Varushkan Monster

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Varushka is dangerous, and the dangers come in many shapes. Some of these shapes are familiar to the other citizens of the Empire. Disenfranchised or lazy men and women take to banditry, using the isolation of the Varushkan wilderness to create hidden settlements, raiding their neighbours and travelling caravans to sustain themselves from year to year. They are reviled as parasites by civilised Varushkans, and those bands that survive more than a few years tend to fall under the sway of dark forces.

There are orcs here who take advantage of that same isolation. These orcs tend to be the remnants of larger tribes defeated by the Varushkans, and while they are a threat they are rarely any more pressing than any other disenfranchised bandit gang. As with the bandits, the Varushkan orcs tend to make pacts with the horrors that lurk under the trees, sometimes becoming their agents.

Wolves

The mundane dangers of Varushka pale beside the supernatural threats. The weakest and most common of these are termed “Wolves” by the Varushkans. They are hungry, instinctual horrors that seek to feast on living flesh. Ghouls and husks are common examples of Wolves. They tend to appear in large groups and besiege a valley, or fall on travellers in large numbers, but they can usually be driven off by strength of arms or cleverness. The primary task of the boyars and Schlacta is to keep the Wolves at bay.

Sovereigns

A more powerful threat are the “Sovereigns.” A far cry from the instinctual terrors, these creatures are powerful and wilful individuals. Corrupt boyars empowered by sinister bargains, meddling Eternals and cunning conspirators such as the Volodya are all examples of Sovereigns. They are intelligent, patient and terrible. Sovereigns tend to be restricted to specific areas, and many of them labour under bindings or strictures that prevent them from preying on the Varushkans directly. While “Wolves” move freely, many Sovereigns tend to slumber in their lairs until external influences wakes them up. The actions of foolish bandits, thieves and roving orc bands are often blamed for wakening the more powerful Sovereigns, and many rules or restrictions in Varushka are designed to prevent people interfering with them and drawing their attention. Sovereigns sometimes work through agents who possess more freedom to operate outside their lairs. Wolves can rarely be reasoned with, but Sovereigns often present a civil mien and can be bargained with.

Mora

Midway between the Wolves and the Sovereigns in power are the shapechangers, the most common of whom are the Mora – strange bird-like creatures who can assume pleasing shapes to go among mankind or lure travellers to their deaths. The Mora can bypass many protections to visit human settlements, but by doing so they become tightly bound to the rules of hospitality and cannot directly act against gracious hosts.

While they are shapeshifters, Mora cannot take on the form of specific people. They can disguise themselves as a human, but they cannot take on the guise of a specific human.

Plaguewulf

These hulking beasts are lean humanoids with the features of predatory animals. Most commonly they have wolf-like muzzles and features, although versions with more rat-like or bear-like details have occasionally been observed. They are greatly feared, and the appearance of one - or worse a small pack - is a cause for great alarm in Varushkan settlements. Technically they are Wolves, but as with the Mora they more practically occupy a middle-ground between Wolf and Sovereign. They are intelligent, and seem in some way to feast on the death of living creatures - while the husks that surround them eat the meat of the dead, the plaguewulf is said to sustains itself on the 'last breath' of a dying creature. While they can feed on the terrified deaths of animals, they much prefer to drink the life-breath of humans and orcs.

A Plaguewulf is almost never encountered alone; rather they are surrounded by a pack of shambling, flesh-hungry husks that appear to be largely under their control. The plaguewulf creates more husks through the use of it's horrible pestilential breath - a living being caught in the exhalations of a plaguewulf is envenomed and the flame of their life is snuffed out by any serious illness. Still worse, shortly after their death the victim rises up as an abominable horror that preys on the living. Some scholars suggest that the effects of Virus Lunarae are modeled on or somehow derived from the effect of plaguewulf breath. Plaguewulfs are said to be able to use their baleful spittle to create subject husks from freshly dead bodies (even if the bodies have been buried for a few days), but this is much more time consuming.

No husk, even one from created by a ritual such as Quickening Cold Meat will attack a plaguewulf, and they seem to have the ability to exert dominance over many such creatures giving them their less-common sobriquet of Wulfkings.

In addition to their venomous exhalation, the plaguewulf is known to possess a cunning and clever intellect, and great reserves of healing energy which it sometimes shares with it's husk minions, as well as being able to strike mighty blows with it's claws that rend limbs or send human opponents sprawling.

Plagewulfs in Play

A Plaguewulf is capable of starting a serious infestation of husks, and often directs its forces to attack isolated settlements. The true horror of the plaguewulf is that once it starts killing humans, it's forces become larger and able to attack better defended settlements. A plaguewulf and it's forces are more than a match for a group of human soldiers, and defeating one would require the effort of a band of well-equipped and well-prepared heroes.

Plaguewulf venom can be purged by any effect that removes the venom condition, but it is important to note that once the target has been envenomed it does not matter how or when they die - if they die while under the effect of this venom, they will rise as a flesh-hungry husk within a few moments. Attempts by some creative Wardens to 'pre-poison' themselves have been tragically ineffective - once exposed to the venom, it must be removed with an effect such as purify or an unspeakable second existence is inevitable.

They are intelligent and can speak. There are dark tales of individuals who have made pacts with plaguewulfs; one story tells of a bandit who worked with a plaguewulf to lure travellers into ambushes. Once the plaguewulf had feasted, the bandit looted the corpses. Another story tells of a vale who helped a plaguewulf attack and devour the life of residents of nearby villages in return for safety from the beast's rampages. In almost all such stories. the human who deals with a plaguewulf comes to a horrible end, either at the hands of the people it has betrayed or the jaws of the plaguewulf - these monsters are incapable of gratitude.

Some histories mention plaguewulfs as having fought alongside the armies of Aldrei the fair, and the Volodny are known to bargain with these hideous creatures.

It is worth noting that plaguewulfs, while supernatural, are living creatures and not undead.