Here is an idea for an "enemy of the north" that I was thinking of using. Its mostly in the Thought Experiment stage, so I don't have stats on it yet, though I would love someone that knows the system to help me with that.
Elemental Devourers - Scourges of Elemental Kind
There are a few races of Elementals that are considered outside the Harmony of Nature and Creation. These elementals personify the devouring nature of each element and each can wreak havoc in their own way if left unchecked. By Thaumaturgs, sages and Sorcerers they are referred to as The Devouring Essence of an element. The Harpy is one such feared elemental along with the Emerald Locust, Devouring Wave, the Unquenchable Lion and the Stone Marauder. Thankfully the Devouring Essence feeds even on itself, making such Elementals unstable and such beings can only respire in high essence environments such as a Demesne. Without such protection they rarely survive a month.
Unfortunately each of the 5 well known Scourges has a means of bypassing this weakness at least for a time: The Harpies perform mass ritual sacrifices; the Unquenchable Lion hunts devours enlightened mortals, exalted and spirits; the Emerald Locust devour their own life giving element leaving the land a barren wasteland; the Devouring Wave traps countless victims within its caustic foam; and the Stone Marauder devours hearth stones.
Harpy, the Aerial Devourer
Harpies are said to manifest when the Hunter’s moon coincides with the building of a rare arctic maelstrom. Harpies appear as old crones with great yellow eyes, an Owl’s wings instead of arms, and Owl legs/talons instead of legs. The Harpy as the Aerial Devourer, is the gathering storm which must be endured but it is also the Sagely Devourer; the most intelligent and cunning of its kind. Harpies survive the Hunger through their understand of thaumaturgy making them able to perform rites of sacrifice themselves in-order to stave off starvation. Thus they will attack towns and villages to sacrifice its inhabitants to themselves in order to regain essence. Harpies reproduce by taking over an Air Demesne and forcing the the Demesne’s essence into the “Mother Harpy” via geomantic constructions constructed of fled logs, shining rocks, etc... (It looks like a giant nest or nests from outside). The "Mother" then births the Flock. Each harpy is born from an egg that gestates 1 month, and the newborn reaches adulthood in another month. More powerful Demesnes can create more “Mothers” and build the Flock even faster.
Generally, the Flock nests around their Demesne building up numbers, and enslaving tribal servitors. When the Flock becomes too large or the Nest is threatened, ½ the flock gathers in a great migration to find its next nest, it is in these movements that the Flock is at its most desperate and most dangerous. In the days of the Shogunate, The Wyld Hunt would to combat these elementals with a Ground Legion to destroy the existing nest, and an Air/Cavalry Unit to chase down the Flock.
In combat the Harpy is a relatively challenging foe. They wield whatever they can take from the villages and caravans they have devoured/enslaved or simple Spears or their own talons. At a distance they can launch sprays of Ice Feathers but doing so uses essence so they rarely use them unless defending their Nest (and therefore being replenished by the Demesne). They can and do use many types of thaumaturgy and will use whatever minor tricks they can come up with to give them an edge against their opponent. Additionally the stronger amongst a Flock can actually use Sorcery and innately can cast specific Air themed spells. They rarely do so as it eats their essence away quickly.
Elemental Devourers - Scourges of Elemental Kind
There are a few races of Elementals that are considered outside the Harmony of Nature and Creation. These elementals personify the devouring nature of each element and each can wreak havoc in their own way if left unchecked. By Thaumaturgs, sages and Sorcerers they are referred to as The Devouring Essence of an element. The Harpy is one such feared elemental along with the Emerald Locust, Devouring Wave, the Unquenchable Lion and the Stone Marauder. Thankfully the Devouring Essence feeds even on itself, making such Elementals unstable and such beings can only respire in high essence environments such as a Demesne. Without such protection they rarely survive a month.
Unfortunately each of the 5 well known Scourges has a means of bypassing this weakness at least for a time: The Harpies perform mass ritual sacrifices; the Unquenchable Lion hunts devours enlightened mortals, exalted and spirits; the Emerald Locust devour their own life giving element leaving the land a barren wasteland; the Devouring Wave traps countless victims within its caustic foam; and the Stone Marauder devours hearth stones.
Harpy, the Aerial Devourer
Harpies are said to manifest when the Hunter’s moon coincides with the building of a rare arctic maelstrom. Harpies appear as old crones with great yellow eyes, an Owl’s wings instead of arms, and Owl legs/talons instead of legs. The Harpy as the Aerial Devourer, is the gathering storm which must be endured but it is also the Sagely Devourer; the most intelligent and cunning of its kind. Harpies survive the Hunger through their understand of thaumaturgy making them able to perform rites of sacrifice themselves in-order to stave off starvation. Thus they will attack towns and villages to sacrifice its inhabitants to themselves in order to regain essence. Harpies reproduce by taking over an Air Demesne and forcing the the Demesne’s essence into the “Mother Harpy” via geomantic constructions constructed of fled logs, shining rocks, etc... (It looks like a giant nest or nests from outside). The "Mother" then births the Flock. Each harpy is born from an egg that gestates 1 month, and the newborn reaches adulthood in another month. More powerful Demesnes can create more “Mothers” and build the Flock even faster.
Generally, the Flock nests around their Demesne building up numbers, and enslaving tribal servitors. When the Flock becomes too large or the Nest is threatened, ½ the flock gathers in a great migration to find its next nest, it is in these movements that the Flock is at its most desperate and most dangerous. In the days of the Shogunate, The Wyld Hunt would to combat these elementals with a Ground Legion to destroy the existing nest, and an Air/Cavalry Unit to chase down the Flock.
In combat the Harpy is a relatively challenging foe. They wield whatever they can take from the villages and caravans they have devoured/enslaved or simple Spears or their own talons. At a distance they can launch sprays of Ice Feathers but doing so uses essence so they rarely use them unless defending their Nest (and therefore being replenished by the Demesne). They can and do use many types of thaumaturgy and will use whatever minor tricks they can come up with to give them an edge against their opponent. Additionally the stronger amongst a Flock can actually use Sorcery and innately can cast specific Air themed spells. They rarely do so as it eats their essence away quickly.
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