Aniwye
Image © Brent Hollowell
[Welcome to Creature Codex: World Tour! It’s been a while since I’ve done a dedicated block of mythological/folkloric entities, and my theme this time around is “no theme in particular”. I’m going to be spending a month on each of the six (inhabited) continents, with the hope of highlighting some cultures and traditions that I’ve otherwise neglected. For example, the Australasia chunk will contain monsters from New Zealand, Melanesia and Polynesia in addition to mainland Australia. I also will be using this opportunity for more “if I ran the zoo” monsters; new stat blocks for monsters I don’t like the official Paizo versions of.
First up is North America, and we’re starting with the aniwye, a giant killer skunk from the Anishinaabe people. This image has been circulating around for a while representing the aniwye, but as near as I can figure, was originally intended to be a honey badger inspired monster. Brent Hollowell’s original art blog is gone, and although most pieces from it have reappeared on his newer official web presence, this one has not. There is an aniwye in D&D 5e through Tome of Beasts 2 by Kobold Press: that one is a shapeshifter, inspired by versions where an ogre is turned into a skunk after he is killed. My version draws from a Cree version of the story where Wolverine kills Aniwye, in which Aniwye has supernatural tracking abilities.]
Aniwye CR 10 LE Magical Beast This creature appears like a skunk the size of an elephant. It has long flat claws on its forelegs, an array of fangs, and a white stripe running along its back. Its stench is eye-watering.
The aniwye is a giant skunk that behaves more like a dragon. They are overlords of wide ranges of woodland territory, demanding fealty and tribute. The domain of an aniwye may have little outward indication of ownership, although aniwye do decorate trailheads and landmarks with trophies taken from their victims. Most aniwye are so territorial that they demand no other sapient creature cross their path, and if they find that one has, will track it down to kill it in retribution. Aniwye are phenomenal trackers, able to follow a trail at top speed without penalty, and gaining supernatural knowledge of the creatures they are tracking.
In combat, an aniwye uses its corrosive blast as much as it can. Its glandular secretions are so powerful that an aniwye stinks without spraying, but the spray is blinding and can corrode through stone, wood and flesh. In between blasts, an aniwye fights with its claws and teeth. They are stubborn combatants, and in defense of their territory typically fight to the death, spraying to the last breath.
Aniwye are voracious omnivores that consume primarily meat, fruit and berries. They have a special fondness for venomous animals and poisonous plants. The tribute they demand of other creatures often takes the form of foods rather than more permanent goods, especially baked, fermented or otherwise prepared. A single male aniwye tends to rule over a larger territory, with several smaller female territories within it. The females remain dispersed except during the winter, when the whole harem typically gathers together. Aniwye are typically less active during the winter, although they do not hibernate.
