The Drac
The ferryman rows his boat back across the River Rodubris, returning to the shore north of Sauvesse Port. As he struggles against the river's relentless current, a glint of gold catches his eye. He looks again — a golden arm ring lies in the shallows, just a few feet away from his skiff. Quickly steadying his boat, he leans over the side and reaches down into the chill waters. He reaches as far as he can, his fingers feeling the hard edge of metal, when something unseen wraps itself around his arm and pulls him beneath the water's surface. There is a splash, a brief commotion, then all is still. Some time later, his boat is found floating downstream, but of the ferryman there is no sign. His family and friends comb the river banks, but he's gone.
Dracs are water dragons found in rivers and underwater caverns in the southern lands of Chaubrette and Algandy. These shape-shifting creatures lure people into rivers by mimicking items of golden treasure such as rings, cups, or bowls. When an unsuspecting person ventures into the water to claim the prize, the drac grabs him and pulls him down to its watery lair. Most of those that fall for the drac's ruse are eaten, but some become its servants, especially as nursemaids to a drac's offspring. Such servants are returned to land once the offspring reaches maturity, usually after seven years, but are often so changed by their ordeal that those who knew them no longer recognise them.
Although dracs are invisible to normal humans, anyone who rubs the fat from a carcass feasted upon by the drac into his eye can see the creature, even recognising it when it has shifted into another form. However, if a drac realises that a human can see it, the creature will blind the person by ripping out the transformed eye. For this reason, any who have reason to try to see a drac will usually choose to treat only one eye so they won't be left completely blind if a drac uncovers their secret.
| DRAC | RE 16 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ATTACK | 30 | Talons (d12, 8) | |
| DEFENCE | 25 | Hide (AF 4) | |
| MAGICAL ATTACK | 25 | Magic Points | 12 |
| MAGICAL DEFENCE | 15 | Health Points | 5d6 +40 |
| EVASION | 6 | Movement | 10m (Swimming 12m) (Flying 16m) |
| STEALTH | 12 | PERCEPTION | 20 (Panoptical) |
All Drac have the abilities of a Rank 3 Sorcerer, but 25% will have the abilities of a Rank 5 Sorcerer (treat these as a Rank Equivalent of 18).
Drac are invisible (unless they wish to be seen) to characters of Rank 5 or lower. Higher-Rank characters may see the creature's shape as an indistinct shadow; a ripple in the air. Characters of Rank 5 and lower must deduct 4 from ATTACK and 8 from DEFENCE when fighting a Drac. For higher-Rank characters, the penalty is -2 ATTACK and -4 DEFENCE. These penalties can be nullified by using a spell that enables one to see invisible creatures, or using the method described above.
This article first appeared in Casket of Fays Issue 2.
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