Monster: Dhees

Dhees, also known as "sniders", are horrendous creatures that skulk about the edges of the Zone. Giant serpents with four spider-like legs and a multitude of eyes, they seek large prey - horses, camels, and of course humans.

The dhees usually strikes from a cave or a burrow that it has dug, gaining momentum for its lunge by digging its spider legs into the terrain before surging forward.

It can of course be read like a book, and is said to contain knowledge about the Zone and its properties.

Snider art by Claudio Pozas, from here

Dhees

No. Enc.: 1

Move: 120' (slithering, plus generates momentum with spider legs)

AC: 5 (15)

HD: 8

Atk: 2d6 (talons) / 1d6 (fangs, poison) - both attacks are directed towards the same target

Morale: 9

XP: 920

Lunge: Can dig its spider legs into the surrounding terrain to speed its lunge forward. It will hold off attacking for a round to position itself carefully. The lunge is at a +3 to hit, but next round it is at -1 to hit and to AC as it's getting back into position.

Poison: If stung, save vs poison. Pass: take disadvantage on all actions for d6 rounds. Fail: Paralyzed for 1d8 turns. Onset time is 1-2 rounds in either case.

Motion Hunter: The snider relies on vibration and movement to track its prey. Characters may make Dex checks with disadvantage in order to freeze and not attract its attention. Loud bangs or vibrations have a chance of disorienting the creature.

T160K

The T160K project is soliciting donations to preserve manuscripts from the Timbuktu Library that were in danger of being destroyed during the recent conflicts in Mali. Folks went to great personal risk in order to safeguard these works and get them to a place of (relative) safety, but now the works are in danger of being damaged due to poor storage conditions.

Apparently they had an Indiegogo campaign that ended recently, which I had missed. But they can still use donations to preserve these works.

Given the inspirations for my setting and this blog, I feel like I ought to toss them a shoutout. If you can, try to chip in a few bucks over at their webpage. These guys would want you to.

Ibn Munqidh would probably even stop his intrigues against you*! (Dude loved books.)



*For an arbitrary amount of time.