblins rarely live two decades, few warriors remember the circumstances of the Brides' sojourn to Quasqueton, but all know the legends of their dark master and are terrified of incurring his wrath.
The Brides eat copious amounts of fungus from the Garden, along with what vermin they can catch. They avoid the areas that Zelligar told them to shun, and view the complex's Undead with fear. They do not molest the patrolling undead, nor will they enter Undead-controlled areas. They throw their garbage down the access shaft to area 56 of the lower caverns, and sometimes go below in force to harvest the succulent scavengers of the garbage room or a clawful of juicy bats from the Grand Cavern. They know about the Mother Spider and avoid her.
The Brides attack intruders with berserk fury, ululating wildly, hacking and stabbing away with their terrible blades. If hard-pressed, they retreat and regroup, marshalling their forces and trying to lead invaders toward traps or the Undead. They are intimately familiar with Quasqueton's layout, though they never enter forbidden areas and will not do so under pain of death. They fight to the death to preserve the awful sanctity of Quasqueton. They are also mortified by the thought that the local Goblins may one day overcome their fear of Quasqueton and assail the place, intending to take the Brides back to a life of squalor.
The Brides have painfully shrill voices, and all speak both Goblin and Common.
*****
Feel free to post any of your customizations for B1! I've run about 12 different versions over the years and never grow tired of stocking it with new stuff.
