Risen Preview
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The bestiary includes some very interesting new creatures in addition to some familiar ones. Starting with familiar stuff, we'll see Wolves, whose aggressiveness in the game is explained by their extreme hunger that makes them attack practically any fleshy target they spot in the wilderness. Another familiar sight to old-timers are undead Skeletons who roam the land, killing every creature who still holds onto life in some manner. Likewise Ghouls have adorned more than one RPG in the past - they are basically zombies but with unearthly hunger for meat. According to the legends on the island, ghouls were once evil humans, who turned to these evil creatures after their deaths - becoming what they always were inside when they were still alive. Ogres, however, are not aggressive creatures at heart and some of them have actually been tamed into human service. Another way to bind one to one's service is blood debt (Wookies, anyone?). Last, and perhaps the least, come Gnomes with their unending yearning to steal anything that they can lay their hands on. Anyone who ever played the Ultima series (especially Ultima III) series will remember these critters with a special sort of fondness.
As far as it comes to original bestiary, Risen introduces quite a collection. Sea Volchers are big carrion eater birds who are rather peaceful unless you go and bother them by trying to take away their food. Giant herbivorous Thunder Lizards are lazy but very territorial creatures, who warn off anyone who approaches them with thunderous beats of their tails. Rotworms inhabit swamps and marshes and have become more common in the recent times. They tend to roam in the depths, but sometimes they surface in their search for food. Ashbeasts are perhaps the most violent species on the island - cave dwellers who are almost insane in their aggression towards anyone trespassing in their labyrinth-like dwellings.
