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The ecology of the

GULGUTIIRA His father, the Lord Oraun, was wise and
just, strong in battle, and well respected in
by Ed Greenwood the Dales. Erammon was a young prince
like any other, reckless and fun-loving and
The Gulguthra, or "Dung-Eaters" (the full of himself. He longed for battles and
otyugh and neo-otyugh), are strange and ravening monsters and fell wizards so that
deadly creatures indeed. I asked Elmirrster he could swing his shining sword and win
about them some time ago, and it happened the day and walk into the taverns in Ha-
that upon his next visit the house was rowdale to a hero's welcome (and not the
-
full of children; a usual hushed, wary silence) One day he
unexpected by us both
- asked his swordmaster why Harrowdale was
captive audience to any sage worth his
4 tongue. Elminster did not disappoint. so tranquil (that was not the word he used)
"Gather round," he said with a tu'inkle in and why his father was so respected as a
his eye, "and I'll tell you of Erammon and fighter, since Oraun never seemed to fight.

the Kitchen Midden." He waited until the The swordmaster, old Thaeron, replied:
small whirlwind of visiting nieces and neph- "Harrowdale's at peace because it's strong,
tl J
l boy, and it's strong because of your father. I
ews had settled at his feet, and his pipe had
drawn into life, green smoke rings rising fought with him, in the wars with Thar and
from it. I had introduced him as "Uncle with the outcasts of Sembia; he's a man to
El," and he was enjoying the role gleefully be feared over blades."
although he had muttered an aside to me "But why then does he not fight?" Eram-
-that it had better only last this one night. mon persisted "Why does he not raid into
I'll set down the tale as he told it - al- the elven-woods, or strike down the upstart
i though, of course, without the voices. in Scardale?"
I (Elminster is a master vocal mimic when he Thaeron frxed a cold eye on the prince
, wants to be.) and said, "The wise man fights only when
I he has to The fewer enemies made, the
Erammon was a minor lordling of the lewer to come at you all at once "
eastern Dales of Harrowdale on the "But father as enemies," said Eram-
-
Inner Sea, even then a sleepy farmers' land mon "scardale, and Featherdale and
-
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 everyone's an enemv of Archendale. " Thacron shook his head "One so dense my cmbarrassment, and leaned forward
"Aye, but they are enemies who lar him will not hold Harrowdale lor long, helm- attentively as Elminster began to read.
more than they hate him. Rentember tht, head!" he barked. "What is a corpsc but
boy lvhen the hate overcomes the tar, earbage? And wherc do the kitchen-maids From a report by Phiraz of the Natural-
-
you'll see their swords. Besides, your father throw the garbage?" ists to the Commissioner of Public Se wers
protects the dales to the south lrom the lell "In the midden," Erammon said, follow- in the city ofScornubel:
elves, and the brigands who live in the ing the swordmaster up to a stout, barred . . The greatest of the nuisance crea-
woods along the river Lis." wooden door. tures that will plague your system is the
"But I've never even seer an elf, or a "Have vou not wondered why the bal- "dungheap" or otyugh, a scavenger of the
brigand! " Erammon protested. cony of your father's audience chamber strangest appearance and habits. The oty-
"He does a good job, then," replied overlooks the stink of his kitchen midden?" ugh and its larger cousin, the neo-otyugh,
Thaeron, wrinkling his moustache into Thaeron asked, unlocking rhe ast chain and share the form of a pile of festering dung
what might have been a grin. hurling its bar aside. with a toothed maw set into it. An otyugh's
"But how do the other lords think rhese "Oh." Erammon thought for a moment. body is lumpy, mottled purple, green, and
brigands, and the e.lves, so dangerous "Yes . . . yes, so it does. But why?" (primarily) brown, and the creature stumps
-
and Harrowdale 's force of arms so strong?" Thaeron swung open the door and about on three fat legs of similar appear-
the prince demanded. pointed out into the fetid pit beyond, ringed ance. From this delightful bulk which the
Thaeron was silent for a moment, and by a stout palisade of weathered timbers. -
creature is wont to bury in piles of rubbish
then said, "Those who come threatening " Look out to the base of the wall there . and dung protrude two long'ridged
your fathe or come uninvited, he does not look hard, and look for an enemy." Eram- -
tentacles with large, heart-shaped gripping
protect and they vanish; this the other mon peered into the midden as he had been ends, and a flesh-colored and segmented
-
lords know." told, and suddenly realized that he had wormlike stalk containing two yellow-purple
"But I've never seen any fighting, nor locked gaze with eyes. A buried otyugh watches its surround-
any strangers with swords." -
"An eye!" he cried. "An eye coming ings constantly by means of this stalk, so
"Only brigands threaten with swords, up from the ground like a worm!" - look for it when you suspect that one of
boy," Thaeron answered. "Learn that, if Thaeron was already pulling the door these creatures is near.
y )arn nothing else from me." The closed, but an instant before it slammed An otyugh is never surprised by the
s\4urdmaster paused, jerked his head in the shut, Erammon saw the festering garbage approach of a creature; take care that you
direction of the feasting hall, and said, ripple, undulating right before his wide eyes or your men are not in turn surprised by
"Come." as though the refuse itself was alive. one lying in wait. Otyughs often happily
"To the hall?" Erammon asked, following "But but what is it, out there?" attack and kill parties ofthree people or
hastily.
- -
Erammon fairly screamed. less; they will eat fresh meat as readily as
"This is where all guests come, is it not?" Thaeron fastened chains and set bars in they consume carrion, dung, or offal. Be-
Thaeron replied, waving an arm at the place for a long time before he turned to ware this predator!
great hall, where servants were scrubbing face the prince. When he did, his face was Otyughs are terrifically strong, able to
and dusting and filling lamps with oil for blank, his eyes cold and level. "Only your snatch warriors off their feet, armor and all,
the evening ahead. "Aye," Erammon said, lather can tell you that, Erammon," he said. and fling them aside as children throw dolls.
not understanding why the swordmaster "And if I were you, I'd make sure he was in They are under no circumstances to be
had brought him here. a good mood when I asked him." fought alone.'
"And then they go to your father's cham- The otyugh is most often solitary but
bers for wine and sweets, do they not?" The children were petrihed, or thrilled, may exist in symbiosis with another (often
Thaeron continued. or asleep when Elminster finished the tale. more dangerous or energetic) creature, such
"Aye," said the prince again and then They were tucked into their beds, and as a doppleganger, ettin, will-o-the-wisp, or
his mind leaped ahead. "You mean .
- "Uncle El" and I took up mugs of cocoa even a beholder. For such creatures they
poison?" At that, Thaeron turned on him a and sat for a time in silence, enjoying the serve to guard treasure, which they always
look of such cold disgust that the prince peace of the evening by the fireside. Then I conceal at the very bottom oftheir offal
recoiled as though menaced by a dagger- broke the quiet, opening a discussion I pile, hidden from view beneath the otyugh
thrust. could wait no longer to have. itself. Encountering an otyugh is bad
"No! You think the other lords have no "That was an otyugh in the midden?" I
- but if you do see one, be sure to
enough
s1 in our kitchens? Nor your father in asked, for the benefit of my hidden tape look around for another even more fear-
thc,rs? No one dares to use poison in the recorder. some foe!
Dales, lest all the other lords retaliate." Elminster replied. "It turns out Thankfully, otyughs mate only seldom
"What, then?" that Lashan, at least, knew of it
"Some visitors disappear, do they not?" - when he
overran Harrowdale, his archers emptied
(perhaps once in every seven years or so),
traveling by night and subterranean routes
the swordmaster asked, returning to his flasks of oil and then quiversfull of flaming to bonepits deep under the earth, where the
earlier line of discourse. Erammon nodded. arrows from that balconv until the whole remains of many ancient creatures lie in
"So, even you have noticed that," the old midden was aflame." vast layers. There they mate in mass gath-
warrior said sarcastically. "What about Erammon?" erings with others of their kind who have
"And how not?" said Erammon in an "He lives, some say, hiding in exile, but made the same journey.'
irritated tone. "Word spreads, among trav- has not come to reclaim his seat since
elers as well as among those who live in Lashan's fall. Certain.ly his body has not Notes
Harrowdale." been found. Thaeron died fighting Lashan's 1. Elminster provided precise details of a
"Aye, talk travels," Thaeron agreed. armies . . and of course Oraun died of gulguthra's reach (tentacles can grow up to
"Those who disappear are brigands, or so heart-stop some winters ago." The sage 14 feet in length, fully extended) and senses.
your father tells the gossips." stared into the fire and shrugged. "Interest- An otyugh can communicate telepathically
"But ing times, indeed. But I have more than a
- no bones? No corpses on the
battlements?" Erammon asked, still bewi-
with creatures up to 4" away; the neo-
tale to answe your query. I have brought otyugh's telepathic range is 6 ", and the
dered. The pair kept walking through the with me a certain document, and know higher intelligence of the latter creature
hall, and Thaeron made a gesture toward more besides. Bend thine ears, then and enables it to communicate on a more so-
the far end. -
be sure that recording instrument you hide phisticated level with creatures it encoun-
"The kitchens? You mean we eat . . ?" so well is working properly." ters. Only rarel howeve will a gulguthra
The prince gasped and began to go pale. I flushed a bit, shifted in my seat to hide initiate such cornmunication, for it has little

Dnnco 21
 victirns rvith force equivalent to 1B (no reported it briefly and without comment.
percentile) strength for purposes of match- Elminster checked with the sorcerer known
ing the creature's grip or the force of its asJovriam of the Mines, and certain
thrust against the strength of an opponent' svirfnebli, and was able to glean the follow-
A tentacle does 1-B points of damage on a ing facts and observations:
slap that hits its target, anrl can also curl Every gulguthra is bisexual. Each pro-
abut an opponent within range, constrict- duces, once every seven winters, ajellylike
ually swivels, periscope-style, and any
...ut.r.. that comes within range of its ing for 2-4 points of damage per round until
visual powers is instantly detected' (The th hold is broken. The otyugh can lift a
...utr.ri" does sleep, but only when it is not grasped opponent and hurl the victim into a
threatened, and even in this semi-dormant pit or against a wall; the more intelligent
neo-otyugh also likes to use a grasped crea-
of ture as a shield, flailing the victim about to
fend off attacks from other adversaries. stood, another gulguthra can fertilize any
:,:, Either sort of creature can sense when a eggmass (except its own) by taking it briefly
grasped opponent is weakened or disabled, into its mouth, or perhaps some internal
narrow to mere blurred slits in bright sun-
nd will try to push such prey into reach of organ, and expelling it again.
light for which reason the creature lives
- its suckerlike, toothed mouth. Due to the An eggmass that is fertilized, if left undis-
blow ground. The presence ofa torch or
creature 's favored habitat (proximity to turbed, will develop in one week's time into
the casting of a light spell can sometimes so
du tem a miniature version of the parent that pro-
disconcert these creatures that they do not
vided the eggmass. (An otyugh eggmass will
attack. Gulguthras cannot smell with any
acuity, probably due to the dung and decay ! i,oi
acting
only produce another otyugh, and likewise
for the neo-otyugh, even though either
that customarily surrounds them, and so da
typus (treat as a parasitic infestation; see species can fertilize any eggmass ) This
they cannot track prey, nor readily discern
pages 13-14 of the DMG) There are no 'inewborn" creature is driven by an instinc-
the true natures of disguised creatures
known cases of gulguthra suffering from tual urge to find warmth and food, and will
2.Phiraz, never having fought a wander off to seek its own "fortune," re-
gulguthra and having viewed only one such any such diseases carried in waste and filth
themselves, and they are thought to be turning to its birthplace years later to breed
encounter through the eyes of a sedentary
immune or at least highly resistant to these' rn lts turn.
scholar and not a fighting-man, is both
3. Phiraz again is vague; his research had Gulguthra young are smaller (3-5 HD)
vague and brief as to their hghting style and
gone so far as and weaker (damage of 1-611-6ll-4, tentacle
abilities. Elminster has other sources, and
truth (periodi strength of 16) than mature specimens, but
their information boils down to this: When
a legend conc are otherwise identical to their parents, and
it is attacking, an otyugh's tentacles erupt
but, having a grow to maturity within 4 months. T
from the concealing pile of offal and slap

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