Argus
GM's Eyes Only
Spoilers. This page is written for the GM, and players who read on will learn things their characters don't know.
Two-headed wolves of the Northern Reaches, made by the hags. Source: Iron Kingdoms Monsternomicon, p. 6 (Argus, Common), lightly reflavored from a two-headed dog.
What it is. A massive two-headed wolf, heavy in bone and muscle, with a short, thick pelt. Each head works on its own, so an argus can look two ways at once, and its eyes never stop moving. Sneaking up on one is close to impossible. A bite cracks bone the size of an ox's thigh, and two heads pulling against each other can strip flesh off something as tough as a troll.
The double bark. When both heads bark together, the sound stills the flesh. Anyone close enough is slowed, or paralyzed for a moment, long enough for the pack to close in. The lead pair opens a hunt with it.
Packs. Four to six animals led by a dominant breeding pair. Males fight for rank, and a loser is driven out to shadow the pack's edges alone, half-starved and dangerous. Packs harry prey over long distances before striking, and an adult grabs a limb so the rest can reach the belly.
In Tir Hathar. The hags made them, and they live in the frozen north. They are the hags' wolves, distinct from the wild Winter Wolves.
Stats¶
First draft, built from WWN's baseline stat lines.
| HD | AC | Atk | Dmg | Shock | Move | ML | Inst | Skill | Save | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argus | 3 | 14 | +4 x2 | 1d6 | 1/13 | 40' | 8 | 5 | +1 | 14+ |
- Two heads. Its two bites can go to one target or two within reach. It can't be surprised, and anyone trying to sneak past one takes a -2 penalty.
- Double bark. Main Action, once per scene: one living creature within 30 feet makes a Physical save or is held fast until the end of its next turn. It loses its next Move action and is treated as AC 10 until then. The pack's lead pair opens every hunt with it.
- Pack. Four to six, led by a breeding pair. A lone, driven-out male has Morale 10 and attacks almost anything.
Still open: playtesting the numbers. Suggested, not settled: bred from Winter Wolf stock rather than conjured, the way the hags breed their spiders and restock their rabbits, which keeps the hags naturalists; and, like IK's tame breeds, kept as guard dogs for the hamlets and the ice-sheep.