While working at completing Knights-Marshal of the Commonwealth (soon!) I am going from filling in background pieces to rewriting some weapon and equipment entries, or in this case adding some more adversaries or encounters. The Rythani Wardbeast came out of coming up with setting specific examples for the various sizes of creature available for the Size power in the BASH rule set. Sure I could have use modern earth examples like an elephant for a size 2 creature, but there are no elephants in the setting, so why not substitute the Qizil of Samarkhan instead. 

For Size 4, which is pretty horking big, I had no example, so I made one up from the background I have already written. The Rythani provided me with the perfect candidate in the Wardbeast. I added creew to help bring across the Rythani personality and because the image has a crew platform.

Here is a bit from Knights-Marshal of the Commonwealth, about the Rythani and their worldview. You will quickly see that a Lance of Knights-Marshal are likely to run afoul of them sooner or later. And when they do, they are in for a hell of a fight!

The natives of Ryth are one of the non-Signatory species of the Commonwealth, hailing from a world on the border of Ran-Keld space. The Rythani have no interest in Signatory status and are happy to peddle their wares within Commonspace, to the Edge and beyond. They are traders first and foremost, but of the most aggressive sort – with the Rythani, the hard sell can involve blaster fire. And among the many wares they peddle are the tools of war. Wardbeasts and their attendant crews are among the most lethal of mercenaries, loyal to the coin that purchased their allegiance and with little scruple over their duties.

Within Commonspace, heavily armed Rythani “trading vessels” respect Common Law. They travel from world to world, requesting permission to land and sell, proffering only those things allowable under Common Law,. If permitted, they unload their merchandise, along with their Wardbeasts (purely a security measure to prevent fraud or theft, they assure the locals). Rythani merchants find that the towering presence and occasional thunderous growls of the lounging wardbeasts encourage quick transactions with a minimum of fussy haggling. And because of the quality of goods the Rythani bring to market, there is usually no shortage of shoppers.

On the Edge and beyond, Rythani trading vessels are far less circumspect in their dealings. Many draw no particular line between trade and piracy, except when they come under the eye of the Knights-Marshal or some other body of authority.

Of course, you can also check out the Datafile, attached above. Art for this entry by the extremely talented madvybez!