Pooka Notes

So, what is a pooka? A pooka, in its base form, is a 60 to 90 centimeter green creature that is often found in the wilderness of Vardimar. Often called goblins, brownies and sprites, they are carrion and rot eaters that have little to no intelligence, though mages do occasionally take them as familiars.
Origin

The sages speak of pookas as having appeared in the chaos of the Drakken War (also known as the Last Great War, also known as the War of Ages), perhaps the product of a failed experiment or a corruption of another race by powers long lost. But no one knows for sure, least of all the pookas.

The first pooka infestation on record came from within the region now known as the Kaldorei Wilds.

Environment

Pookas are far-ranging creatures, often wandering across continents in search of their favored food. They can be found in most environments, ranging from the urbs of the City of Lions to the Kaldorei woodlands. When they find a particularly favored spot, they tend to form what's called a 'nest', usually in a abandoned ruin or a cave. Their nests are thick, fungoid masses of mushrooms and mold, often developing a thick haze of spores.

Pookas are themselves generated like mushrooms, their populations expanding and contracting around a nest as the food supply fluctuates. It is for this reason that many of the largest pooka nests are found near dumps and in sewers, often in populations of hundreds. The largest nest on record is speculated to have nearly a hundred thousand pookas.

Pookas are (for the most part) only interested in decaying plant and animal matter, and will turn up their nose at fresh meat and vegetables. Thus, many civilizations tolerate the presence of pookas in large quantities, as they are generally considered a benefit to the locals.

Interactions

In the ordinary scheme of things, pookas are harmless, and often can be found wandering the streets of towns, villages and cities seeking rot and trash to consume. They tend to view larger, more intelligent beings as background noise and potential food sources, and can be trained at least as easily as a small dog through this.

A popular sport in the known lands, pookaball, relies on this general prevalence of these creatures.

Pookaball

The origins of pookaball are hotly contested, and there are hundreds of regional variations. All involve picking up a pooka, or pookas, and throwing them as far as one can. The pookas themselves, if they survive, seem to treat this as little more than an inconvenience and will rarely turn on their molesters.

Defenses

An ordinary pooka has little or no defenses. While as prone as any being to falling into maddened rages, they are incapable of using weapons and will usually use only their few teeth or claws offensively. A pooka bite can be dangerous from their diet, but no moreso than that of a raccoon. So long as their nest is left untouched, the local population of pookas can be relied on to prove good neighbors.

If a pooka nest is disturbed, either by attempted clearance or through mechanisms as yet poorly understood, the pookas will begin to turn increasingly hostile towards those associated with the disturbance. If clearance is necessary, it is vital at this point to burn the nest out completely. If clearance is undesired, it is important to find the cause of the disturbance and put an end to it immediately.

The first stage of pooka defense is the Goblin stage, wherein packs of pookas will roam the nearby area attacking and killing anyone that looks like they may be a threat. This stage will last until the disturbance ends, then gradually taper off within a month.

The second stage, if pressure continues on the nest, is the Bogle stage. The nest will produce large, human sized creatures that are capable of crafting simple weaponry, and stealing more complex weaponry. Known also as hobgoblins, these creatures are innately aggressive and will try to kill any intelligent being within reach. The hobgoblins, under normal conditions, last only two or three weeks, and the nest will stop producing them when the situation is resolved.

The third stage is the Shaman stage. The advent of a shaman appears to be linked to the number of Hobgoblins, itself linked to the pressure on the nest. A shaman is an intelligent, thinking being capable of arcane and divine casting whose mere existence sustains the hobgoblins. The shaman will usually direct and organize the hobgoblins to attack the cause of the aggression, and anyone who may be in their way. Negotiations with shamans are fruitless, and their presence is usually indicated by the sight of entirely destroyed settlements and slaughtered populations. This stage lasts until either the shaman or the aggressor is destroyed. If attacks on the nest haven't stopped, however, then a new shaman will arise shortly after the first one is killed.

Larger and more established nests are almost impossible to clear out effectively, as the nest and the pookas will regrow rapidly and retain their previous alerted states. If the shaman is killed, and attacks on the nest are ceased, then peace will return within three to four weeks.

Other pookas

Creatures similar to pookas have been spotted in the caves of the dwarfs, the marshes of Kinok, and the far north.

The cave pookas, also known as cave goblins, appear to be constantly in the goblin stage. Seeking and killing prey to procure rotting material, which is hard to find in the caves. They have larger eyes and much more pronounced fangs than their surface cousins.

Little is known of the corrupted pookas of Kinok, but they seem to be no more dangerous to their neighbors than those elsewhere. Perhaps less so. Reports have arisen of orcs training pookas en masse, though these are usually dismissed as rumors.

From the far north come rumors of great shaggy beasts, thick with strands of mold and algae, that aimlessly wander the tundra. Nothing is known of these so-called bugbears, as few traders brave the lands of endless ice.