Ochre

Ochres are piles of ambulatory mud. It is not known whether ochres are the creatures themselves or merely the coverings of the creatures within, like snails with shells of muck. They are capable of altering their shapes significantly, whether to grow prehensile tentacles to manipulate tools, to diguise themselves as another object, or to suffocate and devour prey. Ochres can also change the color of the external coat, though their shades are limited to the palette of the soils and minerals they have assimilated during their lifetime. They cannot simulate fine apendages like fingers, detailed facial features like eyeballs, or clothing well enough to fool an observer standing within a hundred yards. They are completely incapable of vocalizing and generate no body heat. They are carnivores but also have complex mineral requirements that they meet by devouring soil. They do not appear to have a sense of smell, but their method of communicaton seems to indicate that they possess color vision in spite of their lack of eyes.

Ochres are nearly as widespread as goblins, hunting in any wet environment with adequate mineral content. Their appetites often place them in competition with goblins and Mar for iron, copper, and other useful metals. Deprived of moisture, ochres soon harden and die, leaving empty shells of earth that contain no evidence that it was once alive.

(Overview contributed by Nightfire Tradition)

Tactics

Ochres are not especially intelligent Drakes, especially compared to kobolds and damnens, but when they choose to attack instead of lurking, they employ scouts and systematically test enemy defenses. Because all their shapes are covered in mud and lack most of the anatomy common to Drakes and Mar, those rare ochres who have learned to imitate the human form are fairly easy to identify. Unfortunately for their victims, ochres are pack hunters, so if one takes acts as bait by taking the shape of a Mar, by the time the prey recognizes the decoy, he has already walked into a circle of lurking ochres who will then move in for the kill with surprising speed. More commonly, though, the bait is a raw material or inanimate object valuable enough to Mar (or rival Drakes) to encourage investigation. Lone ochres hunt by lurking in the mud near high-traffic areas like wild rice fields and fruit trees or by wrapping themselves around the heads of sleeping prey.

If you are attacked by a lone ochre, above all don't panic. Despite their seemingly liquid form, ochres are no more invulnerable to physical harm than a Mar is. Because very few ever learn to wield weapons, ochres are usually harmless unless they manage to smother or drown you. All ochres have a sphere-shaped central node in their bodies the size of a human head, and stabbing or crushing this has the same effect as a knife to the heart of a humanoid. Usually, this node is hidden deep within the ochre's protective shell, but it is visible and vulnerable in an ochre forced to adopt a slender form — such as when pursuing prey or snaking up a body to wrap itself around a head. Also, konig worms do not live in the mud shells of ochres, so it is far more important to avoid falling down to the Drake's level than to shun its touch.

Be extremely careful against a pack of ochres, because they will take full advantage of their numbers. Four ochres can encircle and scale a Mar without revealing the location of their vulnerable central nodes, and they weigh enough to drag even a strong man to the ground without rising higher than his waist. It is essential to get out of any circle of ochres as quickly as possible, even if this means vaulting Drakes who will certainly try to trip you. Take up a position that prevents them from flanking you. If you are not alone, fight back-to-back and focus on preventing the ochres from infiltrating your ranks.

(Tactics contributed by Weard Girdag Langat)

Copyright 2005-2007 Eric Zawadzki and Matthew Schick. All Rights Reserved.
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