Creature families and roles

Wiki / Creatures / Families

Creatures of one family share habits, senses and a way of life. Ordinary creatures also play a role in a fight: this is what each role means.

Roles

Families

Barrow Hounds

Beast · Pack · levels 3–98

The broken road of the Heatherway, and below the Old Barrow.

Lean grey hounds that keep to the barrow roads. Whatever they guard, they guard it still.

Eilidh will not walk the broken road after dusk. She does not say why.

Includes: Barrow Hound, Grave Hound, Mound Hound, Keep Hound, Keep Hound, Hound Pup, Pool Hound, Mound Hound, Crypt Hound, Fae Hound, Fae Hound, Hound Whelp, Giant's Hound, Fort War-Hound, War-Hound, Hound Pup, Court Hound, Court Hound, Cinder Hound, Ember Hound, Heartstone Hound, Coal Hound, Old Mossback, Cú Dubh, Fergus's Hound, Cinderjaw, Mire Hound, Stone Hound, Grave Stalker

Barrowhorn Stags

Beast · Herd · levels 40–56

The Barrow Rise.

Great pale stags with antlers like old roots.

A stag that stands its ground on the Rise is said to be guarding someone sleeping.

Includes: White Stag, Red Stag, The White Hart, High Stag, The Antlered King

Brae Bears

Beast · Solitary · levels 12

The north road above Rowan Crest, below the Grey Beck.

Brown hill bears, smaller than the Pinewood kind, down off the high moor for the rowan berries. They leave travellers be unless pressed.

Lugh says a brae bear once followed his cart to the steading for the apples, and he let it.

Includes: Brae Bear

Bristleback Boars

Beast · Sounder · levels 9–53

The barley fields and rowan scrub of Rowan Hill.

Hill boars driven down into the fields by something on the ridge.

Lugh swears a boar once ate a whole gate. Lugh swears a great many things.

Includes: Bristleback Boar, Dune Boar, Tusker Boar, Fen Boar, Wood Boar, Acorn Boar, Brindle Tusk, Fernmarch Boar, Old Tusker

Cairn Sentinels

Construct · Post · levels 18–100

The Grey Cairn at the end of the Mistfall.

Stacked stone set to guard a grave long ago, still at its post. A Guard faces forward; its back is only stone.

Daire says the stone is good stone. He would like a cart of it.

Includes: Cairn Sentinel, Rock-Spawn, Pebble-Spawn, Rise Warden, The Heartstone Wyrm, Slag Guard, Rootbound Sentinel, Cairn Warden, Cairn Caller, The Waking Cairn, Heartstone Warden, The Heartstone Wyrmling, Cairn Shard, Cairn Shardling, Oathbound Challenger

Carrion Rooks

Bird · Flock · levels 10–84

Rowan Hill, wherever there is grain or a fight.

Big black rooks that have learned that travellers drop things.

A rook never forgets a face. Greenhollow says the same of its grandmothers.

Includes: Carrion Rook, Bog Rook, Hartwood Magpie, Sea Eagle, Glen Rook, Red Kite, Frost Rook, Stormcrow, Marsh Rook, Crag Rook

Crag Goats

Beast · Herd · levels 72–74

The Goat Braes and every ledge a goat can stand on, which is every ledge.

Shaggy mountain goats with horns like plough-shares, who give way to nothing.

Cragwatch says Old Horn has butted a giant off the Steps. Cragwatch also says a lot of things.

Includes: Crag Goat, Old Horn, King of the Braes

Fen Serpents

Beast · Solitary · levels 42–49

The Reedbeds and Serpent Reach, in the channels between the reeds.

Long green-brown water snakes with heavy coils, grown huge on fen eels and the odd sheep.

Stiltwick children are told a serpent only bites the ones who run. The children run anyway.

Includes: Reed Serpent, Fen Serpent, Old Coil, Cave Serpent, Serpentling, Cloister Eel, Elver

Island Seals

Beast · Colony · levels 62–82

The Seal Skerries and every flat rock the tide leaves.

Grey seals, fat on the island fish, and the great bulls that keep the skerries.

Inishcorr will not eat seal. Too many of the island's grandmothers came out of the sea.

Includes: Grey Seal, The Old Bull of the Skerries, Hall Seal, Seal Pup, Ice Seal, The Old Selkie

Oakbound

Brute · Solitary · levels 6–57

Old Rowan Fork and the ridge approach; the stones of the Under-Ring.

Wood and stone that walks. Their bark turns blades aside; heavy blunt blows crack them.

Some say the Oakbound were planted. Nobody says by whom.

Includes: Oakbound Brute, Ringwarden Husk, Oak Sentinel, Ring Warden, Old Grandfather Oak, Wakened Stone, Root Sentinel, Briarling, Oak Sentinel

Pine Martens

Beast · Solitary · levels 30

The Tanner's Track and the near pines.

Raiders of the lodge woodshed and every nest on the track.

The tanners pay a copper a pelt and a silver for the one that stole the foreman's ring.

Includes: Pine Marten

Pinewood Bears

Beast · Solitary · levels 32–86

The Bear Hollows, in the root-caves of the old pines.

Big brown bears; a sow with cubs will not be argued with.

Old Ironhide has the scars of three hunting parties and is proud of none of them.

Includes: Pinewood Bear, Old Ironhide, Kennel Bear, White Bear, Bráthair Bán, the White Bear

Ridge Reivers

Humanoid · Band · levels 14–100

The Ridge and the camp in the Mistfall.

Outlaws who took the Ridge pass and tax the west road. They carry what they have taken.

They were farmers once, the hedge-witch says. Most of them still are, in their sleep.

Includes: Reiver Cutthroat, Reiver Archer, Reiver Hedge-Witch, Reiver Shieldman, Captain Dubhan Red-Hand, Ironhold Reiver, Ironhold Archer, Ironhold Storm-Seer, Fort Shieldman, Fort Champion, Ultach the Storm-Seer, Fort Reiver, Fort Archer, Fort Shieldman, Fort Storm-Seer, Fort Hedge-Witch, Fort Champion, Gate Spearman, Oathsworn, Ash Reaver, Cinderhand, The Ash Widow, Reiver Bowman, Wolf-Speaker, Hold Raider, Hold Archer, Hold Shieldwall, Black Fergus, Edge Reaver

Ridge Wolves

Beast · Pack · levels 11–84

The crest of Rowan Hill and the Ridge pass.

Grey wolves of the high ground, pushed downhill this year. Their leader, Greymaw, calls the pack with a howl.

Ashmane, the pale one, runs only at night, and only when the moon is not looking.

Includes: Ridge Wolf, Greymaw, Ashmane, Hollow Wolf, Snow Wolf, Whitethroat, Glade Wolf, Glen Wolf, Brae Wolf, Ice Wolf, Whitepine Wolf, Greyfell Wolf, Fellfang, Greyfell Cub

Sallowweavers

Spider · Territorial · levels 4–88

The Western Heath Loop, damp roots, the Barrow Rise.

Heath spiders whose venom stacks. The matrons are older, larger and frighten even hounds.

Sallow silk is the best thread in the valley, if you can get it off the spider.

Includes: Sallowweaver, Rootweaver, Rootling, Pine Weaver, Thread Stalker, Web Spitter, Ma Thornweb, Spiderling, Cellar Weaver, Web Spitter, Spiderling, Reed Stalker, Bog Weaver, Peat Weaver, Leaf Weaver, Seam Crawler, Seam Crawler, Frost Crawler, Ice-Cave Crawler, Ice Crawler, Fell Weaver, Bog Weaver

Saltreach Gulls

Bird · Flock · levels 22–62

The beaches and the Gull Cliffs.

Loud, bold sea gulls that have learned to follow fighting.

A gull will take the bread from a drowned man and the eyes after.

Includes: Strand Gull, Flats Gull, Cliff Gull, Storm Gull, Great Skua

Shore Crabs

Beast · Colony · levels 23–71

The Saltreach flats and dunes, wherever the tide leaves something to eat.

Big scavenging crabs, grown fat on the wrecks the wreckers make.

Kelp Strand folk say a crab remembers every boot that ever stepped on it.

Includes: Sand Crab, Shore Crab, Mud Crab, Old Snapjaw, Cave Crab, Crabling, Rock Crab, Deep Crab, Hall Crab, Crabling

The Barrow Dead

Undead · Court · levels 19–100

The Old Barrow, and the Grey Cairn where the Queen's thane was laid apart.

The court of Sileas under the heather. Bound to their mounds; they do not wander far.

Bard Niall has a song about the Barrow-Queen. He only sings it in daylight.

Includes: Barrow Wight, The Hollow Thane, Barrow Bowman, Barrow Lamplighter, Crypt Sentry, Bone Thrall, Bog Dead, Bog Seer, Abbey Warden, The Mound-King, Abbey Dead, Abbey Warden, Risen Bell-Ringer, Crypt Seer, Witch-Shade, Frost Wight, Frost-Bound Bowman, Rime Seer, Cold Cormac, Herald of the Barrow, Ice-Bound Wight, Frost-Bound Bowman, Rime Seer, Frozen Thrall, Frost Chamberlain, Ash Wraith, Vent Wraith, Throne Sentinel, The Last Ember, Furnace Acolyte, Barrow Knight, Barrow Seer, The Hollow Steward, Edge Wraith, Tuathal the Unburied, Heartguard, Ashen Throneguard

The Boggarts

Humanoid · Warband · levels 31–38

Boggart Ridge and the Keep gate.

Squat forest raiders who took the ridge when the Fellwardens fell and have been cutting roots ever since.

Grubb Rootcutter says the Keep is theirs by right of having lived through it.

Includes: Boggart Rootcutter, Boggart Hexer, Boggart Brute, Keep Boggart, Keep Hexer, Keep Brute, Boggart Slinger, Boggart Whelp, Nettle-Nose

The Cove's Wreckers

Humanoid · Band · levels 27–34

The Wreckers' Cove and the cliff path above it.

Coast folk who hang lanterns on the cliffs to lure ships onto the rocks, then strip the wrecks.

Black Maeve keeps the lanterns. Kelp Strand pretends not to know her name.

Includes: Wrecker Lookout, Wrecker, Lantern-Wife, Wrecker Shieldman, Black Maeve, the Wrecker Queen, Cave Wrecker, Lamp-Keeper

The Delvers

Humanoid · Clan · levels 72–77

The Mine Road and the Old Delvings beneath it.

Small grey miners of the deep seams, who were there before the reivers came and mean to be there after.

Old Ultan says the Delvers dug too deep once and woke something in the seam. They have not stopped running from it since.

Includes: Delver, Delver Lamp-Wife, Panicked Delver, Delver Lamp-Wife, Delver Youngster, The Lamplighter

The Drowned

Undead · Crew · levels 27–52

The Drowned Shingle, among the wrecks.

Sailors from the wrecked ships, walking up the shingle on the cold tides.

They were brought ashore by false lights. They want to know who lit them.

Includes: Drowned Sailor, Drowned Bosun, Drowned Oarsman, Drowned Brother, Abbey Drowned, Lantern Brother, Drowned Brother, Drowned Acolyte, Drowned Chorister, Captain Coyle the Drowned, Brother Silt

The Frost Wyrms

Dragon · Brood · levels 88–91

The Wyrmfrost Heights and the ice caves under them.

Long white wyrms of the high cold, cousins of the Heartstone Wyrm that chose the ice over the fire.

Winterhearth says Fuarán is older than the Frostmere and remembers when the sea was warm.

Includes: Frost Wyrmling, Fuarán the Frost Wyrm, Wyrm Hatchling, Drakeling

The Hill Giants

Giant · Family · levels 77–90

The Giant's Steps, a broken stair of terraces they say they built.

Big, slow, patient folk of the high glens who throw rocks at anything that moves and anything that does not.

Gormlaith the Giantess has buried four husbands and says she is looking for a fifth. Cragwatch keeps its doors barred.

Includes: Hill Giant, Giant Stone-Hurler, Gormlaith the Giantess, Frost Giant, Frost Giant Gaoler

The Hill-Folk

Fae · Court · levels 55–60

The Hill Marches and the Hollow Hill, under the oaks and inside the mounds.

Tall, pale, quick folk of the mounds, older than Ardcarrow, who keep the standing stones and take a tithe from anyone who crosses their marches.

Ardcarrow leaves milk on the ring-stones at Darkmoon Eve. Nobody remembers who promised it, only that it is owed.

Includes: Stone Caller, Hill-Folk Archer, Hill-Folk Blade, Hill-Folk Singer, Mound Guard, Cathbad the Hill-Captain, Court Blade, Court Archer, Court Singer, Mound Guard, Courtier

The Hollow Hunt

Undead · Hunt · levels 35–43

The Fellwarden's Way and the Keep.

The Fellwarden's huntsmen, walking the road their master died on.

They are still hunting. They have forgotten what.

Includes: Hollow Huntsman, Hollow Warden, Hollow Huntsman, Hollow Warden, The Grey Huntsman

The Merrow

Fae · Court · levels 65–72

The Merrow Shallows, the Drowned Ring and the halls beneath.

Sea-folk, green-skinned and finned, who once traded fish for iron with Inishcorr and now take it with spears.

A merrow's red cap lets it live beneath the waves. Take the cap, the old stories say, and the merrow cannot go home.

Includes: Merrow Spearman, Merrow Tide-Singer, Merrow Shell-Guard, Merrow Deep-Priest, Merrow Champion, Muirgen the Sea-Hag, Merrowling, Merrow Spearman, Merrow Tide-Singer, Merrow Shell-Guard, Merrow Kelp-Mender, Merrow Courtier

The Mistbound

Spirit-touched · Circle · levels 16–100

The Mistfall below the Ridge, around the old cairns.

People and shades bound to the mist that rises from the old workings. Mistcallers sing fogwisps up out of the ground.

Fíona thinks the singing is a word, repeated. She will not say which word.

Includes: Mistcaller, Fogbound Shade, Cinderling, Heartling, Ember Bloom, Mist Singer, Mist Mender, Mother of Fogs, The Last Mist, Choir Shade, Cinder Wisp

The Reedmen

Humanoid · Band · levels 48–51

Serpent Reach, in reed huts that move with the water.

Fen outlaws who left Stiltwick generations ago and took the deep fen for their own.

Siún of the Reeds says the abbey was theirs before the monks came. Sister Ailbhe does not argue.

Includes: Reedman Archer, Reedman Raider, Siún of the Reeds, Reedman Youngster

The Sea Raiders

Humanoid · Crew · levels 67–71

The Raiders' Cove and the Storm Cliffs.

Longship crews out of the cold north who winter on the Isles and raid the coasts in spring.

Ragnall Sea-King says he has burned a hall of the Six for every year of his life. Inishcorr counts forty halls.

Includes: Sea Raider, Raider Archer, Raider Skald, Cliff Raider, Ragnall Sea-King

The Winter Court

Fae · Court · levels 87–92

The Court Ice and the Frozen Court beneath it, out on the frozen sea.

Pale knights and ice maidens who serve the Winter Queen, and who were mortal once, before they danced at her court.

Those who dance at the Winter Queen's court come home a hundred years later, or not at all.

Includes: Knight of the Winter Court, Ice Maiden, Knight of the Winter Court, Ice Maiden, Court Dancer, Ice Squire, Frozen Courtier, The Glass Knight

Thornback Hares

Beast · Solitary · levels 1–80

The Greenhollow Road and the near heath.

Grazers of the road verges. Their thorny backs keep foxes honest.

Greenhollow children chase them for luck. Nobody has ever caught one for luck.

Includes: Thornback Hare, Dune Hare, Pinewood Hare, Snow Hare, Island Hare, Snow Hare

Wisps

Spirit · Drifting · levels 2–88

Low meadows, the Quiet Stretch at night, old stone places; fogwisps rise where Mistcallers sing.

Knots of cold air that remember being something. Physical blades pass half through them; magic does not.

Fíona says a wisp is a thought the land forgot to finish.

Includes: Mist Wisp, Gloamwisp, Underwisp, Ring-Echo, Gloam Shade, Barrow Shade, Fogwisp, Sea Wisp, Reed Wisp, Black Pool Wisp, Lantern Wisp, Glimmer, Dell Sprite, Thorn Sprite, Glamour, Glamour, Mirror-Glamour, Storm Wisp, Deep Light, Wave Spirit, Storm Spirit, Rime Wisp, Rime Shard, Snow Wraith, The Lantern-Jack, Glimmer-Gob, Thistledown, The Changeling, The Snow-Mother, Mire Wisp, The Drowned Lantern, Fog Stalker, Mistreach Wisp