Snow-warg

AUTHOR: Eomer3rdMarshal

ISSUE: 29:9

Note: As this is similar to a warg, I simply modified warg statistics. There were three sets of normal warg statistics I could use: the CRB, Fell Beasts & Wondrous Magic, or The Hall of Fire. I used those found in The Hall of Fire, so look in Issue #10 for the abilities Silent and Cunning Ways and Vice-like Grip.

Description

Snow-wargs may remind you, upon first sight, of large albino wargs. They have pure white fur from head to toe, and they stand nearly 6’ high at the shoulder (as opposed to 5’ for an average warg). However, a closer look (which is dangerous to take) will reveal that there eyes, first of all, are not pink (as an albino’s) but are a cold, thick black. Also, their fur is always flat to their sides, as if frozen in place.

Unique Special Abilities

Bane of Fire: Because of the ice in their being, whenever one of these hounds is hit with a Superior Success or better by any form of flame (including magical), it is instantly melted into a puddle of watery blood and killed.

A snow-warg will never charge anyone with a burning brand, and must make a TN10 Willpower test to avoid fleeing whenever any enemy with flame confronts it. On any Failure, it retreats and does not return. On a Marginal or Complete Success, it stands frozen with fear. On a Superior Success or better, it may attack a companion of the torch-bearer (though never the torch-bearer himself). Also, a snow-warg may never come within twice the range of the light cast by a campfire.

Snow-dependent: This ability reflects the unusual need of these creatures to stay in the cold that is woven into their being. When taken to a climate that is warmer than 32F (the freezing temperature of water) they begin to dissolve. Every hour, they must make a Stamina test at TN 10. On any failure, they lose 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Vitality as well as suffering a -1 penalty (cumulative) on every test they take. When either Strength or Vitality reaches zero, the snow-warg melts into a bloody puddle and dies. On a superior success or better, it doesn’t need to test again until the following day. Upon reaching cold climes again, it will regain +1 Strength and +1 Vitality every hour. This ability effectively prevents a snow-warg from being found anywhere at all warm, and is one of the primary reasons that they are not widespread or widely known.

Glare of Ice: When one of these beasts fixes his cold glare upon someone, even the most stalwart hero may tremble. As one full-round action, a snow-warg may make an Intimidate (Fear) test at TN 15. On a success, make an opposed Willpower test between him and his target. If the snow-warg succeeds, the mind of the PC runs chill and he will drop his weapon, freezing for 1d6 rounds before attempting to recover his weapon. If the PC succeeds, for the remainder of this encounter he may not be attacked by the Glare of Ice, although, in subsequent encounters, he may have to face it again. However, if the PC has not acted yet in the round, his mental struggles lose him the chance to attack.

History

Snow-wargs, though so called, are actually not wargs at all. These snow-wargs are a completely different breed of canid created by Morgoth for war in the far north around Thangorodrim. Morgoth formed these beasts shortly before his downfall, and not many of them survived the destruction of Thangorodrim by Ancalagon and the sinking of Beleriand. Those that did survive moved into the harsh tundra of the Forodwaith, hunting down the Lossoth, ice-orcs, or any other prey smaller than they, alone or in packs of four or five.

The latter dark powers to come, Sauron and the Witch-king of Angmar, do not employ snow-wargs, for they are completely useless as mounts for Orcs or in any other capacity due to their curious independence of any master short of the Dark One and their curious dependency on snow and ice of the frigid north.

These fell beasts are huge and ferocious, much more suited to life in the wild than their predecessors. By the Third Age, their feral habits turned their prey against them, forcing the Lossoth into hunting these beasts in turn until they became very rare. These minions may also be encountered in the most hidden recesses of the Misty or White Mountains, as long as it is cold enough. While most agree that the minions that menaced the fellowship outside of Moria were warg-wights, there are those who say that some of the chieftains were actually snow-wargs.