Atlas    Languages    The Multiverse    World Timeline Campaigns    Characters    Modules Creatures    Monstrous Index    Encounter Maker Religions Personalities Magic Items Lore & Stories Rule Additions    Feats    House Rules    Prestige Classes    Races Spells    Domains Links Go to Creature: AnkuburusAveraBlack PhylisBone WalkerBradelCarachesChaos FiendChaos WraithDark IncarnateDemon, ArguliaDemon, AtarniaDemon, NahakDevil, Flesh Rend...DinDragon, MirrorDramorian ReaperDwarf, Daernartho...Eater of ColorElf, DrakherElf, EarinaiElf, GaliadreElf, LeretherElf, NadristiElf, SelereElf, TenerthorEloamEmrionFlame LordForest MassiffGolth-Qua'nGrim CloudHaruninkiHousheeHustiIncasos, Bashlika...Incasos, BlightIncasos, Geltutoo...Incasos, Infaelud...Incasos, JulahdonIncasos, MaeldradIncasos, Mandrago...Incasos, Mealafis...Incasos, TaturakKadahar, GreaterKadahar, LesserLeshyLiving IceLupinalMoredhelMoredwraithMwellwretOruliProckSakarabruSand GorgonSand Spider, Hunt...ShadowmanShub-Naddar, Caus...Shub-Naddar, Cete...Shub-Naddar, OozeShub-Naddar, Over...SilothreniSkhullSkull BearerSpirit HunterS'ratStonemite SwarmStorm WraithTsadutanWaynhimWomberingWorm, TsalanaZith

Worm, Tsalana

Appearance

The Tsalana are a mystery, fantastically titanic in size and ferocity, a threat, and an elusively worshiped manner of beast which rules over the Desert of the Sinnd. No where else in the world is there a creature like the Tsalana, except perhaps the mighty Wombering of the arctic Evermounts; a mere 7000 miles distant.
    Tsalana grow to be 1000 to 1500 feet long, though it is exceedingly rare for anyone to see the entire length of one since only some of their front appears when attacking surface prey. Their bodies are worm-like, sandy yellow and mottled gray in color, wrinkled in texture, and with great folds of skin covering most of their incredibly thick hide. The front of the Tsalana is an enormous, circular mouth which is every bit as wide as the creature is; and the Tsalana sometimes is as wide as 100 feet from bottom to top lip. They have no eyes, using their ability to detect tremors in the ground to locate prey. It is said by the Banderan, natives to the hills which surround the Desert of the Sinnd, that a Tsalana worm can hear and feel ones finger tapping lightly against the sand from a days ride away.
    From each ten by ten foot patch of the Tsalana Worm protrudes a long (40 foot) whip-like arm. These deadly extremities have shovel like blades at regular intervals and at their tips which aid the creature in its burrowing. The whip-like arms also serve as very adequate weapons as well. At the very front of the creature, from within its gaping mouth, extend several dozen more arm-like appendages with which the creature feeds itself and can attack its prey. These forward arms which extend out of the creatures mouth may well reach 80 feet or more. Filling the cavernous mouth from which these arms extend are several dozen rows of long, vicious teeth. These teeth are extremely durable as well as sharp, and are prized by Banderan Warriors.

Combat

Tsalana hunt the desert continuously, pausing only long enough to devour prey before moving on.
    Parasites (Ex): Any creature that suffers damage from a Tsalana worm or who experiences prolonged direct contact must successfully make a Fortitude save (DC 26) or become contaminated with the symbiotic parasite which lives within and upon the worm's skin. Afflicted creatures become delusional (as though under the effects of a confusion spell) after 1d4 rounds as the creatures burrow into their skin and interfere with their nervous system. A cure disease can remove the parasites. If the parasites are not removed then the victim will suddenly die in 1d4 days as eggs laid within him hatch ravenous parasite young which quickly devour them from the inside out. The parasites are minute and difficult to see as they are the size of sand mites and have the same coloration as desert sand.
    Tentacles (Ex): A Tsalana Worm's many tentacles are Large in size and no more than four can attack a single target simultaneously. Its mouth tentacles extend from within the creature and have a reach of 80 feet. A Tsalana attempts to grapple any creature struck by its mouth tentacles. Its body tentacles are shorter and less dangerous, having a reach of 40 feet.
    Tsalana tentacles can be severed from the creature. Damage done to a tentacle does not count against the total hit points of the worm. A mouth tentacle has 60 hit points and a body tentacle has 30.
    Swallow Whole (Ex): A Tsalana Worm with a creature grappled in a mouth tentacle may swallow the opponent whole with a successful grapple check. A swallowed opponent suffers 4d6+28 points of slashing damage as the tentacles drag the creature over the razor sharp jaws of the worm's mouth and through the sphincter of teeth that bar entrance into the worm's stomach chambers. The swallowed creature then suffers 4d6+19 bludgeoning damage and 3d6 fire damage on the round they enter the gullet and each round thereafter until they perish or escape. A swallowed creature is considered to be grappled, but the Tsalana Worm is not. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a piercing weapon to deal 50 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 28). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Colossal Tsalana's interior can hold 4 Colossal, 16 Gargantuan, 64 Huge, 256 Large, or 1024 Medium or smaller opponents.
    Antimagic field (Su): All magic within 100 feet of a Tsalana Worm is suppressed as though the worm was surrounded by a vast antimagic field spell.

Habitat/Society

Tsalana Worms are solitary hunters unless they are seeking a mate. They are not particularly intelligent creatures and will flee, burrowing away, if significant damage is done to its hide. They are only found in the desert of the Sinnd, where they live extremely lengthy life spans. Some sages theorize that a few Tsalana may be as old as the world since the end of the Age of Chaos, but there is no evidence to support this. One of the most dangerous times to cross the Desert of the Sinnd is in the spring, during the mating season of the Tsalana. Most Tsalana do not successfully mate during this time, and so their population is fairly static, but their increased activity and aggressiveness is a hazard to travelers.

Ecology

Tsalana Worms are omnivorous but seem to be able to go without food for incredible periods of time. It is suspected that the parasites which live upon its skin aid it somehow in providing it some kind of food or energy. Tsalana hunt through-out the Desert of the Sinnd and track their prey by sense of vibration. The teeth of the Tsalana Worm are very highly prized by Banderan Tribesman of the Sinnd and can be fashioned into very sharp swords and other blades by a skilled weapon smith. Weapons created from this material automatically gain a +1 bonus to damage due to the inherent sharpness of the substance.
    Tsalana serve a useful function in the Sinnd desert. After the summer fire storms have finished raging down from the sky, the Tsalana quickly turn the baked earth back into sand by devouring and churning it up as they move through the ground. Without this, the desert would eventually take on a hard and glassy surface, becoming even more inhospitable and denying shelter to creatures who hide in the sand during the hot daytime.

History

Though legend says that once the Desert of the Sinnd was a great inland sea and home to an enlightened race. The presence of the Tsalana seems to indicate great Sinnd was never an ocean and reports persist of travelers seeing tops of towers or stone blocks of ruins buried in the shifting sands.