Savarysk, the Cannibal Horse

Yogah of Yag

Mongoose
I have heard a mention of a so-called cannibal horse, the savarysk, found north of the Vilayet, and would like to stat it out, but need more details if such exists in the saga literature. I assume it is not from REH, but pastiche. Anyone willing to provide some clues?
 
I found mention of it on this site http://www.geocities.com/tearofasgard/Welcome.html

But no other real google hits.
 
VincentDarlage said:
Where did you hear mention of this?

http://hyboria.xoth.net/gazetteer/hyrkania.htm

Second Paragraph.
I guess I could just use the stats for HORSE and just have it munch on people. :lol: ...but I think I'd have to find out more about it first.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
VincentDarlage said:
Where did you hear mention of this?

http://hyboria.xoth.net/gazetteer/hyrkania.htm

Second Paragraph.

Note that a lot of the gazeetter text on my site is (used with permission) from Dale E. Rippke's site. (There is a disclaimer at the bottom of the main gazetteer page at http://hyboria.xoth.net/gazetteer/index.htm )

The text on Hyrkania can also be found here:

http://www.dodgenet.com/~moonblossom/H.htm

I don't really have any idea what this beast is, though. As foxworthy pointed out, Google returns some piece of fan fiction:

http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/814247


"For these crimes," continued the man, "this woman will fight a Savarysk."

The crowd’s noise increased, a Savarysk was difficult enough to slay with four warriors, impossible for a lone woman. The Savarysk came from the northern steppes of Hyrkania and while looking like a normal horse at a distance, on closer inspection, they had cloven hooves like a goat, great sharp teeth for eating flesh and they were quicker by half than a horse.

So... maybe you can use a normal (Turanian) horse with the "dire" template and increased speed...

- thulsa
 
Yogah of Yag said:
VincentDarlage said:
Where did you hear mention of this?

http://hyboria.xoth.net/gazetteer/hyrkania.htm

Second Paragraph.
I guess I could just use the stats for HORSE and just have it munch on people. :lol: ...but I think I'd have to find out more about it first.

If it's a cannibal HORSE, wouldn't that mean it munches on HORSES (as opposed to people)?
 
If it only eats other cannibal horses, it would seem much less threatening!
It is ambiguous, isn't it?!
I assumed that what was meant properly was carniverous.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
If it only eats other cannibal horses, it would seem much less threatening!
It is ambiguous, isn't it?!
I assumed that what was meant properly was carniverous.

I don't think it is that ambiguous. Usually authors are fairly precise in their word choice, so if someone wrote about a cannibal horse, I would presume that horse eats its own kind.

Of course, it would help if I could figure out where the original reference came from. Possibly from a Savage Sword of Conan, but I haven't had a chance to look through my collection.
 
VincentDarlage said:
Yogah of Yag said:
If it only eats other cannibal horses, it would seem much less threatening!
It is ambiguous, isn't it?!
I assumed that what was meant properly was carniverous.

I don't think it is that ambiguous. Usually authors are fairly precise in their word choice, so if someone wrote about a cannibal horse, I would presume that horse eats its own kind.

Of course, it would help if I could figure out where the original reference came from. Possibly from a Savage Sword of Conan, but I haven't had a chance to look through my collection.

Me auther too, and me much good with words! :shock: :lol:
I know what you mean, however...
Given the broad quality spectrum of wordsmithing in the English language I have seen many exceptions to your generalization. Keep in mind that our dearest REH didn't know the word warlock and instead used the bizarre, mind-melting phrase witch-men. As the old expression went, "Even good Homer sleeps."
* * * * *
Above, someone mentioned a DIRE TEMPLATE. I searched the SRD but couldn't find such a thing. Is this included in the Conan RPG lit? My Master Index doesn't have it, either.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
VincentDarlage said:
Yogah of Yag said:
If it only eats other cannibal horses, it would seem much less threatening!
It is ambiguous, isn't it?!
I assumed that what was meant properly was carniverous.

I don't think it is that ambiguous. Usually authors are fairly precise in their word choice, so if someone wrote about a cannibal horse, I would presume that horse eats its own kind.

Of course, it would help if I could figure out where the original reference came from. Possibly from a Savage Sword of Conan, but I haven't had a chance to look through my collection.

Me auther too, and me much good with words! :shock: :lol:
I know what you mean, however...
Given the broad quality spectrum of wordsmithing in the English language I have seen many exceptions to your generalization. Keep in mind that our dearest REH didn't know the word warlock and instead used the bizarre, mind-melting phrase witch-men. As the old expression went, "Even good Homer sleeps."
* * * * *
Above, someone mentioned a DIRE TEMPLATE. I searched the SRD but couldn't find such a thing. Is this included in the Conan RPG lit? My Master Index doesn't have it, either.

Do you know that he didn't know the word "warlock," or are you assuming (1) he didn't know it, (2) he chose not to use it, and (3) it may have meant something different 80 years ago?
 
dire isn't a template... but if you want the horse to be really demoic you could turn it into a Nightmare and change a few of the states like the fire breathing and what not to make it more Conan.
 
foxworthy said:
dire isn't a template...

This freebie from Necromancer Games gives you, in addition to such interesting critters as the dire moose and dire skunk (!), a dire template (see page 12):

http://www.necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf

- thulsa
 
thulsa said:
foxworthy said:
dire isn't a template...

This freebie from Necromancer Games gives you, in addition to such interesting critters as the dire moose and dire skunk (!), a dire template (see page 12):

http://www.necromancergames.com/pdf/ToHDire.pdf

- thulsa

Wonderful!
Thanks.
 
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