Page 4 - IBP 2100 - Another Bunch of Content Issue 1

Another Bunch of Content
minerals and gems they sample over the years, they absorb them within their bodies. They are not broken down, digested, or passed, but become part of the Gem Eater itself. The experience of a Gem Eater can be easily seen by the exterior protrusions of gems worn over highly tough and mineralized bodies. Because of this absorption, Gem Eaters develop a natural armor that improves as they gain time and experience. This leads to them being seen as prime targets for kidnapping or murder by those who would attempt to pry gems not only from the outside of a Gem Eater’s body but also seek inside. Gem Eaters can of- ten be worth a small fortune, and upon their deaths are treated as a form of inheritance passed on to their survivors. While many family members place the hard- ened bodies of the deceased on display in repose, those that fall on hard times financially have been known to break up ancestors to pay off debt.
Many Gem Eaters work with Dwarven Metal Eaters who display a similar ability for discovering metals and alloys. Metal Eaters also develop the same kind of armor as they ingest metals over time.
infected must pass a saving throw or find themselves attempting to disrobe and/or move towards the creature. Each round, they may attempt to resist, but for every round failed they must do so at an additional -1 to the saving throw roll.
Indigo Starrunner
ITEM
Horx
MONSTER
Originally owned by a consortium of Sea Elf traders, the Indigo Starrunner is now owned by Captain Talius Mannak, a notorious rogue and pirate who spends much time and energy with his small crew causing havoc along the Sharktooth Passage. The boat itself is an elegantly designed cutter with three headsails that run from the long crystal and wood bowsprit at the front of the ship. The hull of the boat is made from trees from the Forest of Scars that have been magically treated as most Sea Elf vessels are to be resistant to barnacles and most water-borne damage, which also provides it additional protection against cannon and powder. Fast and sleek, the boat is able to carry around 20 tons of cargo in its hold as well as have space for 10 crew and passengers on deck. Easily recognized by its bright indigo mainsail, the boat seems to be able to travel faster than most of its class in fair weather. There are rumors that it can also move when all other boats are becalmed, that it can fly for short distances, and that there is a spirit bound to the boat that allows it never to become lost.
While most are more concerned with the immediate effects of coming into contact with slimes and molds while adventuring, there is another reason to be concerned: many of them transmit the para- sitic disease called the Horx. The Horx itself is a small protozoan that has a two-stage lifecycle, breeding and growing exclusively within slimes and molds, but requiring attachment and insertion into the nervous system of organic creatures to spread beyond its original source area.
Infection by this parasite causes organic creatures to lower their inhibitions to slimes and molds and to actively attempt to come into close physical contact with them. It is not unknown for the infect- ed, upon discovering slimes and molds in the area, to disrobe entirely of all of their armor and clothing and attempt to get as physically touch them. This is because they are under the direct control of the Horx attempting to find new slimes and molds within which to gestate. The infected also find themselves strangely attracted to foodstuffs that are jelly-like and slime-like in texture and look. Organic creatures infected by the Horx may never even know that they are infected by the disease save for these warning signs.
Removing the disease often requires focused healing by a clerical order that is well-versed in dealing with such maladies. Prolonged exposure to the disease makes it more difficult to remove, and also increases the possibility that others may be affected by it. It can be passed on through sharing of body fluids and close contact.
When slimes or molds are nearby, those
Jaloon
WORLD
From space, this planet of greens and yellows looks fairly innocuous, but a closer examination indicates that nothing could be further from the truth. The en- tire planet is little more than a giant hothouse full of foliage that constantly goes through rapid rainy and sunny periods during which all manner of plant life grows rapidly.
This plant life is kept in check by the Jal, a race of evolved gastropods who have formed a complex society that spans the entire world. Each Jal is required by law to eat certain plants based upon their caste within society, and these plants bestow particular abilities to those castes. Some castes have the ability to heal, while others can manipulate water, or purify the atmosphere to remove toxins. Some Jal become warriors to fend off the creatures that prey upon the Jal themselves, including beetles, flies, mites, and large mutated creatures called the Koj. The chief difference physically between the Jal and the Koj is that the Jal are smaller, seem sentient, and have shells,
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