#sadko

[enchantedbook]

illustration for the Russian folk tale of 'Sadko'. Artist : Evgeny Bashmakov.

[screenshotingmonstercinema]

[apollonicheskoye]

"Sadko" by Ilya Repin, 1876.

Sadko is a hero of Russian epic poems (bylinas). He is a poor but talented gusli player from Novgorod. About this painting Repin writes: Before Sadko pass beautiful maidens of all nations and all epochs; Greek maidens will pass, and the magnificent Italians of Veronese and Titian (the essence of all that art has created of the marvelous in this respect—the beauty of forms, the beauty of costumes) the simple fellow Sadko is beside himself with delight, but he firmly holds to the saint's instruction to choose the dark-haired maiden. Having chosen her as his wife, Sadko found himself the next morning on the bank of his native river Chernava. The idea expresses my own real position and, perhaps, the position of all Russian art as yet.

[cinematicjourney]

Sadko (1953) | dir. Aleksandr Ptushko

[owa-tagoo-siam]

[rubguyest]

In russian rubber diving suit Sadko (садко). Thick rubber gloves and yellow Dräger panoramatic gas mask.

[thecreaturecodex]

Alkonost

Image © Eugenia Vi, accessed at her ArtStation here

[After a whole bunch of reruns of CR 12 magical beasts, here's a brand new one! This is, in fact, the first in a miscellaneous world folklore set, one inspired in large part by my girlfriend, @abominationimperatrix. The alkonost is a monster I was first introduced to in a wild way, in The Magic Voyage of Sinbad, a Roger Corman produced dub of the Soviet epic Sadko that appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000. And so learning that it wasn't originally "the bluebird of happiness", and had its own tradition behind it, took a while. This art is my favorite because it incorporates the monster's origin. "Alkonost" is a Cyrillic adaptation of "Alcyone", the woman turned into the first kingfisher in Greek mythology. One of the few remaining tidbits of that story actually gets inverted in the Slavic version; instead of laying their eggs when the storms of winter are unnaturally calm, they lay straight into stormy water! So I had to incorporate that into my version, and wanted to make an alkonost in kingfisher colors.]

Alkonost CR 12 CG Magical Beast This creature has the body of a bird, with ochre and blue feathers, and the head of a human woman. Both aspects are beautiful. She has an expression of serene grace on her features.

An alkonost is sometimes called a bird of happiness or a bird of paradise. They are goodly kin to the sirens, and use their magical music only in defense or to aid others. They are incorrigible optimists that see the beauty in everything and are certain that good will ultimately prevail over evil. They are by no means naive, but assume good intentions until demonstrated otherwise. Alkonosts may deliver messages of hope and joy for goodly gods or nature spirits, and they are sometimes mistaken for angels. An alkonost is a purely mortal creature, albeit one with a lifespan measurable in hundreds of years.

It is rare that an alkonost starts a fight, but they can certainly end them. The song of bliss sung by an alkonost fills those that hear it with an overwhelming euphoria and saps them of their will to fight. Anyone who resists this effect will be targeted with the alkonost’s other magic, at first to try to convince them to lay down their arms. The talons of an alkonost are relatively weak, but the birds can create magical gusts of bludgeoning wind to fight creatures that resist their compulsions. If accompanied by allies (charmed or otherwise), alkonosts fill a support role, using bardic magic to bolster their strength.

Alkonosts tend to live on islands, tropical mountaintops and other remote locations. This is partly because they value sites of natural beauty and partly because they value solitude. The song of bliss is so beautiful that it can induce feelings of worship and dependence in those who hear it, and the goodly birds do not particularly want to have armies of devoted thralls. If their homes or persons are threatened particularly dangerous monsters, they may use diplomacy and enchantment to recruit other creatures to assist them. In these cases, alkonosts go their separate ways when their goals are accomplished.

Most alkonosts are female, but males and members of other genders do exist. Alkonosts are poor parents, but make up for it with their magical abilities; an alkonost mother lays her egg in stormy seas, whereupon it is incubated by the rocking waves and blowing winds. When it washes up on a shore, the egg hatches into a Tiny alkonost with a fully mature mind, which goes about finding itself a territory and learning new things to find wonder in. Alkonosts feed on fresh fruit and nectar as well as fish and insects; one of the ways to curry an alkonost’s favor is with finely cooked foods (since cooking without hands is very difficult).

Alkonost CR 12 XP 19,200 CG Medium magical beast Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +20

Defense AC 26, touch 23, flat-footed 20 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural, +7 deflection) hp 161 (14d10+84) Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +11 Immune charm and compulsion effects; Resist cold 10, sonic 10; SR 23 Defensive Abilities resplendent feathers

Offense Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (good) Melee 2 talons +15 (1d6+1) Ranged air blast +19 (6d6+5) Special Attacks bardic performance (43 rounds/day, Will save DC 24; countersong, dirge of doom, distraction, fascinate, frightening tune, inspire competence +4, inspire courage +3, inspire greatness, soothing performance, suggestion), song of bliss Spell-like Abilities CL 14th, concentration +21 At will—calm emotions (DC 19) 3/day—charm monster (DC 21), quickened mental block (DC 19), modify memory (DC 21), shout (DC 21), suggestion (DC 20) 1/day—break enchantment, cloak of dreams (DC 22), geas/quest, heal (DC 23)

Statistics Str 12, Dex 21, Con 21, Int 18, Wis 24, Cha 25 Base Atk +14; CMB +15; CMD 38 Feats Dodge, Extra Performance, Flyby Attack, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quicken SLA (mental block), Toughness Skills Bluff +18, Diplomacy +18, Fly +22, Knowledge (nature) +15, Perception +20, Perform (sing) +26, Sense Motive +18, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers +8 Perform (sing) Languages Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common

Ecology Environment warm mountains and islands Organization solitary Treasure standard

Special Abilities Air Blast (Su) As a standard action, an alkonost can fire a gust of powerful wind, acting as a ranged attack with a range of 60 feet. A creature struck takes 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage plus the alkonost’s Constitution modifier (6d6+5 for an average specimen), and must succeed a DC 22 Reflex save or be pushed 10 feet away from the alkonost. The alkonost can use this ability at will. The save is Constitution based. Bardic Performance (Su/Sp) An alkonost can use bardic performance as if she were a 14th level bard. She does not get other bard class abilities unless she takes levels in the bard class. Resplendent Feathers (Su) An alkonost gains a deflection bonus to its Armor Class and CMD equal to its Charisma modifier. Song of Bliss (Su) An alkonost can sing a supernaturally soothing song as a standard action, affecting all creatures in a 60 foot radius. Creatures in the area that can hear the alkonost’s song must succeed a DC 24 Will save or be effected as by a euphoric tranquility spell that lasts for as long as the alkonost concentrates on the song and the creature can hear the song, and for 1 minute thereafter. Creatures that succeed their save are immune to the song of bliss of that alkonost for the next 24 hours. This is a mind-influencing, compulsion and emotion effect, and the save DC is Charisma based.

[chernobog13]

I've never seen anyone so happy that they caught a fish!