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not steve -> RE: Topour - Building myself a world... (11/2/2010 19:01:43)
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The Beastiary:
I'm trying to get these out alphabetically. Here is what I have so far:
Badger: This earth aligned mammal is native to the plain covered rejoins or Ranek, Aevo, southern Ulicet and the Amonian islands. It is about 70cm long with it's tail and 30cm tall when standing, it has a black body which fades to brown at it's tail occasionally and thick fur coat with white stripes along it's head. It's sharp claws and teeth are only used for defence, as it's diet consists of mainly roots, berries and various grains. It is very territorial, and will act aggressively towards humans, so best not to anger it. It's meat isn't that tasty anyway.
Banshie: This wind and darkness associated spirit, native to the plains of west Onan and rarely central Nouh, has a very large head with thick hair upon it. Underneath is a structure that looks a bit like torn rags. This creature is famous for it's screaming. Like most spirits it is nocturnal (mana is easier to find at night for various reasons), it will sneak up on large sleeping animals and scream at them hoping they will faint into a deeper unconsciousness, and is usually successful. Once they do the Banshie drains the creature of it's mana and moves on. It's head has a diameter of 50-70cm and at the rags that drag underneath it don't add much hight.
Basalisc: Associated with darkness and earth, this massive snake lives on the deserts and coasts of northern savel and Nouh. Greenish brown in colour and six to eight meters long, it hunts nesting large birds on the coast, sandwalkers among other things in the desert and is even known to take down small fire and light wyverns and drakes. Contrary to popular belief, because of it's size it's poison is very very weak. If you are bitten by it you should be concerned more with the missing limb than weather or not whatever is left of you is infected.
Bat: This mammal with the gift of flight associates itself with wind and darkness. Common in the caves of west Ranek, south west Aevo, costal Onen, the Amonian islands and the northern scerovian islands it emerges at night to devour the pestilence that pelages the land they are upon. Where their territories cross with banshees they flee at the sight of them, as their good scene of hearing is all that keeps them from starvation in a land without light.
Bear: Bears, large earth aligned mammals, live in river adjacent forests of Ranek and western Nouh (and rarely in Southern Aevo). These brown furry creatures have the face of a wolf, but the head of a man, the body of a plump troll, the claws of a massive badger and the tail of a doe. Quite a miraculous combination! They can reach two meters tall but are more often than not a bit short of that, they eat fish they swat out of the river as well as berries, fruits and honey when they can get their hands on it.
Beetle: These annoying little earth creatures make up one of only three bugs found on topour. These creatures very greatly in size, habitat and colour but they are set apart by their six small legs, small horn and small ovoid chest cavity. They make up the diet of many small creatures but they themselves only eat bits and prices of whatever lies upon the ground. Their average size is around two centimeters in length and about half that in width.
Behemoth: These mammalian earthbound creatures are large and have fur the colour of good dark soil. They have bean-shaped torsos and no necks, small legs and eyes but massive arms, hands and flat straight teeth. They make use of all those things, because they are uniquely equipped for eating trees. The bark and roots mainly although it will eat the wood on occasion. It takes youngish trees and uproots them with it's massive arms employing various tactics, often it will spend hours or days pushing and pulling and twisting a tree before it can remove it. Once the tree is out of the earth it strips it of it's bark, eats the roots and than peels off the wood with it's teeth until it reaches the finest wood in the centre of the log, which it eats.
Blue Boar: These animals were discovered relatively recently with the advent of Airship's availability to men lesser than legendary enchanters and kings (Aka, people who had better things to do than poke around the sky). These fantastic mammals have light brown fur with stout snouts, floppy ears, plump bodies and tusks. The reason they are called blue boars is because there hooves glow blue when they walk about the clouds. They can't fly, so no one knows how they got up there or exactly what it is they are eating. They have their snouts in the clouds often, so it is assumed they derive sustenance from them in some way. They are approximately a meter long and half that in hight. They are found atop the georian, warrian, and anencion seas as well as much of Aevo and Ulicet.
Golem: This spirit inhabits the mountainous regions of Nouh, Onan, Ulicet and Ranek and alighns itself with earth and time. They very greatly in size and appearance, but are distinct in that they are a pile of animated rocks in a somewhat humanoid forum (four limbs and a head anyway). Golems first attach themselves to small rocks and boar their ways into the sides of mountains in search of greater mass. You can tell the age of a golem by the preciousness of the metal or rocks it is made up of, since greater quality minerals attract more mana older golems will have better metals. The magical properties of many obscure metals were first discovered when mages saw golems hoarding them. Don't try to remove the metals from a golem however, as they are quite ferocious when threatened.
Bluecap: Bluecaps are small creatures that look quite a bit like mushrooms, but no specific mushroom. Their small shriveled bodies and limbs are protected by a large blue cap with yellow spots on it, the cap is like a cone in shape and about as tall as the body that rests beneath it. They populate the lower mountainous rejoins of Ranek, Ulicet and Nouh, crossing territory with their rival and cousin the redcap only in Ranek. They are relatively docile but are often hunted, as their cap is useful in many medicines and potions. They eat mostly beetles, various leaves, grasses and fauna, stand upright, and are around 35cm tall when fully grown.
Boggart: These furry, large toothed nocturnal mammals align themselves solely with darkness. Inhabiting the plains and badlands of Onan, grass covered coasts of Savel and hills of Aevo these creatures hunt mice on their own, but will occasionally gang up on larger pray in groups. Their massive and sharp teeth allow them to tear quite a few different apart in seconds. In appearance they have pitch black fur, and limbs attached to their heads with vital organs all held in their massive skull cavity, just enough room brain. It is quite a feat that they are able to function at all. They are slow moving, which is why they hunt at night, and around thirty centimeters tall and wide. Their four legs are only five centimeters long fully extended, but very very strong.
Bracken: This fish is different from it's fellow sea creatures not in it's water alinement but because of it's large head and six tentacles, adorned with suction cups and hooks. It is native to the outer waters of southern Savel, and the coasts of Scerovia and southern Nouh (particularly lower Tolken's gulf). It survives on various fish and small whales, and is known to attack small ships mistaking them for whales. Those ships are often lost. Fortunately for us, not many travel in the deep sea in small ships. If they did Brackens would be the least of their worries. They are 6-8 meters in length and their bodies are around 1.5 meters in diameter.
Broxa: This dark bird of pray is found in the forests of Onan, Nouh, and rarely in western Aevo. Though it is not nocturnal it only hunts in very dark environments, it has the body structure of an owl but a head more like a crow's, except proportionately the size of an owl's. These beasts are black with a sapphire underbelly and glowing yellow eyes but it can be hard to tell, as wherever they stand darkness seems to radiate outwards in a 5-7 meter radius, only when it is dead is it exposed. It uses this to subdue it's pray. (nymphs, stray blue and redcaps, mice, other small animals) the darkness confuses them and the glowing yellow eyes attract them to their doom. They stand approximately 50cm tall and have a wingspan of slightly more than that.
Caladrius: Caladri are light aligned birds that travel in flocks, spending much of their time plains, coasts and marshes along Nouh, Savel, especially Ulicet and the Amonion islands. They have a wingspan of 40cm, a body slightly less than that in length, but legs much inproportionately long. They eat beetles and other bugs primarily, but also seeds in quantity as well. Renowned for the healing properties of their golden chest plumage, they look a bit like a dove, but with elongated beaks and legs which they use for hunting and getting seeds from various harder to penetrate coniferous trees. They are often captured and kept as pet's by paladins and lumomancers alike, as they are renowned for their good judge of character. Going so far as to flee the room is they sense someone has evil intentions.
Carp:This lake and river dwelling fish of nearly all continents and islands is the basic meat staple of a lot of local animals and even poorer men. Despite it's reputation, a number of culinary delights have been developed around it (especially in Dandor and Yewdare). The fish itself is water aligned, survives off of seaweed (well, lakeweed) mostly and is around 30cm long.
Cat: Cats are grey earth aligned mammals that live in plains and rarely in deserts. They are common in Aevo, Savel (although they aren't indigenous, they were imported), Nouh and the Amoneian islands. They hunt mice mostly, and are about 60cm long (without their tail) and 40cm tall. Kept as pets (prized in Savel) by some they are renowned for their speed which rivals a fox's and their retractable claws, similar to a gryphon or sphinx's, which are useful in a great deal of things. Soft to the touch, they can be a very wide range of colors from brown to a light olive.
Catfish: These water aligned lake dwelling fish often live in the deltas of nearly every continent. They are given their name because they look as if they have whiskers on their faces. They eat minnows and submerged fauna, and are caught for sport, as they can very in size greatly. The largest ever recorded was over two meters long, but most grow only 20-70cm depending on environmental factors.
Ceryneian Hind: This mammal dwells in the forests of Ranek, south ulicet and central nouh. Surviving off of bark and berries, it is renowned for the quality of it's fur and horns. Pure white, with antlers of a substance very much like gold. Fortunately for it it is more than capable of dealing with predators (human and otherwise) as it is capable of fantastic speeds and jump distances. Those capable of buying them tend to have a great deal more respect for this beautiful creature than a common poacher. Aligned with light and earth, it is said that those who do slay it will be cursed by those gods and as such many high sceptic philosophers have hunted them and worn their fur. In almost every case they lost their wealth influence immediately after, but it has been said that their falls began before the hunt, and that the timing was coincidence.
Cheshire Cat: Cheshire cats are not related precisely to cats, but look wife like them with exadurated features, typically with larger noses, eyes, girths, heads and especially teeth. They have gregory purple and pink stripes running around the circumference of their body and are famous for their incredible smiles. These wind-time spirits constantly evaporate and reestablish themselves leaving only their smiles floating disembodied. They do it for any number of reasons, often simply leisure. But occasionally in hunting. Unlike almost all other spirits this one survives in a manner somewhat similar to eating, it deployed small creatures whole, where their mana is quickly drained in the creature's chest cavity. When the cat has absorbed it's magical energy it evaporates away, returning it's prey's freedom. They dwell in for forests of Onan, Ulicet and Ranek and are around 70cm long and 30cm tall without their tails.
Chicken: These earth aligned avians are about 30cm tall with brown feathers and yellow beaks. They are capable of flight but usually don't bother. Chickens are highly domesticated, and make up much of the meat diet of men on most continents. Prominent everywhere, hear wild plains birds are pray for many many animals, it is hard to believe the species is as prevalent as it is when the creatures themselves are so ludicrously dumb. Fortunately that exact trait (and the deliciousness of their meat) will ensure their survival, artificial as domesticated life is.
Chimera: This fire breathing desert dwelling mammal has a body similar to the back half of a gryphon. It's front follows the pattern, if has the head of a goat with a main of fur coming out around the bottom of it's neck, and the tail of a reptile. Aligned with earth and fire, it breathes the latter element at it's attackers. It goes after it's pray stealthily, hiding behind sand dunes often near an Oasis. If eats nearly all the creatures of the desert, including basaliscs. Unfortunately in it's struggles with those particular creatures it doesn't always win. They are quite common in Nouh, and are existent in the north western rejoins of Ranek, but for some reason not many at all are found in Savel. They are ably two meters long without their tail and slightly more than half of that in height.
Cow: This large plain dwelling bovine is the chicken's mammalian counterpart. Both earth aligned, both universal in range, and both delicious. In the wild these are slightly less defenseless, they graze in herds making them much more intimidating to predators, as if their horns and size weren't enough. The fact that these creatures are so widely domesticated is a testament of human dominance in the animal world, we took a formidable beast and made It our own. They live off of grass, have a thin brown fur over their black skin usually, four hover legs, a large head and are nearly two meters long without their short tails, reaching a little more than half that in hight when fully grown.
Crow: These birds are somewhat similar to Broxa in anatomy, but somewhat smaller and totally different in behavior. Their bodies are more streamlined and heir colors more complete in it's blackness, but the major difference is the communal nature of these birds. The crows casing sound is rather famous, as they call whenever they are among one another (which is much of the time) almost as if they had their own little language. Aligned with wind and darkness, the dwell the groves and forests of Onan, Ulicet, the ammonian islands and Ranek. They are generally 25cm tall with a similar wingspan. Considered among the cleverer birds, they are often made enemies of by farmers because of their diet. The battle between the two is almost always 'won' by the ever returning crow, as it is smart enough to know when to fly away.
Darkness dragon: These massive reptiles fit into the mold of regular dragons. Mountain dwelling, powerfully powerful and stupidly stupid. These ones are a little more clever than average however, rivaling the intelligence of a crow at times. Their breath attack is a poisonous chemical which blinds those who inhale it and burns eyes on contact. They use this for subduing pray, as it's advantages dictate. Like all other dragons anything in their domain is fair game, but they tend to leave smaller creature like blue and redcaps to themselves. Their larger kills more than sustain them. In appearance their wings are thin and boney, much as their limbs. Their chests and heads however are quite strong. The have horns shaped like a rams on their heads. Strong jaws and teath as per usual. They live on Onan, Ulicet, and Nouh and can grow to seven meters long without their tail or neck, and four meters high.
Demon: These fire and darkness spirits live in the human settlements and plains of Onan, Aevo, and Savel as well as bits of Ulicet. They live offs of humans, finding a host and draining them over several days. The prowess is non-fatal but horrifying to watch. It is said that the calibre of a man's soul is what repulsed demons, they do tend to pray on the weak at least, but the amount of mana one has is a factor as well. It was custom in bits of Aevo and Saval to pick from a list of kings in a musical chairs style contest, reeling enough demons for all but one candidate and quickly expelling them once the last man standing became clear. When 'possessing' a person their eyes will become bloodshot and they will act violent and even insane in the latter period of the drain. When not possessing a demon is a somewhat translucent misty red figure with flaming black eyes and very real horns jutting out it's crown. They are hard to measure in terms of length and width but their volume is around half that of a fully grown man's.
Dog: Domestication has obscured what this creature really is, in fact few of them live in the wild at all, but a number of things can be said by this blanketed group. Dogs are earth aligned mammals which live exclusively in human settlements or dwellings. They are used for hunting and fishing but mainly valued for their companionship, and are popularly kept in Ranek, Nouh and to some extent in Aevo. They are omnivores, thankfully consuming anything lain before them and seen as symbols of loyalty because of their devotion to their masters. The have four limbs and a tail, a long face and can be from a quarter to three quarters the size of a man when fully grown. They very greatly in appearance besides that, but they are easy to distinguish from wolves and foxes.
Dolphin: The dolphin is one of the few aquatic mammals that exists on Topour. Aligned with water it is found in most seas in some numbers but concentrated the highest in the waters of Savel. These animals are a pale blue-grey colour, have long mouths hag seem to protrude outwards from their foreheads, and a powerful tail fin which moves on the vertical axis of the creature. Dolphins are famous for their intelligence, and family like units. Considered smart because of their coordinated group tactics against prey and predator alike their tribes or families are very closely knit socially. These creatures are about 1.5m in length and 40cm in diameter, they consume mostly small fish and crustations.
Doppelganger: Though a spirit of earth and time this is a lot more troublesome than any Pixie you might encounter. They live in the woods of Onan, Nouh, and Ranek but dwell into nearby settlements occasionally. These creatures live by infiltrating herds of creatures and human communities. The shapeshift, taking on the appearance of a member of the community so that the others in the group are comfortable with it and absorb mana from all the other members very gradually. Their lack of physical form eventually roots them out. Among wild animals this usually happens when one member bumps into and than falls through the Dopelganger or alternately, attempts to mate with or fight it. With humans usually when someone tries to talk with them. They are promptly driven out shortly thereafter.
Dove: Doves are small white birds with fantastic tail plumage are found on Nouh, Savel, and Aevo and the Amonian islands. Dwelling on plains and other high elevation areas with grass it survives off seeds mostly, and small insects such as beetles and worms if it finds them. Famously a symbol of peace and purity in many countries they are often captured and sold to be released, as relaxing them is considered good luck in nearly all of the areas where his bird is indigenous. With it's stunning beauty and relative frailty and defenseless countless bards have written of them, and they have been taken as symbols be queens.
Drake: It is argued that this is meerly a subspecies of dragon, and in some respects it is. They are both great reptiles that come in a variety of elements, but here are characteristics which set Dracs apart. Both are reptiles, but these creatures lack a top set of arms, having their wings be used as them. Equipped with small little fingers on the tips of them. They are somewhat more comfortable than dragons in flight but as a consequence of this only about 3/4ths the size of a regular dragon. This makes them prey for many larger creatures in the mountain ecosystems such as Rocs. The prey the same way as dragons though, nearly anything smaller than them is enjoyed by their palate. They enjoy the same habitat as their cousins as well, and are somewhat more numerous. True dragons are only famed for their majesty, drakes and auberge are much more common in actuality.
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