D&D 5E Kalyna Country - trying to figure out monsters for the area.

[Shades of Eternity]

Kalyna Country - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In yet another in my posts in "trying to Gamify Alberta", I'm trying to determine what would work in the region for monster encounters.

1. It's called that due to a certain type of Cranberry, so I'm thinking at least one part of the region looking suspiciously like a similar region in fallout 76.

Viburnum trilobum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2. Elk Island is nearby so I'm definately seeing serious amounts of Bison, Moose and other Ungulates, probably enchanted. I already got a Shuffalo, a monster that often defaults to a bison that can teleport.

3. This is considered Ukrainian - Canadian Territory so intend to mix heavy Ukraine mythic elements, but give it a twist so I'm not just ripping it off verbatum.

Category:Ukrainian mythology - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

4. The area is also famous for the Giants of the Prairies, a series of roadside attractions (usually Ukrainian-themed).

• World's Largest Mushrooms, Vilna (I've expanded this so it's now a wilderness area filled with Metal Mushrooms covering the landscape).
• World's Largest 'Pumpkin Patch', Smoky Lake
• World's Largest Perogy (Ukrainian dumpling), Glendon
• World's Largest Kubasa (Ukrainian garlic sausage), Mundare
• World's Largest Pysanka (Ukrainian easter egg), Vegreville
• World's Largest UFO Landing Pad, St. Paul
• World's Largest Duck, Andrew

Each is a place of magic, protected by one of the 7 Babas of Power (think seven sisters, but more baba-like).

Each is also associated with a school of Magic. For example, the Giant Kubasa is associated with Necromancy.

5. Mundare is essentially Dodge City with a Ukranian Canadian Feel. It is controlled by Peter Packenpuck (local joke) and his minions where their products are sent throughout the continent.
Local Jingle is "Pick me up a packenpuck." Debating whether to make them a family of ethical necromancers or Demons (Desecrators which are faustian mechanical abominations that are die hard capitalists).

6. One of those stupid pieces of trivia is that One of the people that settled the Ukraine is the cimmerians, so I'm having the New Cimmerians that basically what if Conan was Ukrainian. Pastrolists in the area that often come to the cities to trade and/or Raid.

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So now that I have somewhat fleshed it out, I'm asking what sort of monsters in dnd or other fiction would work to give it its own flavor?

I'm also trying to figure out how to treat each giant of the prairie into a location not unlike stonehenge.

Any ideas?

 

[Omand]

Well, I would add a reflavoured Yeti to cover Sasquatch legends.

Cheers

 

[Eltab]

One aspect of the prairie / steppe is distance. Some creatures can cast Mass Slow or inflict a speed penalty, so it takes you longer to get where you are going than it looks like it ought to.

Prairie dogs. Some are aggressive.
A rare few can "garden" their favorite grasses - they rip out non-tasty plants, bury a few seeds of the good stuff, and from time to time take down some poor bloke who passed too near by, to provide fertilizer.

A hawk / falcon / eagle which, if you know the signs, can lead you to food.

Super-tall grass that blocks sight. Sure that looks like a flat area from over here, but that guy you see up to his neck in weeds went over there riding on a horse.

Razor grass. An ouchy form of difficult "terrain".

One or two places that are haunted. A long time ago there was a battle or a massacre - nobody remembers which or who or why any more - and some of the spirits of the dead do not rest easy. Might be associated with a creek whose waters occasionally run red-ish.

 

[Omand]

Another one for you. Since the area starts getting into Boreal Forest at the northern edge, then you need Giant Beavers with big dams and all the associated weird and wonderful flavour that comes with flooded areas of woodland and grassland.

Giant leeches, giant crayfish (for the beavers to eat of course), etc.

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Ha funny you should mention them.

New Species update - Beaverfolk

part of ww1 propaganda poster "To victory" Background It is unknown how these Beaver humanoids have come into being. Speculation inc...

www.hodgepocalypse.com

I did Beaverfolk as paramilitary isolationists so they are so in there.

One aspect of the prairie / steppe is distance. Some creatures can cast Mass Slow or inflict a speed penalty, so it takes you longer to get where you are going than it looks like it ought to.

Prairie dogs. Some are aggressive.
A rare few can "garden" their favorite grasses - they rip out non-tasty plants, bury a few seeds of the good stuff, and from time to time take down some poor bloke who passed too near by, to provide fertilizer.

A hawk / falcon / eagle which, if you know the signs, can lead you to food.

Super-tall grass that blocks sight. Sure that looks like a flat area from over here, but that guy you see up to his neck in weeds went over there riding on a horse.

Razor grass. An ouchy form of difficult "terrain".

One or two places that are haunted. A long time ago there was a battle or a massacre - nobody remembers which or who or why any more - and some of the spirits of the dead do not rest easy. Might be associated with a creek whose waters occasionally run red-ish.

A few things.

I got Laser Gophers, mutant gophers that have natural Photokinesis and as a result, have a ranged laser blast for defense.

I really like the idea of weird grasses.

I will have a few haunted locations.

One of my inspirations has been the following facebook group for an overall feel.

Alberta's Abandoned History

Alberta's Abandoned History | Facebook

Hello and welcome to Alberta’s Abandoned History. This is a group of like-minded individuals who love to document and preserve stories and memories of “ALBERTA”. This is a place to post pictures,...

www.facebook.com

I've already done an adventure called "Little Mound on the Prairie" where I turned the small town of Bruce Alberta into my version of Hommlet (that those who want to see and use, let me know).

Now I'm trying to figure out how to build off it to expand to give its own "temple of elemental evil" feel.

 

[Faolyn]

Demonic Canada geese?

 

[Ancalagon]

If you want any sort of versimilitude, be sure to consider the impact of the monsters on other activity - too many/dangerous monsters will mean that some things like say, farming or trading, may not be possible.

 

[Ancalagon]

You could have some kind of dangerous black ooze monster living under the soil that is also valuable - people will try to dig it up, what could go wrong?

 

[Shades of Eternity]

Funny you should mention it.

One of the core monsters are Tar Oozes that you throw garbage into and they leak out petrochemicals because fiction doesn't have to worry about global warming.

In fact, one of my one-step adventures is dealing with pirates that have invaded a refinery where they fiddled with buttons and managed to merge several of these into a psychic giant Tar ooze called Petrocon.

Demonic Canada geese?

I've done a monster block for a Canadian Gryphon: A pair of Canadian Geese heads and wings combined with a wolverine's body.

Yeah, need to tone down the monsters. This is the sandbox location.

I'm trying to give it a fallout 1 / 2 location where you go to different areas to do quests.

Any mythological slavic monsters that would be fun to transplant?

 

[Bupp]

First off, I applaud the name of your blog. I will be raiding it for info!

Since your getting into the tar oozes, I offer up my own Quagmire to build upon.