178 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
178 lines
6.8 KiB
Plaintext
LORE AND LEGENDS OF QUENDOR
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GRUE
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The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the
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earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is
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tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light
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of day; few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale.
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DISCIPLINE CRAB
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Discipline crabs are small, moral crustaceans found in cellars, fallout
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shelters and other subterranean lairs. These brooding curmudgeons are
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deeply offended by the slightest intrusion; if cornered, they employ
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their razor-edged pincers with righteous efficiency.
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ELDRITCH VAPOR
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Eldritch vapors dwell in cemeteries, moors and other locales where fog
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will hide their evershifting forms. Gleeful and mischievous, they enjoy
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snatching away the possessions of those foolish enough to wander into
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their realm. Visitors without possessions are themselves snatched away.
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DORNBEAST
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Smart adventurers run the other way when they hear "Hurumph," the battle
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cry of the deadly dornbeast. Its 69 sensitive eyes can paralyze an
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unwary explorer with a single glare. Captured victims are plastered with
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round, sticky secretions that never come off.
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MONKEY GRINDER
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Avoid this nightmare at any cost! Spawn of a carnival necromancer, the
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monkey grinder can blast minds to jelly with its powerful Sense Organ.
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Deceptively eloquent in both manner and speech, these loathsome
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creatures actually possess little intelligence, and suffer an illiteracy
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rate of 103%.
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IMPLEMENTOR
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The Implementors are a race of minor deities who dwell on the Ethereal
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Plane of Atrii. Their ample free time is spent on costly luncheons where
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gossip and sweet nectars flow freely. Implementors do not discourage
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rumors that the world was created by them as a plaything.
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GIANT CORBIE
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Corbies are carrion birds with sharp eyesight and sharper beaks. Their
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color vision is so well developed, they can spot a yellow grotch in a
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hayfield from 200 bloits away. Corbies prefer the taste of dead, rotting
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flesh, but have been known to feast on live, running adventurers.
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CHRISTMAS TREE MONSTER
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Vast herds of these luminous vegetables roam freely amid the glacial
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valleys of the south. Residents fear the autumn migrations, in which the
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trees cheerfully trample everything in their path. Christmas tree
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monsters are repelled by caterpillars, but nobody can explain why.
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MINX
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Irresistably cuddly, the minx shares all the most ingratiating
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characteristics of kittens, koala bears and piglets. Minxes are highly
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prized for their ability to find and root out chocolate truffles from
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the ground, and will eagerly devour them if given the opportunity.
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UNICORN
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Most unicorns have fled to the Plane of TransInfinite Splendor, where
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they enjoy a carefree existence free from the cruelty of man. The
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unhappy few left behind are eagerly sought by zoos and private
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collectors. It is good luck to kiss a unicorn's horn; but woe to any
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fool who harms one.
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FROON
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Legends of this magical kingdom date back before the reign of Entharion
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the Wise (0-41 GUE). Said to lie somewhere beyond the clouds, Froon was
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the setting for a series of beloved children's books by L. Frank Fzort,
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and later became a successful movie musical starring Judy Garlic.
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HUNGUS
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Part sheep, part hippopotamus, the hungus builds its nest in jungle
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swamps and other hot, squishy places. Normally docile and eager to avoid
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conflict or activity of any kind, the hungus is fiercely clannish, and
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will instantly charge at anything that dares to threaten its kin.
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SPENSEWEED
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The healing virtues of this common roadside plant are well documented.
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Although it is safe to eat, spenseweed is most effective when applied
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directly to wounds as a salve. Avoid the cheap commercial preparations,
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which may contain artificial coloring and preservatives.
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CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE
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Chocolate truffles grow only between the roots of oak trees. Dark brown
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when fresh, they decompose rapidly once exposed to air. Truffles were a
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favorite of Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive (770-789 GUE), who
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ordered the excavation of entire forests to indulge his bottomless
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appetite.
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MOSS OF MAREILON
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First classified in 843 GUE by Thwack of Mareilon, this soft, pale
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fungus thrives in underground tunnels and public toilets. When squeezed,
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the moss releases an invisible cloud of spores which improves the
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dexterity of laboratory rat-ants. Its effect on other species is
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uncertain.
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COMPASS ROSE
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The stem of this rare annual always droops in the direction of the
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prevailing wind. Rumors that the compass rose can actually control the
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wind are hotly denied by the Guild of Meteorologists, who harvested the
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species to the brink of extinction in the Rose Riots of 811 GUE.
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MORGIA ROOT
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It is a rare enchanter who does not carry morgia root to gnaw on during
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a long journey. The mint-flavored juice improves stamina, slakes
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thirst and conceals bad breath. In domestic applications, morgia root is
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often baked into pies, and makes an excellent platypus stuffing.
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CRUEL PUPPET
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Few creatures are more despised than the cruel puppet. It attacks by
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twisting itself into unflattering caricatures of its opponent,
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accompanied by jeers, rude noises and shocking accusations. Staunch
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monarchs have been reduced to tears by these merciless shapeshifters.
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DUST BUNNY
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Dust bunnies burrow in obscure corners and under furniture, and defend
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their territory by multiplying. They can clog a passageway in seconds,
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filling the air with dark, suffocating particles. Static electricity and
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lemon-scented sprays are their only natural enemies.
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PHEEBOR
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Ruins of this ancient city are still visible at the confluence of the
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rivers Phee and Bor. The reason for its downfall (circa 400 BE) is
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unclear, but minstrels sing of a feud between Pheebor and its sister
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city Borphee over the naming of what is now called the Borphee River.
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RED HERRING
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These common fish patrol the dark recesses of freshwater pools and
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streams. But a handful of granola brings them racing to the surface, a
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fact known by every rural schoolboy. The old adage about red herrings
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being "good brain food" has no scientific basis.
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LUCKSUCKER
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Lucksuckers feed on good fortune. Part physical entity, part mental
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phenomenon, the sucker's appearance is based on the laws of probability,
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and may change without warning. Good luck charms provide only a
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temporary shield against attack. The best strategy is to run!
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UR-GRUE
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Ur-grues are thought to be the shades of fallen Implementors. Skilled in
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black sorcery, the ur-grue can envelop itself in a personal zone of
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darkness which neither lamp nor flame can penetrate. Sunlight is the
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only thing it fears. It is unwise even to speak of this utterly evil
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entity.
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THE COCONUT OF QUENDOR
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Though reluctant to dismiss the Coconut outright, most historians regard
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its historical existence as dubious at best. Orkan of Thriff has
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suggested that if all the "Shards of The One True Coconut" and "Vials of
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The Blessed Milk" were gathered in one place, they would form a stack
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nine bloits high.
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