The Book of Beasts

It is suggested that fish not be taken as familiars, so skill lists have not been provided. They have very high Swim scores, generally.

Aspidochelon

This enormous creature is similar to the aspido, the tortoise. It is a vast fish, which swallowed Jonah, its stomach being so voluminous that it could be mistaken for Hell. This creature often rises to the surface, where fishes are more plentiful, and waits there for years. Sea winds blow sand upon its shell, and visiting birds leave seeds, which may grow into trees and grasses. Sailors visit these islands, but when they light fires upon them the creature submerges and they are drowned. The aspidochelon does not hunt for food, for there is nothing both so big and so slow that it could sate it, but instead lures prey to itself. A sweet smell pours from the open jaws of the aspidochelon and fishes gather in its mouth, seduced by this fragrance. These the creature swallows.

Characteristics: Cun: 0, Per: 0, Pre: +5, Com: -1, Str: +9, Stm: +9, Dex: 0, Qik: -2 Size: +5 Weapon (Bite): Init: +6, Atk: +7, Dfn: +4, Dam: +24 Soak: +20 Fatigue: +9 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Incapacitated Abilities: Ferocity (set ablaze) 1

Dolphin

Dolphins are friendly animals that follow the sound of men's voices. Their curiosity also draws them to music. The dolphin is the swiftest thing in the sea, and it leaps ahead of boats, riding the bow-wave in times of poor weather.

Characteristics: Cun: +2, Per: +3, Pre: +2, Com: +2, Str: +2, Stm: +3, Dex: +1, Qik: +6 Size: 0 Personality Traits: Brave +4 Weapon (Ram): Init: +12, Atk: +7, Dfn: +10, Dam: +3 Soak: +6 Fatigue: +3 Fatigue Levels: OK, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Ferocity (Outnumbered) 4 Spare 10

Hydra

It is widely known to scholars that what we now called "Hydrae" are not what were called hydrae by the ancients. As one scholar records "The hydra of Lerna was a spring, which flooded the nearby cities. As Herakles filled its spout, new ones came forth. To "kill" the Hydra he drained the swamp." Others claim the idrus of the Nile is the hydra, with many heads, but this too is false. The true hydrae of the ancients were the polyps which I have seen on their pottery. The polyp is a sea creature with long, questing arms, which seem like the heads of snakes to the uneducated. It does not fear pain, but fears fire. It is related to the octopus eaten throughout the Mediterranean, but is far larger.

The story that the hydra was a spring comes directly from the Bodely Bestiary, which was written between 1220-50. Its author calls the Nile idrus a snake like the one thought to have existed at Lerna, then attacks that belief. The confusion of the hydra and idrus was common in bestiaries, especially amongst illuminators, whose illustrations show many heads gnawing out of the side of a crocodile even when the text makes no mention of this characteristic. The "polyp" or giant coelenterate, as Scylla appears in some very few pieces of Greek art. You are, of course, free to use any and all of these types of hydra, and the statistics for the Many-Headed Serpent of Lerna and the Polyp are given below. If the Hydra of Lerna was an idrus, it had the equivalent of the Giant's Blood and Hydra virtues.

Lernese Hydra

Characteristics: Cun: +1, Per: +3, Pre: -3, Com: -4, Str: +7, Stm: +8, Dex: +1, Qik: 0 Magic Might: 40 Size: +7 Personality Traits: Patient +3 Weapon (Bite): Init: +5, Atk: +7, Dfn: -3 (body) / +7 (head), Dam: +16 (and poison) Soak: +30 (body) / +12 (head) Fatigue: +8 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1/-1, -3/-3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious Body Levels: Body: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1/-1, -3/-3/-3, -5/-5, Incapacitated Outer Head: OK, Incapacitated (The central head of the hydra is immortal. It may be cut off, or incapacitated, but not killed.) Abilities: Ferocity (Assaulted in lair) 5 Powers: Instantaneous Regeneration, CrAn40, 0 points: If a head is incapacitated, two new heads grow in its place at the beginning of the next combat round. These heads attack just as the original did. The hydra cannot regenerate if the neck-stub is cauterised during the same round as the head is removed. The hydra's body has space for only 30 heads, and once it reaches that number none may grow until space is created by the removal of others. Poison, PeCo 20, 1 point: The blood of the hydra is extremely toxic, as is its bite and, some say, its breath. When in contact with one of these substances, characters must make a Stamina roll each round of 10+ or lose a body level. One body level is always lost on first contact. The venom in the hydra's blood remains potent indefinitely, and Herakles used it to coat his arrowheads.

Vis: 30 Creo, body.

Polyp (Giant Coelenterate)

Note that the polyp and kraken are different creatures, so these statistics are not identical to those appearing in "The Tempest".

Characteristics: Cun: -3, Per: +2, Str: +9, Stm: +6, Dex: +8, Qik: +5 Size: +5 Free Virtues and Flaws: Contortions: Polyps have no solid internal parts, so they can squeze themselves through tiny openings. Seal Wounds: Octopii can seal puncture wounds, turn off damaged sections of musculature and irritated nerves while they are healed, and then resume activity. This means that piercing weapons do virtually no damage to a polyp. Since the octopus, and the larger polyp, are almost fluid in consistency impacts against their body cause virtually no harm. Slashing weapons, however, are particularly effective. Chameleon: The polyp's skin contains little parcels of pigment that it controls with great precision. It has the ability to blend with the background almost seamlessly, which adds 6 to any roll related to hiding. Personality Traits: Patient +2 Weapon (Tentacles): Init: +5, Atk: +9, Dfn: +5, Dam: +8* Weapon (Beak): Init: +5, Atk: +8, Dfn: +3, Dam: +12** Weapon (Sepia): Init: +6*** *This is constricting damage. After a successful attack, the tentacles deliver damage regardless of the opponent's Defence, although they may still soak their injuries. After a successful strike with a tentacle, an enemy will usually be pulled to the beak. Constriction damage increases as the arms wrap over the target. A character may struggle free with a Strength roll of 12+1 per tentacle gripping them. Some coelenterates have little balls which fit into the suckers on their tentacles, allowing them to hold far stronger prey. Others have tooth-like structures around their suckers. These do an added +3 damage and also increase the difficulty of tearing oneself free. **The polyp beak is a parrot-like lever, designed to crack shells and damage armour. ***Does no damage, but creates a cloud shaped vaguely like the polyp. Soak: +24, reduced to +4 against slashing weapons. Fatigue: +15 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, 0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0, Incapacitated The odd physiology of the polyp means that it is not prevented from continuing its attacks by injury. Abilities: Ferocity (when disturbed) 3 Powers: Usually none, but some polyps have 20 points of magic might and the Instant Regeneration power given above in the entry for the Hydra of Lerna, except it affects their arms, not their body.

Vis: 10 pawns Imaginem, skin. Regenerating polyps have been reported to have 1 pawn per limb, but this is likely to be an exaggeration. Severed tentacles left shipboard after battles often do contain vis, but it may be that polyps have vis concentrated in their whips, if they, like squid, have two longer arms used for striking prey.

Serra

The serra is a very large fish that, seeing a ship, attempts to race it for four or five miles by catching the breeze in great fanned fins. The serra rarely catches the boat, but I have heard tales of shoals of them which cause difficulty. Objects cast shadows of stillness in the wind, much as they cast shadows in light, and the serra, as it follows the ship, may slow it through it's wind-shadow upon the sails.

Characteristics: Cun: 0, Per: +2, Pre: -1, Com: -2, Str: +2, Stm: +2, Dex: +1, Qik: +4 Size: +1 Weapon (Fins): Init: +6, Atk: +4, Dfn: +4, Dam: +6 Soak: +5 Fatigue: +2 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1, -3 -5, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, 0/0, -1, -3, -5 -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Ferocity (When in pursuit of a ship) 1

Vis: 2 pawns Auram, "wings".

Whale

The whale is an enormous creature that spouts water and leaves a stern-wave, like a fine ship. The female whale mates with the mouse.

Characteristics: Cun: 0, Per: +2, Str: +7, Stm: +8, Pre: -3, Com: -1, Str: +7, Stm: +8, Dex: 0, Qik: +1 Size: +5 Weapon (Bite): Init: +7, Atk: +6, Dfn: -2, Dam: +14 Soak: +17 Fatigue: +8 Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious Body Levels: OK, 0/0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Incapacitated Abilities: Ferocity (harpooned) 2 Spare 17