Planar Adventures for Dummies: The Súccarath

The succarath is an animal appearing in bestiaries as early as 1558. It is described as native to Patagonia (the southern tail of South America).

As with many other animals from medieval bestiaries, the name is subject to variation. As implied in the 1783 An Universal Etymological English Dictionary by Nathan Bailey, the name may be pronounced something like /ˈsuk.ka.raθ/. It is often shortened to su. It may be spelled with an acute accent on the first syllable: sú and súccarath. It is rarely spelled succurath with a ⟨u⟩ in the second syllable. It supposedly derives from a compound of the Tehuelche words su ("cloak") and carrath ("skin"), thus meaning "cloak of skin."

Initially the succarath was described as a natural animal hunted for its pelt by the Tehuelche people, hence its name. The pelt would be used to make cloaks or even armor, as some authors described its pelt as full of bony nodules.

It was generally described as a quadruped that carried its young on its back, sheltering them with its large flattened tail. Otherwise, its physical features varied immensely among different authors and artists. Sometimes it was described with a leonine face, other times a human face with a huge mustache like a manticore. Sometimes it was described with clawed paws, its tail was described as covered in sharp bristles, et cetera. Modern commentators speculate that it was based on distorted accounts of anteaters, felines, monkeys, possums, sloths, or a conflation of multiple animals. See the gallery section below for examples past and present.

As time went on, the stories recounted in bestiaries grew increasingly embellished. For example, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore by Theresa Bane describes it as such:

An untamable creature, the su from Patagonian folklore is said to have an extremely warm coat for which it is hunted; not an easy task as it is said to be blood-thirsty, cruel, fierce, impatient, ravaging, strong, violent, and believes itself to be more intelligent and witty than man. Carrying her young upon her back and covering them with her tail, the mother su is ever mindful of hunters, aware they will kill her for her warm coat and take her cubs to domesticate and raise for their own. Vindictive as well, the su will kill its own offspring if it suspects there is a chance a hunter will take them.

This lurid description is presumably what influenced its subsequent depiction in D&D and Pathfinder. The succarath seemingly inspired the "su-monster" in D&D monster manuals, which only vaguely resembles the succarath in folklore. The su-monster is a chaotic evil psychic monkey, seemingly recycling only the embellished bits of succarath folklore that describe it as a vicious jungle monster.

Pathfinder would later devise its own spin on the su. Like the su-monster it was an evil psychic simian, but Paizo also adapted the rest of the folklore like it carrying its young on its back and sheltering them with its large tail. Inexplicably, these su are hermaphrodites that lay eggs in marsupial pouches on their backs. This su doesn't kill its young upon capture: they spontaneously die if separated from their parent. (Was infanticide was too evil for Paizo?) The artwork by Brynn Metheney, seen in the gallery below, depicted it as more like a dog than a monkey and its offspring weirdly looked like tiny emaciated human beings.

While the su-monster of fantasy gaming is generally bland and uninspired, Pathfinder's depiction did introduce a fascinating bit of lore. The su's psychic powers attenuate as it matures, so it relies on its offspring to manifest psychic powers on its behalf. This is a creative life cycle, so I find it a pity that it is wasted on another generic evil animal. Seriously, not every monster needs to be intelligent and evil just to make the party look good! Maybe the party aren't bland generic heroes, maybe they kill wild animals because wild animals can be a nuisance or offer loot without being evil.

Anyway, I'd adapt bits of these different depictions for my own setting. A French bestiary by Camille Renversade depicts the succarath as a lemurian primate, seen in the gallery below, so I'd start by using that for its appearance. My succarath is a lemurian marsupial that carries its young in a pouch on its back like a possum; the mother relies on her young for their psychic powers, which attenuate with age. The succarath is hunted for the adult's pelt and the young's psychic powers; to spare its offspring a life of slavery, the mother will kill them if escape seems impossible. They aren't obligate social animals, but when they do interact their social status (and desirability) is indicated by the size of their mustaches regardless of gender. Although they don't mate for life, sometimes a couple will stay together long enough for the mother to give birth and gift some of the young to their father so he may benefit from their powers. Although prideful and vicious, they are not evil and find safety with druids.