Kala

These savage, man-eating spirits haunt icy wastelands in two kinds, cave kala and the somewhat rarer earth kala. A cave kala is humanlike but with a pointed, usually bald skull, chilly yellowish skin, dull black eyes, big ears and a long snout drooping over its lip. Its fingers end in razor talons and its broad flat feet cross snow and ice with ease. Indifferent to cold, it wears nothing but a leather or fur loincloth in any weather. Kala know their own tongue and those of nearby human and humanoid tribes.

Perpetually hungry, kala see every warm-blooded creature as food, attacking on sight, pursuing without letup and sometimes raiding human camps and villages. They are superb trackers, with an 80% base chance to follow a trail up to 48 hours old, minus 10% per extra day (70% for a three-day trail).

They fight with claws, or half of any band with a stone axe in each hand for 1d8 apiece. A bite needs a normal attack roll and deals no damage, but unless the victim saves vs. poison its venom brings escalating pain: a headache in round one, then -1 to attack and damage with +1 to saving throw rolls in round two, -2/+2 in round three, and -4/+4 in round four. From round five the victim is helpless, unable to move, attack or act. The torment lasts 1-3 turns from the bite. Kala are immune to all cold-based attacks.

Cave kala lair in mountain caves in the most desolate frozen reaches. A family holds 2d4 males, as many females, and young numbering a quarter of the adults, ruled by the largest male. Males battle over mates each breeding season and the losers are cast out, becoming bitter, humiliated loners who are especially dangerous.

Kala eat any meat, carrion included, and each other when game runs short. Villages near them sometimes pay handsome bounties for kala heads or similar proof.

Smaller and slower nomads, earth kala keep no fixed lairs and move camp with the seasons and the game. They resemble cave kala but have rosy pink skin and blond or dark brown hair, and share their outlook, skills and two-axe fighting style.

Instead of a venomous bite, an earth kala can three times a day exhale a sickening breath 5 feet long and 2 feet wide. Anyone failing a save vs. death magic contracts a wasting disease that costs 1d6 hit points daily and blocks all healing, including potions of healing and cure light wounds and the like, until cure disease or comparable magic is applied.