In the world of Castles & Crusades, the Calygreyhound is a creature drawn directly from medieval heraldry. While many fantasy monsters strive for a shred of biological realism, the Calygreyhound is proudly "impossible"—a chimeric beast that symbolizes absolute speed and supernatural swiftness.
Physical Description
The Calygreyhound is a bizarre amalgamation of several creatures. In the Monsters & Treasure sourcebook, it is typically described as follows:
Head: A wildcat or feline head, often with a long, forked tongue.
Body: The slender, agile torso of an antelope or deer.
Forelegs: The powerful, taloned claws of an eagle.
Hindlegs: The sturdy, muscled legs and hooves of an ox.
Tail: Usually depicted as a lion’s tail or a tufted "poodle" tail.
Accoutrements: It often bears antlers or horns and, in some rare variations, may possess eagle wings.
Stats & Gameplay (SIEGE Engine)
While specific hit points can vary based on the printing and the "Castle Keeper's" (GM) discretion, the Calygreyhound is generally treated as a low-to-mid-tier magical beast.
| Attribute | Typical Range / Value |
| Hit Dice | 2–4 HD |
| Armor Class | 14–16 (due to extreme speed and agility) |
| Move | 60 ft. (or faster; it is the "Greyhound" of the heraldic world) |
| Attacks | 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (1d6) or Gore (1d6) |
| Special | Swiftness: Often gains bonuses to initiative or surprise. |
| Saving Throw | Physical (P) |
| XP Value | ~30–120 XP |
CK Note: The Calygreyhound’s primary "threat" isn't raw damage; it’s the fact that it is nearly impossible to outrun. It is frequently used by high-level NPCs or fey lords as a messenger, a hunting hound, or a scout.
Lore & Behavior
In Castles & Crusades lore, the Calygreyhound is often associated with the Fey or noble houses with ancient, magical bloodlines (a nod to the real-world de Vere family who used it in their coat of arms).
Speed over Strength: It rarely fights to the death. It prefers to use its eagle-talon forefeet to strike quickly and then bolt out of range.
Habitat: It is most commonly found in enchanted forests, high meadows, or serving as a guardian in a wizard's sanctum.
The "Invisible" Hunter: Because of its speed, many commoners believe the Calygreyhound is invisible; in reality, it simply moves faster than the human eye can track in dense brush.
To make the Calygreyhound truly memorable in Castles & Crusades, you have to lean into its heraldic nature. It shouldn’t just stand and trade blows; it should be a blur of motion that frustrates the party.
Here is a ready-to-use encounter designed for a party of Levels 2–4.
Encounter: The Silver Streak
Location: An overgrown forest path or a mist-heavy clearing near a ruined estate.
The Hook
The party is traveling when they hear a high-pitched, melodic "chime" that sounds like a silver bell. This is actually the Calygreyhound’s vocalization. A moment later, a pouch-carrying messenger bird or a small sprite darts across the path, pursued by a flash of gold and silver fur.
The Setup
The Calygreyhound is currently "on the hunt" for a magical MacGuffin (a scroll, a key, or a stolen locket) held by a small fey creature. The party can intervene to save the fey, or they may simply be seen as obstacles by the beast.
Combat Tactics: "Hit, Run, Repeat"
The Calygreyhound uses its Move speed to its advantage.
The Blitz: It starts the round 60 ft. away. It charges, makes its attacks, and uses the rest of its movement to retreat behind cover (trees or rocks).
The Reaction: Because of its Eagle-claws and Ox-hindlegs, it has incredible traction. Give it a +4 bonus to Initiative to represent its supernatural reflexes.
The Distraction: It uses its forked tongue to hiss, a sound that requires a Charisma (CL 1) save or the target is "Startled" (disadvantage on their next attack roll).
Custom Stat Block (C&C Style)
Calygreyhound (Large Magical Beast)
HD: 3 (d8)
AC: 16
Move: 70 ft.
Attacks: 2 Claws (1d4), 1 Bite (1d6)
Special: * Evasive: Can disengage from melee without drawing an Attack of Opportunity once per encounter.
Sprinting Leap: Can jump up to 30 feet horizontally from a standing start.
Saves: P
AL: Neutral
XP: 150
Rewards & Consequences
The Pelt: If slain, its shimmering fur is worth 200 gp to a specialized weaver or wizard.
The Horns: If it has antlers, they can be ground into a powder that grants a one-time Expeditious Retreat effect.
The Mercy Option: If the party manages to calm it (using Animal Friendship or a high-CL Wisdom check), the beast might lead them to a hidden cache belonging to its master.
In Wretched Darkness—a system defined by grim horror, folklore, and modern-day supernatural dread—the Calygreyhound shifts from a noble heraldic beast into something far more unsettling.
In this setting, it is often a Fae Hound or a "shuck" variant, a relentless pursuer that crosses the veil between the mundane world and the Otherworld to hunt those who have broken ancient pacts.
The Horror Aesthetic
Instead of a majestic chimera, the Wretched Darkness Calygreyhound looks like a biological glitch. Its feline face has too many teeth, its eagle-talons click rhythmically on asphalt, and its ox-hooves leave scorched or frosted marks on the ground. It doesn't bark; it emits a sound like a distorted radio signal or a human screaming from a long distance.
Wretched Darkness Stats
Classification: Preternatural Entity / Fae Construct
| Attribute | Rating |
| Prowess | 4 (Exceptional speed and predatory instinct) |
| Willpower | 3 (Single-minded hunter) |
| Logic | 1 (Animal intelligence, but magically guided) |
| Defense | 3 (Hard to hit due to blurring speed) |
| Toughness | 2 (Relatively fragile once pinned down) |
| Speed | 5 (Supernatural) |
Abilities & Traits:
Blur of the Veil: When moving at full speed, the Calygreyhound is partially intangible. Attacks against it suffer a -2 penalty unless the weapon is made of cold iron or is magically enchanted.
The Inescapable Scent: Once the Calygreyhound has the scent of a target (requiring a piece of clothing or a drop of blood), it can track them across any distance, even across different planes of existence.
Talons of the High Air: Its eagle-claws ignore 1 point of Armor, shredding through Kevlar or leather with ease.
Combat & Mechanics
Bite/Claw: 2d6 damage.
Gore (Antlers): 2d8 damage (requires a charge move of at least 10 meters).
Frightening Presence: Seeing a Calygreyhound in a modern setting requires a Fear Check. Its "impossible" anatomy triggers a visceral reaction in the human subconscious.
Narrative Use: The "Contract" Hunter
In a Wretched Darkness campaign, players don't usually stumble upon a Calygreyhound in a dungeon. Instead:
The Pursuit: A player character unknowingly steals an artifact or breaks a promise to a "hidden" entity.
The Sound: They begin hearing the clicking of claws on the roof of their car or the pavement behind them at night.
The Climax: The Calygreyhound corners them in a place where there is "no exit"—a dead-end alley, an elevator, or a lonely stretch of highway.
Lore Note: In this setting, the forked tongue of the Calygreyhound is said to be able to "lick" the memories out of a victim's mind, leaving them a hollow shell if the beast is ordered to capture rather than kill.
The Hook
A local "Collector" offers the players a massive payout to retrieve a stray dog that escaped his estate. When the players find it, they realize it isn't a dog at all, and the "Collector" is actually a dispossessed Fae Lord using the players as bait to lure the beast back into a cage.
In New Flesh, the Calygreyhound undergoes its most radical transformation yet. It moves away from "mythology" and into the realm of biological transgression and hyper-evolution.
In a world defined by body horror, radical genetic splicing, and the "New Flesh" philosophy, the Calygreyhound isn't a magical beast—it is a Designer Predator or a Glitch-Organism.
The "New Flesh" Concept
The Calygreyhound is a Chimera-Class Biological Asset. It was likely engineered by a megacorp or a rogue gene-hacker as a high-speed retrieval unit. Its "impossible" anatomy is actually a masterpiece of biomechanical engineering:
The Feline Head: Houses hyper-spectral sensors and a brain wired for high-speed processing.
The Eagle Talons: Are not bone and keratin, but carbon-fiber reinforced appendages designed to strip armor plating off vehicles.
The Ox Legs: Act as heavy-duty hydraulic stabilizers, allowing the creature to take 90-degree turns at 100 mph without shattering its own skeleton.
New Flesh Mechanics
In the visceral, high-stakes system of New Flesh, the Calygreyhound is a Tier 3 Biotic Threat.
| Stat Category | Rating | Narrative Effect |
| Violence | 5 | It attacks with surgical precision and overwhelming force. |
| Instinct | 4 | It can sense adrenaline and electrical signatures through walls. |
| Adaptation | 3 | Can "molt" its outer skin to escape restraints or fire. |
| Integrity | 2 | Vulnerable to heavy ordnance once its kinetic shields drop. |
Unique Mutations:
Kinetic Redirection: The Calygreyhound converts its movement speed into a protective field. For every 10 meters it moved in the previous round, it gains a +1 to its Defense rating.
Neuro-Toxin Tongue: Its forked tongue delivers a paralytic agent that targets the motor cortex. A hit requires a Body/Fortitude Check or the player loses their next turn as their nervous system reboots.
Sonic Boom: When it reaches top speed, it creates a localized pressure wave. Anyone within 5 meters takes 1d6 "buffeting" damage and is knocked prone.
Narrative Role: The "Exterminator"
In New Flesh, you don't find this creature in a forest. You find it in a sterile, white-walled laboratory or chasing your getaway van through a neon-drenched industrial zone.
The "Hounds of the Corp": Security forces use "Caly-Units" to hunt down escaped test subjects (the players).
The Glitch: Occasionally, these creatures "over-evolve," developing a rudimentary consciousness. They begin splicing themselves with the parts of their victims, leading to even more horrific, asymmetrical versions of the original heraldic design.
The Hook
The players are hired to steal a "biological hard drive." When they break into the vault, they realize the "drive" is the living brain of a Calygreyhound. It wakes up. It’s hungry. And the facility just went into lockdown.
In Castles & Crusades, the Caretyne (or Caratayne) is a formidable heraldic monster. While the Calygreyhound represents swiftness, the Caretyne represents heat, defense, and relentless ferocity.
A typical Caretyne has the heavy, muscular body of a bull (or sometimes a tiger), cloven hooves, and a head featuring sharp horns and boar-like tusks. Its most defining and dangerous trait is the magical fire that constantly spews from its mouth and ears.
Caretyne (Heraldic Fire-Beast)
Castles & Crusades Stat Block
| Attribute | Value |
| Hit Dice | 6 (d10) |
| Armor Class | 18 (Natural hide & heat shimmer) |
| Move | 40 ft. |
| Attacks | 2 Claws (1d6), 1 Gore (2d6) or 1 Bite (1d8) |
| Special | Breath of Flames, Fiery Aura, Charge |
| Saving Throw | Physical (P) |
| Alignment | Neutral (often Territorial) |
| XP Value | 450 + 6/hp |
Special Abilities
Breath of Flames: Once every 1d4 rounds, the Caretyne can exhale a 20-foot cone of fire. All within the cone take 3d6 fire damage (Successful Dexterity save for half damage).
Fiery Aura: The creature’s ears and mouth are perpetually on fire. Anyone grappling the Caretyne or hitting it with a natural/unarmed attack takes 1d4 fire damage.
Charge: If the Caretyne moves at least 20 feet in a straight line toward an opponent and hits with a Gore attack, it deals double damage (4d6) and the target must make a Strength save or be knocked prone.
Immunity: The Caretyne is entirely immune to fire-based attacks.
Combat & Ecology
The Guard Beast: In heraldry, the Caretyne is often a "supporter" of a shield. In Castles & Crusades, they are frequently summoned or bred by high-level Wizards or fey lords to guard vaults, bridges, or holy sites.
Heat & Environment: You can often tell a Caretyne is nearby because the temperature rises significantly. In damp dungeons, the air will be thick with steam; in forests, the ground around its lair is usually scorched and blackened.
Tactics: Unlike the skittish Calygreyhound, the Caretyne is a tank. It picks the most armored target and charges, using its breath weapon as soon as multiple enemies are in range.
CK Tip: If the party manages to harvest the tusks of a Caretyne, they can be used as a component to craft a Flame Tongue sword or a Wand of Fireballs at a reduced cost.
In the world of New Flesh, the Caretyne is reimagined as the Pyrosome "Cinder-Bull" Unit. It is no longer a magical beast, but a specialized Hazardous Environment Bio-Weapon.
While the Calygreyhound was designed for speed and retrieval, the Caretyne was engineered for Area Denial and Scorched Earth protocols.
The "New Flesh" Concept: The Living Incinerator
The Caretyne is a mass of hyper-dense, heat-resistant muscle. Its "breath" is not magical fire, but the result of a secondary, specialized stomach that acts as a biological refinery.
The Internal Furnace: Its core body temperature is high enough to cause its skin to glow a dull, bruised purple-red. It vents excess heat through cranial valves (the "ears").
The Fuel Injection: It consumes organic matter (including plastic and light metals) and breaks it down into a highly flammable, napalm-like bile. When threatened, it "vomits" this substance through pressurized glands in the jaw, igniting it upon contact with the air.
Thermal Plating: Its skin is a thick, leathery ablative mesh that hardens when exposed to extreme heat, making it nearly bulletproof while it is "running hot."
New Flesh Stats
Classification: Tier 4 Heavy Biological Asset
| Stat Category | Rating | Narrative Effect |
| Violence | 4 | Heavy, crushing blows and brutal goring. |
| Instinct | 2 | Slow, territorial, and easily provoked. |
| Adaptation | 5 | Immune to fire, plasma, and extreme heat. |
| Integrity | 5 | Massive health pool; acts as mobile cover. |
Abilities & Mutations:
Napalm Exhalation: Targets an area (3m x 10m). Victims take 3d10 damage and are inflicted with the Burning condition (1d6 damage per round until extinguished).
Heat Shimmer (Defense): The air around the Caretyne ripples with intense heat. Ranged attacks against it suffer a -2 penalty due to visual distortion.
Superheated Charge: If the Caretyne rams a target, it deals 2d12 crushing damage plus 1d8 heat damage as its metallic tusks sear through flesh and armor.
The Meltdown: Upon death, the Caretyne’s internal refinery ruptures. It explodes in a 5-meter radius, dealing 4d10 fire damage to everything nearby.
Narrative Role: The Industrial Guard
In a New Flesh campaign, the Caretyne is the ultimate deterrent.
The Foundry Guardian: Corporations keep them in smelting plants or waste-reclamation zones. They handle intruders and "unauthorized organic buildup" with equal efficiency.
The Siege Engine: Rogue factions use them to break through reinforced bunkers. They simply walk up to a blast door and "cook" it until the metal loses structural integrity.
The Body Horror: A "glitched" Caretyne might start incorporating industrial scrap into its own flesh—fusing its horns with rusted rebar or its hooves with molten lead.
The Hook
The players are trapped in a subterranean "Bio-Waste" facility. The cooling systems have failed, and the facility’s "disposal units"—three Caretynes—have mistaken the players for trash that needs to be incinerated. The players must find a way to vent the heat to weaken the beasts' armor before they are roasted alive.
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