Description: Legend in the south tells of a powerful fire elemental named Golden Flicker of Sunset’s Rays, who grew overconfident and began to misuse his power. Eventually he came to the attention of Hesiesh, and the Immaculate Dragon smote Sunset’s Ray into tiny pieces with the spirit’s own sword. It rained tiny motes of fire for seven days and where they touched desert sands a fire kitten was born. Now the kittens bring justice to mortals who abuse positions of power, until they have atoned for their sire’s sin.

These fire elemental look like kittens with flame red fur and coal black eyes. They act and sound like real kittens, and they love to be fussed over. Usually friendly and playful, these creatures roam the sands of the south alone, although sometimes a small pack will gather in a settlement to punish a wrongdoer.

Their presence in the South has become a portent of change. They love to play with children and unhappy peasants are always careful to leave food if they see a fire kitten in the area. It is even rumoured that bureaucrats of the Realm have been punished by these elementals, although the Immaculate monks quash any such foolish notions.

When they choose a target they will begin to follow him everywhere, turning up at odd moments. The victim begins to lose sleep and begins to pay less attention to matters of bureaucracy. If this does not lead to the discovery of the victim’s corruption then the kitten begins to turn his superiors and subordinates against him. Sometimes all a kitten has to do is be seen in the area, a disgruntled populace will do the rest. Corruption in bureaucrats and politicians is well known, but the common man rarely feels that he has the power to change this. However the people of the south would be surprised to learn of the numerous occasions when fire kittens have succeeded in punishing someone without lifting a paw.

Type:Elemental
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Virtues: Compassion 4, Conviction 2, Temperance 2, Valor 3
Abilities: Athletics 3, Awareness 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Presence 2 (Cute +2), Stealth 3(won't stop following me +2)
Base Initiative: 7

Attacks
Bite: Speed 14 Accuracy 14 Damage 4L Defense 14
Pounce: Speed 16 Accuracy 12 Damage 6L Defense 12

Dodge Pool: 7
Soak: 2L/6B (firey skin, 1L/3B)
Health Levels: -0x1/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap
Willpower: 6
Essence: 2 Essence Pool: 60
Cost To Dematerialise: 40

Charms: Touch of Grace, Stoke the Flame, Cunning Thief, Essence Bite, Dematerialise, Principle of Motion, Landscape Travel, Landscape Camouflage, Tiny Damnation, Imprecation, Tracking, Hoodwink
Elemental Powers: Mobility

Other Notes:
Touch of Grace: the fire-kitten heals others by licking their wounds.
Stoke the Flame: the kitten’s hair stands on end and it spits and hisses. Usually they use this to intensify the target’s fear, but they can also cause victims to lose their temper, or turn others against a desired foe.
Essence Bite: the extra damage is caused by fire. The attack also leaves red bite marks, which glow in the dark like embers, until the damage is healed.
Landscape Travel: the kitten becomes a small trail of fire, burning across the desert sands at ten times its usual speed.
Landscape Camouflage: fire-kittens may hide in desert sand or fire with this charm.
Tiny Damnation: the target loses a temporary willpower point.
Imprecation: the target loses one bureaucracy and one presence point.
Tracking: once a fire-kitten has decided to punish someone it may use this charm to follow him.
Hoodwink: this charm produces a gust of sand, or a flare from a fire.

Description: These creatures resemble stocky bulldog-like hounds, larger than wolves and much stronger. Their pelt is always a dull grey colour, but they have a sparse covering of brilliant and multi-coloured feathers. The feathers are most conentrated around the neck, giving each hound a ruff of brilliant colour. The feathers grow randomly across the body and no two hounds have the same pattern or colouration. They have wide jaws with enlarged lower canines, like tusks on a boar.

Hounds are found in the borderlands of the Wyld, hunting singly or serving a Fae master. The Fae adore them for their power of mimicry; they can imitate the voice of any creature that they hear. They are often taught to speak by their masters, leading many to believe that these creatures are intelligent, but they are only slightly more intelligent than a well-trained dog. The Fae are very fond of using these beasts to guard prisoners, teaching them to speak phrases like; "I will help you to escape if you beg me," and "You are to be executed tomorrow." The Fairie master is invariably amused by the prisoner's pleas for mercy to a mindless beast. The hounds are often given names like Lord Wineshadow, Lady Greenfeather etc. to enhance the game.

Type: Wyld creature
Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Charisma 1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 1, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 1, Conviction 2, Temperance 3, Valor 2
Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 3, Performance 2, Stealth 2, Survival 2
Base Initiative: 5

Attacks
Bite: Speed 8 Accuracy 7 Damage 7L Defense 4

Dodge Pool: 6
Soak: 2L/4B (none, 0L/0B)
Health Levels: -0x1/-1x2/-2x2/-4/Incap
Willpower: 3

Other Notes: The creatures do not usually need to roll to mimic something, they are automatically assumed to be indistinguishable from the real thing to mortal ears. Exceptionally perceptive heroic mortals and any creature with magically enhanced hearing may roll Perception + Awareness vs. the Hound's Perception + Performance.

Description:

Shurubu are creatures of the deep forest, elementals of wood that are born in the darkest and most secret places of nature. They live to tend the plants and trees of the forest, and when they die their essence returns to the land.

They resemble colourful mushrooms with thick, stocky bodies. When stationary they are indistinguishable from natural mushrooms. At night they wander the forest, bringing nourishment from the heart of the forest to its furthest reaches, and during the day they find a dark spot to settle down and sleep in. Most people who travel forest paths in the daytime see countless Shurubu and never realise it. If a Shurubu senses some-one approaching it will quietly shuffle away deeper into the undergrowth. If surprised it will forego stealth and attempt to run away, whistling in panic. Its landscape travel charm allows it to adhere to any plantlike surface, and particularly brave Shurubu might hang upside down from a tree branch and taunt their pursuer, before disappearing into the foliage.

They rarely interact with visitors to the forest, but they do watch unusual visitors and report their activities to more powerful wood elementals if necessary. In its role as a caretaker a Shurubu ranges over every part of its home, and sorcerers often summon them in order to learn of hidden places. Shurubu communicate in fluting whistles that can be understood by anyone with an Occult of 3.

There are rare places of power in the very deep forest, where a tree grown under the guidance of spirits forms a powerful hearthstone, a Song of Life Stone (Book of 3 Circles, p119). Once a year a murmur is carried on the wind and through the trees, and Shurubu from across the land trek to these cathedrals of wood. Villages and other settlements in the path of these journeys wake to find a profusion of plant life left in the wake of the nightime Shurubu parade. During these times Shurubu crowd around the great tree dancing and singing, bringing new life to the heart of the forest. When morning comes they shuffle away, exhausted but reinvigorated with the essence of life and growth.

Shurubu cannot survive away from the bountiful energies of the forest, although some sorcerers do maintain a Shurubu familiar in a well-kept garden. Particularly powerful Wood Dragon-Bloods can also sustain the life and friendship of a Shurubu, although the Shurubu that is brave and curious enough to leave the forest is unusual indeed. Sometimes one or more Shurubu will leave the forest temporarily to seek aid when their home is threatened by a great disaster. Attacks by fire spirits or elementals, the ravaging of undead and Abyssals, and even the sorceries of Exalts can disrupt the forest beyond a Shurubu's capacity to care for it. Their stubborn love for the forest can drive them to seek aid from others, and they can identify and follow an Exalt until he decides to help them.

Type: Wood Elemental
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 1, Appearance 2, Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 4, Conviction 2, Temperance 2, Valor 2
Abilities: Dodge 1, Endurance 2, Occult 1, Performance 2 (Whistling +2), Stealth 2, Survival 3
Charms: Landscape Travel, Landscape Camouflage, Measure the Wind, Sense Domain, Summon Food.
Elemental Powers: Fertility.
Base Initiative: 4

Attacks
None

Dodge Pool: 3
Soak: 0L/4B (none, 0L/0B)
Health Levels: -0x1/-1x1/-2x1/-4/Incap
Willpower: 4
Essence: 2 Essence Pool: 40
Cost to Dematerialise: 20

Other Notes
Summon Food: Shurubu do not use the full version of this, it costs them 10 motes to summon simply edible food, and they cannot spend more motes to make it finer. All other effects are the same. Shurubu use this charm by crouching down and concentrating their energies into the ground, causing vines to sprout. These vines hold berries which are bland but filling. Fertility: This is a passive ability that is always functioning. Shurubu are so infused with Wood's essence of growth that they encourage plant growth wherever they go. This is not noticeable for a single Shurubu, but when large groups gather plants always grow healthily.