Nikkan Species in Violem | World Anvil
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Nikkan

The living manifestation of mischief. The Nikkan are a species of wooden gremlins brought to life by the combination of the 'Animate Object' spell and chaotic energy in the air.  

Appearance:

Their appearance can appear in many forms but the most common is the familiar lit hand torch commonly found in tunnels, corridors and dungeons. But other forms also include chopping boards, wooden plates and on rare occasions wooden statues. Within the cracks of the wood itself, the outer shell splinters revealing glowing red orbs for eyes deep from the splinters. Twisted roots for legs and feet sprout to enable walking and wondering around with free will. And if they appear as torches, the flames on their heads subtly turn a deeper shade of red to match their sight spheres.


Well thank goodness those heroes took care of that infestation. This city maybe full of iron and copper but there's plenty wood lying around. If those things got out, who knows what they could have done.
— Mynerva, Owner of Minnie's Tavern

Origins:

The origins of the Nikkan are not well documented, but many assume it started during a conflict between Sorcerers and Necromancer. When the Necromancers were devising a devious plot, they were caught and began animating objects to aid in their battle. However, due to the amount of chaotic energy surrounding the objects, instead of the objects obeying their masters the Nikkan were spawned. Doing as they see fit. Some call them lost spirits serving a tricker god, but many are not too concerned about the origin only about getting rid of the infestation quickly. The longer they are around, they more chance they have to infect other wooden objects and add numbers to their ranks. A nuisance of a creature that can quickly become a problem if left unchecked.   It is unclear why only wooden objects are affected by this unusual effect as many have tried on other materials such as iron, plant life and clay. Scholars of Birohhal have theorised it has to be a material that was once alive or part of a living thing that is now separate but experiments have been inconclusive.   More Info
After a run in with The Ivory Champions, a member of the Cult of Chaos was brought in for questioning who revealed a little more insight into the Nikkan creatures. They believe the chaotic spawn are an ally and servants to the Lord Archaos, the same deity they attempt to release from his prison and unleash onto the world.
 
TG20 Statblock:
HP - 8
DS - 10
Actions:
Melee - 1d4 damage
Ranged - 1d4 damage

Comments

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Aug 30, 2023 01:56 by Molly Marjorie

Ooh! I like the mystery of why only wooden objects come to life. Of course, I'm very glad my cutting boards aren't literally sprouting legs and walking away. The picture is great too.   In case you missed it, you've got an "nec" in the third paragraph, which I'm guessing is a link that didn't go through.

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Sep 2, 2023 11:40

Ah yes I see it, thank you for pointing out the spelling mistake :)