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Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Wakax - New Athasian Monster

Wakax

Climate/Terrain: Stony Barrens or Underground
Frequency: Very Rare
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Activity Cycle: Night
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Semi- (2-4)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
No. Appearing: 1-2
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 15
Hit Dice: 9+5
Thac0: 11
No. of Attacks: 1 or 2
Damage/Attacks: 1-8/1-8 or 1d12
Special Attack: Fear Aura, Red Gaze
Special Defense: Immune to Fear, Disease, & Poison
Magic Resistance: 20%
Size: L (7 1/2' Tall)
Morale: Fearless (19-20)
XP Value: 7,000

Wakax
These hideous creatures are described as a human-carru hybrid, by those who have never seen one. Survivors of wakax attacks describe them much differently, as large terrifying monsters with huge horns, foul breath, and red eyes that carry death.
Wakax have the body and arms of a man, with the head and legs of a carru. Their faces are a twisted hybrid of human and carru, with sunken, burning red eyes. They only come out at night and roam the stony barrens around Draj. 
Where wakax go, death and disease follow.

Combat
Wakax prefer to attack from the concealment of darkness and surprise combatants on a roll of 1-5. Wakax will attack a single target with their claws, for 1d8 damage each, or they may attack all targets surrounding them with their horns, for 1d12 damage. Once an enemy falls, the wakax will attempt to gather the fallen victim and escape back to its liar. Victims taken back to the wakax's lair are devoured by the wakax in a few hours.
In addition to its formidable physical attacks, the wakax's red eyes may cause a disease to all who meet its gaze. Anyone who meets the wakax's gaze, and is within 30 feet, must succeed on a saving throw vs. poison, or be stricken with a disease of the DMs choosing. The disease is not magical and may be cured normally. The disease will generally not affect a victim for hours or days after an encounter with a wakax.
In addition, wakax have an aura of fear that effects all creatures within 30 feet, who can see the creature. A saving throw vs petrification is allowed to resist the effect. Effects of failure are based on hit die. Creatures of 3 HD or less freeze in place and weep uncontrollably for 2d4 rounds and afterward fight at a penalty of -3 to attack and damage. Creatures of 4 to 6 HD do not freeze, but fight at a penalty of -2 to attack and damage. Creatures of 7 to 9 HD do not freeze, but fight at a penalty of -1 to attack and damage rolls. Creatures greater than 9 HD are immune to the wakax's fear effect.

Habitat/Society
Wakax live in underground caves and burrows. They despise light and will seek to escape it, if not actively involved in combat. Wakax only emerge under the cover of darkness, except on those rare nights when Ral and Guthay are both full.
Wakax are not natural creatures. They came into being when a Draji defiler, named Eztli, sought a way to expand his power and attempted to draw life energy from animals, instead of plants. The ritual he used turned him into the first wakax. Other wakax's are created when a defiler finds the research that Eztli left behind and attempts the same ritual themselves.

Ecology
These are unnatural creatures that have no natural ecological place on Athas.
Their horns can be used to craft potions to resist or cause fear. Their eyes can be used to craft potions to cure or cause disease.

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