Taxidermic Grizzly Bear

Tufts of haphazard fur line the body of this gruesome bear, while great lines of stitching crisscross its body.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization any
Treasure none

Taxidermic creatures are the work of obsessed individuals seeking to use their alchemical or occult talents to preserve and reanimate lifeless beings. The abilities of taxidermic creatures often pale in comparison to those of their living counterparts, as they are bereft of intelligence or an animate life force to guide them. Instead, taxidermic creatures possess a rudimentary form of instinct, though they are still able to follow basic instructions from their creators.

Less refined than the magic used to animate undead, golems, and other constructs, the creation of a taxidermic creature is at best an inaccurate science. There is no one method of crafting a taxidermic creature, so each result is different. Every creature crafted in such a manner is prone to inherent defects based on the materials used or shortcuts taken during the process, and may or may not be able to obey its creators commands in a satisfactory manner. Because of taxidermic creatures’ limited mental faculties, their creators must be extremely careful and literal when commanding them.

Left unattended, taxidermic creatures stand in place, having no need to drink, eat, or sleep. Unless given specific commands, the actions of these creatures are unpredictable. Each taxidermic creature behaves differently, depending on the quirks of its individual construction. Some taxidermic creatures move and act like prowling animals, while others move with the rigidity and unerring purpose of animated objects. Some twisted taxidermists have gone so far as to create taxidermic humanoids, aberrations, and even fey.