Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 60 STR 50 21- Lift 102.4 tons; 12d6 HTH Damage [6] 13 DEX 9 12- OCV: 4/DCV: 4 40 CON 60 17- 45 BODY 70 18- 8 INT -2 11- PER Roll 14- 5 EGO -10 10- ECV: 2 40 PRE 30 17- PRE Attack: 8d6 8 COM -1 11- 18 PD 6 Total: 18 PD (6 rPD) 18 ED 10 Total: 18 ED (6 rED) 3 SPD 7 Phases: 4, 8, 12 20 REC 0 80 END 0 95 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 229 Movement: Running: 12"/24" Flight: 25"/50" Leaping: 6"/12" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills 45 Beak: HKA 3d6 (6d6 w/STR), END 4 32 Claws: HKA 2 1/2d6 (5d6+1 w/STR); Reduced Penetration (-1/4), END 4 6 Feathers: Damage Resistance (6 PD/6 ED) 30 Heavy: Knockback Resistance -15" 41 Wings: Flight 25", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4); Restrainable (-1/2), END 2 12 Long Stride: Running +6" (12" total), END 1 -2 Not A Water Bird: Swimming -2" 9 Sharp Senses: +3 PER with all Sense Groups 5 Can See In The Dark: Nightvision 15 Sharp Eyes: +10 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group 75 Reach: Stretching 20", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Always Direct (-1/4), Limited Body Parts (wings; -1/4), No Noncombat Stretching (-1/4), No Velocity Damage (-1/4) Skills 10 +2 with HTH Combat 12 +4 with Grab, Grab By, and Move By Total Powers & Skill Cost: 290 Total Cost: 519 75+ Disadvantages 15 Physical Limitation: Animal Intelligence (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) 10 Physical Limitation: Gargantuan (up to 64m long; -10 DCV, +10 to PER Rolls) (Frequently, Slightly Impairing) 5 Physical Limitation: Reduced Leap, can only leap half as far as STR indicates (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Physical Limitation: Very Limited Manipulation (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) 10 Reputation: bird that feeds upon elephants, 11- 389 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 519
Ecology: The rukh lives on various small islands found in the Indian Ocean and is often reported near the island of Madagascar. It requires a great deal of food to survive, and feeds on elephants and cattle it finds in India and Africa. Some reports say the rukh preys on snakes capable of swallowing an elephant in a single bite, while at least one portrait of the rukh shows it carrying off three elephants at once, one in each claw and a third in its beak.
The egg of a rukh is said to be 50 paces (at least 125 feet) around and is able to feed an entire shipload of men. Care should taken however, for if the parents return while the egg is being cooked, their wrath will be very destructive.
These creatures are also known by the names Angka, Pyong, Roc, Ruc, and Simurgh.
Personality/Motivation: Normal animal motivations. In general, the activities of humans are too insignificant to attract the rukh's notice, although there are reports of rukhs carrying off humans.
Powers/Tactics: Normally the rukh strikes much like it's smaller relation, the eagle. It will drop out of the sky and snatch up its prey in its claws. Large prey, such as an elephant, will then be dropped to their death so that the rukh may feed upon the remains. Due to their sheer seize, the rukh is relatively fearless, and will not flee from a large force of humans, unless badly wounded.
Appearance: The rukh is a bird of such immense size, some think it to be a cloud as it blots out the sun while flying over head, and it's eggs are likened to the dome of a large building. A single feather from the rukh is said to be a large as a palm frond, and measure a full eight paces in length. A single wing is at least 16 paces long, while the rukh's wingspread has been given at 40 to 60 paces across (100 to 288 feet across). Its appearance is likened to that of an eagle.
Designer's Notes: The rukh is a creature of Arabic legend, although it was known by rumor in medieval Europe. It is related to a whole host of other giant birds, including the Angka, Pyong, and Simurgh, and even has elements in common with the griffin. One possible origin for the rukh myth is fossil evidence of the giant flightless bird Aepyornis, found on the island of Madagascar, as well as the giant flightless birds of New Zealand. As a side note, the rook in chess derives its name from the Arabic rukh.