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Nimbae
DESCRIPTION: At the dawn of creation, the gawds pulled forces from the elemental plane of air to create the Nimbae. The Nimbae were made to start the four winds of the world. Once the task was completed, the Nimbae were no longer needed and roamed the world in an aimless venture to amuse themselves. When initially seen, Nimbae will mistaken for an ordinary cloud, but will exhibit actions contrary to a cloud. The Nimbae will fly in the opposite direction of the wind, lower and raise, their volume and mass constantly changing. As they draw closer, observers will notice human-like features in the vaporous mass. Nose, ears, eyes, mouth, puffy cheeks. Nimbae appear as both male and female, even speaking as male or female with such personalities of such. Nimbae can be as small as a dark cloud big enough to cover a single humanoid to a pearly-white cloud as big as a mountain.
COMBAT/TACTICS: If victims haven’t noticed the Nimbae, it will attempt to sneak up behind the party and first hit them with rain. Depending on its size, a Nimbae will hover anywhere from 4 feet to 100’s of feet over their victims. Nimbae’s intention is generally to be mischievous rather than blatant malice, but if adventurers are capable to attacking the Nimbae by air combat, the Nimbae is capable of retaliating with its breath weapon and lightning. Below are the different leveled Nimbae’s attacks:
3 HD Nimbae hover 4-6 feet above a singled-out target, dowsing them with a continuous shower of water. This causes damage to any paper or other light material objects the character may own. Aside from this, the character loses temporarily loses 1 point of Charisma per day until the Nimbae is destroyed. 3 HD Nimbae have a lightning attack which is weak compared to its bigger brothers and sisters, but it causes 1d4 points of damage. Characters are allowed a save. It can use this attack 4 times a day. Nimbae also have a minor breath attack. It causes no damage, but it is inopportune as it can blow out a campfire in 1-4 rounds, gust away important papers, blow over small tents, and causes earaches.
6 HD Nimbae can cover an area of 60’x60’, and hover 8-12 feet over their victims. The downpour not only causes the same loss of Charisma, but characters must save vs. breath weapon or lose 1 Constitution point per day. Its lightning has more of a kick to it, causing 1d6+2 points of damage and can strike 6 times a day. Its breath weapon can cause enough force to cause damage, 1-4+1 points. It can blow out a campfire in one round and knock over larger tents.
12 HD Nimbae can cover 300 x 300 areas and hover 12-24 feet over their victims. It also causes 1 Charisma point to be lost per day, plus 1 Constitution point per day with no save. Its lightning causes 1d12+2 points of damage and can use it up to 12 times a day. Its breath weapon is considerably stronger, blowing with such force it causes 1-10 points of damage. This breath can knock over poor or shoddy built buildings.
24 HD Nimbae cover an area up to 2,000’x2,000’. Their drenching, driving rains can demoralize entire armies and flood an area up to 2 feet deep in a matter of minutes. Sometimes Nimbae this size pick on entire cities or forts for their pleasure. The lightning from this level of Nimbae can cause 2d12 of damage per strike with unlimited strikes. Their breath weapon causes 2-20 pts. Of damage per attack and can blow down good quality buildings.
Sometimes 1-3 Nimbae will gang up on a city or a large group, but there is a 1 in 6 chance of one Nimbae blowing the other one out. Nimbae can travel normally in winds that do not exceed 15 mph, and winds faster than 15 mph will half their movement (unless they work WITH the wind), but any winds over 30 mph will simply blow the Nimbae away.
Since Nimbae are no longer natives of the elemental plane of air, they are unaffected by any device or potion of elemental control. Nimbae are susceptible to fire attacks, taking double damage if they do not save. This will simply dissipate the being if it causes more damage than its hit points. Gusts of Wind or other wind-like spells will also dissipate the beings if they do not save. Nimbae only take half damage from slicing weapons whereas blunt weapons cause double damage.
Once a Nimbae has been dissipated, it will take them 5-10 weeks to reform and then only as the 3 HD Nimbae. It takes a Nimbae 5 weeks to “mature” between each level.
HABITAT/SOCIETY: Nimbae roam any where in the world, existing in nearly any conditions. Nimbae occasionally gather in the highest mountains to boast of their great drenching, forest fires they started, or simply to relate news and rumors. This lasts about a month before they go their separate ways, but woe to those who happen to stumble upon such congregations. Nimbae reproduce by their ‘destruction’. There is a 5% chance that their remanant vapors will produce one extra Nimbae which will take 5 weeks to grow into a 3 HD Nimbae. These young Nimbae are virtually invisible and remain hidden in high, secluded areas. If, I say, IF characters manage to befriend a Nimbae, they might be amazed at the store of knowledge these creatures possess, especially helpful in directions and location of cities, rivers, old temples, caves, etc.
ECOLOGY: Nimbae can be demoralizing (if not destructive) to any person or civilizations they set their mischievous eyes on, but generally Nimbae are found aimlessly wandering about the skies, attempting to fill the void of their endless existence.
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YIELD:
Medicinal: Nil Spell Components: Nil Hide/Trophy Items: Nil Treasure: Nil Other: Nil |
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Mikeeze Wurld is © 2001 by Michael S. Hensley. HackMaster is a trademark of Kenzer and Company. Any use of trademarks is in no way to be considered a challenge to such trademark or copyright by its rightful owner. |