Creatures of Vanguard

Catheon Knight
Dread lieutenants of the vast undead legions, the knights of Cartheon sow terror into the hearts of the living, even the greatest heroes of Thestra cannot meet their gaze. They have embraced un-death, honing their horrific skeletal visages into weapons of fear by framing them beneath stylized horned helmets. Heavy mail hauberks, forged from decrepit black iron, are strapped to their cursed bones. Though the flesh of these warriors has long since rotted away, their minds have remained keen and coldly efficient. They command the Cartheon legions with the knowledge of fifty lifetimes of war. In battle, they know no fear and give no quarter for they have paid the Dark Sister the ultimate tribute. From this unholy union they manipulate black energies that drain life and corrupt the living flesh of the world with the taint of death. With such commanders at the forefront of the invasion, it is no secret as to how Targonor fell. -Jon Hegner, Associate Game Designer

Gargoyle
Only the most powerful wielders of magic can create gargoyles as servants. Born of stone and energy, these obsidian-clawed beasts watch over such places as Hilsbury Manor. Still as windless nights, gargoyles lay in wait for any kind of movement. Usually, only an insect or mouse triggers their attention, and is slain out of annoyance. Then, an adventurer strolls by, and the gargoyles allow their eyes to widen in excitement. Gargoyles savor adventurers, for they are strong enough to survive being toyed with before the stone beasts sink in their glass-sharp claws for the last time. -Lisa Boleyn, Associate Game Designer

Gorgalok
Gorgaloks prefer to pad through the estuaries of southern Thestra on their broad webbed feet, though they can swim as well as walk. They are all but ignored by the dry land races of Thestra because of their watery habitat, but should they find invaders on their territory, gorgaloks don't hesitate to attack with their sharp spears.

Gorgaloks show their dominion over the wetlands of Thestra by riding high above them on their great velok fliers. Veloks are key to gorgalok culture; gorgaloks help the velok eggs hatch in pools, and then care for the hatchlings. The veloks' earthbound youth are trained to protect gorgalok land, and serve as flying mounts as adults. -Lisa Boleyn, Associate Game Designer

Kaon Fairy
There exists a realm outside of Telon where reason does not exist, only malice, cruelty and madness. This is the realm of Kaon, a realm of absolute chaos. Spewing forth from a rift between worlds, the denizens of Kaon have swept across the Elven Forest seeking to deliver misery and destruction upon the lands. Most recognizable of Kaon's brood are the deceptively evil Kaon Fairies, tiny winged beings of unbridled cruelty and a possessing of a preternatural lust to inflict pain and suffering on any living creature unfortunate enough to cross their path. There exist many differences between Kaon fairies and the more common fairies found on Thestra. Some grow terrible horns and vicious spines in addition to their steel hard talons, while others are covered with spiky growths of bone that protect them like armor plates. Others lack such augments and instead simply possess a dark grace and beauty, as well as an innate mastery over magic. If you are in doubt whether or not that tiny flying woman is a Kaon Fairy, the talons are a good indication that you should keep your eyes protected and a weapon ready. -Jon Hegner, Associate Game Designer

Salamander
"I was called from my home plane by one of the yellow-haired elves. She cursed me and bound me here, where my sisters and I must inhale the corrupting air of Telon. Would that I could return home, but even in death, we are re-summoned, locked to the cold wetness of this wretched world. The only joy I find is in the slaying of pale elves, but how many thousands would I have to kill to equal the pain I feel with each breath I draw? Oh, to return to the fire, the sweet heat of my birthplace!" -Lisa Boleyn, Associate Game Designer

Soul Slasher
Feeding upon the soul of any living creature it finds, its undead hunger never sated, the Soul Slasher is perhaps Sartok's most vile creation. One could hardly believe it to be real. Were it not for the discovery of Renthiel Grayshadow's mangled diary years ago outside of Old Targonor, the foul creature might have remained merely folklore, the horrific mainstay of childhood nightmares. But Renthiel's diary changed all that. Though the pages were badly damaged, I was able to recover the following pieces of the story.

"...I watched through the treetops in horror as it silently floated above me, past me, and on towards my friends. I was too scared to alert them, but too far away to do anything about it anyway. Fear froze my body like ice; I couldn't move a muscle..."

"...When I finally made it back to what remained of our camp, I found what I could not have imagined in my worst dreams. My entire group was dead, yet showed no signs of physical harm. It was as if their very souls were consumed, leaving only lifeless shells behind. Their screams that night still echo in my mind each time I try to sleep..." -Elidroth Renato

Tharridon The Mighty
Giants are one of the great powers in the land of Telon. Living thousands of years, they have the strength, the cunning, and the will to defeat anything that stands in their way.

Tharridon the Mighty knows who is truly in charge in central Thestra, and he's made sure it will stay that way. Carving out Tharridon's Scar as his own fortress, he intimidates nearby Renton Keep and extorts food from Lord Renton. His orc and goblin servitors mine tirelessly to bring him metal and even the displaced bugbears to the west give him gems to secure his protection.

Tharridon knows that no threat can reach him, and so does not care for any of the little people who provide him what he needs. If something displeases him, his roar is known to level buildings, and his Word of Sorrow can crush even the most formidable wills. -Steve Williams, Associate Game Designer

Undead Mage
Few things in Telon are quite as fearful as the image of a group of Undead Warriors moving in on your position, and suddenly finding that they have an Undead Mage among their number. Using spells and magic techniques long forgotten (or just simply unknown) to the people of Thestra, the Undead Mage can decimate lines of enemies with a few raspy words and shaking hand gestures. Their powerful magic still is poorly understood by even the most astute of arcane professors and researchers in Telon, and any attempts to recreate it have ended in abject failure, or complete disaster.

The robes they wear are in stark contrast to their decaying state of their bodies - slightly tattered, but still displaying the intricate tailoring techniques used by the Cartheon people centuries ago. It is said that the robes themselves are enchanted in such a way to help protect the wearer, staving off both physical and magical attacks. These kinds of enchantments, coupled with the protective spells used by the Undead Mages, can make these creatures not only highly dangerous, but also difficult to dispatch.

Undead Mages can turn the tide of battle quickly and decisively, proving that the magic of Cartheon is still very, very potent, even after (or perhaps especially after) almost a thousand years. -Paul Molina, Associate Game Designer

Undead Warrior
Mainstays of the undead war machine, the Undead Warrior can strike fear into even the most battle-hardened warriors. Their grisly visage is the personification of nightmares - grinning skulls, hanging flesh, and the lingering scent of death pervading the battlefields on which they walk. Their ghoulish appearance would lead the inexperienced to believe that they are slow-moving, shambling creatures, mindless in their attacks and methods. However, many find out too late that the reverse is true... the Undead Warrior is a powerful, brutal combatant that fights with the skill only hundreds of years of training can bring.

The Undead Warrior is often found wearing Cartheon-style armor, wielding weapons forged lifetimes ago. In spite of its age, all the equipment used by these abominations is sturdy and battle-ready, and they use their gear to its maximum advantage. With barely a hint at its true age, these items have shown strength and resilience unmatched by most items forged in Telon today - which unfortunately also includes the armor and weaponry wielded by the armies intended to fight them.

Ruthless, unmerciful, and single-minded in their directives, the Undead Warriors have proven many times over that they are a match for most anything the residents of Thestra can muster to fight them. -Paul Molina, Associate Game Designer

Undead Wolves
An essence of hunger defines the undead wolf. Like all creatures torn from the natural cycle, all that was redeeming or good about the wolf has been burned away by the necromantic energies flowing from Hilsbury Manor.

Moving in packs, the undead wolf possesses a link to the other wolves in the area. The force that has raised their dead forms also controls their actions, like puppets on a string. When battle is joined, however, instinct takes over, and the undead wolf seeks to fill its rotted belly with fresh meat.

Anything will do. Birds, deer... even adventurers...especially adventurers. -Steve Williams, Associate Game Designer