RYTINKI

     The rytinki, better known as "cone critters", are a race of reclusive and magical forest dwellers.

     Rytinki are a curious sight on the rare instances when they are seen in their true form. Standing little more than a foot tall, these creatures sport a coat of dark brown fur. Their spindly limbs give the rytinki a surprising grace and nimbleness among the tree limbs; once on the ground, however, they are slow and awkward. Rytinki have no tails.

     The pupilless eyes of rytinki are a sparkling, pearly white, a trait which can give them away when sunlight strikes them. Rytinki have no discernible ears, nostrils, or mouths, which gives the creature a vacant, unnerving appearance--an impression utterly at odds with their spry, almost monkeylike behavior.

Combat:  On the surface, rytinki would seem to have little combat potential. They have no teeth to tear, and their thin limbs have no claws to rend. Nonetheless, an aroused pack of rytinki can be quite a handful.

     When engaged in combat, rytinki first take to the trees if at all possible; their AC on the ground is only 8. Once safely in the branches, their AC rises to 3, and they can begin to bombard the opponents below with pine cones. These cones are enchanted by their touch, and inflict 1d4 points of cold damage on a hit (no save). A rytinki can employ two such missiles per round, and each pack member can hurl 2-4 volleys before running out of ammo.

     If the rytinki are in desperate straits or dangerously low on hit points, their bodies will emit an extremely strong and pungent odor of pine needles before they retreat. This scent is so noxious that any beings within a 20' radius of the rytinki must save vs. poison or collapse in a fit of choking which lasts 2d4 rounds. Those who make their saving throws must then make a Constitution check or else suffer a -2 to hit and damage rolls from the distraction for the same period.

Habitat/Society:  Rytinki thrive only in coniferous forests, and prefer those in the cooler climes. Whenever asleep or feeding, rytinki assume the form of pine cones, which precisely match those of the specie of pine they are inhabiting. Rytinki tap into the branches of the tree, and draw upon its water and sap for nourishment. So convincing is this disguise that rytinki are quite difficult to spot; as a rule, only those spells, devices, or powers that can detect polymorphed or shape-changed creatures can reveal a rytinki at rest.

     Rytinki live in tight-knit packs, ranging from 4 to 16 in number. They may spend a few days, sometimes a week, living upon a particular tree before moving on. Their territories are small, never spanning more than two square miles. Rytinki bear no obvious signs of age, and no examples of young have ever been seen.

     Since they seem to have no mouths, sages have long speculated how rytinki communicate. It is clear that there is some form of rudimentary telepathy or empathy in play, and some surmise that a common rytinki "game"--a rhythmic shaking of pine boughs in deliberate and complex patterns--is actually a form of language.

     Rytinki are shy and inoffensive by nature, and are usually loath to engage in combat. Indeed, they are likely to flee or transform at the first sign of a well-armed party. They will defend themselves if cornered, using their pungent scent to screen their escape if need be.

     Only the most brutal of provocations can rouse a rytinki pack to offensive action: an assault against unicorns or other forest denizens, hunters who kill for sport, evil humanoids on the rampage, and despoilers of any stamp. But once engaged with these enemies of the wood, the rytinki are resolute and sometimes deadly opponents. (Those rangers who have seen them in action have dubbed the rytinki "the needle knights" for their valor.)

Ecology:  Rytinki are routinely drawn to sickly or dying trees, and are often found lairing in their branches and feeding voraciously upon them. By hastening the demise of such trees, elven sages deduce, the rytinki in fact provide a valuable service to their forests. Sickly trees are killed quickly, which helps to stave off mass infestations and blights, while the decay of the fallen trees, coupled with the sunlight which pours through the breaks in the canopy, encourages the growth of new saplings.

Clyde:  Long has the legend of Clyde been told among the elves of the Silvercone Stand on Miren's Isle of the Manta. During a trade gathering with visiting human adventurers, a lone rytinki came swinging through the pine boughs and into the clearing. Incredibly, the agitated little creature beckoned for the adventurers to follow it. The elves, taking this as a bad omen from Raiche the Leaflord, begged the adventurers to investigate.

     When the humans arrived at the scene of all the ruckus, they couldn't believe their eyes. Two young ogres lay dead before a dryad's tree, while a third was on its knees, slowly perishing beneath a barrage of icy pine cones. In the midst of this host of dozens of enraged needle knights, there stood one bold rytinki upon the roots of the dryad's tree, guarding its entrance. Its eyes were ablaze with silvery light, and a crystal pine cone was clasped tightly in its paws. When at last the ogre perished, the furry mob disbanded, and the lone rytinki turned to stare defiantly at the party as the dryad gingerly returned to her tree.

    "Nice work, Clyde," one burly fighter quipped as the rytinki bowed and retreated into the forest, the crystal pine cone still in its paws.

     The heroic Clyde was never seen again. But since that day, whenever the Silvercone elves have discovered a crystal pine cone in their midst, the warriors reach for their weapons--for somewhere, somehow, the Stand is in jeopardy.

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