Nether Nix Taxonomy: Wavekin (Gigantoad) Description: Colossal toads coated in slippery mucous and with a gaze capable of shaking even the most steadfast of warriors, gigantoads are fearsome beasts. These ones were likely corrupted and emboldened by the goldbile of the Vale, making them otherworldy, or of the nether. Capabilities: These amphibians were apparently capable of using their considerable bulk to bludgeon their foes in a ‘labored leap’ as well as emitting large amounts of toxin. This substance specifically has a 'vasoconstrictor' effect, involving reducing blood flow. Etymology Notes: Nix, also known as neck or nixies are german water spirits that drown humans. This likely speaks to the dangers of … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of the Dzemael Darkhold
Recluse Hippogryph Taxonomy: Beastkin (Hippogryph) Description: Hippogryphs are fierce beastkin of the mountains and hills. Their vestigial wings are incapable of flight, but can propel them along the ground as they sprint. They must have retreated from the hills of Coerthas, slinking into the Darkhold. This may have been the source for their 'reclusive' name. Etymology Notes: A hippogryph, or hippogriff, is a half-eagle, half-horse creature from European folklore, ridden by figures of legend. Diamond-tooth Hedgemole Taxonomy: Beastkin (Mole) Description: Moles are tunneling creatures which dwell beneath the earth and hunt out the insects they feed upon. Their tunnels commonly damage forests by … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of the Stone Vigil
Dravanian Outwalker Taxonomy: Scalekin (Biast) Description: Drakes are ferocious predatory creatures with powerful tracking abilities and the ability to exhale gouts of fire. They are perhaps most famous as domesticated beasts of the Amalj’aa. A biast, however, is a subspecies that exhales lightning instead of fire. They were here in the Vigil as followers of the Horde, as scalekin are easily dominated by dragons. The Ishgardians referred to these creatures as 'outwalkers' which is apparently a reference to their role as scouts and vanguards of the Horde. Capabilities: The biasts in the longstop were capable of emitting the typical ‘levinshower’ lighting breaths. Dravanian Outflier Taxonomy: Scalekin … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Cutters Cry
The Myrmidons Taxonomy: Vilekin (Antling) Description: Antlings are common creatures in the deserts of Aldenard and are in almost every way simply enormous ants. Their 'societies' are divided in twain, between a worker and soldier caste. A number of variants of these creatures are native to the Cry, first and foremost being the sentries. Members of the soldier caste, these creatures seem to have acted as guardians for the sensitive parts of the nest deeper within. The adventurers who cleared the Cry also reported the presence of a princess deeper within. A princess arises in a rare birth, at which point the queen will take half of the colony and depart, allowing the princess to flower into a queen in their own right. Nearby … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of the Sunken Temple of Qarn
Temple Bat Taxonomy: Cloudkin (Bat) Description: Bats reside within the dark places of the world, roosting in caves and other secluded locales. It is common knowledge that they are nocturnal creatures, but more dedicated research by the scholars of the realm has uncovered that they are capable of feats of extremely keen hearing and a technique called echolocation. Although most bats feed on insects and fruit, folklore has long held that some of them instead feed on blood. These specimens have obviously made their roost in ruins of the temple. Capabilities: Much to the chagrin of this author, it was discovered by the research team that these particular bats are fully capable of the blood-draining abilities ascribed to … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Brayflox’s Longstop
Gully Galago Taxonomy: Beastkin (Opo-opo) Description: Opo-opo are communal creatures that gather underneath a single dominant member, they are famed for their agility and dexterousness. These small beastkin are capable of thriving both on the ground and in the trees, and have become a common farming pest, picking fields clean when they grow hungry. Painted Colibri Taxonomy: Cloudkin (Colibri) Description: Colibri do not actually eat meat, despite their extreme aggression, instead sipping on nectar using their curved beaks. They are proficient mimics of various forms of sound, and have a latent obsession with shiny objects such as gems or gil, which they instinctually try to swallow on … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Haukke Manor
Manor Maidservant Taxonomy: Voidsent (Succubus) Description: A particularly insidious variant of the voidsent which occupies the fourth and fifth rungs of the voidal hierarchy, signifying a high rank in the minds of the realm's scholars. This may be due to their noteworthy intellect, but it should be noted that the voidal hierarchy is a construct of our realm and does not hold authority over the void's inhabitants own perceptions of their home. Succubi such as these operate by possessing the corpses of spoken women, and can occasionally be observed as taking on certain personality traits of their deceased hosts, which is unusual even amongst the voidsent. These specimens, specifically, are inhabiting the corpses of the maids … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Toto-Rak
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, … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Halatali
Doctore Taxonomy: Soulkin (Dullahan) Description: Golems of arcane origin, dullahan such as these doctore are suits of animated plate armor. Opinions on the origin of the dullahan vary, from magical creations to ghostly possessed armor. The general scholarly opinion seems to lean towards the former, however. The name doctore is adopted from the entities' roles as gladiatorial trainers. Capabilities: According to reports given by the maintainers of the complex, the doctore were capable of using a number of terribly destructive techniques including a wide sweep named the 'iron justice' and a magical empowerment of their physical ability named the 'king's will' which might reference a form of patronage by the … [Read more...]
The Bestiary of Copperbell Mines
The Spriggans Taxonomy: Soulkin (Spriggan) Description: Despite their seemingly corporeal nature, spriggan are essentially the animated forms of aetherial earthen energy, and are frequently referred to as being the ‘will of earth.’ That the personality and abilities of the spriggan are determined by the stones they hold implies that their primary source for this energy is derived from their constant companion. There are a number of different kinds of spriggan within the mines, given names by the miners that once frequented them. The first is a grouping named ‘Copper Coppers’ possibly a reference to the use of the word ‘cop’ as a term for receiving or taking something, as in they take copper ore. The second group are … [Read more...]
