Postmaster
Approved Character
- Messages
- 39
- Race
- Rakshasa
LESSER GLAWACKUS
Challenge Rating 4
Challenge Rating 4
Description:
The Lesser Glawackus is a dark blue cat of similar size and profile to a large bobcat. It eschews camouflage; the Glawackus' thick fur is studded with bioluminescent patches of moss, intended to draw attention to its bright eyes. The Lesser Glawackus' fluffy tail conceals an array of tiny paralytic stingers. A popular predator in the tales and depictions of the Faelnir, the Lesser Glawackus is one of the few predators of its size willing to attack humans- though only while alone.
These cats seek out lone prey--of nearly any size, including much larger predators--and attempt to gain their attention with threatening noises and bright displays of luminescent fur. Once the prey has looked at them long enough, the cats will attempt to fascinate them with their eyes, closing slowly in and paralyzing them anew by brushing them with their stinging tails. Once assured of the target's incapacity, the Lesser Glawackus will tear out the throat. Given the difficulty of paralyzing multiple prey at once, however, the Lesser Glawackus will nearly always try to flee if additional prey appear.
Cultural Significance:
The Lesser Glawackus is an extraordinarily rare predator, but enjoys an outsized reputation among Faelnir cultures, where it is commonly used in art to symbolize danger. Due to the difficulty of fighting a Lesser Glawackus alone, they are commonly cited as a prime danger in the deep woods; however, their mesmerizing eyes and hide are considered signs of extremely high status, given the rarity of acquiring them.
Habitat:
Forests in northeastern Aelheim.
Size:
Average 24 inches tall, 48 inches long
Biome Role:
Opportunistic carnivores, Lesser Glawackus are notable for preferring to hunt other apex predators.
Life Cycle:
The Lesser Glawackus is a solitary hunter, born into litters of 3-6 which reach maturity after about 20 months. They have a projected upper lifespan of about fifteen years, but mostly die from violence or a peculiar array of diseases caused by the moss symbiotes they cultivate.
Resources:
Glawackus hide is extremely valuable for high-end clothiers if it is properly preserved; although only extremely talented tailors can incorporate the signature mosses into glowing coats or cloaks, the luster and sheen of the hair itself is considered quite a prize for many sorts of expensive attire. The eyes of the Lesser Glawackus are the organ of its wild glamour, and of interest to some mages and maltricians- further they are thought to be especially beautiful when preserved in clear amber and worn as a pendant, but few hunters are prepared to actually preserve those organs.
Notable Features:
- Glawackus Eyes
- The primary thing for which the Glawackus is known, its eyes are a color-shifting and bioluminescent marvel. These are literally fascinating- the unwary soul who looks into a Glawackus' eyes for more than a few seconds will find it exponentially more difficult to look away. Anything more than split-second glances will eventually lead to staring, as the beast's wild glamour fills their thoughts with static. As long as the Glawackus maintains eye contact with a fascinated victim, that person will remain compelled to gaze at the cat, unable to think of or react to anything else. Particularly strong-willed individuals (represented by skill at Meditation) may resist this effect, and it will not work on any entity not infused with Saol.\
- Paralytic Tail
- The Glawackus' eyes are meant mostly to hold a victim in place until the cat can close in and rub it with its tail. The tail contains a bevy of fibers which function much like a jellyfish's stinger, rapidly infiltrating the victim's skin and filling them with a paralytic toxin. This toxin is surprisingly short-lived; although it can achieve total paralysis of a human male within about a minute, it generally clears from the system in under half an hour without adverse effect. As such, Glawackus poison is a favorite choice for assassins who merely wish to temporarily incapacitate a target.
- Glowing Fur
- Glawackus fur is notable for its deep hues, but also for the moss colonies which grow thereon, which give the creature an eerie, phantasmal appearance in the dark jungles and make it difficult to avoid looking at the Glawackus- precisely what the creature intends. This feature, however, is often the cat's own undoing; the same chemical makeup which encourages these symbiotic mosses to grow also leads to infections of parasitic moss, the most common cause of death in the species.
Beast Magic: Glawackus Eye
By the use of Seeming or Saol, or by replacing an eye with a properly-preserved Glawackus eye, one may adopt and refine the cat's ability to fascinate. Minor Merit
Yes
100 XP - Minor Ability
By infusing the eye with Saol, the user fills it with light and flickering patterns, gaining the ability to fascinate as a Lesser Glawackus might. This effect is limited to a single target at a time; the longer the target can see the user's eyes, the more effective the wild glamour becomes. This effect breaks immediately if the target can no longer see the user's eyes for any reason, and may be resisted by strong-willed individuals, individuals in the grip of powerful emotions, and entities without Saol in their composition.
250 XP - Major Ability
Mastery of the Glawackus eye can allow it to be used on groups, and gives the user a very minor ability to influence how the fascination itself is remembered. One who sufficiently masters the Eye may fascinate groups of people, though they must still somehow ensure that all targets affected are looking at their eyes for the entire duration of the effect. Furthermore, the user may shape the glamour to give their targets a fuzzy memory of what happened during the time they were fascinated- for example, one could impart to a target that they had seen someone else commit a crime during that period. This effect cannot be used to alter memories from before or after the fascination in any way.
