Original Life Forms Used
• Class Arachnida – Ogre-Faced Spider (Deinopis sp.)
• Class Insecta – Hercules Beetle (Dynastes hercules)
• Class Reptilia – Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)
• Class Aves – Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
Appearance
The Talarvex 904 is a broad, low-standing predator with the armored forebody of a Hercules beetle, its glossy, horned carapace patterned in mottled umber and bronze. This shell merges into the spiny, camouflaged hide of a Thorny Devil, covered in irregular, crown-like spikes that disrupt its outline. From the shoulders sprout two elongated, feathered hindlimbs resembling those of a Secretarybird, each jointed for rapid, ground-covering strides. The head is a forward-leaning, wedge-shaped structure dominated by the enormous night-hunting eyes of the Ogre-Faced Spider, backed by a flexible neck and a hinged horn crest from the beetle heritage. Beneath the jaw, a collapsible net of silk-like fibers is held between clawed pedipalps, capable of being flung forward with precision. Wing-like, spine-fringed flaps run along the flanks, used for intimidation or aiding in sudden directional leaps.
Size
Length: 2.8 m from head to tail
Height: 1.6 m at the shoulder when fully upright
Weight: 340 kg
Speed
Land Speed: 35 ft (short bursts to 60 ft when sprinting)
Climbing Speed: 20 ft (can cling to rocky surfaces and tree trunks)
Stat Modifiers
• Strength: +3
• Dexterity: +2
• Constitution: +3
• Intelligence: −2
• Wisdom: +1
• Charisma: −3
Skills
• Stealth: +4 in dim or nocturnal conditions
• Perception: +5 (night vision and vibration detection)
• Survival: +2 (tracking small to medium prey)
• Athletics: +3 (bounding leaps, grappling)
Behavior
Talarvex 904 is an ambush and pursuit hunter. It patrols its territory on long, bird-like legs, using its acute night vision to detect movement at great distances. If prey is unaware, it crouches low, deploying its spiny camouflage. When the target is in range, it either charges with talon strikes or hurls its silk-net to immobilize, then delivers a crushing bite or horn-driven gore. Males often display lateral flaps and spike arrays to deter rivals; females defend hunting territories with relentless aggression.
Diet
Opportunistic carnivore; prefers small hoofed grazers, large rodents, ground-dwelling birds, and occasionally other predators. Also consumes insect swarms when larger prey is scarce.
Emotions
Primarily solitary and territorial; shows calculated patience when hunting but can shift to sudden bursts of fury if challenged. Exhibits threat displays when startled rather than immediately fleeing. Rare cooperative behavior observed during courtship season.
Environment Where Found
Semi-arid highlands, thornbush savannas, rocky mesa plateaus, and the upper slopes of dry mountain regions in Saṃsāra. Often patrols near cliff edges where wind and light conditions mask its approach.
Tags
Feral, Predator, Nocturnal, Ambush, Net-Hunter, Armored, Territorial, Thorned, Strider, Leaper, Horned, Camouflage, Flanker, Stalker, Plains, Highland, Carnivore, Venomous, Silk-Producer, Display-Feathers, Rock-Climber, Heat-Resistant, Cliff-Nesting, Long-Limbed, Spiked-Crest, Territorial-Call, Pack-Courtship
Life Cycle
The Skyrend Vellura 519 hatches from a tough, heat-resistant egg laid in crevices of high, sun-baked cliffs. Hatchlings emerge with soft, downy proto-feathers and spindly legs, relying on their parents for food and protection for the first two months. By the fourth month, the juvenile’s limbs strengthen, claws harden, and its distinctive spiked crest begins to form. They reach full size and maturity at about two years, at which point their territorial and mating behaviors become pronounced. Average lifespan in the wild is 18–22 years, though exceptional individuals have lived longer in secluded or protected territories.
Mating
Mating season occurs in the hottest part of the year, when food is plentiful in their cliffside habitats. Males and females engage in aerial display duels—males spreading their bright display feathers and females using their elongated limbs to perform acrobatic leaps between cliff faces. Successful pairs build large, communal cliff nests lined with silk threads produced from specialized glands, providing insulation and anchorage against winds. Females lay between 3 and 5 eggs per season, which are guarded by both parents.
Tactics
In defense or hunting, Skyrend Vellura 519 rely on a blend of stealth and ambush. They cling to cliff walls or overhangs using their long limbs and spiked claws, waiting motionless until prey approaches. They then launch in a sudden, powerful leap, gliding short distances with the aid of their display feathers to increase maneuverability mid-air. In close quarters, they use venom-laced bites combined with rapid claw strikes. When overwhelmed, they retreat vertically up sheer surfaces where few predators can follow.
Actions
They are capable of coordinated hunting in small packs, using sharp, guttural calls to signal attacks or flush prey toward other members. Solitary individuals favor silent stalking. When threatened by larger predators, they employ bluff displays—raising crests, flaring feathers, and releasing a musky deterrent scent—to discourage pursuit.
Other Interesting Information
• The silk produced by this species is naturally heat-resistant, making it highly prized by local craftspeople for fireproof garments or rope.
• Display feathers vary in color based on diet, with brighter pigments indicating a healthier individual—this also factors heavily into mate selection.
• Their territorial call can echo across valleys, warning rivals up to a kilometer away.
• While primarily carnivorous, they supplement their diet with mineral-rich cliff lichens, believed to aid in crest and claw development.
• Legends in certain Saṃsāran cliffside cultures claim that their crests were a gift from sky spirits, symbolizing vigilance and survival.
Adventurers in Saṃsāra might encounter or deliberately seek the Talarvex 904 for several reasons tied to its rarity, dangerous reputation, and valuable biological traits.
Many are drawn by its unique silk-netting secretion, which can be harvested from the pedipalps after a kill or capture. This material is prized by armorers, trapwrights, and magical clothiers for creating lightweight, enchantment-ready textiles capable of holding rune-stitching without degradation. It also resists both mundane and magical flames for a short time, making it valuable for specialized combat gear.
The beetle horn crest contains dense mana-aligned keratin, ideal for crafting tier-aligned bludgeoning weapons or ceremonial regalia. These horns are often purchased by Recuay nobility and guild-level artisans at high prices.
Talarvex 904 also serves as a formidable predator in contested regions, often claiming territory rich in other high-value magical fauna. Adventurers might hunt it to clear such areas for safer passage, farming, or settlement. Some mercenary contracts are specifically issued to drive the creature out of trade routes or resource zones.
In certain cultures, especially among desert and scrubland nomads, a Talarvex crest and leg-spike set forms a symbol of prowess and leadership. Aspiring chieftains or duelists may hire adventurers to retrieve these parts, either as trophies or as proof of a kill.
Occasionally, scholars, monster handlers, or beast-breeders commission live capture missions. They seek to study the creature’s precise ambush techniques—its use of flanking sprints with secretarybird legs combined with the sudden projection of a sticky net—to refine martial drills or magical creature training methods.
Talarvex 904 territories are sometimes located near ancient ruin sites whose magical fluctuations draw prey—and by extension, the predator. These ruins might contain relics, sealed vaults, or hidden portals, providing adventurers with two incentives: eliminating a lethal guardian and claiming whatever treasures lie beyond.
From a slain Talarvex 904, a skilled harvester could obtain a wide range of useful parts, each with applications in crafting, alchemy, or magic work. The following are among the most sought-after:
1. Carapace Plates – The Hercules beetle forebody armor, once removed and heat-treated, can be fashioned into lightweight, high-durability armor panels. Enchanters value the mottled umber-bronze pattern because it accepts camouflage runes more readily than plain chitin.
2. Thorny Devil Spikes – Each spike contains a capillary system that naturally wicks moisture and ambient mana. When dried, they can be ground into powder used in drought-resistant agricultural treatments, or in desert survival potions that slow dehydration.
3. Feathered Hindlimb Plumes – The long secretarybird-like feathers are strong, mana-reactive quills ideal for binding flight or leap-enhancement enchantments to clothing or light gear. They’re also used in precision fletching for specialized arrows.
4. Ogre-Spider Ocular Membranes – These translucent films retain an affinity for low-light mana. When processed, they can be cut into thin lenses for night-vision goggles or scrying devices that pierce dim magical veils.
5. Silk-Netting Glands – Beyond the net fibers themselves, the glands can be preserved to produce alchemical adhesives or binding compounds. Properly refined, the secretion becomes an almost invisible tripline material prized by trapmakers.
6. Crest-Horn Core – Beneath the outer keratin of the horn is a dense mana-crystal growth that forms along the beetle heritage. This crystalline structure channels force efficiently and can be set into weapons as a natural impact-amplifying focus.
7. Wing-Flap Membranes – The lateral spine-fringed flaps can be treated to create collapsible mantles or portable blinds. They retain the creature’s natural intimidation shimmer, which, when magically reactivated, can startle foes or herd animals.
8. Blood-Residue Resin – Once the blood is exposed to air, it thickens into a resinous gel that holds an affinity for binding earth and air elemental energies together. Artificers use it as a stabilizer in hybrid elemental constructs.
Long-Seeing Hunter Who Waited for the Moon’s Fall
In the time before the green hills learned to stand, when the sands still argued with the wind about where to sleep, there came a creature of shell and spike and leg. The elders called it Talarek Va-Xu, though in the tongue of broken stones it meant “One-Who-Sees-in-Shadow-and-Strikes-in-Light.” It is said the first of its kind was born from an egg that no bird had laid, from a seed that no tree had grown, but from the moon herself, who in her loneliness let fall a fragment into the earth’s mouth.
The hatchling crawled from a pit of black glass, bearing the moon’s horn for a crest and her shadow for a net. It wandered the lands where no sound could rest, hunting without hunger, watching without blinking. Its eyes, larger than the dreams of men, drank the light of the smallest stars, and its silk-net hands could snatch the wind from the air.
In that age, a people without name lived in scattered fires along the salt flats. They feared the Talarek Va-Xu, for it was said to take those who wandered too far from the circle of flames, folding them into its spiny shadow until they were gone. But in the fourth season of the Stone-Crying Rains, the salt flats cracked wide, and from their depths rose swarms of skyless locusts, a tide of wings and teeth that ate cloth, grain, even the eyes of the dead.
The nameless people prayed to their small gods of clay and reed, but none answered. So a hunter named Sualqa took her spear, made from the bone of her mother’s mother’s mother, and walked into the night toward the place where the moon’s child was said to dwell. She found it crouched between thornbush and rock, motionless except for the slow ripple of its wing-flaps. Its great black eyes fixed upon her, and in their dark she saw herself as a speck of light, no larger than a drifting ember.
She spoke in the language of broken stones, offering the shell of her spear and the meat of her hand in exchange for its aid. The creature did not speak, for it had no tongue of words, but it leaned low and opened the net of silk between its clawed limbs. The moon’s horn glimmered, and the wind bent toward it like grass toward rain.
When the swarm came again, they did not find the people. The Talarek Va-Xu had woven its nets high across the flatlands, lacing sky to ground, catching the locusts as a fisherman catches the river’s skin. It struck with its long legs, trampling those that slipped free, and its horn shattered the swarm’s leaders. For seven nights and seven suns it hunted, until the salt flats lay still and empty.
Sualqa returned with it to the fires, where the people offered smoke and shadow in thanks. But when the sun rose on the eighth day, the creature was gone. Some say it returned to the pit of black glass to sleep until the moon called again. Others claim it walks unseen in the corners of the wind, still watching, still waiting for the next fall of the sky’s hunger.
And in the nights when the moon is a thin hook in the dark, the elders tell the young: Do not run from the shadow with eyes like pools, for it is not the shadow that takes you—it is the shadow that saves you from what you cannot see.
Moral: Even the feared may be the shield; the patient watcher strikes when all else is blind.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Moon’s Net Hunter – Talarvex 904
STR 110 (55)
CON 90 (45)
SIZ 120 (60)
DEX 80 (40)
INT 40 (20)
POW 65 (32)
APP —
Move: 8 (Ground), 12 (Burst Stride)
Hit Points: 18
Armor: 6-point chitin and spines; ignores attacks under 6 damage.
Attacks:
• Horn Crest Bash 55%, damage 1D8+1D4
• Silk Net Cast 65%, ensnares target; opposed STR vs. STR to escape, or requires 2 full rounds cutting free.
• Raking Kick 60%, damage 1D6+db, knockdown on failed DEX roll.
Skills: Hide 65%, Listen 70%, Track (Visual) 80%, Jump 60%, Stealth 70%.
Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 to behold the creature in full predatory focus.
Special Rules:
• Nocturnal Sight: Sees perfectly in starlight or darker conditions.
• Predator’s Patience: May wait motionless for hours; Surprise attacks gain +20% to hit.
• Intimidating Flare: Once per encounter, flares spine-fringed flaps; targets within 5m must roll POW×5 or suffer −20% to attacks for 1D4 rounds.
Blades in the Dark
Moon-Horned Netcaster – Talarvex 904
Type: Threat 3, Large Feral Predator
Impulse: To ensnare and disable prey before closing in.
Armor: Heavy chitin (3 armor)
Harm: Horn Gore (level 3 harm: “Impaled”), Silk Net Ensnare (level 2 harm: “Entangled”), Spiked Kick (level 2 harm: “Crushed”)
Special Qualities:
• Night-hunter vision
• Patience of stone (will hold position until prey is optimal)
• Spine-flare intimidation (reduces morale)
Scale: Large (counts as gang of 4–6 people)
Clocks:
• Escape Net (4-segment clock to break free)
• Patience Trap (6-segment clock until it strikes if unnoticed)
Suggested Consequences:
• Lose item or weapon entangled in silk
• Forced prone by sweeping leg or knockdown
• Temporary fear penalty in further engagement
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Talarvex 904
Large monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 136 (16d10+48)
Speed: 40 ft., leap 20 ft.
STR 20 (+5)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 4 (−3)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 5 (−3)
Saving Throws: Dex +6, Wis +5
Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages: —
Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP)
Traits:
• Nocturnal Ambusher: In dim light or darkness, attacks have advantage.
• Silk Net (Recharge 5–6): Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one target. Hit: target is restrained (Escape DC 16, AC 10, 15 hp to cut free).
• Intimidating Flare (1/Day): All creatures within 20 ft. that can see the Talarvex must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute.
Actions:
• Multiattack: The Talarvex makes one horn attack and one talon kick.
• Horn Crest Bash: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
• Raking Kick: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Knave (latest edition)
Horned Net-Beast – Talarvex 904
HD: 8
HP: 56
AC: 17 (thick chitin & spines)
Attacks:
• Horn Bash: 1d10+2
• Raking Kick: 1d8+2, knockdown on failed STR save
• Silk Net (ranged 40 ft.): restrains; STR save to escape or 10 damage to cut free
Abilities:
• Night Vision: Sees perfectly in total darkness.
• Ambush Strike: Advantage on first attack against surprised foes.
• Intimidating Flare: Once per combat, force all within 20 ft. to save vs. WIS or suffer disadvantage on all rolls for 1d4 rounds.
Morale: 9
Speed: 40 ft. stride, 20 ft. leap
Behavior: Ambush predator, will stalk for hours before striking.
Fate Core
Moon’s Thorned Net-Beast – Talarvex 904
High Concept: Horned, spined, silk-net-casting predator of the night
Trouble: Will not break off a hunt once prey is marked
Aspects:
• Flare of the Spines (intimidation weapon)
• Vision of the Moon-Hunter (perfect nocturnal sight)
• Patience of Still Stone (ambush master)
Approaches:
Careful +2, Clever +1, Flashy +0, Forceful +3, Quick +2, Sneaky +3
Stress: 3 boxes
Consequences: Mild (2), Moderate (4), Severe (6)
Stunts:
• Silk Net Ensnare: Once per scene, can create a situation aspect “Restrained in Silk” with a +2 bonus to Sneaky when using the net to trap a foe.
• Spine-Flare Fear: Once per scene, may Forcefully create an advantage “Shaken” on all enemies in the same zone.
• Predatory Pounce: Gain +2 to Quick when attacking a target that has not yet acted in the scene.
Refresh: 1
Numenera & Cypher System
Horned Thornweaver – Talarvex 904
Level: 6 (18 target number)
Motive: To ambush and disable prey
Health: 36
Damage Inflicted: 8 points (horn bash), 6 points (raking kick)
Armor: 3 (natural chitin and spines)
Movement: Long (40 ft. stride, 20 ft. leap)
Modifications: Stealth 7, Perception 7, Intimidation 6
Combat:
• Silk Net Cast: Level 6 attack, if hit, target is entangled (Speed defense roll to avoid). Entangled targets must succeed on a Might task (level 5) to break free or deal 10 damage to cut loose.
• Intimidating Flare: Once per combat, all creatures in immediate range must succeed on an Intellect defense task (level 5) or suffer hindered actions for 1d4 rounds.
Interaction: Generally avoids groups; will attempt to ambush lone prey.
Use: Stalks adventurers through forested or thorny terrain at night.
Loot: Horn crest (worth 2d20 shins), silk glands (valuable to crafters), thorny hide fragments (armor crafting).
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Talarvex 904
Creature 9
NE Large Animal
Perception +17; darkvision
Skills: Athletics +20, Intimidation +15, Stealth +18, Survival +17
Str +6, Dex +4, Con +4, Int −3, Wis +3, Cha −2
AC 28; Fort +18, Ref +16, Will +15
HP 165; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine)
Speed 40 ft., Leap 20 ft.
Melee:
• Horn Crest +21 (reach 10 ft.), Damage 2d12+9 bludgeoning
• Raking Kick +21 (reach 10 ft.), Damage 2d8+9 slashing plus Knockdown
Ranged:
• Silk Net +19 (range increment 30 ft.), Effect: On hit, target is restrained (Escape DC 28, AC 10, 20 HP to cut free).
Special Abilities:
• Intimidating Flare (visual, emotion, mental) [1/day] – 30-ft. radius; DC 27 Will save or frightened 2.
• Ambush Pounce – If creature begins combat hidden, it can Stride and Strike twice as one action.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Mooncrest Netcaster – Talarvex 904
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+1, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d10, Stealth d10, Survival d8
Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 12 (3)
Size: +2
Edges: Ambusher, Fearsome Presence
Special Abilities:
• Armor +3: Chitin and spines.
• Horn Bash: Str+d8 damage.
• Raking Kick: Str+d6, Knockdown on success with raise.
• Silk Net: Ranged 6/12/24; Entangle (Athletics or Strength roll at −2 to escape; 2 actions to cut free).
• Intimidating Flare: Fear check (−2) for all within Medium Burst Template once per encounter.
• Low-Light Vision: No penalties in Dim or Dark conditions.
Wild Card: No
Treasure: Horn crest (rare crafting), silk glands (trade good), spiked hide (armor material).
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Horned Silk-Hunter – Talarvex 904
Metatype: Critter (Paranormal Predator)
Attributes: BOD 8, AGI 6, REA 7, STR 9, WIL 4, LOG 2, INT 5, CHA 2, EDG 3
Initiative: 12 + 2D6
Movement: 20/40 m
Armor: 6 (natural chitin and spines)
Condition Monitor: 13P / 10S
Skills: Unarmed Combat 8, Perception 8, Sneaking 9, Intimidation 6, Tracking 7
Powers:
• Ambush: Gains +4 dice on first attack when unseen by target.
• Silk Net (Exotic Ranged Weapon): 15 m range; Opposed Strength + Unarmed vs. Reaction + Athletics; netted target is Immobilized (Complex Action to break free with STR + Athletics vs. 5 hits or 10 damage to net).
• Fear: Opposed Willpower vs. critter’s Magic 4; failure inflicts –2 dice pool penalty for 1D6 rounds.
• Low-Light Vision: No penalty in dim conditions.
• Natural Weapon (Horn Bash): DV 10P, AP –2.
• Natural Weapon (Raking Kick): DV 8P, Knockdown on net hit.
Weaknesses: Territorial, Will not retreat if prey is marked.
Starfinder (2nd Edition)
Talarvex 904
CR 9
XP 6,400
NE Large Animal
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +19
DEFENSE
HP 165; KAC 27; EAC 25
Fort +17; Ref +15; Will +12
Immunities: none; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine)
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., leap 20 ft.
Melee: horn crest +22 (2d12+14 B)
Melee: raking kick +22 (2d8+14 S; knockdown)
Ranged: silk net +20 (range 30 ft.; entangle; AC 10, 20 HP to cut free; Escape DC 27)
Special Abilities:
• Intimidating Flare (1/day): 30-ft. radius; Will DC 24 or shaken 1d4 rounds.
• Ambush Pounce: When acting in a surprise round, may move up to speed and make two attacks as a full action.
STATISTICS
Str +6, Dex +4, Con +4, Int –3, Wis +3, Cha –2
Skills: Athletics +21, Stealth +18, Survival +19
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Mooncrest Netcaster – Talarvex 904
Animal Traits: Hunter, Pouncer, Ambusher
Size: Large (200–500 kg)
STR 15, DEX 11, END 13, INT 4, INSTINCT 10
Hits: 21
Attack DM: +2
Damage: Horn Bash (3D6), Raking Kick (2D6 + Knockdown), Silk Net (Special: Entangles target; target must succeed STR DM + Athletics (Dex) 8+ to escape or take full action to cut free).
Traits:
• Armor 6 (spines and carapace)
• Camouflage (+2 Stealth in natural terrain)
• Night Vision
• Frighten (opposed check vs. END to avoid DM –2 for 1D3 rounds)
Behaviour: Stalks prey until in striking distance, uses net first, then pounces with horn and kick. Will fight to death if territory is intruded upon.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Thorned Moon-Hunter – Talarvex 904
M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W
8 55 0 65 55 35 40 30 18 45 10 40
Traits: Armour (3), Night Vision, Weapon (Horn Crest) (SB+2, Impale), Weapon (Raking Kick) (SB+1, Knockdown), Silk Net (Entangle, Snare), Fear (2), Ambusher (+20 to Stealth in surprise situations), Terrifying Flare (opposed Cool Test or gain 2 Broken conditions).
Skills: Perception (I) 55, Stealth (Ag) 60, Intimidate (S) 65, Athletics (S) 65
Talents: Combat Reflexes, Menacing, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Stun
Special Rules:
• Silk Net: Opposed Strength vs. target’s Strength or Agility. If failed, target gains Entangled condition until freed.
• Horn Charge: If moving 6 yards or more in a straight line before Horn Crest attack, gain +1 Damage and Impact Quality.