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DOUGAL DIXON'S AFTER MAN

page 2

DESERT SHARK (Psammanarus spp.)

An entirely different predator than creatures such as the falanx is the desert shark, thought to be descended from insectivore stock. This sandy brown, wrinkled creature is sausage-shaped with a blunt, strong head and powerful shovel-like feet. It swims through the sand rather than burrowing, bursting into underground desert rodent nesting chambers, which it locates using the sensory pits at the end of its nose. It is almost completely hairless and avoids the extremes of temperature by remaining underground for most of the time. When it is at rest it lies just below the surface with only its eyes and nostrils protruding.

Is at such times that the desert shark presents danger to the unwary desert traveller, as in the harsh clime it will not pass up such a meal. The desert shark is 75% likely to surprise such an opponent, bursting from the sand at +1 to attack, using it mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth roughly the same size and shape as that of a shark. The desert shark will not fight to the death though, but bite once or twice and then sink beneath sand. If it is not able to bring the prey item beneath the surface (or a large chunk of that particular prey), it will seek to wait for the creature to bleed to death, a real possibility, then feed at its leisure.

Though generally solitary, desert sharks can be found as mated pairs and more rarely with one younger individual in tow.

HORRANE (Phobocebus hamungulus)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical plains, savannas	Hit Dice:	2-3
Frequency:	Uncommon-Rare	THAC0:	15
Organization:	Family	No. of Attacks:	2
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attack:	1-6/1-6
Diet:	Carnivore	Special Attacks:	Surprise
Intelligence:	Low (5-7)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (about 5 or 6 feet in length)
No. Appearing:	1-4	Morale:	Average (8-10)
Armor Class:	5	XP Value:	600
Movement:	12

The horrane is descended from tree-dwelling apes of the tropical forests, a fact indicated by the way the animal walks on the knuckles of its forefeet. It resembles a baboon, but is very lean, slender, and completely four-footed rather than occasionally bipedal. Its body is blackish-gray, almost charcoal, with vivid orange-yellow stripes, so that is may successfully conceal itself in the tall grass of its native savannas.

Leading a totally ground-based lifestyle, the horrane lies in wait in the long grass, where it is camouflaged by its stripes and mane. Its chief prey is the gigantelope, upon which the horrane uses its sickle-like claws to rip deep wounds around the neck and throat. Severely wounded, the gigantelope soon dies, providing a meal for the whole horrane family group.

When attack, the horrane has a 80% chance to successfully survive those who cannot see invisible objects.

The horrane is one of the main predators of the tropical grasslands 50 million years hence, the other being the raboon.

RABOON (Carnopapio spp.)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical grasslands and savannas	Hit Dice:	4
Frequency:	Uncommon-Rare	THAC0:	15
Organization:	Pack	No. of Attacks:	1
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attack:	1-12
Diet:	Carnivore	Special Attacks:	Nil
Intelligence:	Low (5-7)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	L ( 7-12 feet high)
No. Appearing:	1-6	Morale:	Steady
Armor Class:	5	XP Value:	600
Movement:	12

Descended from baboons that flourished on the grasslands during the Age of Man, the raboon's ancestor's diets changed from omnivorous to carnivorous during the period that the big cats of the grasslands died out. At the same time they increased their speed by taking to their hind limbs and adopting a totally bipedal locomotion. The forelimbs of the raboon became reduced and the head was carried further forward, balanced by a thick, heavy tail. In physical form the raboon bears a distinct resemblance to the carnivorous dinosaurs that died out more than a hundred million years ago.

The raboons vary greatly actually, from the giant raboon, most fear predator of the tropical grasslands, to fairly small species that are more scavenger than predator. The scavenger and smaller predators are generally in the four to six foot range in height, and have weaker attacks (1-4 for the scavenger, 1-6 or 1-8 for the smaller predators). The giant raboon is a true terror to behold, preying on the rabbuck herds and even the gigantelopes. It would not hesitate to prey upon an unwary adventurer.

GHOLE (Palligdogale nudicollum)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical grassland and savanna	Hit Dice:	2
Frequency:	Common-Uncommon	THAC0:	18
Organization:	Solitary	No. of Attacks:	1
Activity Cycle:	Any	Damage/Attack:	1-8
Diet:	Scavenger; Omnivorous	Special Attacks:	Nil
Intelligence:	Semi	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (about 4 or 5 feet long at most)
No. Appearing:	2-12	Morale:	Average (8-10)
Armor Class:	5	XP Value:	300
Movement:	10

The most efficient scavenger of the tropical grasslands is the ghole, a silvery-gray creature that resembles a large mongoose. Its head and neck are almost totally devoid of hair, allowing it to reach inside the body cavities of carcasses without its coat becoming fouled. Its canine teeth are particularly large and are quite capable of crushing most bones to get at the marrow.

Gholes live in packs of about a dozen and have developed an almost symbiotic relationship with a species of termite. This termite builds its mound with a horizontal shelf projecting all around, a few feet above the ground. The shelf provides shelter from the fierce midday sun where the ghole can bring bones and other tough parts of its meal to chew at its leisure. The termites feed on the scraps of carrion the ghole invariably leaves scattered around the mound, thus benefiting the relationship.

Gholes should present little trouble to healthy, active adventurers, but may be quite a danger to those wounded or sick from lack of water.

STRIGER (Saevita feliforme)

Climate/Terrain:	Jungle, tropical rainforest	Hit Dice:	2-3
Frequency:	Rare	THAC0:	16
Organization:	Solitary	No. of Attacks:	1
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attack:	1-6
Diet:	Carnivore	Special Attacks:	Nil
Intelligence:	Low (5-7)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (4 feet)
No. Appearing:	1-2	Morale:	Average
Armor Class:	5	XP Value:	300
Movement:	9 on ground, 15 in trees

This fierce little creature developed from the last of the true cats about 30 million years ago and spread throughout the rain forests of Africa and Asia, it success hinging on the fact that it was as well adapted to life in the trees as its prey - chiefly monkeys and apes. The striger had adopted the bodily shape of the monkeys on which it fed; a long, slender body, forelimbs that could swing apart to an angle of 180 degrees, a prehensile tail, and opposing fingers and toes that allowed it to grasp the branches. In appearance, the striger looks like a cross between a very small tiger and a spider monkey.

With the coming of the striger, the arboreal mammal fauna of the tropical forest underwent considerable change. Some of the slow-moving leaf- and fruit-eating animals were wiped out completely. Others, however, were able to adapt in the face of this new menace.

The striger generally uses a biting attack, though if pressed can use its foreclaws to strike for 1-4/1-4. They are generally not a problem to ground-based creatures, and are for the most part presented here in context with the khiffah.

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