All the Legs!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013


Illustration by Dmitry Burmak

There's something I'm sure many of you don't know about our Art Director Andrew Vallas. He has a thing for creatures with multiple limbs—multiple legs, specifically. At least six to be sure. To keep our awesome Art Director happy, I made sure to order a few multi-legged creatures for the Bestiary in Pathfinder #69: Mother, Maiden, Crone for his enjoyment. Not that the whole bestiary is a chorus line of horrible monstrosities, mind you. (There are only really two monsters that fit the bill, but considering the centaurs of the Dvezda Marches in Iobaria are each bringing four legs to the party, there are a lot of legs to make a bipedal creature jealous.)

First up to represent additional limbs is the kokogiak. When I first presented the idea of a ten-legged polar bear the reaction was close to, "Really, Daigle?" But then I supported my brief dip into mania by explaining that I got the idea from Innuit myth (also spelled qupqugiaq), and that it's a creature that makes a person think that their loved one is lost out in the snow in order to lure the target out of safety and into its jaws. Next up is the svathurim. That is what you get if Thremyr made a frost giant into a centaur-like creature and infused them with insatiable hatred. Jason Nelson did a great job designing these two (and two other monsters in the Bestiary), so pick up Maiden, Mother, Crone to see what else is to be found in the wilds of Iobaria.



Illustrations by Milivoj Ceran
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Tags: Dmitry Burmak Milivoj Ceran Pathfinder Adventure Path Reign of Winter
Silver Crusade

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Woop! Centaurs!

Kokogiak first impressions : It's like a big fuzzy polarpillar caterbear! There's no way this isn't adorab-

Kokogiak realization: Oh God it's still full of bear. And can knock heads off five times as fast now. :O

oh crap, the svadilfar is Frost Giant Big? Yikes...

Contributor

3 people marked this as a favorite.

The polarpillar caterbear looks even more frightening when next to the svathurim picture, because it looks like the svathurim is trying to get away from it!

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Wouldn't you?

Paizo Employee Developer

2 people marked this as a favorite.

It looks like the kokogiak is yelling something in frustration or anger. A few possible captions I've already come up with are, "No, Kitty! My potpie!" and "Enough with the throat singing already!"


"TEN legs? Is that legal?"
"Barely."

Scarab Sages Contributor

Mark Moreland wrote:
It looks like the kokogiak is yelling something in frustration or anger. A few possible captions I've already come up with are, "No, Kitty! My potpie!" and "Enough with the throat singing already!"

"QUIT PLAYING THAT THEREMIN!"


I demand a pair of kokogiaks to pull my Ulfen fighter's war sled.


Belongs on Martian ice cap for John Carter's next romp!


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Odin + one keg of good Viking mead + Sleipnir -> Svathurim.

;-)

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32

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"No FOR THE LAST TIME I DO NOT WANT A COCA-COLA!"

Sovereign Court

Man what is with the norse/ulfen and their penchant for legs? That's got to be half the reason certain monsters are multi-legged like a certain puma shaped beast with tentacles or the behir.

--The Vrockettes


this is what you get when you cross Sleipnir with a polar bear


4 people marked this as a favorite.
Ansel Krulwich wrote:

"TEN legs? Is that legal?"

"Bearly."

Fixed that for you.


Its just not fair... Akaname & CO are ignored because they are too funny, and then we see a 10 legged polar bear...

Just kiddn, i'm sure Akaname will show up someday, and I really like Inuit mythology, so also that Polar Centipede!

Next on the line are hopefully the Inuit Demon mahaha and the horror mouse under the boat, both can be seen as funny stuff, but now that 10 legged polarbear has entered Pathfinder i'm sure Mahaha can too.


What's a mahaha?

Paizo Employee Developer

Nick O'Connell wrote:
What's a mahaha?

It's an Inuit monster. Here's a link.


Nick O'Connell wrote:
What's a mahaha?

Its a Demon from Inuit Mythology, but its probably on the not-to-paizonize-monster-list together with Jackalope, Drop Bears and other funny monsters cuz they aren't serious enough.

The thing with Mahaha is that it can be altered, they can remove the silly stuff and replace that with awesome horror stuff, while keeping the awesome details from the Mahaha, like the frozen smile death, and the long nails.

Add in some extremly vile sense of cold hearted humor and you have a cool enemy for the Gelugon, a Frost Demon.

The Mahaha could be your Freddy Kruger and It the Clown (from STephen King) merged into one!
The claws from Kruger with the dark sense of humor, freaky smile, teeth and laughter from that horrible Stephen King novel clown.


Adam Daigle wrote:
Nick O'Connell wrote:
What's a mahaha?
It's an Inuit monster. Here's a link.

. Thank you


The mahaha is an interesting monster idea. More of a fey than a demon, I would think. But there are ice demons, so I guess you could go that route.


Sincubus wrote:
Nick O'Connell wrote:
What's a mahaha?

Its a Demon from Inuit Mythology, but its probably on the not-to-paizonize-monster-list together with Jackalope, Drop Bears and other funny monsters cuz they aren't serious enough.

The thing with Mahaha is that it can be altered, they can remove the silly stuff and replace that with awesome horror stuff, while keeping the awesome details from the Mahaha, like the frozen smile death, and the long nails.

Add in some extremly vile sense of cold hearted humor and you have a cool enemy for the Gelugon, a Frost Demon.

One more question, what did you mean when you said horror mouse under the boat?


End of deadline monsters? ;p


Nick O'Connell wrote:
Sincubus wrote:
Nick O'Connell wrote:
What's a mahaha?

Its a Demon from Inuit Mythology, but its probably on the not-to-paizonize-monster-list together with Jackalope, Drop Bears and other funny monsters cuz they aren't serious enough.

The thing with Mahaha is that it can be altered, they can remove the silly stuff and replace that with awesome horror stuff, while keeping the awesome details from the Mahaha, like the frozen smile death, and the long nails.

Add in some extremly vile sense of cold hearted humor and you have a cool enemy for the Gelugon, a Frost Demon.

One more question, what did you mean when you said horror mouse under the boat?

I Was talking about the Ugjuknarpak, an unkillable, evil monster mouse that loves to drown and eat Inuit People. It lives under Kayak boats and it uses its long hook-like tail to grab and drown its victims, pretty much the Inuit version of the Aztec Ahuizotl.

Ugjuknarpak

Anyway I like the way the Inuit monsters are taking over Paizo's heart one by one.

So far we have:
Akhlut - Adlet - Qallupilluk - Tupilaq - Saumen Kar and now the new Kokogiak joins the fray.

The ones I really want to see added to that list are Mahaha, Ahkiyyini and Ugjuknarpak.


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Yo dawg, I heard you liked polar bears, so we put a polar bear in your polar bear so you can bear the arctic when you're a bear in the arctic.

Liberty's Edge

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Mark Moreland wrote:
It looks like the kokogiak is yelling something in frustration or anger. A few possible captions I've already come up with are, "No, Kitty! My potpie!" and "Enough with the throat singing already!"

"WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A KLONDIKE BAR!"


I am not gonna lie... I love the monsters but I am really curious if this will feature a Pathfinder Version of the "Maiden, Mother, [&] Crone" Story.

Paizo Employee Developer

Honeypaw wrote:
Yo dawg, I heard you liked polar bears, so we put a polar bear in your polar bear so you can bear the arctic when you're a bear in the arctic.

I was disappointed that the link didn't have an actual meme pic. :) (This is not an invitation.)

Also, while it may look funny, the kokogiak is no laughing matter.

None.

Whatsoever.

Like little holes of oblivion drilling into your soul.

Followed by...

*CHOMP!*

:D

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32

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"Following the escalation of the Cola Wars of 2021, Pepsi's holiday response to Coca Cola's cuddly polar bears was considered by many to be a Very Bad Idea. After it ate three reindeer, seven carolers and half of Santa's sleigh, they were proven correct." -Ken Burn's Cola Wars: The Unspoken Terror, Chapter 2: The Winter Wars Worsen

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm really digging that centuar-lady (do centuars have designer shoes?).
Can't wait to see her, and what else this part has in store for us!


I think that would be Adamantine, Mithril, & other nice Metals in their Horseshoes. Maybe a few Gems studding the sides.


Awesome artwork...all of it.

Silver Crusade

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DeciusNero wrote:

I'm really digging that centuar-lady (do centuars have designer shoes?).

Can't wait to see her, and what else this part has in store for us!

A lot more posts in that one Reign of Winter thread, I'd bet. ;)

Scarab Sages

Andrea1 wrote:
End of deadline monsters? ;p

No, because that would have been the Ten-legged Star Panda Bear.

Scarab Sages

Sincubus wrote:

Anyway I like the way the Inuit monsters are taking over Paizo's heart one by one.

So far we have:
Akhlut - Adlet - Qallupilluk - Tupilaq - Saumen Kar and now the new Kokogiak joins the fray.

The ones I really want to see added to that list are Mahaha, Ahkiyyini and Ugjuknarpak.

This would be a good place to remind all readers of the existence of Wayfinder issue 6, which contained a very large number of icy-themed articles, including a sizable Bestiary.

(Disclaimer: mine is the Outiko, aka the mini-me Wendigo, which I made to fill a CR that PCs may be more likely to encounter).


I really like Wayfinder, but i'm for 100% paizo art addicted so I want those 3 drawn by the artists who draw for most bestiaries in official pathfinder products like Adventure Paths and bestiary 4/5/6 ect.

I really don't like it that many real-world-mythology monsters (Kikimora, Jack-in-Irons, Rarog) end up in non-official pathfinder products and because of that they won't be in official products, only sometimes appearing in Adventure Paths.

I do like it if cool (non real-world mythology) monsters are used in such products tho, so I'd rather have them using new ideas and inspirations than known mythology monsters.
Or maybe paizo should just use/copy those real-world mythology monsters from non-official pathinder products in their own official products so that people that don't buy the non-official stuff also have them.


I would love to see a jackalope.

Scarab Sages

Sincubus wrote:
I really don't like it that many real-world-mythology monsters (Kikimora, Jack-in-Irons, Rarog) end up in non-official pathfinder products and because of that they won't be in official products, only sometimes appearing in Adventure Paths.

I understand what you mean; when 2E put real creatures (like all the dinosaurs) in the Forgotten Realms Monster Manuals, I was not impressed.

Sincubus wrote:
Or maybe paizo should just use/copy those real-world mythology monsters from non-official pathinder products in their own official products so that people that don't buy the non-official stuff also have them.

That's what I understand to be the beautiful intent of the OGL.

No more will perfectly useful content end up ghettoised.

"Damn, Obscure Company X made stats for the jackalope. Now no-one else can use one!"

becomes

"Oh, great! Obscure Company X made stats for the jackalope, saving us having to do it. We can give them a free advert in our Section 15 statement, and concentrate on writing something else."

Scarab Sages

Sincubus wrote:
I really don't like it that many real-world-mythology monsters (Kikimora, Jack-in-Irons, Rarog) end up in non-official pathfinder products and because of that they won't be in official products, only sometimes appearing in Adventure Paths.

I understand what you mean; when 2E put real creatures (like all the dinosaurs) in the Forgotten Realms Monster Manuals, I was not impressed.

Sincubus wrote:
Or maybe paizo should just use/copy those real-world mythology monsters from non-official pathinder products in their own official products so that people that don't buy the non-official stuff also have them.

That's been done many times already; it's how the froghemoth avoided being stranded on Stupid Monster Island, eating flumphs.

That's what I understand to be the beautiful intent of the OGL.

No more will perfectly useful content end up ghettoised.

"Damn, Obscure Company X made stats for the jackalope. Now no-one else can use one!"

becomes

"Oh, great! Obscure Company X made stats for the jackalope, saving us having to do it. We can give them a free advert in our Section 15 statement, and concentrate on writing something else."


Yes, but because of that "writhing something else" and "saving us having to do it" parts, I will miss a lot of full-coloured mythology monsters in original pathfinder products that I really want in pathfinder bestiaries...

That is something I really don't want to happen.

And nobody can claim real-world-mythology-monsters of course, you can't pick up a Medusa or Minotaur and tell other games to keep away from it as its free mythology/folklore, you can't put a claim on that gladly.

Sczarni

Sincubus wrote:

I really like Wayfinder, but i'm for 100% paizo art addicted so I want those 3 drawn by the artists who draw for most bestiaries in official pathfinder products like Adventure Paths and bestiary 4/5/6 ect.

I really don't like it that many real-world-mythology monsters (Kikimora, Jack-in-Irons, Rarog) end up in non-official pathfinder products and because of that they won't be in official products, only sometimes appearing in Adventure Paths.

I do like it if cool (non real-world mythology) monsters are used in such products tho, so I'd rather have them using new ideas and inspirations than known mythology monsters.
Or maybe paizo should just use/copy those real-world mythology monsters from non-official pathinder products in their own official products so that people that don't buy the non-official stuff also have them.

Well, Paizo has shown themselves to be happy to *use* other companies' published monsters in APs and Modules, but so far they quite nicely refrained from simply reprinting them lock stock and barrel in their own Bestiary products.

Even if that were perfectly okay under the GPL, it would still be Paizo basically saying, "I drink your milkshake" to whoever wrote those monsters in the first place.


That is all nice and all but still it doesn't get my point.

Many people don't buy 3rd Party products at all, so Paizo be better off copying (or making entire new versions) off real-world folkloric and mythology monsters, as those are wished for in the pathfinder original paizo bestiary wishlists.


The real fun thing is that 3rd party products (like fey folio) also use monsters that are already in original paizo products, like Dullahan, Spriggan and Sylph.

So why wouldn't Paizo just create their own versions more powerful versions of Erlkings and weaker versions of Jack-in-Irons.

It should go both ways.

Sczarni

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I can sympathize, Sincubus -- but I can understand why Paizo wouldn't want to do so, for the purpose of preserving their relationships with 3rd party publishers.

If a 3rd party publishes their own version of a Paizo beastie, it's not going to hurt Bestiary sales too much. If Paizo publishes their own version of some 3rd party beastie, it could kill the 3rd party publisher completely.

That said, I agree that real-world mythological creatures ought to be fair game in a way that original monster concepts aren't. But sometimes it can be hard to tell the boundaries between those two things, too.

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