Beasts of the Wheel of Time

Beasts of the Wheel of Time is an article written by Robert Jordan for the 2001 Christmas special issue of Dragon Magazine.

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Although the Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game presents several creatures native to various lands, these are only a tiny sample of beasts within the world of the Wheel of Time. In an effort to include Seanchan exotics and various Shadowspawn, very little room was left for the more mundane fauna of the world that nonetheless can provide challenging encounters in the wild.

Culled from my extensive notes on the wildlife of the world of the Wheel of Time, this article presents a representative sample of the types of animals that might be encountered in Wheel of Time campaigns that range throughout the Westlands and the Aiel Waste.

Bears

Black/Brown Bear: A number of varieties of common bears, called simply black bears or brown bears, can be found almost anywhere west of the Dragonwall. In the more heavily populated regions, they are quite rare. These bears weigh no more than three hundred pounds at most, with two hundred pounds being more common. Generally solitary (except during breeding season), these relatively shy creatures avoid humans, but are still very dangerous when cornered or provoked. They may run, or they may attack.

Bears northwest of the Dragonwall sometimes exhibit blue-gray or golden-brown fur. Although many refer to such animals as "blue bears" or "golden bears," scholars are certain that these bears represent color phases of the common brown and black bear.

In the Dragonwall itself, there are black bears with white faces, simply called "white-faced bears." They grow to about four hundred pounds, though three hundred seems more common. Little is known of them, as they are rarely seen.

King Bear: Also called the "royal bear" or the "great black bear," king bears can reach a height of ten feet and weigh as much as two thousand pounds, though those sizes are uncommon. The king bear is black with one, two, or three downward-pointing white chevrons reaching across its chest. The markings have no effect on status among the bears; they are simply a variation, like eye color among humans. The king bear can be found in the forest of southern Saldaea, in the Black Hills, in the forests between the Black Hills and the Mountains of Mist, and in the entire range of the Mountains of Mist. They sometimes venture out onto the Caralain Grass, the plains east of the Black Hills, or the plains west of the Mountains of Mist, but this is uncommon. Seemingly placid animals, king bears are nonetheless given to unprovoked attacks, and they move very fast for something their size. A king bear can kill a wild bull, breaking its back or neck with a single swipe of a huge paw.

Boars

Bladetusk: Also called lanra (singular and plural), bladetusks can be found throughout the Aiel Waste. The bladetusk can grow to four hundred pounds, though two hundred is much more common. It is a very lean pig, very quick on its feet, with tusks that can grow as long as six inches. Its hair is much sparser than, though just is stiff as, that of wild pigs west of the Dragonwall. In coloration, lanra range from a sandy brown to darker brown. The very aggressive creatures have been known to circle back and wait in ambush for those hunting them. They are usually found alone, except when breeding or when a mother is caring for her litter. The female bladetusk is particularly aggressive while she has a litter, as even male bladetusks occasionally devour their own tasty young.

Pecara: Though similar in appearance to a very thin, angular boar, pecara are not properly speaking wild pigs despite being classified as such by wetland scholars. They have no analogue west of the Dragonwall, and are known to the Aiel only by this name. Pecara look something like a lean pig, but with short, coarse dark hair. Their snouts are more pointed than those of pigs, and while they have sharp teeth, they have no tusks. They have non-retractable claws on their feet, but fight almost exclusively with their teeth. Pecara can grow to three hundred pounds, though most specimens weigh under two hundred pounds. They travel in groups that include a dominant male, six or eight subordinate males, and perhaps twenty or so females. They do not usually attack people, but are very aggressive if cornered or surprised, and very dangerous. Pecara appear to be immune to most of the poisons and venoms of the Aiel Waste.

Sand Pig: Local to the Aiel Waste, the gensa (singular and plural), or sand pig, lives mainly on roots, grubs, snakes, and lizards. Gensa rarely grow heavier than fifty pounds. Like the pecara, they appear to be immune to most of the poisons and venoms found in the Waste. Their dappled coloration, which varies through shades of light browns, gives the gensa their common name. Usually found anywhere except the most rocky or mountainous regions, sand pigs prefer to travel in groups ranging from five animals to as many as several dozen.

Though gensa tend to run from anything larger than themselves, mature male sand pigs do possess small tusks (about an inch long) and can and will take a bite out of anyone who corners or threatens their young. Men have died at the teeth of a group of sand pigs.

Wild Pig: The fearsome wild pig found west of the Dragonwall sometimes reaches a weight of five hundred pounds, though most weigh under four hundred pounds. Their tusks can be as much as seven or eight inches long. Wild pigs are lean animals, with stiff black or dark brown hair/bristles. They are very quick, very dangerous, very aggressive, and have been known to lie in ambush for pursuers, sometimes even circling back on their own trail to do so. The male is extremely dangerous at all times, though particularly so when in rut; the female is even more dangerous than the male when she is carrying or caring for a litter. They are solitary except during breeding season, or when a female is caring for a litter. Their range is all inclusive, from the Borderlands south to the Sea of Storms, from the Dragonwall west to the Aryth Ocean.

Great Cats

Leopards: In the Westlands leopards are most often found in the unpopulated regions, but sometimes in simply less populated regions. They range all the way from the Borderlands to the Sea of Storms, from the Dragonwall to the Aryth Ocean. Leopards occur in two varieties. One has golden to yellow fur covered with small black spots and the other, called the "black leopard," a deep black coat.

The spotted variety can grow to more than two hundred pounds, but more commonly doesn't exceed one hundred and fifty pounds, and often is no more than one hundred pounds. The black variety can grow to one hundred and fifty pounds, but is seldom seen at more than one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five pounds. Both varieties are very dangerous, and very aggressive. They often attack prey that seems too large for them, like wild cattle, but as they succeed in making a kill as often as do lions, the perception is plainly false. In some areas, they have been known to enter villages and even unwalled towns, killing dogs, children, and occasionally adults. Both varieties are solitary animals except during the breeding season.

Lions: Most often found in unpopulated or sparsely populated regions, lions range throughout the lands west of the Dragonwall. These large, black-maned felines can reach as much as five hundred pounds, though four hundred is a more common maximum size. Social animals, lions often gather into prides of seven to twelve animals, though young adults are sometimes encountered alone. The Aiel Waste boasts its own, slightly smaller, lion breeds.

Ridgecat (western): Distinct from the similarly named cat of the Aiel Waste, the western ridgecat is indigenous to the mountainous regions of the west. Growing up to two hundred and fifty pounds, ridgecats sport pelts of fine gray fur streaked with black, much like a common house cat. Though not particularly aggressive, ridgecats stalk and attack anything they believe they can bring down, including humans. They tend to be solitary creatures, except during the breeding season.

Ridgecat (maerid): Unlike their cousins in the western lands, the Aiel ridgecat, or maerid, occasionally venture from their mountainous homes to the flatlands to seek food. This behavior sometimes brings the cats into conflict with humans, since while the felines seldom attack wild or domesticated cattle, they seem to have few qualms about killing and eating people. Maerid commonly weigh about two hundred pounds, occasionally topping two hundred and fifty. Their coloration range from a "sandy gray" to a fairly pale gray, with slightly darker stripes than those found on western ridgecats.

Sandcat: Those who doubt an animal can possess an oversized ego would do well to observe the behavior of the aggressive sandcats of the Aiel Waste. Small when compared to other cats common to the area, sandcats (also called caisid) frequently attempt to attack much, much larger animals in the hopes of gaining a large meal. A ten-pound sandcat, for instance, has been observed stalking wild cattle it had no possible chance of pulling down. When caisid focus on prey more within their means to defeat, they tend to favor birds, lizards, shellbacks, and other small game.

Sandcats seldom grow to more than twenty-five pounds, with fifteen being more common. Rare specimens grow to as much as forty pounds. Caisid have very large ears (with the attendant acute hearing), large eyes, and feet that seem overly large for an animal of their size. The latter allow the animals to run very fast, even on loose sand.

Swamp Cat: The algae-infested coat of the fearless, nasty swamp cat of the Drowned Lands grants the animal's dappled gray coat a greenish cast that allows it to blend in with its surroundings. Swamp cats swim remarkably well for felines, and spend as much time in the water as on land. Aggressive hunters, swamp cats attack anything and everything, including humans. The animals grow to no more than twenty pounds, with weights of ten to fifteen pounds being far more common. They are solitary, except during the breeding season.

Fox

Several different types of foxes inhabit the Westlands. Red foxes and gray foxes range from the Dragonwall to the Aryth Ocean, from the Borderlands to the Sea of Storms; neither fur is highly valued, although clothing makers use it for trimming or lining cloaks. Found only in the borderlands, snowfoxes have white fur only in winter, when they are a very valuable target for trappers; the rest of the year, their fur is brown. Black foxes are found south of the Borderlands and north of a line drawn horizontally across the map about 100 miles north of Andor. They have a black coat twice a year, during the spring and the fall, that turns pale gray in the summer and winter. Hunters prefer to trap for them when their fur is black and most valued; otherwise the fur looks like a pale version of that of the gray fox. Black-tailed foxes appear to be red foxes except that their tails are black; they are found from the Sea of Storms to as far north as Cairhien, Andor and Almoth Plain. Dishonest men sometimes sell the tails as being from black foxes, and it takes an expert to tell the difference.

Goats

Leaphorn: Also called gaellae, this white-furred goat lives only in mountainous areas of the Aiel Waste. It can traverse slopes and cliffs that most humans would not dare to cross. It usually flees men, but can be very dangerous if cornered.

Longhorn: Also called coema, this short-haired, brown goat looks much more like the domesticated goats of the Aiel, with horns that can grow to three feet in length. It usually weighs no more than fifty to seventy-five pounds, thought the occasional male can be found that weighs close to a hundred pounds.

Shellback

Also called the gaoerant, this small herbivore native to the Aiel Waste has four short legs covered in hard scales and ending with sharp claws. A series of hard bands cover the body, and unconnected armored hide covers its head, neck, and long tail. They can dig into the ground very quickly and move beneath the ground by burrowing a tunnel.

Rats

Soetam: A peculiar animal of the Drowned Lands, the soetam is a very large rat which can weigh as much as fifteen pounds. They live in small packs that generally number no more than eight or ten animals. Although normally scavengers, they attack anything they perceive as injured or weakened.

Sorda: A fairly large rat found in the Aiel Waste, a sorda can weigh as much as five pounds. They are nocturnal and usually no threat to humans except for their uncanny ability to get into foodstores, where they defecate on everything they don't eat.

Snakes

Constrictors: The Drowned Lands, the marshes of Illian, and the marshes through which the Fingers of the Dragon pass all feature constrictor snakes of various sizes, some of which can reach lengths in excess of twenty-five feet. In Illian, these snakes are called "strangling snakes." The fishermen who work the Fingers of the Dragon call them "drowning snakes." While in Mayene, those in the Drowned Lands are called "crushers."

Venomous Snakes

Blacklance: The black-scaled blacklance grows to as large as seven or eight feet; it can be found almost everywhere.

Mountain King: The mountain king grows to about six feet in length. A body of striped red and white rings follows its red head. Their venom causes tremors that progress to cramping and full-body paroxysms before death, which can occur within an hour without treatment. It is found only in mountainous regions.

Scarlet Puffer: The scarlet puffer looks like a mountain king, but with a white head. Named because it swells up when threatened, its venom is not so deadly as that of the mountain king, but a scarlet puffer's bite can still kill without treatment.

Hooded Adder: Found only in the Drowned Lands, this five-foot-long snake has a widened area just behind its head, giving it a "hooded" appearance. It is equally at home on land or in the water.

Bloodsnake: The bloodsnake is named for its poison which makes the blood coagulate, or "jell."

King Viper/Sand Viper: The king viper and sand viper are essentially the same creature except that the sand viper's brown coloration allows it to hide more easily on sand or in shadows.

Two Step: This small brown snake native to the Aiel Waste is named for how far a victim normally survives after being bitten.

Notes