Sponsored.  Oh, will no good deed go unpunished?  I suppose time will tell, but right now things are looking bleak indeed.  I have wandered, ridden, climbed, crawled, and swum all over this earth; I have spoken with all manners of creatures, observed, analyzed, and recorded almost everything worth knowing about the people and beings of the world.  And yet here I am, unthanked and crouched in a godforsaken crevice, hunted by several of the creatures that I’ve graciously included in my catalog.  How astoundingly rude!

My name is Theodora Sneezewort, and I am by far the most inquisitive and curious specimen of the halfling kin.  I left Sevenswallow as a girl and have been wandering, riding, climbing, crawling, and swimming ever since.  Over the years, others have joined my selfless quest for knowledge.  First to accompany me was the tight-lipped dwarven recluse Brasimor Galla, who turned out to be a highly talented artist – the creator of the artworks that give color to my catalog.  A little later, at different times, we were joined by the spell-collecting elementalist Virdal and the self-proclaimed master thief Kvalka, both of whom have played a significant (if somewhat tiresome) role in my thus far successful pursuit of learning.

Our problems began as we approached the cave complex where Arknarath slumbers – the father of all dragons, resting on a mountain of gold, gems, and the scorched bones of adventurers.  The vicious attacks of a manticore forced us to seek refuge in a ravine which, it turned out, led into the mountain.  After some crawling we tumbled out into an open hall, landing by the claw-like toenails of a group of cave trolls.  If we neglect to give a detailed account of the spiders, the stray shadow demon, and the queen wraith that we eventually managed to escape, it can all be summarized here, at the damp bottom of a crevice in the bedrock – Brasimor muttering about his broken axe, Virdal wrapping the bleeding back of his head, Kvalka unconsciously croak-snoring. Not to mention my sprained ring finger!

That you are reading this probably means that you have ended up in said crevice and pried this tome from my lifeless grasp.  Either way, I hope with all my soul that these painstakingly penned, delightfully illustrated pages have fallen into the hands of someone who will care for them – who stops their search for Arknarath’s den and heads for the nearest monastery, where the catalog can be preserved and reproduced.  After all, we are dealing with one of the most important works in the history of the world – one that can change everything for all who have chosen the adventurous path.

– Theodora Sneezewort, one of a kind

From cat people to chimeras, fairies to frog people, hippogriffs to hydras, and many more – creatures both wondrous and horrifying are coming!  The Bestiary for Free League’s new hit fantasy RPG Dragonbane is coming early next year – and is already available for pre-order.

The Dragonbane Bestiary includes no less than 63 creatures, each brought to life in text and art, as well as a random encounter and a seed for a complete adventure.  Among these fantastic beings, there are nine new playable kin included, each with their own unique ability.

The full-color hardcover book is gloriously illustrated by the artists Johan Egerkrans and David Brasgalla. The Dragonbane Bestiary will be released alongside a complete cardboard Standee Set for the creatures in the Bestiary for use on a battle map, available separately.

Alongside the Bestiary, Free League will release a requested hardback version of the Dragonbane Rulebook.  The contents of the separate Rulebook is the same as in the softcover rulebook in the boxed Dragonbane Core Set, but has an added introductory adventure – The Castle of the Robber Knight.

Click on Gallery below for full-sized images.