Grognard's Grimoire: Ven Mor

Ven Mor (Beast Man)

A ven mor by Zhu Bajie

In the Thirty-Second Year of the Sixth Cycle, a strange affliction appeared in Rayaldama. Dubbed the Curse of the Makers, it is magical in nature. Its first victims were adventurers who had entered Rayaldama's Vaults, contrary to the Everlasting Edicts of Akamra. The Curse's first symptom is high fever, followed by violent madness, and finally unconsciousness, during which time the victim's body rapidly transforms into that of a bestial humanoid. Those so transformed retain little of their former identities. Instead, they are consumed by a desire to kill and spread the pestilence that afflicts them to others, thereby propagating their kind.

The physical manifestation of the Curse varies from victim to victim; there is no single "standard" appearance of a ven mor. Some sages suggest a connection between the last meal of animal matter consumed by the afflicted and his bestial transformation, while others scoff at this as superstition. True or not, the peasantry of Inba Iro and surrounding lands long ago adopted a vegetarian diet as a precaution against the Curse. An outbreak of the Curse in civilized lands is thus a serious threat and no effort is spared to contain it by starving it of potential hosts.

AC 5 [14], HD 2* (9hp), Att 1 × weapon (1d6 or by weapon), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 V13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 10, XP 25 (narahan: 50), NA 2d4 (1d6 × 10), TT D

• Weapons: Prefer clubs and other blunt weapons. 
• Curse of the Makers: At the beginning and end of any melee combat with one or more ven mor, save versus poison with a +2 bonus. Those who fail both rolls transform into a beast man after an illness of 1d4 days. There is no known cure, though rumors persist that the priests of Ukol possess a spell to counteract it.
• Narahan: Groups of 20+ are led by a more powerful ven mor (called a narahan) with 3HD (16hp).

Another ven mor