Monster: Myrrist

Myrrist

Armour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 1-1

Move: 120' (40')

Attacks: 1 weapon or bite

Damage: 1-6 or 1-3 + special

No. Appearing: 2-8 (3-30)

Save As: F1

Morale: 11

Treasure Type: Q (C)

Alignment: Neutral

XP Value: 5

Sworn adversaries – and natural predators – of the cricet and chiktik both, the myrrist are small, long and lean; weasels or fishers in a humanoid shape. Standing some two and a half to three feet tall, myrrist are covered in soft fur that ranges from snow white to sable; their eyes are bottomless black, their rounded ears edged in the same, and their teeth needle sharp. Myrrist often wear meticulously patchworked armour jacks but are otherwise austere and unpredictable in their tastes for ornamentation. Likewise, their reactions to other sapient species is equally unpredictable -- save that they will not share territory peacefully.

In combat a myrrist fights with a javelin long enough to be wielded in melee if necessary, inflicting 1-6 hit points of damage. The myrrist weapon possesses a long, narrow and wickedly-barbed head that lodges in the wound; tearing the weapon free inflicts another hit point of damage. A myrrist carries 2-6 such javelins but will fall back on using fangs if necessary, inflicting 1-3 hit points of damage and if choosing to do so locking its jaws to automatically inflict 1-2 hit points per round of blood drain. A myrrist so jawlocked can take no other actions unless it releases its victim.

Elite members of a myrrist clan, numbering 2-12, possess 1+1 hit dice. A chieftain of 1+4 Hit Dice will be found in the myrrist's lair, and fights as a 2 Hit Dice monster; he or she is attended by 1–4 elite myrrist.