(Brock)

The Tatzelwurm is a rare, serpent-like creature with the head and forelegs of a cat. It lives in the northern mountains of the Coradian mainland. Known as the Stollenwurm in the County of Braeburg, it has been sighted in the mountains of eastern Chaubrette, in the County of Braeburg and in the western reaches of the Drakken Peaks. Tatzelwurms grow to between 2.5m and 3m in length and it is these that can cause trouble for villagers, shepherds and the odd adventurer; smaller Tatzelwurms will avoid men if possible.

A stealthy predator, the Tatzelwurm lies in wait for its prey, darting forward quickly for surprise on a roll of 1-3 on 1d6. Its jaws contain poison that causes the victim to quickly fall unconscious and then die in 2d6 minutes. The creature also exhales its poison, spreading the venom in the air around it. The Tatzelwurm’s movements and the wind in the area determines how quickly the poison builds up; anyone fighting it will suffer a Weak Poison attack after 2d4 combat rounds (rolled secretly by the GM).

The Tatzelwurm is not known to keep treasure, but occasionally one proves quite tough and may have the remains of adventurers in and around its lair.

Number encountered: usually 1 Treasure: usually none (occasionally average)

This article first appeared in Casket of Fays Issue 1.