Monster: Kurath

Kurath
Armour Class: 8
Hit Dice: 1+3*
Move: 120' (40')
Attacks: 1 weapon or spit
Damage: as weapon or 1-3 + poison
No. Appearing: 1-6 (6-24)
Save As: F2
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: F
Alignment: Any
XP Value: 19

Humanoids with coppery skin (occasionally with a faintly golden or even pearly sheen) and dark hair, kurath bear some faint resemblance to iaret and are speculated by sages to be the descendants of iaret-human breeding. More telling are their slightly inhuman features, their clawlike nails, and the scattered patches of fine scales in jewel-like colours. Most kurath have blue or amber eyes, and a rare few individuals -- usually spellcasters -- have silver hair. Though there are rumours of a kurath kingdom in the southern forests, the clans known to humanity are nomadic and small in population, bringing rare alchemies and exotic substances to human lands.

In combat a kurath will normally attack with a weapon, preferring short swords and javelins. If pressed -- or wishing to startle -- a kurath will spit venom at a target to a range of 10'; this venom inficts 1-3 hit points of damage and stuns for one round if a save vs. poison is failed. Kurath venom is more commonly used as a "lacquer" on their creations.

Each kurath clan is led by a matriarch or patriarch of 2 HD who possesses the fighting ability of a 3 HD monster and 2nd-level magic-user spellcasting ability. For every six kurath there is an individual with the ability to cast a single 1st-level spell per day.