WILDLINGS

Beyond the infernal entities or corrupt humans, nature has also turned the natural order upside down, engendering new creatures that do not fit into any classification. Caprids would be the clearest example, tribes that once could have been men but today have mutated to obtain clear goat-like features such as horns, hooves and elongated, hairy faces.

These bovine beings find the company of wild beings that live free and untamed in the unholy lands, such as ogres, dryads or centaurs. Whether for mutual protection or personal interests, they often form roving bands that can pose a danger to any absent-minded traveler.

But there are also tribes of lizard creatures that deal with death on a daily basis in their swampy domains. The Marshes of Madness are a dangerous place in and of themselves, but the scaly ones have found ways to roam its borders and even colonize farther reaches of these lands in a vain attempt to thrive.

THE PACK

Forests are scarce in the Unholy Lands, a desolate and dark place, but the Pack that dwells here has no longing for them. This land and its creatures know no peace; instead, they thrive on hostility and chaos. In the shadows of the grottoes, obscene fauns spy and stalk any traveler who dares to cross these parts, their eyes glowing with an ancient perversity. Meanwhile, fierce and bellicose-looking centaurs descend from the eroded slopes, raising clouds of dust in their violent passage. These creatures, half man and half beast, have hardened hearts and hurl themselves fiercely at anyone they deem a threat. Above them, treacherous harpies patrol the skies. With their keen eyes they scour the ground for prey, always on the prowl, always hungry.

However, the Pack is not limited to beings of flesh and blood. Elementals are an integral part of this land, creatures of wild nature that often seem indifferent to the fate of the lesser races that cross their paths. Some are made of fire, with blazing bodies and dancing flames that consume everything in their path. Others, formed of bone or flesh, are manifestations of the dark energies that rule the Unholy Lands. Earth elementals are living mountains, animated fragments of the landscape that, while usually neutral, can mercilessly crush any unfortunate being that crosses their path.

Despite their coexistence in these lands, the Pack lacks a bond that truly unites them. They have no loyalty to anyone or anything, nor do they formulate lasting alliances. Each being follows its own instincts and desires, oblivious to the fate of other creatures. However, if a major danger threatens to disrupt their domain or jeopardize the very existence of their home, they are forced to join forces, setting aside their hostilities to confront the common threat. In these rare moments, they become a chaotic army, an indomitable force that fights brutally and relentlessly. But as soon as the danger disappears, the alliance dissolves as if it had never existed, and each creature returns to its solitude, resuming its solitary role as ruthless guardians and unfeeling inhabitants of the Unholy Lands.

SQUAMATES

A race of bipedal saurians, whose tribal society does not form settlements, lives in the surroundings of the Marshes of Madness. They travel constantly in small groups, searching for new hunting grounds or suitable breeding grounds to raise their offspring. Adults are almost as tall as a human, although they tend to walk hunched forward, counterbalancing their movements with their tails.

Squamates are scarce even in this area, where they inhabit the largest groups. The rigors of the Marshes, their dangers, beasts and inclemencies decimate their population but for some reason they refuse to die. Always close to extinction, the scaly ones fiercely defend their territory.

Their shamans are in communion with the land and perform all kinds of fertility and abundance rituals. The swamp gives life but also takes it away. In times of great need, when game is scarce and inclement weather seems endless, they resort to grim practices, such as ritual drownings. In these dark times, older members or those considered “chosen” offer their lives, plunging into the murky waters as a desperate tribute to the forces of the swamp, in the belief that their sacrifice will bring abundance for the young and strengthen the land beneath their feet.

PYGMIES

Pygmies inhabit the depths of swamps and marshes. These depraved creatures, with sinewy, sinewy bodies, have long since abandoned the notion of civilization, indulging in an existence of ritualized violence, primitive sadism and bloody superstitions.

Dark-skinned and mud-tanned, Pygmies cover themselves with war paint, tracing tribal symbols on their flesh with whitish mud and ash. They adorn their bodies with exotic bird feathers, human teeth and polished bones, as if to be a grotesque mockery of the extinct nobility of the Unholy Lands. Before battle, they intoxicate themselves with potions distilled from poisonous herbs and swamp fungi, which plunge them into a trance of homicidal frenzy or dull their fear until death overtakes them with bloodshot eyes.

For them, blood is the essence of life, the source of all strength and power. Their shamans use it in all their rituals, whether to brew potions, offer sacrifices or perform rudimentary but effective healing treatments. A sick Pygmy is forced to drink the warm blood of a recent victim, while the shamans chant guttural chants, convinced that it will absorb the vitality of the fallen. For them, there is no greater mistake than wasting blood.

Unlike other bands that tame or train combat beasts, the Pygmies simply whip them against their enemies, unleashing hideous swamp creatures in a frenzy of hunger and violence. Colossal snakes, deformed mawed saurians… They do not consider them allies or pets, but savage destroyers that they unleash at the right moment.