Nakharia (Ivory Knight)
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 3+2**
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 2 fists or by weapon
Damage: 1-6/1-6 or by weapon +2
No. Appearing: 2-8 (3-18)
Save As: F4
Morale: 10
Treasure Type: (U) B
Alignment: Any
XP Value: 100
With a shell of ivory enchanted to be as supple as flesh, eyes of marble and jewels, and every other detail picked out with equal precision by their creators -- combined with surprising sapience -- the nakharia are the closest and most prized servants and warriors of those neu who possess one. It requires close observation indeed to spot the hair-fine joints of an ivory knight, and few get close enough to do so without being challenged. Inside a nakharia, past the polished outer shell, is a mass of crystal foci and arcane clockworks of bewildering and exotic alloys.
Ivory knights attack as directed by their neu master or, failing direct orders, as they see fit in order to protect their charge. If necessary a nakharia will fight with its fists, inflicting 1-6 hit points of damage per strike; but most have been equipped with weaponry -- often baroque and sometimes enchanted -- by their master. Many nakharia, in addition to their weaponry, have been created with a focus jewel in their brow that allows the casting of one first-level Magic-User spell per day; this spell must be recharged by a neu or other spellcaster and may vary from use to use. Nakharia are immune to non-magical weapons.
5 comments:
Love it. In my mind these things are deep in the uncanny valley, somewhere between robot Maria from "Metropolis", the clockwork automatons from the Dr Who episode "Girl in the Fireplace", and that weird Japanese model robot that's been getting the tech weeaboos hot under the collar recently.
Ivory, crystal and clockwork? Imagine the wailing:
"The more damage you do, the less treasure we get from it. Stop hurting the loot!"
@Chris:
Oh yes. They fairly frolic in the uncanny valley ~
And that mental image of the poor loot-wanting adventurers is just perfect *grins*
Great stuff as usual. Why 'Nakharia' though? Do you just like the sound, or does it have some hidden meaning? (This question applies to all your monster names by the way.)
@noisms:
Great stuff as usual.
Thank ye kindly :3
Why 'Nakharia' though? Do you just like the sound, or does it have some hidden meaning? (This question applies to all your monster names by the way.)
Hehe ... it's actually a bit of a mix.
Some are just because I like the sound (sshian comes to mind as a recent example). A few (sirrush, cartazon ...) are named after the mythological beasts I based them on.
A good few do have "hidden" meanings, though; mostly words I've mutilated beyond redemption. ;3 The Auizha came from "ahuizotl", an Aztec water-monster (which is likely more otter-like than coyote-like, but I borrowed the image from the impression I had from a feathered shield), and being inspired by a mythological beast I suppose it's more like the above. The Criceti were named for the subfamily Cricetinae, the subfamily of hamsters *grins*
"Nakharia" is mangled from the Egyptian nHt (nakht), meaning "strength" or, as a name, "the strong one". It felt suitable ;3
Are there any names in particular you were wondering about ...?
Interesting to know. None spring to mind right now - it was just a general wondering. The names you use have less of that 'plucked out of mid air' feel that created monsters often do. It's a good quality.
Post a Comment