Monster Gallery
A Compendium of Monsters
Following is a list of commonly seen creatures in the Mines of Montparsa and the caves beneath, which have been Corrupted or are for some reason immune to the power of the Forbidding.
| Orc Soldier | |
 | These are the base warriors of the tribe which has taken over the Mines. They're probably the least dangerous of the intelligent opponents one might encounter in the Mines, but they're at least the equal of most inexperienced adventurers. Also, they sometimes appear in large groups, and can be dangerous even to seasoned parties of heroes when they do. |
| Orc Shaman | |
 | The shamans of the tribe aren't very good at hand-to-hand combat, but are nevertheless far more dangerous than the soldiers because they can use magic. Fireballs tend to hurt a lot more than sword and axe hits! |
| Orc Sergeant | |
 | The normal warriors get bullied into shape by these massive fighters, the enforcers of the tribal leaders. Obviously, they're more dangerous than the regular orc soldiers, and not to be taken lightly! Fortunately, they usually only appear one at a time. Unfortunately, this is because they're normally leading a group of lower-level soldiers. |
| Bat | |
 | Flying mice. Individually they're just annoying, but they tend to appear in large numbers, so finding an individual bat is rare. They live in the caves, but often are found fluttering about in the Mines above. |
| Earth Elemental | |
 | Mysterious spirits from a plane of pure rock and earth, these elementals can exercise nearly total control over the rock and earth of this plane when they come here. They form bodies from the ground, and can send their essences into nearby rock to control it as well, opening gaping fissures, causing stony fists to rise out of the ground and crush their enemies, making boulders fall out of otherwise sound ceilings, and so on. Also, since their bodies are made of stone, earth elementals are exceptionally difficult to hurt, but can cause massive damage with just their stony fists. Normal Earth Elementals are known to appear in Lesser and Greater varieties, in addition to the usual kind. Lesser Earth Elementals are smaller and less powerful, whereas the Greater kind are huge, and extremely powerful. They are, obviously, very dangerous creatures, and wise adventurers will not provoke them. |
| Earth Elemental Mage | |
 | Elementals are the main intelligent lifeform on their own home planes, and as such they have lives and careers of their own there. Sometimes an earth elemental that is brought to this world isn't a "normal" one, but is instead an elemental who has practiced magical arts at home. When brought here, they show great mastery over the powers of Earth magic, but are less powerful physically than the normal kind of earth elemental, since (like wizards normally do) they prefer to use their magical attacks instead of mere fists or weapons. Earth elemental mages normally do not appear as "lesser" and "greater" kinds, like normal earth elementals do, but sometimes an especially powerful mage- an Adept- shows up in response to a summons. These adepts tend to be far more powerful, magically, than the usual earth elemental mage, and it is best to avoid them, much as with the greater earth elementals. |
| Elf Wizard | |
 | These are normally former adventurers who wandered into Wild Zones and were Corrupted, but some are mercenaries who have been hired by the tribe to help defend its new territory. Elves being accomplished spellcasters, these wizards are considerably better at magic than the tribal shamans; however, they are not normally able to fight non-magically at all, so they aren't much of a threat when they run out of mana. |
| Elf Warrior | |
 | Elves have warriors too, despite being a heavily magic-using people. Elf warriors tend to use bows more than other types of weapons, because elves are consummate archers, but they are versed in other weapons as well- and unlike many warriors of other races, elf warriors usually have an attack spell or two to use when they can't use their weapons. These, like the elf wizards above, are usually Corrupted adventurers, but some are hired guards. |
| Green Slime | |
 | This horrid monstrosity is a living jelly that corrodes and dissolves other living (or formerly living) things that touch it. Since it is jelly, physical weapons do little or nothing to harm it- magic is a must if one is truly set on destroying it. It should also be noted that larger slimes can create more acid, and are capable of doing much more damage. Usually it is better to simply avoid it and run away. |
| Gray Ooze | |
| (no picture yet) | This variety of slime has a dim intelligence, and is able to use some magical attacks as well as the usual acid. The acid of gray ooze tends to be weaker than that of green slime, but that doesn't make the ooze less dangerous! Gray oozes are known to be able to dissolve mana and energy out of creatures as well as actual body parts, and this makes them doubly dangerous. Gray ooze is normally found only in deep, dark caves. |
| Human Wizard | |
 | Like the elf wizards mentioned above, most of these are hapless souls who wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time, and have been Corrupted for it. Humans are good spellcasters, though not as accomplished as elves normally, so these mages are no less lethal than the elf wizards. However, they generally have a different spell mix, and some carry knives and daggers to use when they are low on mana. |
| Human Knight | |
 | In contrast to the human wizards, knights are pure warriors. Trained over many years for combat, close and otherwise, the knights are fearsome fighters who use physical weapons to maim and kill their enemies. Corrupted knights are no less common than Corrupted wizards, and are, in fact, often seen in company with them, because wizards often hire fighters and soldiers for protection when they can't use their magic, or it doesn't work well. |
| Revenant (Miner) | |
 | Dead miners sometimes have restless spirits which hunger for revenge on those who murdered them. Over time, these spirits can gather enough power to reanimate their own dead bodies. Unlike such lesser undead beings as skeletons and zombies, Revenants are undead because of their own undying willpower, and so it is much more difficult to cause their bodies to die again and stay that way. Set as they are on revenge, Revenants usually attack anything working for their enemies, but since it is not always possible to tell foe from non-foe, they also attack living creatures which might otherwise be friendly. Their undead willpower gives them some magical powers, which drain life and energy from the living, and repair damage to their own dead bodies. Revenants are, clearly, very dangerous, and it is best to avoid them. |
| Zombie (Miner) | |
 | Zombies are a form of lesser undead created by wizards and priests to serve them. Miners killed by the orc tribe are sometimes animated as zombies by the tribal shamans, to continue working after death, or to guard things. Zombies created by more skilled creators are much more powerful than those created by relative amateurs. |
| Miners | |
     | Miners of several races worked together in the Mines of Montparsa before the tribal orcs took over, and now those who have survived the attacks are used as slaves, continuing to mine for the Mines' new masters. Some become Corrupted by the same powers that do it to adventurers in the Mines; others are beaten into submission and so scared of the tribal orcs that they attack anything and anyone else who comes near, fearing retribution. It is rumored that there are a few miners who have secret caches of weapons and other items, who are part of an organized resistance, but the headquarters of this supposed resistance movement, and its leaders, are unknown. |
| Giant Spider | |
 | Spiders tend to like life in deep, dark places, and few places are deeper or darker than mines and caves. Most are no threat to larger creatures (such as most intelligent races), but some have been changed by the powers left over from the Annihilation, and grown into giant versions of their ancestors. Not very dangerous to seasoned and prepared adventurers, they are a threat to people travelling alone, and wounded heroes as well. Also, some kinds are poisonous, and these can be deadly even to parties of heroes travelling together. The giant variety tend to gather in small groups, and cooperate to build large networks of webs to entrap larger prey. Sometimes useful treasures can be found on the remains of their victims. |
| Venom Spider | |
 | Some spiders are poisonous, and venomous spiders are no less common among the giant spiders than among normal ones. Their poison is normally not lethal, but can be very painful, and often does more damage in the end than the bite that injected it. Venomous spiders, being deadlier than the normal kind, have less need to band together and cooperate, and so appear alone more often. When they do appear in groups, the groups are usually smaller. |
| Snake | |
 | Snakes are common in the caves under the Mines, and some are known to slither up into the Mines themselves from time to time. Normally they appear alone, but sometimes they travel in small groups. The most common case of a group of snakes is several small snakes following and scavenging the prey of a larger snake or two. |
| Poison Snake | |
| Several kinds of snakes are poisonous, and wise adventurers quickly learn to recognize these and be ready for their poisonous bites. Cobras have a more damaging and poisonous bite than rattlers do, and are considerably more dangerous. Less powerful or weakened people are well advised to run when they see a cobra, unless they have poison cures available- cobra poison is quite deadly, and can kill an unprotected person within minutes. |
| Hypnotic Snake | |
 | Some of the snakes living in the caves have achieved a dim connection with the Matrix, and use mind control to paralyze and trap their prey. Intelligent beings normally aren't affected as strongly as smaller creatures, but rather feel drained of energy or mana after such a mental attack. There are more powerful varieties of hypnotic snakes, which use more powerful abilities, but they live in the deeper reaches of the caves and are not seen often. They are often timid when confronted by larger creatures, however, and therefore don't normally venture into the Mines like the other snakes do. |
| Rat | |
 | These scavenging rodents appear wherever there is civilization. Like spiders, some have been changed by leftover powers from the Annihilation, and grown much larger than they normally do. Rats, even the giant kind, are very social creatures, and tend to appear in large numbers. Their bites are not poisonous (normally), but have been known to cause diseases. |
| Ghost | |
 | Angry spirits of people who died violently sometimes stay near this world after death, hungry for revenge. The strong ones can sometimes reanimate their bodies and become Revenants. Those who cannot, become Ghosts. These insubstantial spirits usually look like transparent or translucent images of their living selves, but sometimes they change shape or appearance to appear more frightening. As undead creatures, ghosts hate the living, and do all they can to make their lives miserable- or just shorter. They have no actual bodies, so purely physical weapons simply go through them harmlessly, and they are likewise immune to processes which can harm physical bodies, such as acid. However, they themselves cannot physically harm things either- but they do have considerable magical powers, and can drain health and vigor from living beings easily. |
| Cave Drake Hatchling | |
| (no picture yet) | These baby cave drakes are barely more than a day or two old, and often found near their empty egg shells. They are in many places in the lower caves, both because they are very poisonous even at that tender young age, and because cave drakes are not normally very caring parents. Despite being small and relatively weak, cave drake hatchlings are still dangerous, with their extremely poisonous bites and breath. |
| Young Cave Drake | |
| (no picture yet) | Cave drake hatchlings that survive grow to a much larger size within a year or two, bigger than most minotaurs in fact. These drakes aren't fully grown yet, but are still formidable opponents, as they have learned how to use their natural weapons better, especially their poisonous breath. These young cave drakes are much more dangerous than the hatchlings, but still much less powerful than full-grown adults. |
| Fire Elemental | |
| (no picture yet) | Earth elementals come from a plane of pure rock and Earth, but there are other elemental planes. One such plane is the plane of Fire, and fire elementals come from there. The ones in the caves under Montparsa don't seem to have been summoned there, instead appearing through gates in pools of lava. As beings of Fire, they are utterly immune to it themselves, and able to manipulate the heat around them to spectacular (and deadly) effect. Also, because they are literally made of flames, physical weapons do nothing to harm them. Like earth elementals, fire elementals have lesser and greater individuals among them, and the greater fire elementals are capable of burning virtually anything to ash in an instant. |
| Fire Elemental Mage | |
| (no picture yet) | Fire elementals have mages among them just like earth elementals do. Fire elemental mages tend to use actual spells instead of simply burning things in their flames as normal fire elementals do. They have knowledge of many or most Fire-related spells, of course, and the Adepts among them usually know most. It cannot be overstated that Adepts are more dangerous than normal fire elemental mages, though telling the difference between them is difficult at best. |
Unique Monsters
These monsters are found in very specific, hard-to-reach places in the current game. It is a major accomplishment for a character or party to even kill one of these, let alone all six! Their uniqueness is not because they actually are unique (and permanently killed, if somebody manages to do it), but because they each appear in only one place in the entire game. Consider them a quest of sorts, and ultimate challenge and goal for characters to reach. We didn't show you these before, because we wanted them to be a special surprise for characters who were powerful enough to reach them. But now, the Orc Chief and High Shaman are rather well known among long-time players, and many have killed them several times. We are, therefore, showing you all of the "unique" monsters this time around, though we won't tell you where they all are! Good hunting, and good luck if you meet one of them!
| Orc Chief | |
 | This massive fighter leads the tribe of Orcs which has taken over the Mines. He is rumored to wear very strong armor, and is known to fight with equally strong weaponry, and masterful skill. The Orc Chief is found deep within Level 6 of the Mines, which the Orcs have turned into a fortress for them to live in and rule from. |
| Orc High Shaman | |
 | This powerful spellslinger is the Orc Chief's second in command, and top advisor. He carries a powerful staff, and has mastered all of the spells the lesser Orc Shamans use. He is also located on level 6, though he is rarely around the Chief. |
| Fire Archomental | |
| ? | The recent volcanic activity in the far northern reaches of the caves under Montparsa is rumored to be the result of a Fire Archomental's presence there. Archomentals are the rulers of normal elementals on the Elemental Planes, and they don't normally leave those planes. Any Fire Archomental in this world would undoubtedly be an extremely powerful being, capable of burning normal creatures to nothing in seconds. Characters trying to destroy this creature would be well advised to get as much fire protection as they can before venturing into its lair. |
| Fire Elemental Archmage | |
| ? | Archomentals are often attended by the most powerful spellcasters on the Elemental Planes, much like kings are attended by court wizards on this world. The Fire Archomental which has come to this world is likely to have brought at least this member of its court along for the ride, if in fact it wasn't the Archmage who opened up the gate in the first place. Characters fighting a Fire Elemental Archmage should expect the most powerful of Fire spells to be used against them, probably several times. |
| Cave Drake | |
| ? | The caves beneath Montparsa are too small to provide a home for a dragon, but dragons have several kinds of smaller relatives, and some adventurers have reported meeting a mated pair of Drakes in the deep caves. These creatures are not full dragons, but they are extremely powerful, and highly poisonous. Since they are a mated pair, they have filled the caves near them with offspring, less powerful, younger Drakes like themselves. Since Drakes, like dragons, often hoard large treasures, many adventurers have gone looking for the lair of these two beasts, but so far none have returned. |
| The Blob | |
| ? | Some adventurers venturing into the deep caves have reported a veritable trail of slimes, growing ever larger as it approaches... something. The slimes themselves get stronger and more intelligent as they grow larger, of course, and some are said to be so large that they fill the tunnels they move within. It has been suggested that these creatures are either converging in, or coming from, a single place in a deep, dark, cavern of slime and muck, and that some kind of super-slime exists in that place. None have come back from adventures in the deep caves reporting encounters with such a creature, but its existence seems more and more likely as time goes by. Despite no confirmation of its existence, adventurers have dubbed this hypothetical super-slime "The Blob." Speculation about its powers is wild and varied, but they are certain to include the most powerful Acid attacks. |
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