Prison Pteroc
Taxonomy: Scalekin (Puk)
Description: The common puk is an insectivore creature specialized for an arboreal life with an irritable, territorial streak a mile long. They are unrelated to dragons despite their common name of ‘wind dragon’. These specimens likely migrated from the shroud into Toto-Rak.
Etymology Notes: The name of pteroc is evidently drawn from pterosaur, a gliding dinosaur.
The Flying Traps
Taxonomy: Seedkin (Flying Trap)
Description: Deeply predatory seedkin, flying traps rely on the use of their brightly colored petals to lure in prey which is then stuck to these petals by a secreted adhesive, and drained of nutrients by the plant’s roots. They are also capable of more direct combat, however. The first specimens encountered were called Mun-Tuy saplings and were named for the Mun-Tuy cellars, a subterranean farming complex that once sustained Gelmorra and is still used to help feed Gridania. These may even be from Mun-Tuy, as flying traps do have edible (and indeed, highly delicious) petals and may have been farmed there. Perhaps they were brought to Toto-Rak as food for the prisoners, and escaped after the gaol’s abandonment. Deeper in were another subspecies which specializes in eating diremites, named the mitetrap.
Capabilities: The saplings fight primarily by spitting seeds as if they were projectiles at high speed, though they can bite. They also employ a technique named ‘swift sough’ where they exhale a plume of wind that can damage and knock back prey. This is named for the whistling sound of wind through the trees. The mitetrap functioned in much the same way, albeit with a more toxic sough.
Tainted Louse
Taxonomy: Vilekin (Chigoe)
Description: Suppers of blood and carriers of disease, the chigoe is a vile creature that lays its brood in the cavities of corpses hollowed out by their acid. They doubtless migrated here from the surface.
Cell Mite
Taxonomy: Vilekin (Diremite)
Description: Creatures with a strict social hierarchy not unlike an ant, diremites live in nomadic colonies that devour all the food in an area and then move on. These particular examples represent the lowest rank of the hierarchy. They are mitelings, a caste that focuses on performing labor for the colony. They likely moved here as part of their migrations. Apparently those who frequented the gaol named these creatures cell mites, somewhat ironically in reference to the term cell mate.
The Ochu
Taxonomy: Seedkin (Ochu)
Description: Ochu originate in Aldenard, the continent on which Eorzea exists, and are some of the landmass’ foremost predatory plants. Their favored prey is small animals and insects, which they bludgeon after luring them in with sweet scents. The ochu will then digest the living yet comatose creatures over a number of hours. The greater ochu here are named coeurl o’ nine tails for the cat o’ nine tails whip, which clearly illustrates their role in the regime of the gaol and the punishment within. Their lesser kin are named warden’s whip, which implies the same function.
Capabilities: The coeurl o’ nine tails are capable of emitting a worrying haze of acidic vapor, nicknamed ‘acid mist’ by the adventurers that cleared the gaol. This ability is later shared by the lesser ochu, nicknamed the warden’s whip.
Prisoner’s Delight
Taxonomy: Seedkin (Funguar)
Description: Funguar such as these are considered delicacies in Eorzea for their surpassing texture and taste, although this author struggles to believe it can stand up to the humble yet utilitarian function of the archon loaf. Funguar are widespread across the world, but thrive mostly in forests and moist caves. This explains why they have taken up residence here. Their name may imply that they were cultivated here similarly to the Mun-Tuy seedlings, as food for the prisoners, which they particularly enjoyed. It may also imply that they used them as intoxicants.
Prison Pudding
Taxonomy: Voidsent (Flan)
Description: Lowly ranked inhabitants of the 10th rung of the voidal hierarchy, the humble flan is a terrible beast capable of mimicking language crudely as a trapping tactic. Academic opinion is that these vile creatures form out of matter that comes into contact with the all-consuming, all-destroying influence of the Void. The name of these creatures, conferred by adventurers that cleared the gaol, is simply a reference to their place of residence as well as the tongue-in-cheek nature of the flan name.
Capabilities: The prison puddings are surprisingly proficient in manipulating earth aether, perhaps by agitating it with the entropic energies common to the Void.
Lightning Sprite
Taxonomy: Elemental (Sprite)
Description: Essentially a mere conjoining of aether and ideal conditions, a sprite is of no relation to the powerful elementals of the Black Shroud, and are in fact as devoid of reason and sentience as the average weather pattern. These particular sprites likely took up residence in the gaol due to the energies of the magitek once contained within.
Graffias
Taxonomy: Vilekin (Diremite)
Description: When the victors of Toto-Rak reached its deepest chamber, they found the prodigious creature named Graffias by those that came across its horrifying bulk. Graffias was a banemite, the egg-laying matriarchs of the diremite species. According to said adventurers, no more a terrifying personage than an ascian visited with Graffias and empowered her with his fel magics.
Capabilities: According to those who fought her, Graffias was capable of a number of terrifying techniques. Her blows were apparently powerful enough to be a ‘realm shaker’ and she was able to extrude silken thread at high velocity, both as a projectile and to produce sacks of explosive venom. Finally, the beast’s venomous tail was able to thrust into the ground and produce large pools of caustic liquid.
Etymology Notes: Graffias is named for a number of stars in the Scorpio constellation in the real world, a clear allusion to the scorpion-esque appearance of the banemites.
Comesmite
Taxonomy: Vilekin (Diremite)
Description: The middling rank of the diremite species, these are simply called diremites and are the soldiers that act as guards to the colony. These specimens were specifically named comesmites by those who studied them, a reference to Garlean naming schemes, where comes means companion, namely the companions (or guards) to Graffias.
Etymology Notes: Comes is Latin for companion, and was used for a number of governmental offices in the Roman Empire that later evolved into the English term of count.
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