---

HOME | CONTACT | BESTIARY | ACADEMY | LINKS | LIBRARY | OTHER WORLD | GAZETTER|

---

DOUGAL DIXON'S AFTER MAN

page 3

KHIFFAH (Armasenex aedificator)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical rain forest and jungle	Hit Dice:	2-3
Frequency:	Rare	THAC0:	19
Organization:	Tribal	No. of Attacks:	3
Activity Cycle:	Day	Damage/Attack:	1-4/1-4/1-2 (female and young male 1-2 bite attack)
Diet:	Omnivore	Special Attacks:	Nil
Intelligence:	Average (8-10)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (4-5 feet)
No. Appearing:	2-20	Morale:	Steady
Armor Class:	6 (4 on face and chest) [female and young male 7]	XP Value:	250
Movement:	9 on ground, 11 in trees

The khiffah is a newly emerging, sentient race in the world After Man. While many arboreal inhabitants have sought to deal with the predatory striger via armor, spines, poison, or some sort of physical defense, the khiffah has sought defense in social organization. This intelligent race of monkeys lives in tribes of up to twenty individuals and builds defensive citadels in the boughs of trees. These large, hollow nests, woven from branches and creepers and roofed with a rainproof thatch of leaves, have several entrances, usually situated where the main branches of the tree thrust through the structure. The khiffah's nest is divided into two levels containing separate storage and living rooms.

The khiffah's have adopted a gender based division of society. The females and young males, which possess neither armor nor claws, are the principal food gatherers of the tribe, and carry out the majority of building as well. The adult males remain behind to defend the citadel and have developed a unique set of features to carry out their highly specialized role; horny armor over the face and chest and vicious claws on the thumb and forefinger (supplemented by a biting attack).

It is not unknown for a female to taunt a passing striger and allow herself to be pursued back to the citadel, dashing to safety while the striger finds its way barred by a powerful male capable of disemboweling it with a swipe of its terrible claws. This apparently senseless behavior, however, provides the colony with fresh meat, a welcome supplement to their basic vegetarian diet of roots and berries. Only young and inexperienced strigers are caught this way.

Though not as yet civilized as the meaching of the frozen north, the khiffah are starting to develop into a civilized race. In any one colony, it is 25% possible that the more intelligent (and idle) males have dabbled into the beginnings of magic, are either a druid of levels 1-3 (75% chance) or mage of levels 1-2 (25% chance). In a few thousand years, it is quite possible that the khiffah might develop into a major civilized race.

Enterprising players and DMs might want to consider khiffah (or meaching) PCs in a world After Man.

HIRI-HIRI (Carnophilius ophicaudatus)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical rain forest and jungle	Hit Dice:	2-3
Frequency:	Rare	THAC0:	16
Organization:	Solitary	No. of Attacks:	1 or 2 (see below)
Activity Cycle:	Any (mostly Day)	Damage/Attack:	1-3 and/or 1-4
Diet:	Carnivore	Special Attacks:	See below
Intelligence:	Semi	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (about 4 feet in length, sometimes up to 6 feet)
No. Appearing:	1 (rarely 2)	Morale:	Average
Armor Class:	7	XP Value:	300
Movement:	10 on ground, 8 in trees

A marsupial predator of the tropical forest canopy, the hiri-hiri is in its own way as dangerous as the striger, though much more so those at ground level. Despite the fact that it is a tree-dweller, it is also highly efficient in preying on ground-living animals. Lying in wait on a low branch, it dangles is strong prehensile tail down like an innocent vine. When some unsuspecting animal trots by, the hiri-hiri seizes it swiftly with its tail and strangles it. When contact with the victim is achieved, the hiri-hiri draws the tail tight, and 1-3 points of damage immediately ensue. The hiri-hiri then lifts the prey to the branch upon which it rests to bite it as well for 1-4. If the victim can save vs. death he/she/it can break free of the tail grasp, otherwise, continue to suffer 1-3 points of strangulation damage (in addition to the bites). If the victim is held by the tail, all bite attacks are at +4 to hit (the tail damage is automatic).

The hiri-hiri will readily prey upon any adventurer unfortunate to run across it (or under it) in the world After Man. This predator is descended from the Tasmanian Devil.

NIGHTGLIDER (Hastatus volans)

Climate/Terrain:	Tropical forest	Hit Dice:	4
Frequency:	Rare - Very Rare	THAC0:	16
Organization:	Solitary	No. of Attacks:	1
Activity Cycle:	Nocturnal	Damage/Attack:	2-12
Diet:	Carnivorous	Special Attacks:	See below
Intelligence:	Animal (1)	Special Defenses:	Nil
Treasure:	Nil	Magic Resistance:	Nil
Alignment:	Neutral	Size:	Medium (7 feet)
No. Appearing:	1	Morale:	Average
Armor Class:	8	XP Value:	300
Movement:	4 on ground, 14 gliding

The nightglider is an unusual tree dwelling carnivore of the jungle at night. During the day it hangs on trees disguised against the bark, floating down like a flying squirrel to feed upon nocturnal insects, frogs, and small mammals at night. Large specimens take larger creatures, such as the pig-like tapimus, or even an unwary adventurer. Its method of hunting is to impale its prey on the spines that project from its chest. The nightglider's spines were formed from modified hairs that, in the course of evolution, have developed into stiff needle-like structures.

WAKKA (Anabracchium struthioforme)

The wakka, descended from running rodents, is the most highly adapted running animal in the world. Because of its bipedal stance, its forelimbs became less and less important until they completely atrophied to non-existence. Its tannish spotted globular body and long hind legs support an equally long neck and tail which balance one another, maintaining the animal's center of gravity over its hips. These features give the creature a clear view of the surrounding countryside. Even when the wakka is grazing in long grass its eyes are placed high enough on its enlongated head to see the approach of a predator.

The wakka prefers to flee at the first sign of trouble, but if pressed can kick for 1-4 points of damage.

SHALLOTH (Arboverspertilio apteryx)

A number of new islands formed in the world After Man, much as the Hawaiian islands formed millions of years ago. Birds are usually the first vertebrates to reach and settle on new islands, but in the case of Batavia the first vertebrates to arrive were their mammalian equivalents, bats. The presence of suitable food, lack of competitors, and absence of predators enabled many bats to take up no ecological roles. One of these new bat species was the shalloth.

The shalloth is now flightless, and is an omnivorous tree-dwelling bat which spends its life hanging upside down like an ancient sloth. It eats leaves, insects, and fruit much of the time, but once in a while this shaggy, grayish black, vaguely monkey-like animal (though tailess) supplements it diet by a swift jab from one of its front claws, enlarged for just such a purpose. This large claw inflicts 1-6 points of damage. Once it connects, the sholloth can automatically connect with its other weaker claw for 1-3 points of damage, and a bite attack of 1-2.

Though adventurers are for the most part too large for consumption for the shalloth, it has been known to make exceptions.

NIGHT STALKER (Manabulus perohorridus)

Once other vertebrates had established themselves on the islands of Batavia, a family of ground-dwelling predators bats arose. These creatures walk on their front legs , on what would, in the case of a flying bat, be its wings, the sit of its locomotor muscles. Their hind legs and feet are still used for grasping, but now fall forward to hang down below their chin. As the bats locate their prey purely by echolocation, their ears and nose flaps have developed at the expense of their eyes, which are now atrophied. As such, they would be immune to all illusionary spells (or other spells) that relied purely on visual component.

The largest and most fearsome of these creatures is the night stalker. About seven feet tall, it roams screeching and screaming through the Batavian forest at night in packs. They prey indiscriminately on mammals and reptiles, attacking them with their ferocious teeth and claws.

< After Man page 1

< After Man page 2