Progeny of Ragnorra: An Overview
We’re kicking into the realm of cosmic horror and Far Realm influences this week! With Spelljammer only three months away, now’s the best time to begin planning extraterrestrial (or extraplanar) baddies and adventures.
I for one was being elated by the announce of Spelljammer, science-fantasy is the king of fiction (for my games). One hope I have for the expansion is more Far Realm influences! We have gotten plenty of action from Hadar, that hungry-hungry star whose got tentacles for days, beholders (obviously), and mind-flayers. However, there are so many cosmic horrors to be explored.
I was thinking of a ways to start bringing these in. If you didn’t know, the newly-owned WotC company DNDBeyond released a huge FREE compendium of space-themed monsters for space cadets to sink their teeth into. There’s lots of great things in there! Adding onto this, and with Spelljammer in mind, this week is going to be all about bolstering the Star Spawn monster type and adding a unique twist: Ragnorra.
The Mother of Monsters
Ragnorra, from the Elder Evils dating all the way back to 4e, is a wonderfully unique monster in the D&D mythos. She is a 200 MILE long… mass of flesh and good vibes. Ya, good vibes! She’s originally from the Positive Energy Plane and flies about space as a living flesh-comet.
Sometimes, Ragnorra decides that a world just isn’t positive enough, or positive for all the wrong reasons, and smashes into the planet before trying to fuse with it. Awesome.
From the old tomes (written in the ancient year 2007), it is said that Ragnorra pretty consistently has bits of her own body flying off and taking certain forms. These are the Progeny of Ragnorra (see the title) and this is where the fun part begins for me.
Beings of positive energy, descending from space to cleanse the world and eliminate negativity and sin. Their forms beautiful and inspiring, their intentions… noble and just— but at the expense of an entire planet’s way of living. The concept oozes opportunity and invites all sorts of creativity.
So that’s exactly what I’m setting out to do this next week(s). Expand Ragnorra’s ranks and create a subfaction of the Star Spawn, the Progeny of Ragnorra. So look out for brand new spells, monsters, and maybe even a plant or two (of course) in the name of the mother of monsters.
Progeny of Ragnorra
‘The spawn of the matron comet are a varied and highly specialized collection of beautiful horrors. On the outside, they are ideal, gorgeous, and even beneficial. But on the inside, each and every one is a descendent of Ragnorra’s unwavering cancerous physical and mental indoctrination.’ — Captain’s Log 4350348, Cpt. Clove Hurhok
Hundreds of different Progeny are thought to exist and enough physical differences are present in even related species. There is a compelling argument to be made that each offshoot of Ragnorra is unique and individualistic, tailored to an exact purpose at an exact time. But this, as mentioned, is an argument only.
Progeny adopt characteristics of humanoids, animals, and even certain inanimate objects. One commonly witnessed type of extraterrestrial, the Star Spawn Grue, manifests from Ragnorra as cherubically-faced graceful beautiful humanoids that look quite similar to a normal human. With melodic voices and dancer-like movements, they careen across distances rapidly and subdue targets with remorseless laughter and self-assured strikes. Often, a victim does not even know they are about to be attacked.
As Ragnorra draws closer and closer to a target planet, the horrors and oddities that manifest grow greater in size, number, and purpose. Next time, we’ll take a look at one of the heralds of Ragnorra: the Idea Shaper. We’ll learn how this creature falls from orbit, plants itself within society, and lulls those under its influence into a false sense of prosperity and tranquility.
