WFRP - The Imperial Zoo

GRIM AND PERILOUS BEASTS OF THE OLD WORLD

Credits

Writer: TS Luikart
Additional Writing: Elaine Lithgow, Pádraig Murphy

Editor: Tim Cox, Síne Quin
Producer: Pádraig Murphy
Line Developer: Dave Allen

Cover: Victor Leza
Illustration: John Blanche, Jared Blando, Alex Boyd, Kevin Chin, Paul Dainton, Dave Gallagher,
Neil Hodgson, Ralph Horsley, Sam Manley, Nuala Kinrade, Dániel Kovacs, Kirill Semenov, Adrian Smith, Jon Sullivan

Graphic Design and Layout: Tom Hutchings
Proofreading: Lynne M. Meyer

Cubicle 7 Business Support: Tracey Bourke, Anthony Burke, Elaine Connolly,
Andrena Hogan, Donna King, Kieran Murphy, and Cian Whelan

Cubicle 7 Creative Team: Dave Allen, Emmet Byrne, David F Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski, Tim Cox,
Jennifer Crispin, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Runesael Flynn, Dániel Kovács, Tim Huckelbery,
Elaine Lithgow, TS Luikart, Dominic McDowall, Sam Manley, Pádraig Murphy,
Ceíre O’Donoghue, and JG O’Donoghue
Creative Director: Emmet Byrne
Publisher: Dominic McDowall
Special thanks to Games Workshop

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Last Updated, 08 February 2022

2

Contents

The First Expedition. . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Third Expedition. . . . . . . . . 72

Great Stag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Great Taurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Of Spiders & Forest Goblins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Tregara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Great Wolf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Razorbill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Razorgor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Wondrous Beasts of the Southlands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Griffon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Wild Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Dread Maw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Il Potente Granchio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Rhinox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Siren. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Of Squigs and Night Goblins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Merwyrm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Dragons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Shard Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Wyvern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Final Incident — Lesser Evils. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Halagrundsor the ‘Horrible’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Stirpike. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
First Expedition Coda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
The First Incident — The Griffon & the Ratmen . . . . . . . . . 38 Gory Riches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Potions and Unguents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
The Second Expedition. . . . . . . . 42 Weapons and Armour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Magical Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Amoebae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Afterword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Amphisbaena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Expected Expeditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
River Trolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Pre-Generated Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Chameleoleech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Creature Traits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Fen Worm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Corpse Render of Carroburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Dark Pegasi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Nightravens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Preyton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Great Raptors of the Grey Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Cockatrice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Chimera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Second Incident — What Happens in Wheburg . . . . . . 68

3

now at the outset, valiant reader, that this is not the Warnicke assembled a group to accompany me over the course
of what ended up being three research expeditions. Though we
K book I intended to write. Yet, here we are. I was started as strangers, years travelling together, and countless shared
originally commissioned by the Imperial Zoological dangers, form bonds not easily broken. A letter Warnicke sent me
Society, in concert with professors from the Bestiara College of regarding my compatriots serves as fine an introduction to them
Altdorf University, to write a worthy and scholarly tome detailing as anything I could manage.
various noteworthy creatures from across the Empire and beyond.

That would be the book they burned. Stalwart reader, I trust that you’ll find that the creature entries
explain themselves, though I try to provide the necessary context.
I answer to Theodosius Schreiber, but my few friends call me I have generally ordered these entries by the region where I
Theo. What lies before you is a rough compilation of my journal found the most folk willing to talk about the creature in question.
entries, notes, and art detailing various creatures of the Old World. Consequently, the text follows the path of our travels. I’ve included
I created these during my travels over several expeditions to gather notes that my compatriots gave me (which the clever chaps
field research for my illustrious scholarly patrons and to produce at Eschenburg & Epple Press assure me their newest printing
my — now sadly ashy — masterpiece. As to why I’ve bothered to presses can properly capture) along with transcripts of a few of my
assemble this particular volume in such a haphazard fashion, I beg conversations with Vasya.
that you indulge me for the moment. I assure you all will become
clear before the end of this work. Some unusual experiences from the road can be found in the
Appendices, as can a chapter of apothecary lore written by Jorunn
I was first set on this course with an intriguing proposition from Gromsdottir which I hope you’ll find of interest.
one of the Imperial Zoo’s factotums, Vera Warnicke. A bounty
hunter of no small reputation, Warnicke had chosen to redirect her I should probably warn you, esteemed reader: I expect them to
skills to capture beasts rather than people. Warnicke told me once, burn this book too, as it contains some uncomfortable truths about
after a snort of amused derision, that she regularly earned far more the Empire and the Old World.
gold keeping dangerous creatures alive than she ever did making
dangerous folk dead. Warnicke contacted me because of my Enjoy this work while you can, and perhaps store your copy
small, but well-regarded, volume regarding mounts in the Empire. someplace private.
While most of it was about horses, I gather the Vice-Chancellor
of Altdorf University was particularly taken with my discussion on
the history and the myths regarding demigryphs. Warnicke found
me in a tavern in Altdorf and asked if I was interested in writing
a bestiary detailing many creatures, especially those present in the
Imperial Zoo, in like fashion. I was flattered, but told her such
an undertaking would require a great deal of time, resources, and
field research. I confess: I was not prepared for her to take my
requirements seriously.

4

THREE EXPEDITIONS

– IN PURSUIT OF –

Knowledge&E lucidation

REC O RDED B~E
TH E SCRI
SchreiberTheodosiusB~Y
» COMMISSIONED BY THE «

Imperial Zoo

Herr Schreiber,

Pack your bags, scholar — the road calls. Your expedition crew is complete.
Having taken your suggestions into consideration, and after interviews to ascertain
their worth, I’ve hired the following individuals to fill out your research expedition:

EIytsmMfsahweortItoghtocuteoeariaadiiutlrcrstsUmtdtoabrcshhhuneaachneeyyerxh’yrcdnaMiotrekpevstonubautdiuheaeiwatnhnrwdrs.eptcifgospisYohatnraeitueryho.tothigknlinyuormoWedrisnehuosnbeeewhegnere,Tagpybdri’dehceauefbllEeareolesyhohtdrcerr’boooIosemsit—wkenefycgstoaheodutmohiiifhsuslAfnseiibwlaunepsrttsiaebinhcoehdacnwmyrohcaagailoooetbnoyteuutkbutxirhdcosylsttstk—remeiehkorCposes,uaoeiifr,auaarlanfitaylZsttfesnewahueaaoatumrddseoknolheepsfpaeaocdairaicu.gosoharleslhnrIhntnstalaifdholhitdssso,ns,ycaoirtsbactnv.oeiulenIoft.n Jorunn Gromsdottir — Lynathryn Nightsong —
because his father threatened to An Eonir hunter who hails
cut him off entirely if he didn’t. A Dwarf apothecary who, from Laurelorn Forest,
Do try to keep him alive, eh? I gather, has travelled quite Nightsong is a skilled tracker
a bit of the Empire in her day. and no stranger to the ways
She comes from the Grey of unusual creatures. Deadly
shot with a bow. One of the
Mountains originally. Her most beautiful people I’ve
knowledge of beasts is quite ever met, too... When I asked
extensive, though much of it
pertains to what parts are used about any personal details,
by apothecaries and alchemists. they said only that it was ‘not
She’s a skilled healer and a solid my concern’. Other than that,
sort that I suspect will keep a found them to be fairly cheerful
level head in bad situations, and only moderately
which is always arrogant, for an Elf.

6 an asset in the field.

Come to my office on Wellentag and I’ll introduce you to the lot over dinner.
May Morr fail to notice you,

V. Warnicke


VonaowwfafomKsiatttyhinaehsaeltlledeeGiEedevtmhaewiatrdopeetalriaytldrsepeeeehaosmftsnckfhteeaocwnaontvnttii,,vt—ehbhHeeu‘niteAtncreranuIsrtnsehdOG.noewshYoutbootaeborurrwtusmrshtniiahekoadilerordsdr’vk.eyei’orssu Kistiane Brockdorf — An Imperial
a Pit Fighter — one Wizard of the Jade Order, though that
Well, I got you many beasts in his day. lot apparently goes by ‘Druid’ rather
that has faced than Wizard. They specialise in natural
Besides, you’ll like him. energy — wild places, healing magic,
Full of stories, he is, that sort of thing — not that she’s less
dangerous than any Wizard. Got lucky
just like you. with this one, Schreiber — skilled

Wizards willing to journey into the field
are ever in short supply. Apparently,
there was some sort of ‘unfortunate
incident’ involving a bloodsedge, and
Fraulein Brockdorf decided

that leaving Altdorf for a

time would be prudent.

7



The First
Expedition

Great Stag. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Of Spiders & Forest Goblins. . . 12
Great Wolf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Razorgor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Griffon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dread Maw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rhinox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Of Squigs and Night Goblins. . . . 26
Dragons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Wyvern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Halagrundsor the ‘Horrible’. . . . 34
Stirpike. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
First Expedition Coda. . . . . . . . 37
The First Incident —
The Griffon & the Ratmen. . . . . 38

Great Stag

ell named is the Great Forest, largest of all the Empire’s The folk of Talabheim teach that the Great Stags are Taal’s chosen
guardians of the Great Forest and his eyes within the other forests
W woods. Stretching from the shores of the Reik to the of the Old World. They have many tales, varying from hopeful
southern reaches of Kislev, it encompasses all of the to peculiar. Common belief holds that Great Stags will attack
Grand Duchy of Talabecland and portions of many other lands. without mercy any who dare despoil the woodlands and so are
Beneath its wide boughs roam many dangers: Greenskin tribes, fierce enemies of the Beastmen. Great Stags can supposedly live on
countless Beastmen, and hungry bandits to name but a few. water alone, and some stories even claim that drinking from a river
Opposing these malefactors are the courage of the Empire’s stout all but miraculously heals a stag’s wounds. Folk justify this belief
citizens and, sometimes, the fierce wrath of Taal himself manifest with the preponderance of sightings near the Talabec and the Stir.
in his sacred beast, the Great Stag. These people assert without hesitation that every Great Stag hates
snakes with a fierce passion and will go out of their way to kill one,
A Great Stag is a mighty beast indeed, measuring more than ten even ignoring other threats to do so. I heard a whispered rumour
feet in length, standing over five feet high at the shoulder, and that Great Stags love the sound of reed pipes, and some hunters
weighing more than seventy stone. Their massive antlers are favoured by Taal could call them by playing such. Woe betide
invariably a marvel. Each is unique, with a number of points anyone that dares summon a Great Stag without good reason.
ranging from six to fourteen, all armour-piercingly sharp. An
ancient story amidst the priesthood of Taal states that Taal was so I have encountered several Great Stags in my day and they
impressed with the spirit of the first Great Stags that he granted certainly do hate Beastmen. I suspect that may be due primarily
them antlers to match his own. Great Stags annually shed their to the foul creatures regularly preying on them, rather than any
antlers in the depths of winter, forcing them to resort to hooves sacred duty. I haven’t noticed any particular fondness for Humans
for defence. Although, several Hochland hunters swore to me among these animals, either.
that the stags grow sharp fangs till their antlers renew in the
spring. Villagers in Middenland and Hochland assured me that a
Great Stag, for all its vast size and the height of its horns, can run
without pause through even the densest brush. The forest makes
way before Taal’s own, they declared.

GREAT STAG THE RIVER’S SHADOW

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
7 45 - 45 40 30 30 - 20 40 - 32 9 55 - 55 50 40 40 - 40 55 60 40

Traits: Bestial, Night Vision, Size (Large), Stride Traits: Blessed (Kurnous [Taal]), Dark Vision, Grim,
Attack Traits: Horns (Antlers) Immunity to Psychology, Magical, Miracles (Kurnous
+8, Weapon (Antlers) +8 [Taal]), Size (Large), Stealthy, Stride, Ward 7+
Taal’s Own Blades: A Great Stag wields Attack Traits: Horns (Antlers)
their antlers as if they had the Impale +10, Weapon (Antlers) +10
and Penetrating Weapon Qualities. Kurnous’ Own Blades: The River’s Shadow
Skills: Melee (Antlers) 55 wields their antlers as if they had the Fast,
Optional: Animosity (Snakes), Blessed Impale, and Penetrating Weapon Qualities.
(Taal), Immunity (Poison), Regenerate Skills: Melee (Antlers) 75
Talents: Animal Affinity

10

You’ve never seen a true Great Stag pttwpiGonehihriturseeehrhiaoreiatmndophbsptfisebhaoeotdirrrduattieaguahntsattesntoa.idemerAftrelefli.hdvysereecaraiirtmuidsgmsluothuponntopfgeobsrstneeteanoudatdltneyutrdreireanderlgnlfdypereonorissmmoitnys,
in your life, Schreiber. Believe me,
you would know if you had. I grant
that you may have seen the creatures
the Humans of the Empire call ‘Great

Stags’ but they are mere beasts,
albeit mighty ones. No, Great Stags

are so much more.Transcendent
creatures, the children of Kurnous,
Lord of Wild Places. Great Stags are
magical beasts, the spirit of a forest
made manifest. Their breath is like a
distant song rising as steam; in their
wake, footprints fill with budding
flowers. Where they walk, all other

animals fall silent and bow their

heads in reverence.

NEW CREATURE TRAIT:

Grim – This creature is particularly dangerous, and
fighting it means never truly being able to gain the
upper hand. If, at the beginning of its turn, this creature
does not have at least Rating Advantage points, its
Advantage pool immediately increases to Rating. If
the creature currently has a Surprised, Unconcious, or
Entangled Condition, it does not gain this Advantage.

11

Of Spiders & Forest Goblins

iant Spiders lurk within the depths of the Empire’s Giant Spiders extrude sticky, durable webs to ensnare their prey,
wrapping their victims in thick bundles to feast upon at leisure.
G dark forests, posing one of the more common — yet The inhabitants of several villages assured me that the spiders
terrible — menaces of the Old World. While oversized regularly consume cotton and eat sheep to replenish their supply
spiders can be encountered in many places, these are just slightly of this substance. The pincer-like mandibles of Giant Spiders are
larger than a rat. The arachnids that lair within the forests are infamously capable of piercing steel to inject their lethal toxins.
unnaturally huge and wickedly clever predators. Some folk claim Few that are bitten survive, and only if a skilled healer provides
the Ruinous Powers touched these arachnids long ago. Their swift treatment.The creatures have anywhere from six to ten lidless
bodies are frequently over six feet long, and a full ten feet across eyes, each composed of many lenses, making them very difficult to
when accounting for their legs. Anyone unfortunate enough to catch unawares. Giant Spiders move swiftly but with great stealth
encounter the Giant Spiders of multiple lands will note that their in dense wooded terrain, for they skitter over the tree tops, using
colouring, patterns, and other traits vary greatly by region. Those strong winds and rustling leaves to disguise their passage.
in the north typically have black and brown fur, as opposed to the
greys of the southlands, though all varieties bear strange markings The Drakwald Mancatcher has the most fell reputation of all the
in iridescent shades of blue, green, and red. identified sub-species of Giant Spiders within the Empire. This
vindictive predator, identifiable by the bright crimson that adorns
I fought an Arachnarok long ago, and I its dark brown carapace, is said to dine on fear as well as blood.
was lucky to survive. I have killed many Mancatchers attack stealthily in darkness, terrorizing villages by
Giant Spiders over centuries of hunting. taking all of the occupants of a single house, while leaving the rest
They are cunning creatures, but swift to untouched until a future raid. Stories from Middenland describe
retreat if confronted in force and greatly clusters of Mancatchers returning to the same villages over and
afraid of flame. Arachnarok fear nothing over, recognizable by the scars earned during prior invasions.
of this world. The one I fought had silently
spun a series of webs, with strands as As frightening as the Mancatchers may be, they are not the most
thick as Ghorshkov’s arms, between the terrifying of spider-kind. That dubious honour is reserved for the
trees north of a village late at night. Just titans of the deep woods, the massive predators called ‘Arachnarok’
before sunrise, it attacked the village from (a name apparently derived from an ancient Norse tale, according
the south, making certain to smash a few to the folk of Nordland). Reportedly larger than a townhouse,
houses and shriek at the terrified folk that Arachnarok Spiders are said to be unstoppable by anything short
spilled out of the others, most of whom, of of concentrated cannon fire. The stories concerning their voracity
course, fled northwards. We came to the are legion. If they are to be believed, Arachnaroks are easily capable
Humans’ aid in honour of an old pledge, of consuming entire herds of Beastmen, as well as beings as large
and the Arachnarok was waiting for us. as Giants. Fortunately, they are rare as Dragons, and few folk claim
to have ever seen one.
Many valiant Eonir fell that day. It only
retreated once we managed to put out several C
of its eyes. Regardless, we were too late to † †
save the majority of the villagers. Unlike
the webs of normal spiders, the webs of
Arachnarok carry their poison.

12

ARACHNAROK SPIDER DRAKWALD MANCATCHER (GIANT SPIDER)

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
5 50 35 55 45 20 40 30 35 45 10 136 5 40 30 25 35 20 35 30 20 35 - 22

Traits: Armour 3 (7), Arboreal, Dark Vision, Traits: Armour 1 (4), Arboreal, Bestial,
Size (Monstrous), Wallcrawler Night Vision, Size (Large), Wallcrawler
Attack Traits: Bite +9, Weapon Attack Traits: Bite +6, Weapon (Fangs) +6,
(Fangs) +9, Web 50, Venom Web 40, Venom
Vicious Webs: When foes become Entangled by an Spiteful – Drakwald Mancatchers are subject to
Arachnarok’s webs, they also gain a Poisoned condition. Hatred (Previous Foes).
Optional: Corrosive Blood, Immunity to Psychology, Skills: Stealth (Rural) 60
Stealthy Optional: Size (Enormous), Trained
(Broken, Guard, Magic, Mount, War)
When facing an especially irksome or dangerous foe, Giant
Spiders will often retreat to the trees and use their Ballistic
Skill to hurl strands of webbing at their opponents.

13

oath as I am to include such beings within a tome of which are generally considerably more dangerous
than the riders. Still, they are a menace to
L lore on the various creatures of the Old World, I cannot, travellers. We discovered that many villages
in good conscience, discuss Giant Spiders without along the Talabec live in fear of occasional
touching upon their would-be ‘masters’ the Forest Goblins. A Goblin raids. Smaller tribes thrive throughout
devious species of cowardly back-stabbers that mainly seek to the Empire. Indeed, even the Reikland is known to have a few
outlive their fellows, Goblins have marched to war alongside hidden within the Reikwald, but far larger are the tribes of the
(behind, if they can help it) their bigger Ork compatriots since Border Princes, the Great Forest and — most infamously — the
before the beginning of recorded history. Orks bully Goblins into Drakwald. Forest Goblins are spindly, with nimble fingers; green
doing all the chores that the big louts can’t be bothered with, which skin; large, sharp noses; and sharper-still pointy teeth. Their eyes
is basically everything that isn’t directly related to war. This makes always gleam with a wicked light. Individuals adorn themselves
their already nasty dispositions even worse. Goblins prefer their with warpaint, bits of bone, and brightly coloured feathers, the
foes out-numbered and at their mercy.They excel at ambushes and quills of which they often thrust directly into their skin. Forest
when overmatched (a regular occurrence), running away. Goblins tend to prefer weapons that let them stay far away from
their enemies, such as spears and arrows, which they dip in the
At some point, thousands of years ago now, a number of Goblin venom of their mounts.
tribes decided they were tired of shoddy Ork treatment and
struck out on their own. Many disappeared into the dark caves of
the mountains (see page 25 for more on those blighters). A few
took to the rivers, eventually resulting in those recurrent pests
known as the River Goblins of the Reik, who routinely swarm
over unsuspecting ships late at night to steal anyone or anything
that isn’t bolted down. The others disappeared into the depths
of the forests. There, doubtless in an effort to survive against the
numerous predators of the woods, they reverted to form and found
something more powerful to ally with — really big spiders.

Forest Goblins seemingly have a strange and complex relationship
with the Giant Spiders of the deep woods, using them
for mounts, sustenance, pets, and a source of poison,
while apparently even deifying the Arachnarok. Professor
Albrecht Zweistein states in his seminal work,Verdant Menace,
that the Forest Goblins worship a Spider God called, among
many other colourful appellations, the ‘Feaster from Beyond’. I
personally know of at least one Forest Goblin tribe led by a madly
frothing priest with a strangely bloated purple tongue who wields
magical powers. I’m no theologian, however, and so defer to a
fair number of priests who have all strongly assured me there is
no such thing as a ‘spider god’. I doubt this fact provides much
comfort to the many people sacrificed in its name.

Forest Goblins strike at speed from atop their fearsome mounts,

14

FOREST GOBLIN SAMPLE SPIDER-GOD MIRACLES:

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W Kiss of da Black Pit
4 25 35 30 30 20 35 30 30 20 20 11 Range: Fellowship Yards
Target: Area of Effect
Traits: Animosity (Greenskins), Arboreal, Duration: Instant
Armour 1 (4), Afraid (Elves), Night Vision The Shaman calls upon the Spider God to strike
Attack Traits: Ranged (Short Bow) +5 (20), down his tribe’s enemies with a blast of venom.
Weapon (Crude Spear) +6, Venom A bilious green mass of seething poison strikes a
Borrowed Courage: Forest Goblins encountered point within the Shaman’s line of sight and within
away from their tribes will inevitably be mounted range. Everything within Fellowship Bonus yards
on Giant Spiders, likely out scouting or in a of the target point is splashed with mystic poison,
raiding party of 3 to 10 raiders. Spider-mounted suffering 1d10 + SL damage which ignores Armour
Forest Goblins are not subject to Afraid (Elves). Points, and gains the Poisoned Condition.
Talent: Trick Riding
Plague of Scuttlin’
FOREST GOBLIN SHAMAN Range: Fellowship Bonus Yards
Target: You
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds
4 35 45 30 40 30 35 30 40 30 30 14 With a snap of the Shaman’s fingers, a mass of
ephemeral spiderlings rush out of his soiled robes to
Traits: Animosity (Greenskins), Arboreal, overrun his nearby foes, biting as they run. All within
Blessed (Spider-god), Fear 1, Immunity (Poison), the area of effect suffer 1 Wound which ignores
Miracles (Spider-god), Night Vision, Painless Toughness Bonus and APs, with an additional Wound
Attack Traits: Venom, Weapon (Spider-god Staff ) +8 with every +2 SL. For the duration of the prayer, all
Not All There: Forest Goblin Shaman perceive the within the area of effect suffer a -10 penalty to all
world through a toxin-induced haze caused by the Tests due to the many distractions caused by the
many spiders that festoon (and regularly bite) them swarm of mystic spiders surging over their flesh.
and the hallucinogenic poisonous substances they
habitually consume. If attacked, the shaman has no Snare ‘Em Good – Works exactly like the Taal
trouble paying attention. Otherwise, they must pass Tanglefoot Miracle (WFRP, page 227), only it creates
an Easy (+40) Willpower Test at the start of each masses of silvery webs wherever it is invoked.
round or begin drooling and staring off into a world of
radiant spider-like beings and shadowy forest daemons,
losing both their Move and Action for the Turn.
Skills: Pray 60
Spider-god Blessings: Battle, Courage, Fortune,
Grace, The Hunt, Savagery

15

Great Wolf

he cunning wolf is the chosen beast of stern Ulric. They are cunning, Schreiber, far more
than Men credit — save the Ostlanders and
T Whilst most within the lands of the Empire bear grey Hochlanders, who I think have learned some
or black fur, those with Ulric’s regard absorb the luster of the truth at terrible cost. They have their
of the winter’s snows, leaving their pelts a luminous white. Wolves own language and their voices carry over great
avoid the homesteads of Humans, preferring the depths of the distances, allowing them to avoid, or ambush,
shadow-boughed forests, save when hunger drives them. They are those that would hunt them. A few among my
not the beasts that cause grown men to wake in a cold sweat late folk have learned their howling tongue, with
at night, roused to fearful alertness by terrible howls resounding great difficulty. The Great Wolves’ minds are
amongst the forested hills. No, such blood-chilling cries belong to as foul as their smell. They are clever enough
the Great Wolves, larger and fiercer by far than any natural beast. to create false dens to mislead their enemies,
Two long Human paces they run, standing higher than the tallest but hide their true lairs well. The Greenskins
Halfling at the shoulder. Their eyes are a lambent yellow or green have never tamed them, but simply made common
flame, flickering above teeth as long as hunting daggers. And cause. Still, I doubt not that when
within each dwells a hunger without respite. provisions run low, a few Goblins
go missing.
In the tales of Ostland, the Great Wolves feed upon the northerly
winds, the source of their famed howls. The folk of Hochland 'bbhbabtffntwTrrieeoeenhegiailaraahdevnlhnsssdeyesgttgtKrssre.usge.wfcrs,ocaosWr.onihRwulpebmfeeMaaatunhp.aa.esytdtetutueWab,nKhmkavrwneie,lobaoaai,nwhssussnnpgsahtaOteawef.tyostyfgIoehprsrBrwenh,eeoevcetacacim,uahRomsidsdlautebellKalaeilsteah.Pgdydulfgeeih’tGksasivpKhidtholoietmrisesniof,ema,vdwsfapt.aooKt.tdranutgK—iaychMaWoaguh?eetihpamvarnaaotpplmOspliygarwdfthshnnepoyitaivspidmeiewemt.f,oevn.icadinr.c..hPtRWnae,heeHnyRyedanaoth,t.uedpoaewghtkilunaoenoheolkosgeedorrst
agree with the Ostlanders, but add that they know well how to Splendid beast. Maybe I get lucky
‘vent’ Great Wolves with their famed long rifles from a distance. on this trip, we find him, da?'
(Allegedly, the beasts have been known to explode if well-struck,
showering those nearby in gore.) Villagers within Middenland
assured me that Great Wolves also sup upon the voices of Humans,
stealing them from unaware hunters.

Small packs thrive in the Forest of Shadows and in the deep green
foliage of the Great Forest, but winter brings them down in great
numbers from lairs hidden high in the Worlds Edge Mountains,
driven by ravenous hunger. In Talabecland, we were shown the
broken remains of a village whose populace had been consumed
entire by Great Wolves in a revel of slaughter over the course of a
single winter. The folk of the northern and eastern Provinces hunt
them without mercy, but barely hold their numbers in check all
the same.

Some amidst the Greenskin hordes have managed to tame
Great Wolves and ride them into battle. Wild stories say that
endless waves of wolf-riding ‘Hobgoblins’ roam the lands east of
the Worlds Edge. Such are mere traveler’s tales. One need only
observe as Shadow, the one-eyed Great Wolf that dwells within
the Zoo, tears into his blood-sausage to know the world could
never support whole armies of such voracious beasts.

16

GREAT WOLF RAUKOS

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 35 - 45 40 35 25 - 15 15 - 13 4 55 - 45 40 35 30 - 25 35 20 30

Traits: Armour 1 (5), Bestial, Night Vision, Traits: Armour 1 (5), Night Vision,
Stride, Territorial, Tracker, Trained (Broken, Size (Large), Stride, Tracker
Drive, Guard, Magic, Mount, War) Attack Traits: Weapon (Fangs) +8
Attack Traits: Weapon (Fangs) +7 His Own Pack – Raukos gets an extra Free Attack
Strength of the Pack – Great Wolves that outnumber each turn and counts as 2 opponents, e.g. it takes
a foe add an additional +10 to their combat modifier, 4 opponents to ‘outnumber him 2 to 1’ and he
e.g. at 2 to 1, they receive a total +30 modifier. outnumbers a single opponent, 2 to 1.
Optional: Size (Large), Remove Bestial, Skill: Melee (Fangs) 75
Territorial, & Trained – Add 15 Fel Talent: Reactive Strike (2)
Great Wolf packs generally number from 4 to 7,
though larger packs gather in the winter.

17

Razorgor

ithin the forests of the Empire dwell many dangerous Razorgors are notoriously belligerent and rapacious. They will
attack nearly anything, fighting to kill and greedily consume each
W and terrible beasts. Yet, none are so ravenous, nor quite creature they encounter. Razorgors eat all of a slain opponent in
so staggeringly foul, as the dreaded Razorgor. They a gluttonous rush: skin, flesh, offal, blood, and bone. Many stories
faintly resemble massive, partially skinned boars, but they are we heard (not just from villagers but even from some Imperial
firmly creatures of Chaos. Each is uniquely ugly, covered in patches Soldiers) claim that Razorgors can kill and consume an armored
of coarse dark hair, bony protrusions, irregular horns, lumps of knight, along with their entire barded warhorse, in well under a
ill-formed muscle, and ofttimes other unsightly or disturbing minute. A terrible fire is said to burn within them, which even the
mutations. Jagged fangs fill their gaping maws, and each Razorgor greediest consumption can barely subdue, and which glows from
has at least one set of tusks capable of gutting a bear. These, they out their bloodshot ember-like eyes.
regularly sharpen on stone to maintain the lethal points. Their
smell is said to be not unlike a charnel pit mixed with the rankest Razorgors are generally solitary beasts, but can occasionally be
midden imaginable. Even the most iron-willed of warriors may found in small herds. We were shown a patch of forest near the
retch in the presence of a Razorgor. Howling Hills where a herd had stayed for a time. It was utterly
despoiled — filled with shredded, half-gnawed trees and nearly
‘lspnacDaftiiolotteftetreaovasrkfytepc,nlr,rkoiooa,cumotrktsrduyetiar.ngarierayng?gGmeio.egordicfNhoNngll.edoetdovwoOarfetmoeinirtgnrss,eehseeoy..stbwo’o.,buAuhfrtTft.iicehgfhbhrTfhoe,sauthat.cegsinevhossTrde.ttmnyehaISnoeuinuycnaclohevhwcw.yfaat,oiggAnlueoilyt,lnudeaaoabsrelneurwxe,stcateyhlselent devoid of animal life. These abominations have long menaced
the villages of the Drakwald, and folk keep a watchful eye when
fthws‘iIiraanhuheivnnibceascethvrateeexldsaflthnoeiwrredcmeeaaee’a‘rcRpidwtasuozinertndaoushnmroctibnrofaouurcrRpsldtnuaiiq’sulz.tuoatohiuldrialsgaaltoclaacirdlthcidcihenhametfneimlgceaisaesmlrttomisnuaseblsley, they travel the roads of Middenland. The folk of the Great Forest
and the Forest of Shadows also fear their tread. Talabheim offers
a standing bounty of thirty gold crowns for the fresh head of a
Razorgor, but few indeed have cause to collect it.

Razorgors that manage to feed their raging inner fire are said to
grow continually larger and tougher over time. Most infamous
of all Razorgors within the Empire, as of the time of writing, is
the legendarily fierce Ol’ Gribbleback of Hochland: an enormous
pale-skinned Razorgor sporting a massive hump of twisted
muscle and spiraling serrated bones out of its lumpen back. It
has slain hunters, caravans, whole patrols of Road Wardens, and
even a small contingent of Reiksguard Knights sent to destroy it.
Grand Duchess of Talabheim and Elector Countess Elise IX has
offered the weight of the beast’s hump in gold to any that can end
its depredations forever — a sum of several hundred crowns at
the least. So far, this tempting offer has only served to keep the
creature well fed.

18

RAZORGOR OL’ GRIBBLEBACK

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
7 45 - 55 45 33 35 - 5 30 - 32 6 65 - 65 55 13 35 - 20 40 10 100

Traits: Armour 1 (5), Bestial, Distracting, Traits: Armour 3 (8), Distracting, Frenzy,
Frenzy, Night Vision, Size (Large), Stride Hardy, Mutation (The Bone Hump), Night
Attack Traits: Horns (Tusks) +10, Weapon (Tusks) +10 Vision, Size (Enormous), Ward 8+
Optional: Corruption (Minor), Infected, Infestation, Attack Traits: Horns (Tusks) +11, Weapon (Tusks) +11
Mutation, Size (Enormous), Tail Attack +9, Territorial The Bone Hump – Ol’ Gribbleback’s hump has
extended supple, but iron-hard, bone ribbing
throughout his entire body. This has slowed him
a bit, but has made him incredibly tough.
Talent: Combat Master (3)

19

Griffon

amed throughout the Old World for their majestic †a stalking Griffon can set an army to flight and cannot be easily†
forgotten. We met hunters who claimed to still hear it in their
F bearing and legendary ferocity, few creatures inspire as nightmares, though they hadn’t encountered a Griffon in decades.
much awe — or fear — as the Griffon: a vast predatory Griffons are cunning fighters, swift to withdraw when surrounded,
beast with the forequarters and wings of a raptor, placed upon only to attack again from on high, swooping down to savage their
the hindquarters of a great cat. The Griffon is considered a sacred foes. Many stories hold that Griffons would sooner die than lose
creature by the citizens of the Empire, and the Griffon standard a battle —one of the reasons they became a beloved symbol of our
has gone before our armies for thousands of years. A rare few rich glorious Empire. A compatriot tells me the Elven term for Griffon
and powerful nobles choose to use Griffons as mounts. Many pay translates as ‘savage perfection’.
for this decision with their lives, as there is no such thing as a
‘tame’ Griffon. Yet, there are also tales of Griffons’ great loyalty to While Griffons prefer to set their eyries high amidst the peaks of
their riders and their keen intelligence, leaving the truth somewhat the Worlds Edge Mountains and other lofty ranges,they frequently
murky. Certainly, regal Deathclaw, Emperor Karl-Franz’s mount, travel far afield to hunt the lowlands. They are said to love horse
is renowned for his faithful nature. If you are lucky indeed, you flesh, greatly preferring it to that of other beasts, especially when
may be able to get a ticket to see him at his annual showing at the feeding their young. The northeastern portion of the Great Forest
Imperial Zoo. has been called the Gryphon’s Wood for centuries. Even now, one
can glimpse Griffons as they swoop down from the heights to
Griffons are precise and graceful killers, relentless in their pursuit hunt wild horses on the Veldt of Ostermark.
of prey. Their hooked beaks and sharp claws can easily remove
limbs. Indeed, their talons are so large that artisans hollow them C
out to make drinking cups. The hunters of Ostermark swear that
an arrow fletched with Griffon feathers always strikes deep and hen my compatriots and I agreed to go on our
true. Griffons’ colouration can vary wildly, with some showing the
brilliant hues of rare birds and unusual markings of great cats from W expedition, we were specifically asked to observe the
distant lands. Deathclaw’s hindquarters bear stripes precisely like habits of Griffons in the wild with a mind to providing
those of the legendary ‘tygers’ of distant Ind. The piercing cry of insight into care for Deathclaw. We did learn something of
Griffons, and I know them to be far more discerning than most
TGgPtognGherobohorreijlflibherefddlfyecafe,aotpsaoacnsnsrornds.aee.nsrCpTsDspeorhcwriinedemewoacecripirtrrilteolfilienyeuvaicnggasiltnabggeltlwgssyymtthet,onmoahroludtaaainnkspcyveeatttesytaamehtshidmafnehanaostwtEeyyreomwrlbtsbplihseigiruhrehbhdgeferesi’tgmseon,sue.yosonfltdi.d folk would believe, but we learned far more of the darkness that
one thing at least, schreiber — hides on the Empire’s borders. See the Appendices (page 97) for
horse meat is delicious. what befell us.

20

GRIFFON

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
6 50 - 50 50 45 60 - 20 50 - 76
Traits: Armour 1 (6), Bestial, Flight 80,
Grim, Night Vision, Size (Enormous)
Attack Traits: Bite (Hooked Beak)
+9, Weapon (Talons) +9
Piercing Cry – The shrieking bloodroar of an attacking
Griffon is utterly devastating to hear. A charging
Griffon can spend 2 Advantage to screech at its foes
as a Free Attack. All opponents within the Griffon’s
Toughness Bonus in yards must make a Hard (-20)
Willpower Test or acquire one Stunned Condition.
Swiftsense – A Griffon’s Talons have the Fast Quality.
Optional: Immunity to Psychology, Remove
Bestial – Add +20 Fel, Territorial, Trained
(Broken, Guard, Magic, Mount, War)
When surrounded on the ground, Griffon are quick to take
to the air, circling to reengage their choice of foe on their
own terms, often accompanied by an ear-splitting bloodroar.

21

Dread Maw

f all the subtle killers of our hazardous world, none are †On those awful details, at least, the stories agreed. After that, we†
were cautioned that Dread Maws are creatures of the Chaos
O quite so pernicious as greed.The endless quest for profit wastes and no two are truly the same. Their skins seem prone to
leads to many reckless choices, but there will always be rot and decay, such that many bear open, suppurating wounds.The
those quick to tell you that with great risk, comes great reward. If majority of Dread Maws bear strange mutations. Some (allegedly)
this is so, then the rewards to be found along the Ivory Road to spew at their foes the same foul and corrosive substance that coats
distant Cathay must beggar imagination, for it is regularly stalked their skin. Others are said to have acidic blood that can melt flesh.
by the terror of merchants. The Dread Maw is a terrible predator A rare few grow to titanic size, and are capable of swallowing
born of the blighted wastes. One does not see a burrowing Dread whole armoured wagons in a single gulp. Every story agreed on
Maw coming for them — they feel it as a rumble in the earth, the wisdom of avoiding Dread Maws as much as possible (unless
signaling doom. one were seeking a glorious death).

East of Ostermark within the Worlds Edge Mountains rises C
the legendary Karak Kadrin (roughly, ‘Stronghold of the Pass’ in
Reikspeil). Karak Kadrin was so named for it guards the Peak ne night, I asked how such a creature could ever be
Pass, one of the most important trade routes of the Old World
— and one of the deadliest. The famed Ivory Road travels over the O defeated. The warriors present all agreed that enough
Peak Pass, through the Blasted Wastes of the Dark Lands, into damage could drive a Dread Maw away. A few had
the distant Mountains of Mourn where the Ogres rule supreme, seen particularly well-funded caravans use cannons to kill the
and on to near-mythic Cathay. The Ivory Road boasts no end of monsters. A harsh laugh rang out, and the entire crowded tavern
dangers, but few are as deadly — or as unbribable — as the Dread fell silent to look at a heavily scarred Slayer bearing the largest
Maw. Karak Kadrin is widely known as ‘Slayer Keep’, for it is the axe I have ever seen. He set down his tankard and declared, “I’ll
centre of the worship of Grimnir, the Dwarf God of battle, and allow that cannon would do it, but the best way to kill a ‘Maw is to
houses a great number of those fell Dwarf warriors known as let it swallow you, then cut your way out from the inside.” It is worth
Slayers. Our expedition stayed in Karak Kadrin for several weeks. noting that the Dwarf ’s skin was covered with what appeared to
Over tankards of ale on many nights, we were told tales of Dread be extensive burn scars. When I asked after him, I learned he was
Maws (and numerous other monsters) by steely eyed Dwarfs with Belegol Ironskin, a famed Slayer who’d ‘failed’ many times (to die,
brilliant orange hair crests. These Dwarfs in particular took a keen that is). And yes, he was quite serious.
interest in our work.

Dread Maws are huge serpents (some Dwarfs swore ‘worms’ is atahnc—teiHDgToonhDoruorhtriverrnrleioe—fdeDbotrtoalaovrelerdrbeisdrpneaetlboMrwaahMgrnelednoeenavateoadhtefsMtwdtwahnisehrucortaoeofatnseiawlfrettevytcbaiuKheoghwdlswnavaehiayinelditsuedutrtatmrharBrehnlebeidlaiatncylesscovoutehirscoemnnlteewo.dlthdamNfySadoeNtryatueOeioeEtgldassdmlverhdmgaimdfi—ctrarntsepmarophuriiQtemtareaemlituenednrhwj.vtuemoigahstaetesohtnoentstbontbtstdtoa.heaerihsSolsnflnaieeesuteaay,swaevcccrnehtdtrshytiteaateashaayattet,lareeisnsdf t
more appropriate), their vast circular mouths filled with hooked,
crescent-shaped, inward-curling teeth. Their scaly grey and
greenish bodies are coated with a rank slime that aids in passing
through the earth at great speed, as well as befouling the axes of
those seeking to end them. Dread Maws frequently attack from
directly beneath their targets, erupting from the earth to swallow
smaller foes whole.They are just as willing to attack larger creatures,
boring through flesh and bone to consume them from the inside.

22

DREAD MAW NEW CREATURE TRAIT:

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W Burrow – This creature can travel by tunnelling
through earth and stone at a rapid pace. As its
3 45 30 55 55 15 20 - 15 35 - 36 move, it can burrow up to its Rating in yards. While
burrowing, it ignores all intervening terrain, obstacles,
Traits: Armour 3 (8), Belligerent, Bestial, or characters. At the end of the move, it decides
Burrow 30, Corruption (Minor), Dark Vision, whether it will emerge or if it is still burrowing. It
Mutation, Size (Large), Territorial can use this move to Charge. If it starts the turn
burrowing, it must choose to Burrow for its Move.
Attack Traits: Bite (Cavernous Maw) +10, Breath
(Slime) +5, Weapon (Cavernous Maw) +10 When targeting a burrowing creature, measure
horizontal distance as normal, then increase range
Slime: Wounds caused ignore Armour Points. Targets difficulty by 2 steps. So, a Medium Range shot
must make an Average (+20) Agility Test each time would become Extreme Range, whereas Long
they wish to physically act for a number of rounds and Extreme Range shots are impossible.
equal to the Dread Maw’s Toughness Bonus. Failure
means they immediately gain the Prone Condition as
they lose their footing to the slippery goo coating them.

Swallow Whole – When a Dread Maw uses its
Cavernous Maw to cause Wounds equal to twice a
target’s Toughness Bonus with a single attack, or scores
a Critical Hit, against a target of equal or smaller size,
it attempts to consume the target entirely. The Dread
Maw makes an Opposed Strength Test against its
target. If it succeeds, its target immediately gains the
Entangled condition, with an additional condition for
each +2 SL the Dread Maw beat the target by. On the
target’s next action, they can only make an Opposed
Strength Test to escape the Dread Maw, if they fail
to remove all Entangled Conditions, they take 10
Wounds (which can be reduced by Toughness and
Armour) and are forced down the Dread Maw’s gullet.

NOTE: Due to the Dread Maw’s Size, an Average
Size creature must score a Critical on its Opposed
Strength Test to successfully contest against it.

A victim in a Dread Maw’s gullet is Entangled and
automatically suffers 10 Wounds at the start of each
round that is not reduced by Armour as they are
slowly digested. Many grim stories tell of warriors
looking on in horror as they witnessed their comrades
struggling against the pliant flesh of a Dread Maw’s
grossly distended belly from within. If a victim
in a Dread Maw’s gullet can successfully make a
Willpower Test to act normally, they can attack
their ‘cell’ with a Very Short or Personal Weapon
using an unopposed Melee Combat Test with a +20
bonus to hit. They must cause a collective 20 Wounds
to cut their way out; the Dread Maw does not get
its Armour against any damage caused this way.

Optional Traits: Corrosive Blood, Horns (Hooked
Spines) +9, Infected, Size (Enormous, Monstrous)

23

Rhinox

haggy, ill-tempered brutes roam the high reaches of and many-a-grudge-bearing Krag-Breaker, who apparently once
shattered the fortress gate of a Karak with his ‘Gromril-hard’
S the Old World’s mountain ranges. The Rhinox are skull (the stories vary as to which). Despite a considerable bounty
huge, four-legged beasts with large horns that curl up placed on his near-impenetrable cranium by the High King of the
from their heavy snouts. Favoured by great Ulric for their love of Dwarfs, Krag-Breaker still wanders the high vales of the Worlds
cold and their belligerent nature, Rhinox readily charge nearly any Edge, trampling everything in his way.
target that draws within a stone’s throw. Dwarf trappers regularly
hunt herds of Rhinox along the Worlds Edge Mountains.They say Rhinox are obstinate beasts, unwilling to deviate from their chosen
that this ornery nature is made worse by the Rhinox’s exceedingly path and swift to attack anything that doesn’t smell like a (pungent)
bad eyesight. The Dwarfs commonly opine that a stone’s throw is Rhinox, including all manner of deadly predators. Dwarf hunters
about as far as a Rhinox can see. do their best to use their stubborn nature against them and
occasionally set up ‘kill cliffs’that rely on shrubbery or other means
As Rhinox live in regions where snow and blizzards are frequent, to obscure a drop. After tricking a Rhinox into charging to its
their lack of good vision hinders them less than it might, and they death, the hunter collects the corpse from the mountainside far
have developed an extremely keen sense of smell to compensate. A below. Their thick pelt and rank odour belie a delightful flavour to
hungry Rhinox can sniff out edible foliage or an unlucky beast’s their meat, and finer cuts of Rhinox can fetch a high price.
lair beneath even the deepest snows — they are voraciously
omnivorous. Rhinox seem to hate flowers and will go out of their Ogres frequently use Rhinox as beasts of burden,
way to trample the few blooms that grace the snowy heights, finding their aggressive natures ‘charming’ and
possibly because the sweet smells overwhelm or confuse their their tendency to randomly charge nearby targets
powerful noses. ‘hilarious’. Some Ogre mercenaries passing
through Karak Kadrin told us the amusing —
There is little consensus on whether Rhinox are fearless or just very, and apparently near-mythic — story of the first time a Rhinox
very stupid. Perhaps both are true.There are certainly many stories hauled heavy loads in the Mountains of Mourn. A famously crafty
of them aggressively attacking oddly shaped rock outcroppings, Gnoblar (cousin to Goblins — sneak thieves the lot of them)
trying to run over water, and occasionally mauling their fellow named Ma the Grub had the ‘brilliant’ revelation that he could
Rhinox for no apparent reason. Dwarfs say it’s difficult to discern haul more loot from a battlefield with the help of a larger creature.
which is harder — granite or a Rhinox’s skull. I heard several What followed was a comedy of errors involving a wide variety of
tales about a particularly infamous Rhinox, the roundly cursed the dangerous beasts that roam the Ogre Kingdoms. Each new
beast ended up punting, stomping, or eating Ma’s ‘assistants’ as
‘hrtsaCiRthasohihlveuciveiunesnriermoirtmbatxeplyttdohesasiwdetctloisdrkoeudesairbthsRtkohhlocssorarien,nunrdmoedabsaruextpkrstetrehuethttoafaahrstoioctnartGn,epmfvrsahteaoilunerlnprgeyoesyugtrpteaeitfanhyhstoigiie’nnt.lsinggkiTngrhsggfo,aerotbvteoueesksmht..b,aIeten they tried to strap it into a makeshift harness. After many failures,
the Grub finally managed to get a young Rhinox to accept the
harness. Likely, the creature wasn’t smart enough to figure out how
to escape the tack, and not yet grown into enough belligerence to
crush the Gnoblar for his temerity.

24

RHINOX KRAG-BREAKER

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
6 45 - 55 50 23 30 - 10 10 - 32 7 55 - 65 73 30 25 - 15 20 - 88

Traits: Armour 2 (7), Belligerent, Traits: Armour 5 (12), Belligerent, Bestial,
Bestial, Size (Large), Stride Grim, Painless, Size (Enormous), Stride
Attack Traits: Horns +10, Weapon (Curling Horns) +10 Attack Traits: Horns +13*, Weapon (Curling Horns) +13*
Too Ornery to Die – Rhinox completely ignore the effects Harder Than Stone – Krag-Breaker’s
of the first Critical Hit they take in any given combat. Armour has the Impenetrable Quality.
Optional: Frenzy, Infestation, Territorial, Trained (Drive) Too Ornery to Die – Krag-Breaker completely ignores the
effects of the first Critical Hit he takes in any given combat.
Skills: Melee (Curling Horns) 70
Talents: Berserk Charge 3, Strike Mighty Blow 2*

25

Of Squigs and Night Goblins

ne of the stranger creatures the Old World has to offer, Priests of Taal I consulted on the matter swore that the King
of Nature had nothing whatsoever to do with Squigs, that
O Squigs are, essentially, ambulatory mushrooms with they derived from ‘outside his sphere’. A few suggested they’re
vile dispositions, beady eyes, and a massive maw filled associated with the endlessly hungry Great Maw of the Ogres.
with rows of dagger-like teeth. They would be far more dangerous Several of the Dwarf Loremasters I spoke with in Karak Kadrin
if they ever displayed anything resembling conscious thought. claimed that Squigs originally sprung from the blood of Gork
On the occasions when they can be viewed from a safe distance, (or possibly Mork — they didn’t know which and clearly didn’t
Squigs either stand around drooling or spring about randomly, care) where it was spilled on the battlefield long ago in a struggle
immediately trying to kill and gulp down anything they land near. against Grimnir. Perhaps this is the reason Squigs have long been
associated with the degenerate tribes of Greenskins known as
Squigs vary wildly in appearance, and many have been seen to Night Goblins.
adapt to their environment. The meadow-foliage-covered Grass
Squigs menace the cattle of Averland and unwary Halflings along C
the Blue Reach River. The Squigs that haunt the nightmares † †
of Imperial Soldiers come from dark and cavernous haunts far
beneath the Worlds Edge Mountains. The Cave Squigs of the
Worlds Edge exhibit many colours, though the majority tends
toward bright oranges and deep reds.

26

tpfaesrhmiroqnapepuultaeimogrrybmitteoesirdeil.issoiInit,sfnnthoioanhnattrse-erflmmiaelcaaaaanrismtnkutmteamabebdolbneeelfravenli.cwoucehfbesriciuocahsfanenidsftu,l NIGHT GOBLIN CAVE SQUIG SWARM
mNTihagkehetognoGloyodbtltihnaisnrggiseuttsseh.fautl
about M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
they 4 55* - 50 30 10 40 - 5 15 - 60*
Traits: Bestial, Bounce, Dark Vision, Infected, Swarm
Attack Traits: Weapon (Fang-filled Gob) +9

27

nce again I apologise, but as with Giant Spiders efore we set out on our expedition, Warnicke told us

O and Forest Goblins, I cannot write truly of B that the Imperial Zoo offered a fair bonus if we could
Squigs without saying something more about return with some Squigs for their collection. Our time
the only beings that actually make use of them. Arguably the
cruelest members of their twisted kind, Night Goblins are cunning in Karak Kadrin was such that we did manage a few outings to
schemers utterly lacking in anything resembling a conscience. It is
their tribes that have seized the majority of the Dwarfs’ ancient secure a cage’s worth of diminutive Squigs, each slightly smaller
Karaks over the centuries. To say that the Dwarfs ‘hate’ them is
an impossibly massive understatement. I was shown immense than a loaf of bread. We started out with eleven. Over the months
volumes of ‘Grudge Books’ in Karak Kadrin dedicated to the
depredations of Night Goblins, along with even larger tomes of we passed down the River Stir, the Squigs eventually decided they
annotations suggesting the properly gruesome vengeful actions to
begin to bring them to account. had enough of the poor fare we offered them. Sometime after

Night Goblins have long hunted Squigs, apparently using Wurtbad, they turned on each other. Upon our return to Altdorf,
some for sustenance and others as living weapons. The Goblins
delight in goading herds of Squigs into their foes, using a variety we presented the Zoo with three Halfling-sized Squigs and the
of methods to create loud noises, which Squigs greatly dislike
(perhaps associating them with cave-ins?). Over-eager young strong suggestion that they immediately be placed in separate cages.
Night Goblins even ride Squigs into battle, which seldom ends
well for them — Squigs eat Night Goblins as readily as any other NIGHT GOBLINS
creature. Then again, this isn’t particularly out of character for
Night Goblins. The most rabid of their kind actually consume M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
poisonous mushrooms, addling their brains but greatly increasing
their strength, before charging, shrieking wildly, into battle. 4 30 35 30 35 20 35 30 30 20 20 11

Night Goblins dress in stained dark robes and employ a number of Traits: Animosity (Greenskins), Afraid (Elves),
cruelly hooked rusty weapons. They frequently use barbed nets to Dark Vision, Hatred (Dwarfs), Infected
capture their foes for later torment.I cannot tell you how unsettling
it was to have several formidable Dwarf veterans solemnly swear Attack Traits: Ranged (Shortbow) +5 (20),
to me that they always carry at least one sharp dagger in order to Weapon (Rusty Blades) +7
make a ‘quick end’ for themselves, or their comrades, should they
ever be taken alive by Night Goblins Some Night Goblins use nets to ensnare
their foes, so their compatriots can beat them
C senseless for later torture. Ranged (Net 3) (6)
† †
A few Night Goblins try to direct Squigs into battle
by riding them. This seldom works out well for them.
These ‘Squig Hoppers’ have Ride (Squig) 40. They
must make a Hard (-20) Ridge (Squig) Test in
order to direct their mounts. If they succeed, they can
actually pick a target of their choice and either take
an Action or make an Attack against them. On a
failure, they can only cling on. On a Fumble, they
sail off and their mount eats them for their cheek.

Skills: Ranged (Bow) 45, Ranged (Entangling) 45

Optional: Stealthy

Before a Night Goblin tribe commits to battle, some of
their members are granted the ‘honour’ of consuming a
potent brew made from Mad Cap Mushrooms. Once
their eyes have started to bulge from their skulls and
they can barely contain themselves, their fellows know
the brew has kicked in proper. The resulting horrors
are known as Night Goblin Fanatics. Their mates hold
them till the enemy draws close, then unleash them,
slavering and wild, wielding massive chained Iron-
balls and spinning like so many demented tops.

Night Goblin Fanatics add +10 to their Strength,
have 16 Wounds, and have the Frenzy Trait. They
also have Weapon (Two-Handed) 40. Their Ball &
Chains are Two-Handed Weapons that do +10
Damage in their hands, as well as having the Impact
and Wrap Qualities, along with the Dangerous Flaw.

28

NETS
Nets are part of the Entangling Ranged Weapon
Group. If an opponent is successfully attacked with
a Net, they gain the Entangled Condition and must
typically make a Challenging Strength Test in order
to get a number of SLs equal to the Net’s Rating in
order to break free. SLs are not cumulative; if you fail
to break free, you pick up another Entangled condition.
Hooked Nets automatically inflict damage, which typically
ignores Armour, upon those who struggle against them
whenever they fight against the net, successfully or not.
There are rumours of enchanted nets used by the wicked
Elves of Naggaroth that actively fight against their targets,
or sprout magical barbs that bite into their victim’s flesh,
wrapping them ever tighter until escape is impossible.

29

Dragons

he greatest of all living creatures to roam the Old World, Though I can scarcely credit it, there are said to be Human cultists
that worship Dragons, usually wholly dedicating themselves to an
T Dragons are said to be the first and eldest species, individual rather than the species entire. Apparently, they believe
ancient long before Sigmar ever wielded Ghal-Maraz. that their actions will either keep their chosen ‘lord’ asleep, or they
Some Elven tales suggest that Dragons were once the servants pave the way for its return by gathering treasure and sacrifices
of the mythic Old Ones. In others, they were their enemies and to appease it. I have looked into the eyes of the relatively young
caused their downfall. Few of these mighty reptilian beasts exist Dragon that is occasionally housed within the Imperial Zoo
now. The sound of their wings has become a rarity in the Empire (which the keepers tell me it greatly resents). I have no doubt that
— thankfully, for even the weakest Dragon is a force to be reckoned any Dragon approached by these deluded cultists, if they exist,
with, and the largest can break armies. Their infamously deadly would eat their ‘followers’ without a second thought.
breath, as varied in effects as Dragons are in appearance, is enough
to rout most foes. Dragons’ claws are sharper than any sword, to
say nothing of their teeth, and their armoured hides can deflect
cannon fire.

All tales agree that no Dragon has ever died of old age. They FOREST DRAGONS
simply grow larger, and more cunning, with the passing centuries.
Younger Dragons are closer to beasts, their sentience not unlike to M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
that of clever dogs. The eldest and greatest are brilliant creatures,
speaking many tongues and wielding magic like a master wizard. 6 65 60 65 65 60 35 15 65 85 45 104
Nevertheless, the Dragons’ time has passed and the world drags at
them all. The Dwarfs suggest that the majority of the remaining Traits: Arboreal, Armour 5 (11), Flight
‘Drakk’ slumber away their lives hidden in caverns deep within 50, Grim, Immunity (Poison), Night
the heart of mountains. However, we met several hunters along Vision, Size (Enormous), Stealthy
the Talabec who swore they’d seen signs of the passage of large
sinuous creatures in the shadows of the Empire’s forests. They also Attack Traits: Bite +12, Breath (Soporific) +10,
reported inexplicable clearings with trace indications that whole Tail +9, Weapon (Root-like Claws) +11
herds of Beastmen had entered them and never left.
A Fool’s End – Soporific Breath ignores Armour
The Dragons’ love of gold and precious things is common Points. Any target damaged by it must make a
knowledge, and the source of the Dwarfs’ bitter enmity, but why Hard (-20) Willpower Test. On a failure, they
they seek treasure remains a mystery. Some Loremasters told me acquire the Stupid Trait for a number of rounds
the Drakk use gold to attract mates, a large hoard suggesting equal to the Dragon’s Toughness Bonus.
success and power. A few said they just did it out of spite. One
Slayer swore that gold was the source of Dragons’ incredibly long The Forest is My Shield – In a woodland, amidst
lives and that they ate it to maintain their health. King Ungrim trees, a Forest Dragon never counts as being
Ironfist himself told me that when he was a lad, a Runesmith outnumbered. All Ranged attacks against it suffer
taught him that gold ‘sings’ to Dragons; their amassed hoards a penalty of -20, as its chameleonic scales flicker in
create a ‘chorus’ of staggering beauty — which is why the loss of appearance between leaves and bark. If this modifier
even a single coin enrages them. They instantly know when the causes its opponents to fail when the Test would
‘music’ has lost a voice. otherwise have succeeded, they instead hit one of
the trees about the Dragon, or one of its Engaged
opponents, as determined randomly by the GM.

Skills: Melee (Root-like Claws) 75, Stealth
65 (+6 SL due to Arboreal and Stealthy)

Optional: Magical, Spellcaster ( Jade),
Trained (Mount), Venom

30

tbtdfbIDhhieirnbefcarefedyaataeluirgdttfelhesohivondeneewitrsstotehWfhaadeaoarcuirrlWetnedoectd.stihrmsoSne—ehdoaoeiraruostuuecrgbhrlDrtldweoheDrswaoetarhtrocgalffavudoagtatrn.rohrcrTnseimhehalnadbeneotnfeercstDiegeenpioernsogef,aofswmsgtftfthuooemlyneyrssmtmsattaihgsaciainalyecpnne.eodpdwbeyr a
world than we reckon.

TtfaaomdhhotwbnufntsieraheodAewalhdethfdfegpneCttfoFsRasfEooDvewfsretpohelnftehStirEeialureiveraaelersargerurylgthamilerteleeewrrtyhaesdhvdkrehtta.neheeostegdlryrbeetsrruhtStvoaefhnaelloasarhe.nhanrlslehadbctteionencyS(eeuTwort’uretratvrodVdoaudtisrheven’troErev‘isbnandpDohnedeomifrroiilerltdfesadoliosserfretoSinbtbntmtrxsalnb,thtgCioiWwyucafapirskehhtohelnibsrylbreggafeartyeoefghaceuoatieeoniftelgeoelseeinzshbitpinlhlepdEdhsntnmdveeoatdeenaeomd’smlrsthagrgntiOs—aonadouhesalhyetnehnd.SirpdfailesrpsreewlrnsrveCtfpatrrlyffcer,od,oFiadmaiiaherlaa.hfesfasrnatIsiuenetglnlrlvfahleEerfghsdrrreteddimoEoeeerpfrienyeshssivaasfmib’eddueattrweddunfeerrsSiuaeeassErnoglprisAhanedtic,anVitdsbewnmpu,r,tyrbshetpr,eksosneownanosolrtto,apaovuhemdsuoeirhwdhahltor,rdrepenatslntebdeteanayiovtrnttot)ehdshcesteSivdsse.eoltunasteeeleroirswdstaaiefdalhd’l.brngfnT,witintllodeesmylstchWt—aFfageta’tDeba,lmr.hoeeisiaSnlim.heeenvmiutrfchwrsacdwosetideelbisfnetoyafnaasndeaga,dhibtitutltdebtaabaaeraomhsehgneotrlrfeynesrehteiyvseder,dsshrodndoeneohtegfulwesto. M

CALEDAIR, THE SCYTHE OF FIRE

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

6 90 75 75 95 60 30 15 75 90 45 344

Traits: Armour 6 (15), Flight 90, Grim 3, Hardy,
Immunity (Fire), Immunity to Psychology, Magical,
Night Vision, Size (Monstrous), Spellcaster (Fire)

Attack Traits: Bite +13, Breath (Fire) +20, Tail
+11, Weapon (Gromril-tipped Claws) +12

‘Stolen’ Claws – The Dwarfs have entire Books
of Grudges about Caledair, with some of the
most outraged entries detailing how she acquired
the Gromril to coat her talons. Caledair’s
claws ignore Armour Points entirely.

Skills: Evaluate 95, Melee (Gromril-tipped Claws)
110, Intimidate 95 (+3 SL), Language (Magick) 105

Talents: Instinctive Diction, Menacing 3

31

Wyvern

yverns are ill-omened beasts that skulk about the Some described swift spindly beasts that couldn’t possibly bear the
weight of an Ork Warlord. Others spoke of scarred rippled muscle
W heights of the Worlds Edge,dwelling in dank caves save that easily turned a heavy axe. It may well be that there is more
when hunger drives them forth to hunt the foothills than one species of Wyvern, or that the differences between males
and plains east of the mountains. They are winged reptiles, eaters and females are profound.
of carrion, that bear only the most passing resemblance to Dragons.
They are typically far smaller creatures, and lack forelimbs. They A Wyvern’s shadow is said to bring ruin to those it falls upon.
are heavily built, like a scaled bull, with terrible eyesight and nasty Certainly, many a farmer has rued it, for the shadow inevitably
tempers. The most dangerous of Ork Warlords sometimes ride means their flocks will soon be short a sheep or two. Some folk
Wyverns they’ve personally raised, or at least beat into compliance. claim that the ‘Wyvern’s Curse’ is real, and no mere peasant
The Dwarfs have a number of amusing tales involving Wyverns superstition.They swear all of a warrior’s luck abandons them until
turning on their riders at ‘inconvenient’moments, like in the midst they’ve ‘suffered enough’ or managed to break the curse by killing
of a duel. the Wyvern that inflicted it upon them.

Some folk claim that certain Wyverns are, in fact, crafty creatures, It is not in the heights alone that Wyvern
full of poison and spite in equal measure. While Wyverns often reside. Some dwell within the darkest
seem craven and swift to retreat from a fight, they also unleash heart of the Forest of Shadows and a
cunning ambushes amidst narrow mountain passes where their few, at least, make their haunts along
targets cannot properly fight back. I found many conflicting the cliffs overlooking the Sea of Claws.
descriptions, and no few arguments, amidst the folk of Karak beasts, ungainly, and ill
Kadrin. They are foul addition to the infamously
favoured. In of their tails, their bite can
WYVERN lethal poison
carry a sickness of its own. I have never
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W hunted a particularly cunning Wyvern
4 55 - 60 55 15 45 - 10 50 - 84 before, but it would not surprise me
if such have arisen in the world.
Traits: Armour 2, Bestial, Flight 90, Size (Enormous)
Attack Traits: Tail +12 (Venom),
Weapon (Teeth) +10 (Infected)
A Wyvern’s Spite – A foe that gains a Surprised condition
because of a Wyvern must succeed at a Willpower Test
or succumb to their curse. A target of the curse suffers a
penalty of –10 to all Tests, and is unable to use Fortune
Points, until the Wyvern that cursed them is dead, or
until they’ve suffered a loss of 5 or more Wound points.
Optional: Breath (Poison) +10, Grim, Horns,
Trained (Broken, Guard, Magic, Mount, War)
Remove Bestial, Change Size to Large, Add +20 to I, Int,
and Fel – Change W to 42 & add Stealth (Rural) 65

32

nthtpioWctahorlirbtastyWioow.aeernvepsa,ytaT.elecethvsvbeFoerurueesmetxinootrnrrtitorre’ks,nsgipe,stirionavstnawvtutctlegceonesinaalehntrwtafoolnnitaolthmodcsanmobawoyreeoicnhlvnibcitatayssoleaeany,nnehtesucdwneaocosyubbikifmemueerlpedmcfetlaeieeteysiidastiftxnfciuapcptigeufavsoucioxslnlreefnespthywe.afcceeatltirprtfpdtnaoiihaetvuidomtrnneerlto;icynaiengwith

33

Halagrundsor the ‘Horrible’

Near the end of our expedition’s time in Karak Kadrin, a guide exchanged a few words with them and we were allowed to
pass with a shrug.We eventually arrived at a clearing,which proved
N Dwarf Ranger from another Hold, and whose company to have an appealing aspect. It was bordered by a melt-off stream,
I’d grown quite fond of, secretly approached me with an and dominated by a massive crude pavilion, stitched together
intriguing offer. For reasons that will become obvious by the end from what looked to be a combination of sail-cloth, scavenged
of this entry, I will call him ‘Silvergrin’. I’d met him in a tavern one human-sized tents, and the hides of various unidentifiable but
evening and immediately took a shine to him. We drank together once-shaggy beasts. As we approached, a being only slightly less
many nights thereafter, and I did the majority of the paying, but tall than an Empire townhouse emerged from the pavilion. The
never minded, for his stories were always worth it. He is, by far Giant, for giant he surely was, wore mis-matched clothing bearing
and away, the most cheerful Dwarf I’ve ever met. Even the Slayers a mix of ornamentation and heraldry. His pate was shaven, his
of Karak Kadrin thought he was a bit odd, but Jorunn tells me beard bound into a series of simple braids. He squinted and visibly
her people’s Rangers are all considered a bit suspect as they prefer flinched against the mid-morning sun, holding up one huge hand
fresh air and an open sky to stone halls. to block out the light, whereas the other held a curious makeshift
drinking stein the size of a small barrel. There were a scattering of
Silvergrin knew I was fascinated with Giants, having asked him, a other human soldiers about, and while they did not seem to fear
few of his fellow Rangers, and many Slayers quite a few questions the giant outright, I did note that they all give him some distance.
on the subject. We so often hear tales of these vast beings in the
Empire, but know so very little about them. Many stories hold The giant’s rumbling voice was so deep it made my bones vibrate.
them to be massive, crude, drunken louts that revel in carnage, ‘Oi, Silvergrin, just in time fer a drink. Who’ve ye brought then? No
most often encountered while marching in the Waaaghs! of the Wizards, mind! Yer no Wizard, are ye stumplin?’ I strongly assured
Greenskins. Others say they are actually shy creatures, prone to him that I was not a Wizard. ‘Thas ‘good, that is. No Wizards. Put
avoiding other folk if they can help it. Certainly, the accounts the wyrms in yer mind, they do. Come ‘ave a drink then.’
Slayers gave me were all grim ones about the great ravages Giants
were capable of, how often they had wronged their people, and The Giant brought sat with us on some barelles arranged in the
how every one of them should be slain, without exception. The clearing, presumably for that purpose. Catching a glimpse inside
Rangers, aside from Silvergrin a more taciturn lot, agreed with the his pavilion, I noted it was filled with all manner of barrels, casks,
Slayers. and even a few hogsheads, all filled with alcohol of nearly every
description and quality, as well as several beast carcases strung up
Imagine my utter surprise when Silvergrin asked if I wanted to whose smell turned my stomach from thirty paces off.
meet one.

Silvergrin demanded a solemn vow of total secrecy from me, ‘I’s Halagrundsor the ‘orrible. Wrecker o’... not much. Bane ta’ every
regarding revealing his real name should I publish this account, as brew yer could name.’ He sniggered in a low rumble and Silvergrin
well as a few of the details of the following encounter. What I can laughed with him. What followed was one of the stranger
say is that I left most of my compatriots for a few days on a trip conversations of my life. It seems that the Giant was an agent of
several days away from Karak Kadrin. We talked of many things sorts for Human merchants that moved cargo along the World’s
on the journey, but Silvergrin would say nothing of our destination. Edge Mountains, a job he explained like so: ‘I keep sharpish on the
‘A little patience, Schreiber, you’ll know soon enough.’ greens, don’t I? Orks, with dere “Wa, Wa, Wa” all the time. Never a
minute’s peace for good drink’n. And the nastly lit’l sods in the caves. The
One morning a few days later I became aware of the sounds of a Moon blighters. Saw ‘em torture a bear once. No reason, a’tal. Squished
camp ahead, nestled in a forested vale. Evidentially Silvergrin was a few o’ dem, I did. Evil runts. So I keep en eye on ‘em and pass along
already aware, for he did not start at this. We were approached by what I see and ‘erd to some folks wot cares. And some ‘oomie merchants
a pair of taciturn guards, Reiklanders by the look of them, but my that ‘preciate my troubles, ya’ see, they keep me well hauled, don’t they?’

34

He talked about his life in the mountains, travelling the eastern
bad lands, and fondly reminiscing over various drinks he had
particularly favoured. I finally asked how he and Silvergrin had
met. Halagrundsor smiled with vast partially-rotten teeth. ‘Well a
Ranger like ole’ Silvergrin here, he seeks to sort out those what wants to
kill his people, right? A few of me kin do ‘ave dark hearts, grim lot, it’s
so. But I’m no bad ‘un. Give me grog and some vittles and I’m set, eh?’

I asked about the soldiers encamped around us, and the giant
shrugged. ‘They like to make camp nearby, says I keep away the beasts
away. They’s good lads, I did some work for their boss a few years back.
Mercenary work’s not really to my liking though, so I came back up
to highlands. Happier working with the merchants, and never shy a
drink since!’

As Silvergrin and I finally made (well, stumbled) our way back to
our camp, I profusely thanked him for the introduction. ‘Just
remember, most Giants aren’t anything like Hal. The Drengi
would never understand, they…’ the Ranger paused. ‘I
tried to kill him, Schreiber. First time I met him. Crazy
big bastard said that was like to be hard work and
offered me a pint before I got started.’We both laughed
a long time at that.

All in all, a remarkable experience.

HALAGRUNDSOR THE ‘HORRIBLE’ –
GIANT SPY

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
6 42 30 65 65 30 34 17 26 45 39 88

Traits: Animosity (Greenskins), Night Vision, Painless,
Size (Enormous), Stride, Weapon (Stein) +10
Skills: Bribery 49, Charm 49, Climb 70, Consume
Alcohol 90, Cool 55, Entertain (Storytelling) 49,
Gamble 36, Gossip 49, Haggle 49, Intuition 45,
Lore (The World’s Edge Mountains) 46, Melee
(Basic) 57, Perception 45, Secret Signs (Ranger)
31, Sleight of Hand 22, Stealth (Rural) 44
Talents: Acute Sense (Hearing), Carouser,
Etiquette (Dwarfs), Gregarious, Nose for Trouble
Trappings: Heavily Reinforced Drinking Stein
(Hand Weapon), Random Assorted Coinage Worth
6d10 Shillings, Unrivalled Booze Collection

35

Stirpike

o soul raised in the Empire hasn’t heard at least one Unfortunately, Stirpike have been all but fished to extinction in
much of the grand Stir itself. ‘Stirpike’ can sometimes be found
N wild tale of ‘the one that got away’when it comes to the elsewhere, in other waterways and lakes, but are unvaryingly
scaled denizens of our many rivers. Indeed, few are the smaller creatures. The Stirpike have been all but fished out not
nights that pass in any dockside tavern without the subject of fish, due to their fine eating qualities, but because their young (known
eels, and the sizes thereof. Of all the tales I’ve encountered, the as pickerel) are thought to have a wide variety of useful medicinal
stories of the mighty Stirpike most consistently hold that it can properties. Nothing like raw fish guts smeared over one’s face to
grow to truly monstrous size. The ones that manage to do so are clear up a troubled complexion.
invariably dangerous; cunning; masters of escaping fishing lines;
and very, very old.

Stirpike are big fish indeed. The grey-green mottled brutes YfpstAoiodcohudrklieniladerkavegluelyigrot,oylhmtud,ynt.lsegWibmcrhshesaaaritItdletiwircbuapelsaisrakn,esefdabpuasusicttlktewpidcuforaaouanlIplfledhtycraubtehderrieoeamfsladrbdsedresoa?shoIsf
average 12 feet and more, with reliable reports (and credible hunger with great efficacy.
witnesses) noting that some particularly famed beasts reached
20 feet in length and many thousands of pounds! That’s where apqcdMDbhWonraMuauroeenaoneaiphtaargnfegrseddncfirtteernoyhyiitrWcentloaietolioeusetieubofsomeilsosd.nseat.fdeh,HesrWfata,rokesonhowuhn?mytswedhoncrthIuriodtitdfecesriohslnavmr:dirtteeeentThboarsisenhncieltuyadoiareehfcslfdbepeiaShht,e?tieeetttahintrtatninsearhnlasiolemsmfoueutrlfsbosbegaihwOaguaoshnahitfcrstsdyvahtntteb,ineahteeeiurrslcedsnomaettonSnreifwSagtudxstirtfclriythikeonerhrper.pdpssiemTktSpisoikiehettonafeocienartfdunaira.rvleimlaeestaeoi,douIns,
the speculation begins to run wild and on fire, though. There are
tales of Stirpike that reached 23 feet; no, 27 feet; no 32 if he was
5… These go on for hours (or days) in the haunts of fisher folk.
The largest ever caught (supposedly) was a vast beast called ‘the
General’ who cleared 40 feet in length. Sadly, he was fried up
and consumed (bones and all) by the entire populations of three
villages before any Imperial Zoologists could confirm his record-
breaking length.

STIRPIKE

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
8 45 - 52 50 32 38 - 14 50 - 40

Traits: Amphibious, Armour 1 (6), Bestial,
Coldblooded, Night Vision, Size (Large)
Attack Traits: Bite +8, Tail +9, Weapon (Lethal Tail) +9
Damn Lucky Fish – Stirpike that have lived long
enough to grow to great length and acquire a name for
themselves, such as ‘Old One Eye’, ‘Hooksnatcher’, or
‘The Slippery Duke’, are seemingly watched
out for by Manann himself. All such
Stirpike have 3 Fortune Points.
Limber Tail – Stirpike can make a Tail
attack each round without spending Advantage.
Optional: Belligerent, Hungry, Size (Enormous),
Territorial, Ward 9+

36

First Expedition Coda

fter several well-spent weeks in Karak Kadrin, our Ghorshkov fell silent. At last, Kistiane asked, though I think she
knew, ‘Vasya, what happened to the children?’
A Dwarf hosts helped arrange for berths on a barge due
to pass west down the North Stir. I was told such trips He smiled then, a bright grin beneath his thick, drooping
were very rare, as most people would rather pass another way. moustache.
Unsurprising, as the first major settlement along the river west
of the Worlds Edge is the ‘capital’ of Sylvania, Waldenhof. I have ‘The girls were taken in by other families in village who had lost their own.
never seen a darker or more ominous place. Grey stone walls, The boy, he was adopted by uncle. Became damn good Pit Fighter, da?’
leering gargoyles, and gloom were all Waldenhof had to offer
to my eyes, even though (at Ghorshkov’s insistence — and the The rest of our trip back to Altdorf was long, but uneventful. I
riverfolk’s firm agreement) we ‘passed at noon, to be far away come mostly thought about scars — my leg, Jorunn’s hands, the wicked
sundown’. The cursed marsh of Hel Fenn south of the river wasn’t one down Ghorshkov’s back — and the ones we cannot see so
much better to gaze upon. It was a relief when we reached the easily.
village of Essen — supposedly one of the most haunted in all the
Empire, though it seemed pleasant enough.

Our ordinarily garrulous Ostermarker had been silent for days at THINGS FROM THE DEAD WOOD
that point. He contemplated the village from the deck of the barge
with an unreadable expression on his face. The normally restive M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
caged Squigs had fallen utterly still, staring at the forest beyond. 5 50 30 45 50 30 50 20 10 40 10 23
Kistiane asked him if he was well. He slowly nodded.
Traits: Corruption (Moderate), Night Vision, Fear
‘I have not seen this place in a long time.There was man, woodcutter, who 2, Fury, Grim, Hardy, Mental Corruption (Totally
lived here. A dangerous thing, to work even outskirts of Dead Wood, but Unhinged + 2 additional), Mutation 3, Stealthy
he has wife, children. His wife was fishmonger. Every week, he goes into Attack Traits: Weapon (Rusty Weapons or Claws) +8
forest with other men. Never too far, though. Dangerous to go too deep into Shocked Recognition – The first time a
that wood, dangerous to leave families unprotected. One day, the other men person recognizes who a ‘Thing’ once was,
return, but he does not.The men say, he saved them from something in the they must make a Difficult (–10) Willpower
wood, but they will not speak of it. The wife accepts this. She has children Test or gain a Stunned Condition.
to raise and the village will always help family of brave man, da? Skills: Stealth (Rural) 60 (+5 SL for Stealthy)
Optional: Bite, Corrosive Blood, Horns, Hungry,
‘Less than year later, on Geheimnisnacht, village lights its candles for Painless, Size (Large), Tentacles, Tongue Attack, Tracker
dead. Essen is always bright place, that night. Woodcutter returns, but
he has changed. Not undead. Worse. He brings ‘friends’ from Dead PwscttTeoakwhhomhnreapiieetsletcyehwttapeielttm,oedreusronetrtmfadhstenteeeorotndayeoftttwhwmtesuheseeiruetendtnhkthetpapaoeheittunsreoghsdtrrawsorotbnigohuifylfryonltiositthndnshheesg.geeytllyhyDrcoeoedoneyrsriacursoedntulnotowpWsrctt.et,eioeordoned, ,
Wood. They roam village, killing, roaring. Woodcutter, he goes to houses
of men he ‘saved’ and burns them all.Then comes to get his wife, children.
Says he wants to be family again.

‘While fishmonger distracts woodcutter, boy helps sisters flee, then
comes back to find mother dead. As the woodcutter weeps over wife he
murdered, the boy, he smashes the woodcutter’s head in with rock. When
woodcutter’s friends come to see what happened, boy hides under bodies.
And so, he lives.’

37

TheThGeriFffirosnt I&nctihdeenRtat—men

or several months, our expedition up the Talabec was white pinions traced through with streaks of shimmering blue,
blending into russet and gold haunches. We stayed low and quiet,
F mostly uneventful. It consisted mainly of various studying her comings and goings for several days as Massenbach
outings to villages away from the river in order to gather madly sketched. He was utterly inspired, and I can’t say as we
research, and a great deal of drinking in riverside taverns. We spent blamed him.The Griffon affected us all, even Gromsdottir, though
several ‘memorable’ weeks skirting the edge of the Howling Hills she’d never admit such a thing. After a week, the Griffon stopped
in the southern Drakwald, which firmly convinced me to never leaving her eyrie, and Nightsong conjectured that she may be
return to that region again. We had an occasion there with a large gravid and preparing to lay an egg. We decided to leave on the
group of louts who tried to relieve us of our possessions, and likely morrow, for none of us, not even Ghorshkov, wanted to fight a
our lives. Young Master Massenbach almost got himself skewered Griffon in any case — much less one defending her nest.
as they caught him sketching some meadow flower or another.
His near-total lack of fighting skills didn’t help the situation. Late that night, we awoke to the sounds of thunderous roars, the
(Ghorshkov says Erich ‘should live in fear of being savaged by Griffon’s piercing cries, and high-pitched shrieking voices wailing
Snotling’.) Fortunately, the rest of us can handle ourselves. Indeed, in the dark.Ominous green flares lit up the foothills in brief flashes
Ghorshkov clearly enjoyed that fight and I don’t think I’ve ever like lightning from the heavens, followed by utter silence. Dawn’s
seen Nightsong miss. Afterwards, the Elf was greatly troubled, not light found the Griffon absent, her nest empty. The stones about
by killing the bandits, but by the signs the hunter read within the her eyrie were awash in foul-smelling blood, and we observed a
Drakwald. ‘Too many tracks, Schreiber. There have been far too many wide variety of clawed tracks. Nightsong declared that many had
Beastmen here. The scum attacked us because they are outnumbered and fought and fallen about the Griffon’s nest, though no trace of their
desperate.’ After that cheering observation, we mostly stayed closer bodies could be found — only scraps of rusted metal and torn rags.
to the river as we travelled. Nightsong would make forays into
the forest occasionally, returning every time with an increasingly The tracks led east, deeper into the Worlds Edge. The Elf noted
gloomier mien. several pairs of prints as large as an Ogre’s, though quite unlike an
Ogre’s bare feet or boots, and that they likely were carrying a heavy
Eventually, we directed our course north along the Upper Talabec, burden. We could’ve walked away, but we chose otherwise. Clearly,
coming at last to one of the most distant of the Empire’s outposts: Warnicke wasn’t hiring for sound minds. We followed the tracks
Fortenhaf. There, we met a trapper who claimed to know the east for two days to a cavernous opening hidden behind the fallen
whereabouts of a nesting Griffon’s eyrie set atypically low amidst shale of a mountain. The smell hit us first. It was indescribable, like
the foothills skirting the Worlds Edge Mountains. This did not to a battlefield mixed with the rankest sweat, faeces, spoilt earth,
seem implausible, especially considering the ancient name of and blood. It smelled like fear and misery. There were lookouts not
the Gryphon’s Wood that the forest bears in that region. The far from the tunnel’s entrance, which Nightsong took unawares.
trapper was, astonishingly, as good as his word and brought us to a They were scrawny Beastmen, with the heads and tails of rats.
secluded tor from where we could study a Griffon at a (relatively) Gromsdottir stated what I think we all knew, but would dare
safe distance. not say: they were the ‘mythic’ Skaven. We travelled deeper into
the tunnel and the things we found… Holy Sigmar, I will not —
The first time we saw her was totally exhilarating and, honestly, cannot — write of all we found, for you would surely think me mad.
terrifying. Gods, what a magnificent creature she was — brilliant

38

Let this be enough. We found the Griffon The Skaven did not let us go easily. They sent beasts after
chained in a workshop of sorts. She was the our trail, wolf-creatures with the heads of massive rats. We
prisoner of a grossly large whip-wielding slew several packs before meeting up with a patrol of stout
Skaven, who rode atop a crude howdah Dwarfs from Karak Kadrin who were very interested in what
on the back of a massively over-muscled we had to say. They ultimately took us before no less a person than
ratman bigger than any Ogre I’ve seen. Many other ratmen Ungrim Ironfist, the famed Slayer King himself, who questioned
scurried about the big one’s limbs on various loathsome errands. us at great length. He was courteous though, even to Nightsong;
We took them unawares in a fight that deserves a tale of its own. our tale and Jorunn’s presence did much to raise us in his eyes, I
We would not have prevailed I think, if not for Kistiane’s arts — it think. He ‘asked’ us to be his honoured guests in Karak Kadrin
is no small thing to fight with the support of a Wizard of the for a time while he ‘saw to matters’. He immediately took an
Jade Order. The Skaven were soon running in pure terror from expedition in force, with no few Slayers, back to the cavern. The
Ghorshkov as he roared with laughter, slaughtering them in Dwarfs later told us the king and warriors slaughtered a great
droves, with his own meagre wounds healing before their horrified many Skaven, then collapsed the tainted cave entire. Jorunn tells
eyes. The huge ratman only fell after many blows, pierced with me there was quiet talk amidst the Dwarfs once they returned, and
many arrows. I slew its shrieking rider, but not before it called out they spoke to her of the importance of destroying any ‘twisted path
something to its minions. In the moment we thought the fight out of Karak Ungor’. Ironfist was greatly pleased with us upon his
won, an atrocity crawled out of the darkness. It was vile. Its body return, giving us a few small tokens of his esteem and the run of
was a mass of sutures and scar tissue. Claws like scythes. Flesh his keep. Indeed, I had several fascinating conversations with the
melded to pieces of strange, dreadful machinery. It roared with Slayer King on the nature of some of the many beasts he had slain
many mouths, and I prepared to die. in his time. With his permission, some of his hard-won lore graces
this very tome.
And then the Griffon fell upon it, shrieking her defiance — for
gentle Massenbach had set her free. We left her to it and fled the
cavern, the ear-shattering sounds of the fight echoing behind
us. Hours later, she found us as we sped south through
the mountain ravines, trusting to Nightsong’s skills,
Kistiane’s art, and Jorunn’s instincts. The Griffon
alighted atop a low peak and regarded us; a
rumbling warble came from deep within her
chest. She raised her wings — how they
flashed in the sunlight — roared once,
and the mountains shook with
the sound. She clawed the
air before her twice, talons
flickering in the light. Then
she was gone, soaring away
into the heights.

I doubt many people have been so
honoured.

39

jtaqarmhwuuMruencapusciicedotdtsoautsnhtnhlltfsawicta,ikesirhkotandoieenestrmctnn‘fameuOiaedf,enewfrulestttdonmhsleofceoiratLfnhydfmatutfig.tlmahlSeydhdTbt.ekwoerfhoWretaemeeiiilAvvncvlgyhoeeaal’.lnw.taneattSdniltuilneaoosDgvaInrgrihergfpensrt,eurrhmaIfdteoioelhdretreaedoeaswrnsqfctetttruhdmlhoeheyoedaaisydsladeatttticieseihteInooddcaxalwugullptIeeassaseasnIsturscgoosiawcuuaecphfvlnuneorheeskicaddarageenriethledluat,nyIthnreceinded Soon after, I learned through a few careful inquiries that Master
yttb‘fnhsstc‘tMMhieotoyotanheolureumltleioataosnlhsmsfheuuhsefJhhgcidaeetlnuberedbadedKflaudtgrmeedeleme,ie,pnrdiosLtvsmOoh.oe’wtpuhernTbaiebrreeaecdshetddyrhyr.hnhhwaeaea‘oiaseisYrltmnaftniiy:t,otghnlbrdudoeucsfesgtlRrnodotarheulsmuacrgueysloahgysr,dpoohcmlt.eaedmfhiwyrrtfHmviateteoeonsehwohvmnrelbirdogiieklnlhscylieyyliykepmiMryassesoo,ete’ttesvulhferaeoaitreytennoTlunhavnaodsauaegildisuireds,acdgnngnteIaelhhsogode’tirssltetano.omp.foom’wrweHtopoamoHo.trrkmuk.oehsMsoyeberetsaembe.enkttyrtkmWrEyaopseewoda.mloftbuehhRoldulmaei,ypgoiefvsarsmsernhietiegracohwmtdfaseseyIfore.ms,iharhtulnIofadaesg:tedt Ruhrold’s entire family, along with the majority of his friends, all
For the sake of all you hold dear, died decades ago in a series of terrible accidents. This includes his
speak of this no more.’ fiancée, who passed away of a rare disease. He has been alone since.

40

CLAN MOULDER PACKMASTER WOLF RAT

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
5 45 45 40 40 50 50 30 40 40 30 16 6 35 - 40 35 40 35 - 15 15 - 11

Traits: Armour 1 (5), Night Vision Traits: Armour 1 (4), Bestial, Night Vision,
Attack Traits: Infected, Ranged (Whip) Skittish, Stride, Tracker, Trained (Broken,
+6 (6), Weapon (Notched Blade) +8 Guard, Home, Magic, Mount, War)
Master of the Lash – Packmasters are ruthless beast Attack Traits: Weapon (Vicious Fangs) +8
handlers and experts at wielding their whips to Mouth Full of Razors – A Wolf Rat’s Vicious
devastating effect. The creatures of Clan Moulder Fangs have the Penetrating Quality.
obey them nearly without question. Rat Ogres and Skills: Track 60 (+4 SL due to Tracker)
Rat Ogre Bonebreakers led by a Packmaster are not Optional: Frenzy, Infected, Infestation, Size (Large)
affected by the Stupid Trait, nor are Wolf Rats or
Giant Rats affected by the Skittish Trait. Additionally, CLAN MOULDER UNIQUE EXPERIMENT
Packmasters can make Ranged (Entangling) attacks
into close combat with no chance of hitting their M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
allies unless they Fumble on the attack roll. 5 45 - 60 55 30 30 15 20 45 - 80
Skills: Ranged (Entangling) 65
Optional: Disease (Ratte Fever), Mutation, Stealthy Traits: Armour 3 (8), Corruption (Moderate),
Dark Vision, Disease (Ratte Fever), Grim 2,
RAT OGRE BONEBREAKER Immunity to Psychology, Infected, Painless,
Regenerate, Size (Enormous), Terror 2
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W Attack Traits: Horns (Many Mouths) +10,
5 40 10 75 55 35 40 20 10 20 10 76 Rear, Weapon (Scythe-like Claws) +13
In Sigmar’s Name, What Is That THING? – The
Traits: Armour 2 (7), Night Vision, Painless, pinnacles of Clan Moulder’s twisted arts are each
Size (Enormous), Stride, Stupid unique and unspeakably terrible to behold. Cool
Attack Traits: Infected, Weapon Tests to resist Terror or Fear caused by these
(Metal-shod Claws) +11 custom-created horrors are Difficult (-10).
I AM UNSTOPPABLE! – Skaven leaders tend Optional: Bite, Breath (Poison) +9, Cold-
to get delusions of grandeur when they ride a Rat blooded, Constrictor, Corrosive Blood, Die Hard,
Ogre Bonebreaker into battle. For so long as a Disease (Various), Fury, Hungry, Infestation,
Skaven is mounted on a Bonebreaker, they gain Magical, Magic Resistance (1-3), Mutation,
the trait Immunity to Psychology. Should a Rat Ogre Size (Monstrous), Stride, Ward (7-9)
Bonebreaker die – their rider immediately gains
5 Broken Conditions and all other Skaven within
10 yards immediately gain 1 Broken Condition.
Optional: Corruption (Minor), Dark Vision, Disease
(Ratte Fever), Fury, Grim, Infestation, Mutation
Rat Ogre Bonebreakers are rare beasts, frequently used
as mounts by powerful Skaven who ride atop their
backs in specially constructed throne-like howdahs.

41

The worthies at the Imperial Zoo were impressed with the breadth spring to head out once more. This time our course led us into the
of field notes I’d gathered for them and my book during our first wetlands along the Reik, and eventually to our neighbouring country
expedition. Several of Erich’s pieces certainly went over well. I gather Bretonnia.There were a number of suspect and apocryphal stories that
Herr Massenbach was pleased by their report,as he deigned to advance had come to scholars associated with the Zoo from over the Grey
some money for the second expedition. After having mostly gone our Mountains that they wished us to look into.The excursion went well,
separate ways over the winter, save Kistiane and I, we gathered in late mostly, but it’s fair to say it did not end at all as we thought it would.

The Second
Expedition

Amoebae. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Amphisbaena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
River Trolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chameleoleech. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Fen Worm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
The Corpse Render
of Carroburg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Dark Pegasi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Nightravens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Preyton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Great Raptors
of the Grey Mountains. . . . . . . 62
Cockatrice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Chimera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Second Incident —
What Happens in Wheburg . . . . 68

Amoebae

t would be far more pleasant to camp along the banks Rumours in Altdorf have long persisted that one of the more
ruthless racketeering gangs maintains a ‘problems coach’.
I of the Empire’s rivers if there wasn’t a distinct chance Inconvenient bodies, and occasionally troublesome people,
that a formless horror, widely known to Riverfolk as a allegedly get a ride in the coach to ‘have a chat with Jetsam’.
‘slime devil’, wouldn’t melt your face off while you dozed. Sadly, said Jetsam makes all such problems vanish entirely, as Jetsam is in
creatures, properly called Amoebae, are indeed known to menace fact a very large Amoebae. The tale gets stranger still, though —
the banks of many of our rivers. They seem to especially favour a few have claimed to have met this ‘Jetsam’ and lived, swearing
the numerous marshes and wetlands of the Reik, but they’ve been that it is intelligent and capable of communicating.The thought is
known to turn up in the most unlikely of places. There are few somewhat staggering, but there it is.
barriers that can thwart the entrance of their amorphous bodies,
which can slowly seep through even the tiniest of cracks. True or not, when in Altdorf, I would strongly recommend against
climbing into unknown coaches with suspiciously sturdy-looking
Amoebae are boneless creatures, resembling nothing so much as shuttered windows.
a hostile pudding. They are ‘single celled organisms’ I’m told by
more learned folks who understand what that means. What I took totcfiatmTfiuhkshmwounAhpeaneprnemmhdeeeermnemnfpnyoaenccfsi,ncngoeeaiiaosrmeubatrgiglnerarlrhetsrvimgeeaenenm,aeummetoe.gsbelsneraovlesecawi.ealevneltahcocltoeyvgharehmgdrieAvennecekllametwfigalysrrAoDbreois,tyommeawoeorsghnbnosmkanbuaosiserinlctneobtaf,yadiatlnis.hnoedljteoTeai,fervphhsotwatiineeernoeucgdslrdqgseeegeusretreaaimsdc.lhntskeiolcy
away is that they are not very bright, existing merely to consume
whatever organic matter they manage to flow over. They are
capable of extending one or more long tentacles called ‘pseudopods’
which they use to engulf prey, but they don’t seem to favour living
creatures over plants, or even dead tissue. As long as it is organic,
Amoebae consume it. They fear fire, and cold can hurt them or,
at least, inflict a strange torpor that they instinctively shy away
from. Master Immelman, one of the Imperial Zoo’s well-regarded
keepers, showed me a series of fairly clever heated steam vents
that he uses to keep the several Amoebae on display at the zoo
‘penned’ in.

All of an Amoebae’s surface exudes a powerful digestive acid that
will eventually dissolve nearly anything organic. While they move
slowly,they are utterly relentless.Even some of the most legendarily
hostile beasts will retreat from an aggressively advancing Amoebae.
They can move over nearly any solid surface, treating walls and
ceilings much as they do floors. They move through water by
rippling their body, not unlike a water snake. They vary greatly
in size, from as small as an apple to bigger than a horse. Colour
varies wildly between specimens, perhaps influenced by their diet.
I met a River Warden who told me the clearest ones are the most
dangerous, as that indicates they haven’t fed recently.

† C †

44

AMOEBAE JETSAM THE CLEVER JELLY

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
3 40 - 35 50 23 22 10 30 40 20 34
3 30 - 35 50 3 22 5 - - - 16
Traits: Afraid (Fire), Amphibious, Painless,
Traits: Amphibious, Painless, Regenerate, Size (Large), Stealthy, Swamp-strider
Regenerate, Swamp-strider Attack Traits: Engulf, 2xTentacles +7,
Weapon (Pseudopod Lash) +7
Attack Traits: Engulf, 2xTentacles +6, Engulf – See Amoebae, left; however, Jetsam is smart
Weapon (Pseudopod Lash) +6 enough to expel a target that it doesn’t wish to eat.
Jelly from Hell – See above.
Engulf – An Amoebae can Engulf any creature Skills: Cool 50, Evaluate 40, Gamble 35, Gossip 35,
of its size or smaller. If it successfully attacks a Intimidate 45, Intuition 33, Stealth (Urban) 37 (+2 SL)
target, regardless of whether it causes damage, Talents: Etiquette (Criminals), Gregarious,
it can ‘choose’ to Engulf it. Engulfed victims are Numismatics 2, Read/Write, Secret Signs (Thief )
smothered in the body mass of the Amoebae and
gain a number of Entangled Conditions equal to
the Amoebae’s Strength Bonus. An Engulfed victim
begins taking the Amoebae’s Strength Bonus in
Wounds at the beginning of every round as its
powerful acids digest its target. This damage ignores
both Armour and Toughness Points. Engulfed victims
cannot be attacked by the Amoebae, but it will still
attack others targets if they are near, though it can
only Engulf one target. Any attack that hits the
Amoebae causes damage to any Engulfed victim as
if they had been struck. If an Engulfed target dies
or stops struggling, an Amoebae will immediately
retreat to absorb its meal over several days.

Jelly from Hell – Amoebae are formless, lack organs,
and are exceedingly difficult to slay. Any Wounds
caused by anything other than fire, extreme cold, or
magic are halved, rounding down. An Amoebae can,
in general, only be permanently slain with fire, cold,
or magic — otherwise, it will eventually regenerate.

Mostly Mindless – Amoebae have no Intelligence,
Willpower, or Fellowship scores and can neither
make, nor fail, tests based on those characteristics.
They generally act on limited instinct and effectively
have the Trait Immunity to Psychology; however, they
react to open flame as if they had the Trait Afraid
(Fire) — meaning they will not approach any fire
and will automatically acquire the Broken Condition
if advanced on with it. Use its Strength Bonus in
place of its Willpower Bonus whenever required.

Optional Traits: Size (Small, Large-Enormous)

45

Amphisbaena

he Old World boasts a great many venomous creatures, The ‘Snake of Seers’,having a ‘head’for a ‘tail’,has ‘no beginning and
thus no end’ — or so the Sage Malbor puts it in his famed esoteric
T and the lands of the Empire are certainly no stranger to tome, Ruminations. It is the creature’s infamous venom, though,
reptiles of all sorts. Very few are as rare or strange as the that truly earned the moniker. A distillation of exceedingly diluted
Amphisbaena — the so-called ‘Snake of Seers’. The Amphisbaena Amphisbaena poison is said to induce visions of the hidden past
is a huge snake with two heads, one on either end of its body, and and unknown future. Whether such dreams be truth or delusions
both bear one of the deadliest poisons known to alchemy. Their remains a matter of debate in scholarly circles. Some seers and,
eyes are said to shine like glittering lamps in the dark, casting rumour holds, Hedge Witches swear by its efficacy. Eating the
light about and drawing unwary creatures to their death. Indeed, flesh of the Amphisbaena, especially if personally hunted and
Amphisbaena may be responsible for some of the tails of ‘Will- killed under the full light of Mannslieb, is said to give one power
O-the-Wisps’ leading folks astray amidst swamplands. They often against the ‘unseen world’ and, perhaps, against the Undead.
have strikingly coloured scales, with many bearing asymmetrical
brilliant crimson and sky-blue patterns along their entire length. The marsh-folk villagers of the Furdienst say that Amphisbaena
Though they are cold-blooded, as are so many reptiles, the hate Bog Octopi with a fierce passion. They have strange tales of
cold is said to not affect them as other snakes. Witnesses have finding the corpses of Bog Octopuses bearing only one or two bite
spotted Amphisbaena about frosty mountain peaks, as well as wounds, clearly inflicted by a large reptile. Though none claimed
in foetid marshes. This has led some people to seek the skin of to have ever seen such a fight, they all strongly believe that the
Amphisbaena as a proof against the cold. Proponents swear to the Amphisbaena can sense the evil in the ‘tentacled swamp devils’
efficacy of wearing such directly against their skin, beneath their and hunts them without mercy. Unsurprisingly, considering their
outer garments. extreme hatred of Bog Octopodes, they take a rather dim view on
would-be Amphisbaena hunters.
OeDdovAooxmnoeeleenfmcvnpwraiearxnvaeoepictcnivAionnnnhtonfeeemyhmosg,figeahsspp’msdbniprihvbcituntA.rfncoaeoiwtmgosoMihrgevfmiopponibteylduohmohefamyaelhrfmvaeoipstneoaevwadoandrbuoleiuaieselfea-lpsllptrystbfehkeaultepenteeinsukncoc—ee’safnsndhiuoeaiposautloca,wmdiJnsrbrtoeywlbiaeht.ensnubnmcesmAsgltrtbsstooceaaeiuaxai,r,qrrtfhirpastdstdesudeopeaskeuilhtlrlrtrcHda,ryiyieoveooidnitettntniamlunog‘droNrbghyhbmfgiueott,ceeaosebaiakalsrnlatinenelnysde’lsa,ske
its death. CiLhsshstseicpIe‘aheqAlum’loveaaycuerbseliluymoaantmts’scirhltdioaalehm’a.ti.telbtcnhMhTnttsOaeoiecahnlderrawolttaysdgfeshotdirteagwzfeoerirtiafvdrhvicd.ienrltoeeeulOhdnnkbsfcbresweiasenoipitrtordhmkogeetuuarrr’daasitvnieceissennelolapsneonyplrtatytfoiuosecosovtvugrttfnehuoitiimadrvoifeatneueiottnlAnnglhhsyyutmogceeihemetucffs‘ebofSumaubem‘evettcebrieiutelrbsjrsdOerietocoleSosroyftnntdn,.tpt,sheTFaoa’otr,ahxokonsbltieheskecuo’as.ts

46

AMPHISBAENA

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
4 50 - 45 40 35 40 - 30 45 10 24
Traits: Armour 2 (6), Cold-blooded, Dark
Vision, Size (Large), Stealthy, Stride
Attack Traits: Bite +8, Venom
(Hard), Weapon (Fangs) +8
Four-Fold Knowing Gaze – Amphisbaena
cannot be surprised and it takes 4 opponents to
‘outnumber’ one in combat. Once per combat
round, Amphisbaena can reverse the result of
any one Combat Test they’re involved in.
Optional Traits: Amphibious, Arboreal, Hatred (Bog
Octopuses), Magical, Size (Enormous), Swamp-strider

47

River Trolls

rolls, as any child of the Empire can tell you, are In his wildly popular tome Hunting the Hunters, the renowned
tracker Sorge Krause first advanced what he refers to as his ‘Swamp
T frightfully large and staggeringly stupid creatures with Avoidal Theory’. While he explores it on and off throughout his
huge appetites but completely indiscriminate tastes. many books on hunting, his argument really boils down to this:
Trolls will eat literally anything — or so the stories go. While swamps are horrible; everything there wants to eat you but tastes
they certainly prefer flesh and bone, they will happily consume terrible in turn; don’t ever go to swamps. I know for a fact that
wood, stone, steel — anything they can jam down their gob, really. Trolls (and Bog Octopuses) were, in fact, the prime motivators
Possibly due to their eating tendencies, Trolls have amazingly behind his theory, as I spent a fair few nights drinking with Sorge.
powerful digestive juices. Their stomach acid can sear its way
through almost anything, given time. This is especially bad for There are many breeds of Troll, as they appear
their foes, because Trolls can seemingly disgorge the contents to be highly adaptable creatures. By far the
of their intestines at will, causing absolutely horrific (and really worst, to my mind, are those trolls who dwell in
disgusting) wounds. swamps.The rivers and marshes of the Empire all
suffer the depredations of Trolls to one degree or
The most famed, and frequently lamented, trait of Trolls is their another. Perhaps I detest them the most because, like many citizens
ability to recover from nearly any injury with astounding speed. of the Empire, I like to fancy that our rivers afford some of the ‘safest’
A Troll begins to heal within seconds. This regeneration is so travel. River Trolls make a mockery of that idea, snatching folks in
powerful as to regrow severed limbs. Tales abound of Trolls that the middle of the night off their barges to horrible fates. Perhaps it
managed to recover from just a few traces of blood and stray gobs is because they are just so very foul.Their skin colours may vary from
of flesh. Fire alone seems to be the one thing that Trolls cannot weedy green to bilious blue, but they all absolutely reek of rotting
easily recover from. vegetation, putrid fish, and rancid slime.These Trolls like their meat
‘water ripened’and regularly store corpses, of all types, in bogs or pin
Troll blood is valuable, and used in them underwater beneath sufficiently heavy rocks.
a wide variety of healing droughts
and various other alchemical As dangerous as Trools are, they are made far more so by their
concoctions; however, many are wary fortunately rare (Thank Sigmar!) matriarchs — the Troll Hags.
of transporting it for fear it Wicked, cruel, and disturbingly clever, these Hags infrequently
may get a bit ‘hostile’ along the emerge from the depths of the most treacherous marshes to lead
way. More treasured by far, though, their kin on raids during lean times, though they can also be
is Troll acid — a substance highly roused by a Greenskin Waaagh! River Troll Hags practice dark
sought after by various users mystic arts and are said to curse their foes with strings of appalling,
of magic, smiths, and engineers. if incoherent, Trollish invectives. These may be unintelligible, but
It is phenomenally difficult to are by all accounts highly effective. Worse, still, Troll Hags are
transport safely, which only adds massive creatures, larger by far than their male kin. There are not
to its value. A word of caution — my enough crowns in all the Reikland to make me investigate Troll
people often refer to those that mating practices.
have taken the path of Grimnir
as ‘Troll slayers’ for good reason.
Those who seek death,
seek Trolls.

48

spowntTbCadMatbtTWuobsioRuWhthon‘rhavionaattrrHgteoabidneedaitihrouclhitrvdduogrelolshhaagsStmile’eesagsutshatt!lGsrrhaceuldSembrey.ttwbohondifry..rSepaacugTswaarcs.HoasosheyccehsHWyccotrr,seakihrHir.eTt,hbedo,mcbensriuseltehelretOibccebdalrorpderrbnoorylehiuseraransetoaegldb’,s?eaawstds.lvatrrree?eorsydt’ehtwnresbtNlatMobasslhneihbMoAoifwrlnlkoea’oeetde,osmReeorfetctahrxnekmwaoataf,sa,sdmergwieythvv.srouvsloa.ebwebseetMfoi,ntmhetpsN?isuhtr.riuhHrhectg,loe.tsRiTktaileTfoimLsoT.tetoi,gdghirKrnf,mrrhwneshsiraeoTotpeooligeh.gotlbiemotsolkryhlssnhlcsluavWoalTpsotainVdgihmesbtferenhresnolroladaroaomwygaoisoefofrssniteusniuammfplyss.ygfpKlngZinnpioefhsiaa.liponnDdaunaeot,sntirinolsonvTtntsastooivfttehwkosiot,eacdhiSfofdei,uonmirreikifeatirmw,tcemtroimmmeaewynahhtK,chwilse.bhpurteerleaewuu?desreagMnroulChghhfita’agtrhonfitssebbuu,ieoltcV?iualoanyevldoalptldstoprrlc,eednse,netessargrstehyny.p. RIVER TROLL HAG
Troll puke.’
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
I loved those boots.
5 50 35 65 65 20 15 15 45 50 10 92
RIVER TROLL
Traits: Amphibious, Armour 3 (9), Dark Vision,
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W Die Hard, Grim 2, Immunity to Psychology,
6 40 15 55 55 20 15 15 20 20 5 34 Infected, Painless, Regenerate, Size (Enormous),
Spellcaster (Witchcraft), Swamp-strider
Traits: Amphibious, Armour 2 (7), Die Hard,
Grim, Infected, Night Vision, Regenerate, Attack Traits: Bite +9, Vomit +14,
Size (Large), Stupid, Swamp-strider Weapon (Deadwood Staff ) +10
Attack Traits: Bite +8, Vomit +9,
Weapon (Crude Maul) +9 Copious Vomit – A River Troll Hag will eat anything,
Full o’ Fish & Worse – A River Troll can make its anything at all, they find within their swamp, no
first Vomit attack in a combat without spending matter how foul or wretched it might be. They make
Advantage. (They pack plenty of … ammo.) their first Vomit attack in combat without spending
Rotten Stench – The vile smell of a River Troll is all Advantage, and their bile causes extra damage
but overwhelming. All living targets within a number (listed above) in addition to its normal effects.
of yards equal to the River Troll’s Toughness Bonus
suffer a penalty of –10 to all Tests. This penalty does Overwhelming Stench – Unbelievably, River Troll
not stack in the presence of multiple Rotten Stenches. Hags smell even worse than their male brethren.
Optional Traits: Bestial, Frenzy, Hardy, Hungry, Their staggering reek causes those exposed to it
Painless, Remove Stupid – Add Stealthy for the first time to make a Willpower Test or
gain a Stunned condition. Otherwise, it works
exactly as a River Troll’s Rotten Stench.

Skills: Channelling 80, Language (Magick) 75

Optional Traits: Hardy, Hungry, Spellcaster (Death)

49

Chameleoleech

f all the strange creatures within the Curiosities of common leeches do, Chameleoleeches draw them near with the
extraordinary ability to create beguiling hallucinations of whatever
O Nature wing of the Imperial Zoo, none is as famed, or the target deeply desires. The bite is painless, and enraptured
misunderstood, as the Chameleoleech. On the surface, prey does not notice when the creature attaches its saw-tooth
they appear to be nothing more than strangely coloured Giant circular mouth and begins to feed. The predations of a single
Leeches, ranging from a mere hand’s breadth to a near full-pace Chameleoleech are survivable, for they soon grow full and move
in length. They hunt along the banks of rivers, presumably to keep on. But the squirming things hunt in packs of three or more, even
their sensitive skin moist. Like all leeches, they are blood drinkers. up to a dozen, which can easily make for a ‘pleasant’ death. Other
Lacking eyes, they use other senses, strange organs that can detect predators, including some damnably clever River Trolls, have
heat and motion, to locate their prey. After these similarities, the learned that a victim caught in the midst of a Chameleoleech
tale changes. Instead of catching their prey stealthily as more delusion is easy prey and so may lair nearby.

CHAMELEOLEECH Some of the shadier citizens
of our fair Empire figured
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W out long ago how to harvest
the glands from Chameleoleeches.
3 28 - 25 30 30 30 - 5 25 - 8 They use these to create the powerful hallucinogenic drug
commonly known on the streets of Altdorf as ‘Spit’. I gather it
Traits: Amphibious, Bestial, Immunity to is rather difficult and, unsurprisingly, dangerous to keep live
Psychology, Size (Small), Swamp-strider Chameleoleeches. Thus, Spit is neither easy to come by nor
cheap. Wealthy folk that wish somewhat of the experience in a
Attack Traits: Weapon (Saw-tooth Bite) +5 safe environment can visit the Zoo during one of their bi-annual
‘Strange Dreams’ exhibitions. During these, guests are exposed to
Hallucinogenic Cloud – A Chameleoleech exudes a air pumped and filtered from sealed Chameleoleech tanks. I’m
cloud that can affect all mammals within its Toughness told the experience is quite pleasant.
Bonus in yards. All exposed must make a Hard (–20)
Toughness Test or slip into a powerful vision offering As we journeyed along the Reik, we encountered a few Riverfolk
them someone or something dearly loved or desired that swore Chameleoleeches can actually create illusions —
that they have lost. Those that shake it off cannot be phantasms perceivable by all — beyond the mere hallucinations
affected by the same Chameleoleech for a day. Those that their emanations cause. A huffer from Essel swore that
that fail succumb for three rounds, plus a number Chameleoleeches are far more clever than most give credit for,
of additional rounds equal to the SLs by which and disguise themselves as terrain or even nondescript people.
they failed. E.g., a –3 SL causes 6 rounds of sweet The Chameleoleeches held at the Imperial Zoo have never shown
delusion. Those affected, for all intents and purposes, any such ability. But then, those heavily pampered and well-fed
have the Unconscious Condition until they recover. creatures might not have ever felt the need to do so.

Painless Bite – After a successful hit, a Chameleoleech
will attach itself to its target, and thereafter drain 1
Wound worth of blood per round (ignoring Armour
and Toughness Points). A Chameleoleech will seek to
drain 1d10 worth of Wounds until it is satisfied, when
it will then let go and retreat to digest elsewhere. A
feeding Chameleoleech can be forcefully removed with
an Opposed Strength Test, but doing so automatically
inflicts one additional Wound and a Bleeding Condition
on its target. Rubbing salt into a Chameleoleech
will cause it to immediately release and flee.

Skills: Stealth (Rural) 60

Optional Traits: Infected, Intelligence
+20 & Spellcaster (Illusion only. Cast
automatically with +5SL if required.)

50