#aniwye

Image © Brent Hollowell

[Welcome to Creature Codex: World Tour! It’s been a while since I’ve done a dedicated block of mythological/folkloric entities, and my theme this time around is “no theme in particular”. I’m going to be spending a month on each of the six (inhabited) continents, with the hope of highlighting some cultures and traditions that I’ve otherwise neglected. For example, the Australasia chunk will contain monsters from New Zealand, Melanesia and Polynesia in addition to mainland Australia. I also will be using this opportunity for more “if I ran the zoo” monsters; new stat blocks for monsters I don’t like the official Paizo versions of.

First up is North America, and we’re starting with the aniwye, a giant killer skunk from the Anishinaabe people. This image has been circulating around for a while representing the aniwye, but as near as I can figure, was originally intended to be a honey badger inspired monster. Brent Hollowell’s original art blog is gone, and although most pieces from it have reappeared on his newer official web presence, this one has not. There is an aniwye in D&D 5e through Tome of Beasts 2 by Kobold Press: that one is a shapeshifter, inspired by versions where an ogre is turned into a skunk after he is killed. My version draws from a Cree version of the story where Wolverine kills Aniwye, in which Aniwye has supernatural tracking abilities.]

Aniwye
CR 10 LE Magical Beast
This creature appears like a skunk the size of an elephant. It has long flat claws on its forelegs, an array of fangs, and a white stripe running along its back. Its stench is eye-watering.

The aniwye is a giant skunk that behaves more like a dragon. They are overlords of wide ranges of woodland territory, demanding fealty and tribute. The domain of an aniwye may have little outward indication of ownership, although aniwye do decorate trailheads and landmarks with trophies taken from their victims. Most aniwye are so territorial that they demand no other sapient creature cross their path, and if they find that one has, will track it down to kill it in retribution. Aniwye are phenomenal trackers, able to follow a trail at top speed without penalty, and gaining supernatural knowledge of the creatures they are tracking.

In combat, an aniwye uses its corrosive blast as much as it can. Its glandular secretions are so powerful that an aniwye stinks without spraying, but the spray is blinding and can corrode through stone, wood and flesh. In between blasts, an aniwye fights with its claws and teeth. They are stubborn combatants, and in defense of their territory typically fight to the death, spraying to the last breath.

Aniwye are voracious omnivores that consume primarily meat, fruit and berries. They have a special fondness for venomous animals and poisonous plants. The tribute they demand of other creatures often takes the form of foods rather than more permanent goods, especially baked, fermented or otherwise prepared. A single male aniwye tends to rule over a larger territory, with several smaller female territories within it. The females remain dispersed except during the winter, when the whole harem typically gathers together. Aniwye are typically less active during the winter, although they do not hibernate. 

Aniwye                                CR 10
XP 9,600
LE Huge magical beast
Init+7;Sensesdarkvision 60 ft., Perception +17, scent
Aurastench (30 ft., Fort DC 21)
Defense
AC23, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +12 natural)
hp136 (13d10+65)
Fort+13,Ref+13,Will+10
Immuneacid, poison; SR21
Defensive Abilities ferocity
Offense
Speed40 ft.
Meleebite +18 (2d6+7), 2 claws +18 (1d8+7)
Space15 ft.; Reach10 ft.
Special Attacks corrosive blast (60 foot cone, Ref DC 21, 13d6 acid damage plus blindness, 1d4 rounds), death burst, quarry
Statistics
Str24,Dex16,Con21,Int10,Wis19,Cha13
Base Atk +13;CMB+22;CMD35 (39 vs. trip)
FeatsAlertness, Blind-fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
SkillsClimb +12, Perception +17, Sense Motive +14, Survival +20; Racial Modifiers +8 Survival
LanguagesInfernal, Sylvan
SQpredictive tracker
Ecology
Environmenttemperate forest and hills
Organizationsolitary, pair or harem (3-6)
Treasurestandard
Special Abilities
Corrosive Blast (Su) The spray of an aniwye acts as a breath weapon, except that it is released from anal glands instead of breathed out. A creature that takes acid damage from an aniwye’s corrosive blast must succeed a DC 21 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d10 minutes. The save DC is Constitution based.
Death Burst (Su) When it takes damage that would kill it, an aniwye may use its corrosive blast as an immediate action. If its corrosive blast has not recharged, this blast deals minimum damage (15 on a failed save).
Predictive Tracker (Su) When it uses Survival to follow a creature’s tracks, an aniwye learns that creature’s species, age, gender, alignment, class and level or Hit Dice. It may also designate a creature identified in this fashion as its quarry, even if it does not have line of sight to that creature.
Quarry (Ex) As a standard action, an aniwye may denote one target within its line of sight, or that it has identified with its predictive tracker ability, as its quarry. Whenever the aniwye is following the tracks of its quarry, it can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed without penalty. In addition, it receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls made against his quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. It can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but it then cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the aniwye sees proof that its quarry is dead, it can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.