Notes | These unintelligent water-demons are of low power. They attack by leaping from the water and trying to grab a single target, carrying that victim back underwater with them. A water-leaper will cease its attacks as soon as it has its prey. If a group of water leapers is encountered, each will go for a different target. Voughs often domesticate these creatures, but the river elves ignore them, as the water-leapers are strictly carnivorous and do not attack elves.
This race of freshwater animals is of unknown origin. The skull and skin of one specimen has been brought to the New Pavis Lhankor Mhy temple, and the sages therein conjecture that the beasts are possibly native to another continent; possibly Pamaltela. In any case, they thrive in the Puzzle Canal. The power of the Seaslaver draws in small fish and animals (such as otters) and the water-leapers normally feed on these. However,they will not hesitate to attack human prey or goats.
Water Leapers look like enormous legless toads. They possess great bat-like wings, and sinuous, muscular tails. In a normal attack, a water-leaper will suddenly boom out of the water (achieving surprise), swoop up on a powerful wing beat, and try to both bite and grapple with the tail. It may be noted that water-leapers cannot move about on land - they must either swim or fly. However, a water-leaper laying on its belly on the shore could flap its wings and get airborne.
If a water-leaper manages to hit with bite or tail lash, it will cling onto its target and fall heavily back into the water. The victim must successfully match his STR vs. the water-leaper’s SIZ on the resistance table or he will be pulled under. If the victim resist, then the water leaper will loose its bite, but will continue to cling with its tail, doing constriction damage. It will then attempt to bite again and again (as well as strike with the tail, if it did not hit in the initial attack). After the first, surprising round, friends can help the water- leaper’s victim from falling into the water by clinging to him (forgoing their own attacks) and holding him up. If the water-leaper missed its initial attack, it will keep on attacking unless injured.
Any character trying to resist the water- leaper’s pull towards the water may not try to fight or perform other actions on that round. |