Karameikos - Vaults of Pandius

The Demography of KarameikosOther groups of werecreatures, mostlywererats (12%) and devil swines (2%), tendinstead to dwell in the very middle of humansettlements. Individuals or small groups ofthese lycanthropes can be found hidingwithin the population of the larger or moreisolated human settlements.Fairies (pop. 350)The members of the Good People are foundin the less-populated areas of the GrandDuchy, whose territory includes a handful ofhidden gateways to a number of fairy courts(a couple of those are rumored to exist in thewoods between Sulescu and Vandevicisny,and in the eastern Achelos Woods). Smallgroups of sprites live in the narrower valesbetween the wooded hills of the CruthLowlands. They mostly reside withinKarameikan territory, but sometimes theyforay into the hin Highshire. Pixie clans, onthe other hand, live in the most hidden anduninhabited depths of Karameikos’ southeasternforests. In the eastern half of theDymrak Forest, the domain of the Vyaliaelves, occasional encounters with sidhe andother fairies coming from nearby Haven arealways a possibility. Lastly, a numberTraladaran villages scattered in the GrandDuchy have plenty of folklore regardingbrownies and leprechauns.Thouls (pop. 250)Small clans of these creatures (about ahundred of them in total) serve a couple ofhobgoblin-led tribes in the Altan Tepes range-- the Bloody Head and the Steelwarriorstribes. Other thouls are scattered among theGrand Duchy’s wilderness, usually serving asmercenaries or bodyguard for more powerfulvillains.Brutemen (pop. 250)In the remote eastern reaches of the GrandDuchy also dwell the very last remnants ofthe almost extinct bruteman race, whostruggle to survive against the nearbyhumanoid tribes.Faenares (pop. 150)Small groups of these graceful creatures leadinsular lives on the highest peaks of theCruth mountains, in the desolate anduninhabited region of western Karameikos.Harpies (pop. 150)These fearsome creatures are scattered overthe whole Karameikan territory, from therocky peaks in the Cruth and Black Peaksmountains, to the coastal cliffs, to the darkerand most tangled depths of the forests.Sometimes a group of harpies forges aleague with weak humanoid tribes, like whathappened with the Brokenshields koboldtribe, north of Threshold.FAUNA AND MINOR RACESThe following paragraphs describe whichcreatures can be found in the lands ofKarameikos, including intelligent raceswhose number don’t exceed a hundredindividuals in the region. Creatures aregrouped according to their monster type(for a definition of monster types, see theRules Cyclopedia or DMR2 – CreatureCatalogue).Animals, GiantThe Grand Duchy is the home of manyunusual, giant, and dangerous animalspecies. Giant rats are very common; theyare found in the countryside and are often26THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1