Jackalweres, devious creatures with human and jackal features, dwell in necropoli on the Shrouded Lands’ eastern border, including in 51.17.
Their mannerisms, behavior and intelligence depend on their diets. Jackalweres who eat the flesh of dumb beasts behave much like jackals - cowardly, impulsive and shameless. But those who dine on human flesh become more like their prey. They speak eloquently, don clothing and execute plots. Many jackalweres in this hex are fairly intelligent because their diet is a balance of Sosarian livestock and their herders (48.18). Those further from the city are more bestial. Regardless of their level of sapience, jackalweres can induce deep slumber in non-jackalweres with mere eye contact. Sosarian herders and a few gnolls wear smoked glass goggles when they fear an ambush.
Necropoli tomb robbers have reported being attacked by jackalwere mages armed with engraved bronze disks. The mages can fire off a hex that makes its victims incapable of speaking or writing in anything other than gibberish.
Known jackalweres
Connections:
- A more bestial line of jackalweres lurks in the ruins beneath Hyfalls (40.20). Their diet of hobgoblin flesh mutates them in unusual ways.
- The Great Mother’s third non-human adviser (51.29) is a gormandizing jackalwere named Voon. He keeps her informed of events around Sosaria in exchange for his favorite delicacy, dwarf pie.
- A pack of jackalweres is harassing a ship that ran aground not far from here (50.14).
Hooks:
- Who built the necropoli?
- Where do more feral jackalweres roam?
- Do the ancient armor and weapons they salvaged from the tombs have any special properties?
- Do the mages’ bronze disks function as scrolls or implements? Where did they come from?
- Who has been struck by the gibberish curse?