Many are the creatures both fantastical and mundane that roam across the world of Lyran Tal. To make a complete and exhaustive list of them is a daunting task, and would take many pages as well as limit what others might create. What is catalogued here is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the diversity of the world, nor necessary knowledge all players must know. It is merely a showcase of some of the creatures unique to Lyran Tal, and listed so that all the players and writers can draw from one another's ideas.
This information is presented in an OOC manner for the use of players, so what is written is fact. Use discretion in what characters may know of these creatures, especially the more magical and mystical... and feel free to insert mistaken beliefs and myths into character perceptions!
Ideas for new creatures must be original to the setting and follow the format of current entries. Work out all details with the Leader for the region(s) in which the plant or animal will reside. New entries must be submitted by the Region Leader to either: Sherakai's Player or The Webmaster.
The icon "
" indicates that the plant possesses magical properties.
Alphabetical Listing
Regional Listing
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Arboria
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Balthazor
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Cloosidian |
Luminii
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Oceanuus |
Shadokhan
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Thermador
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The Badlands
Note: The Badlands has many unique and unusual creatures. Those listed as dwelling in the Silver Moon Empire often inhabit similar climes in The Badlands. For more information, please see The Badlands
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Range: Open fields near forest edges in Luminii, Shadokhan, and the lowlands of Cloosidian.
Physical Description: The birds are of a medium size, similar to that of a crow, with a sleek profile and a curved beak reminiscent of a falcon. Brownish gray from the crown of the head down to the rump that grades to a buff color on the breast and under parts, barn shrikes stand out when perched in an open field. The black tail and wings are both marked with white; tiny spots on the outer tail feathers, and large, distinctive squares on the wings, visible only when the wings are extended. The beak is dusky, and stiff, bristly feathers stick out like short whiskers from the sides of the beak back to the corner of the bird's large, dark eyes. These bristles aid the bird in capturing its main prey, moths.
Notes: Common throughout its range, the barn shrike is still not often seen. A nocturnal animal, the shrike begins its 'day' with the setting of the sun, its soft, high-pitched whistle announcing that dusk is at hand. Many are familiar with its numerous calls, ranging from a warning kaakaakaak to the warbling song of the male, frequently heard when the moons are full and shining.
Barn shrikes prefer open fields bordered by forest, especially near humanoid habitations. Their name, in fact, was derived from their tendency to buzz past farmers as they drove their livestock into the barns for the night. The shrikes feast on the insects disturbed by the tromping feet of cattle, horse, and sheep. While it will feed on any sizeable insect as opportunity allows, barn shrikes are especially adept at tracking down the zigzag flight patterns of moths and snapping them out of the air. The birds are adaptable, and will build a nest inside nearly anything resembling a wooden hole. While their coloration does not hide them at dusk, the female blends into nothing when crouched on her nest and surrounded by bark or wood.
As the crow is both hated and revered for being the Harbinger of Death, the barn shrike enjoys its own dubious legends. Sighting a shrike in the daylight is considered a good omen, foretelling the coming of a hero, and a shrike nesting in a barn casts good fortune over all of the livestock within. Conversely, the sound of the shrike's haunting song when the moon is gone from the sky is said to wake the dead, leading the spirits from their world to the land of the living until the sun again lights the sky.
Range: Sturrbith Mountains
Physical Description: A large, magnificent eagle with a four-foot wingspan. The Benae eagle has glistening golden feathers on its head, back, and upper wings. Its underside is a snowy white, with gold specks on neck and breast in a pattern similar to a thrush. A mask of black feathers stretches from black beak to a pointjust behind the black eyes, keeping snow glare to a minimum.
Notes: The Benae eagle is a high altitude animal, living in the upper reaches of mountain ranges where snow is nearly always on the ground. A reclusive species, it tends to avoid humanoids, even though it is capable of preying upon them. The eagles generally take any sort of sizeable creature for food, even the goats that frolic on the sheer mountainsides. They have incredibly keen eyesight, able to spot a snowy hare while soaring high in the clouds.
The Benae eagle is very territorial, and once paired it remains with its mate for life. The elves say that an eagle will often die soon after its mate has vanished. A pair dedicates two years to raising their young. Able to fly before the winter sets in, the one or two fledglings remain dependent on their parents for food. They cannot completely fend for themselves until their second winter, and cannot breed until after their third. During that time frame young Benaes generally roam, finding themselves a home range and mate. While able to breed every spring once mature, Benae eagles only do so if they do not have current offspring to tend.
Range:unlimited
Physical Description: A bloodbane is a living necromantic curse made out of blood.
Notes:
Range: Underground rivers and lakes in Arboria.
Physical Description: A long, thin albino fish with a single stretch of webbing from one side of its tail to the other. A pair of black eyes are keen and capable of detecting even the smallest light sources, allowing it to navigate from one point in the darkness to another.
Notes: Despite their keen ability to detect light, cave fish have very little ability to distinguish the outlines of objects. To compensate, they have strong senses of smell, allowing them to detect other animals, such as predators, and separate them from other cavefish.
Range: Rocky scrublands in northern Thermador, wild and domesticated
Physical Description: Gazelle-like, the ciretai is a small, swift antelope. It stands about as tall as a sheep, with short, wiry fur. The overall coloration is a sandy brown, with darker stripes slashing diagonally across the forequarters. They have wide-splayed cloven hooves adapted for both treading on shifting sand, as well as sure-footedness on rocky terrain. Long, oval ears are large and thin-skinned almost like a membrane; the blood vessels are visible through them, and white tufts of hair line the edges of the ears. The ciretai has vertically elongated nostrils, similar to a camel, that can be shut tight against the sand and dust storms that regularly sweep across their domain.
Notes: The ciretai feed primarily on the toxic juniper-sage (see listing), spending most of their time chewing the tough leaves. Drinking water rarely, the ciretai obtain most of their moisture from their food, and in so doing eat vast quantities of leaves. A ciretai needs only a pound or two of leaves per day to satisfy its energy requirements. However, it requires 5-6 pounds to remain hydrated. As a result, their droppings contain an incredible amount of unused nutrients, a fact which has led to the production of cirat (keer-AT)by the Horse Tribes of northern Thermador. The secret formula of cirat, superior to even oats, is closely guarded by the Horse Tribes, but there is no doubt about its effectiveness at producing horses of unquestionable quality.
Range: Northeastern Arboria, typically along rivers or other sources of water; wild
Physical Description: Small songbirds, the coidéans are charcoal grey in plumage, with a dusky white belly, white edges along their primary feathers, and white wing bars on their shoulders. The sharp, conical bill is black, as are the eyes and feet. A black mask covers their heads in a cap and grades down onto the cheeks.
Notes: Highly active, these little birds are always in motion. Small enough to not make much of a meal for anything other than a very desperate snake, they remain in the eastern Selendoria year-round, despite the seasonal changes. Coidéans gather in small flocks during the winter, usually family groups that break apart with the coming of spring. While direct predation is not much of a threat, coidéans must be vigilant in protecting their nests from marauders - aprocess made easier by selecting old cavities in dead trees. A bird always inside makes nest-raiding complicated for the would-be thieves.
The coidéans communicate with an assortment of chattery garbles, often interspersed with the deedeedee for which they are named. Their elvish name translates as 'forest dee-bird' and where it overlaps into human occupation of the Selendoria it is called the Titdee in common. Their sweet three-noted song, see-ree-dee, is one that brings smiles to the faces of those that hear it.
Range: Northeastern Arboria, wild and domesticated
Physical Description: The coreisse is a moth with a wingspan the size of a hand. The antennae are feathery projections, almost like the fronds of a fern, while the body itself is covered in a soft white fur that gleams brightly in Anolinde's light. The wings are the color of pale silk, with silver dustings along the wing veins and a bright eyespot on each hind wing. The eyespot is a startling array of blues and violets. The caterpillars are the green of freshly sprouted leaves, with two tufts of blue hairs sticking out from just behind their heads.
Notes: Since the beginning of trade between elves and men, the unique quality of the delicately soft and tensile elven silk has marked the appearance of elven culture, setting them apart from their human counterparts. This silk, comparable to regular silk but for a certain inherent irridescent sheen, is the main fabric favored by elven nobility, and is produced solely from silk farms within Northeastern Selendoria, the coreisse's native habitat. A few noble families within the Elven Nation boast ownership of these silk farms, where they nurture and grow the coreisse.
The elves have made collecting silk from the cocoons of the coreisse an art, for their patience and love of nature gives them the ability to await the exact moment the pupae inside the silk cocoon is about to emerge, transformed into its adult moth form. Rather than stifling the young moth like human silk farms, the elves painstakingly unwind the cocoon from around the new moth. They then aid the coreisse in drying its wings, and with a puff of air the elves send it into flight. This skill is much sought, for if handled incorrectly the moth dies soon after emerging. The elves carefully guard the secrets of their silk, but even should the coreisse get into human hands, it is doubtful they could ever master the art of removing the silk with the moth still alive.
Range: All regions of the Silver Moon Empire and the Badlands
Physical Description: Varies by type. In general, drakes possess a scaled hide, four limbs and a set of wings. Size varies by age and power.
Notes: The drakes are a magical species of high intelligence, beasts that are also Gifted like mages. Drake types are defined by their particular gift, and tend to find themselves territories where their gift is strong. They are deeply connected to the ley lines, and seem to follow the ubiquitous Rule of Seven common to all magic in Lyran Tal in that there are seven varieties of drakes (see below for details on each type). While the exact number of drakes is unknown, there is one large and powerful drake of each type, called a Wyrm. The Wyrms are ancient and powerful, their magic on par with the most learned and advanced humanoid mages. In terms of size, a Wyrm tends to be about a third larger than adult drakes. Their tendency for territoriality goes beyond simple choice, with each tied to the region associated with their magic. The nature of this connection is currently unknown, as is what might happen if a Wyrm leaves its region.
Excessive Information: In general, drakes feed on any sort of sizeable animal, the only requirement being that it is large enough to be worth chasing -- or duping. Cunning, drakes can and will plot traps to make hunting easier. It seems that food availability in combination with space/territory is the limiting factor for the number of drakes in Lyran Tal, since death from disease or other species is not significant. Breeding among the drakes is intermittent, for the females come into season every hundred years, and are only willing to raise young if space, food, and magic are all easily available. A female selects a location rich in her Gift's element, for producing her young pulls just as much magic from her body as it does nutrients. Contrary to popular belief by the populace of Lyran Tal, drakes do not lay eggs; their young are live borne,and born neutral in magic. As such, their ability to cast spells is severely limited, and it is necessary for juveniles to ingest the rannine plant, for its juices provide a focus through which the raw energy of the ley lines is filtered, much like the way the elemental Gifts act for mages and adult drakes. Juvenile drakes vary in appearance as much as the different types of drakes.
Drake maturity is a lengthy process, for once a juvenile drake reaches a certain size, it cannot eat enough rannine to allow it to safely cast magic without risking insanity. At this time, the drake goes through lochneinarite,where it selects its Gift of adulthood and in effect transforms both in body and magic. This process involves decades of hibernation and stasis, and a time of weakness as the drake learns anew how to manipulate its magic. To shift, the drake finds a place rich in the element to which it is shifting, such as a volcano in the case of pyromancy, an ocean or lake forhydromancy, and so on. A secretion oozes out from between its scales, coating the drake in a sticky ichor that hardens quickly. Within this chrysalis, harder than any metal or stone, the drake shifts form, spirit, and gift, emerging as an entirely different being. Often times even temperament changes. A newly emerged drake is often disoriented and weak in their control of magic -- although claws and teeth are still quite able defenses.
Unlike other mages, drakes do not need to learn their magic powers from others, and their spells are more an act of will directing the power drawn from the ley lines. As a drake ages, its ability to control greater amounts of energy increases; how this power manifests depends on the drake and their gift.To achieve the greatest power, a drake must become the Wyrm of a region. Such transformation is very similar to the lochneinarite of juvenile drakes, but even more time is spent within the chrysalis. A newly emerged Wyrm may be disoriented, however its ability to cast magic is far from impaired.
Another tidbit at odds with common belief is that drakes are not poikilothermic (cold-blooded) like reptiles, but the temperature of their blood fluctuates in time with their magic instead of with their surroundings. At its coolest, drake blood is warm as a sun-soaked stone, for magic is always prevalent within them. When actively using magic,however, their blood surges to boiling hot-- dangerous should any ever have the skill or luck to pierce the scaled hide of an aware and annoyed drake.
Black Drake
Range: Balthazor
Black Wyrm: Koth-Seretmatep resides in a mountain near the Padrical barony of Balthazor. Reclusive, the Black Wyrm has only been encountered once by any single individual, and bears history with the Black Branch Knights. Of neutral temperament, she has not been seen in years and it is unknown if she still lives.
Fire Drake
Range:Thermador; one Wyrm and three other fire drakes
Physical Description: Firedrakes are large, heavily muscled creatures. Their curved and smooth horns are effusive about the head, grow along the spine, and some protect their joints as well. Coloration is some combination of red and orange.
Noctis Igneus ('Night's Fire'): Surallomyonarraman, or Noctis Igneus, inhabits the Sea of Glass in Southeastern Thermador. He is known for his swift, aggressive tactics and lack of both patience and style in combat, which along with his size, give an impression of youth to the creature. The easiest way to identify him is by his scales, which, except for along his bright red spine-covered back and belly, are a dull crimson so dark that they seem to be almost black at night.
Nascor Sanguine: A fire drake seen with the Fire Wyrm, Mortis Sanguine. Some believe it to be his mate.
Fire Wyrm: Plogisostican, called Mortis Sanguine in the tongue of Men, is the most active and visible of the Wyrms, and of the Fire drakes. Mortis constantly terrorizes caravans moving through his territory in Thermador.
Contact: Shard
Gaia Drake
Range: Arboria
Notes: Few know of this drake's existence at all, for it stays deep within the earth and natural places. The druids revere it, yet speak to none about the drake's presence or activity.
Contact: The Arboria Region Leader
Sea Drake
Range: Oceannuus
Physical Description: Unknown
Contact: The Oceanuus Region Leader
Spirit Drake
Range: Unknown
Physical Description: Unknown
Notes: There are no reports of drakes with the Seventh Gift. Whether they truly exist or are merely the suppositions of learned sages is unknown.
Wind Drake
Range: Cloosidian
Physical Description: Unknown
Contact: The Cloosidian Region Leader
Vivomantic Drake
Range: Luminii
Physical Description: The Vivomantic Drake is a lithe creature with scales of silver so bright and clear that those who have seen it don't recognize it as a drake. The scales are perfect mirrors, reflecting so much light that the passing drake looks simply like a flash of light on a sunny day, or a ripple of stars on a cloudless night. It is a living optical illusion, immune to disease, nearly impossible to injure, existing in silence.
Notes: It manifests its connection to the fifth gift primarily in the form of its Breath of Life, an ability that lets it breathe life-force into any living being, curing their ailments. This is an inherent property to the Vivomantic Drake, for it can also cast spells on par with the Archmage of Vivomancy. Though it avoids any direct encounter with most other creatures, it is ever-watchful, always among the living in some way or form, searching for those who are gripped by illness and handicap. For motivations unknown, it is drawn to them. When a person sees the drake, a being of refracted light, warmth and beauty, they see no drake at all, but rather a creature of Starlight; one of Nostrella's Messengers. Their newfound health is a blessing, enforcing their belief in the power of their Goddess. Few, if any, know the Vivomantic Drake for what it really is. Most are content to believe in miracles.
Range: Warm coastal waters of Southern Oceanuus
Physical Description: Dark red veins branch across their skin. Within flows a toxin that numbs the body and often causes death in those who feed upon it. A taste is enough to cause shortness of breath and sometimes unconsciousness in predators. Only careful preparation can guard against its hazards.
Range: Underground areas where precious metals exist, such as mines. Arboria.
Physical Description: Small elementals from 8-12'' tall with dull grey skin, often speckled with tiny bits of precious metal. Their eyes are usually a reflective obsidian black, a polished silver, or a brilliant gold. They have very beast-like forms, with sharp teeth, extended forearms and long, sharp claws, which they use to dig for minerals. Their heads are angular and along either side a pair of sharp, pointed ears extend backwards.
Notes: Gnuums feed primarily on precious metals such as gold, platinum, and silver and sometimes bits of these metals can be found in their stomachs and in their stool. They are solitary scroungers, and when found in groups of two or more, it is only as a mated pair. They mate for life and, rarely, form extended family groups. Gnuums navigate via echolocation, clicking their teeth together rapidly while fanning their ears to pick up sounds. Only some of the sounds are audible to humans.
Range: Scattered, mostly Shadokhan and Luminii; domesticated, rare wild-roaming herds.
Physical Description: Large head with slightly convex profile; medium length, slightly arched, full neck blends into sloping shoulders; longish back and medium withers; good bones and exceptionally well-muscled. Solid colors - bay, brown, black or chestnut. Average height is 15-16 hands.
Notes: The Hyathan equivalent of the Quarterhorse, the Dale is a versatile, all-purpose horse. They tend to be strong, handsome creatures and are known for being alert, intelligent, sensitive.
Range: Domesticated, no wild roaming herds
Physical Description: The Degar is the ultimate warhorse. Standing up to 18 hands high (a hand is 4 inches) at the withers, powerful quarters and large hooves make the Degar a formidable animal when it is raging.
Notes: Used primarily by the Silver Moon Knights before they were scattered, it is a rare thing to find a Degar without the SMK brand on the front quarter. Their temperment is atrocious, and it can take months for a rider to gain enough control over the animal to consider it a dependable ride. Once done, however, the Degar is a valiant asset on the battle-field.
Range: Selendoria Forest. Domesticated, no wild roaming herds
Physical Description:The Dulaverán is an exceedingly slim animal, more like a deer than a horse. It stands an average of 13 hands high (a hand is 4 inches) at the nearly nonexistent withers. The muzzle is small and pointed, the lower jaw not as pronounced as in other equines, and the eyes are large. The ears curve inwards, nearly touching at the tips, one of the only remaining influences of the Thermish breeds used indeveloping the Dulaverán. The mane is short and stiff, enhancing the arch of the slender neck, while the tail is tufted along its base with wispy hair. The coloration is of a wild type, being nearly any shade ofblack or brown. Grey and white exist, though are more rare and usuallygiven to members of the Elven court and other prominent individuals. The Dulaverán is often marked with broad stripes across its forelegs,hindquarters, and cheeks.
Notes: Adapted to maneuvering through heavy vegetation common to Arboria, the Dulas, as the elven horse breed is often called, differs significantly from other breeds. So much so that crosses result in sterile and weak foals that usually do not survive past a year of life.The Dulas' mobile neck and vaguely concave spine allows for better movement in the forests. However, it also makes the animal more difficult to sit and regular saddles will slip. At least 1500 years ago a handful of elves began the selective breeding of horses, with the hopes of founding a breed better suited to their ways. They took stock from all across Hyathis, and it is rumoured that Rianni Verán, the founder of the elven breed, obtained stock through mysterious means -- few elves outside those engaged in the development of the breed knew of the secretive import of stock through the Nexus. Over time and with much patience, and many generations of horses, the Verán family had developed the current elven species. It possesses the ability to alter gait mid-stride as well as flex its body in the air, similar to a cat. These traits make the animal incredibly agile and quick, despite the Dulas' lack of speed in a flat race. They can dodge like deer through the wood, making them perfectly suited to the elves that remain cloistered in the Selendoria Forest. The Dulaverán also lives far longer than normal horses, with 200 years being the average. The Dulas is so specialized to the forest that it proves an exceedingly poor mount outside of heavy vegetation; foodstuffs cannot sustain it, and its alert temperament turns flighty and prone to spooking. As such, when elves leave for other regions, their horses stay behind. It is rumoured that the Cele'Lann possess Dulaveráns of greater stature, speed, and temperament, and thus are not limited to the forest.
Range: Shadokhan; domesticated, no wild-roaming herds.
Physical Description: Tall, long-legged horse with a strong frame and a fine, tapering head. Sloping hindquarters and high-set, arching tail. Coloration is highly unusual and distinctive. All Streylans are brindled -- that is to say that they are gray or dark with streaks of other colors, giving them a mottled appearance. Long, thick mane, tail and feathers are always pale. Their height easily averages 16-17 hands.
Notes: The Erkandris of the Silver Moon Empire were imported from overseas some years ago and are bred and raised almost exclusively on the Streylan estates near Dreven, Shadokhan. As a result, they are sometimes referred to as "Streylans". Their fine breeding, together with their scarcity, make them expensive horses to own. Erkandris are graceful, athletic, energetic and possess enviable stamina. Long legs and strong hindquarters make them fast and they are often used in racing. Strongly competitive, they are also highly intelligent and fiercely loyal. Because of their independent nature, it is advisable to request assistance in 'bonding' rather than waiting out the unpredictable time-period it takes for the horse and its new rider to become well-acquainted with each other.
Range: Scattered; most are domesticated, but there are a few wild-roaming herds.
Physical Description: These horses were bred to be able to move through forests with ease and dexterity. Because of this they are slight horses, narrow and relatively small compared to most other breeds. They are not the fastest horses, but they are sure-footed. Long arched neck, narrow head, small nose, and long thin ears. Their tails are on the thinner side and hang almost underneath them. Greenlegs are unique from other horses in that they always have a white tail or a portion of their tail that is white. They can be any solid coloring, no bi-colors. There may be white markings on legs and face, but other than the tail, there are no other markings. Occasionally a few horses will have white in their manes, but this is rare and considered a fault, not a benefit. Height ranges from 14 to 15.2 hands.
Notes: They are typically forgiving horses, but have been known to be sneaky. A few escaped when the breed was first developed and have made their home in the forests. They differ from their cousins in that there have been reports of some carnivorous activity when it comes to small rodents.
Range: Arboria. Domesticated, no wild roaming herds
Physical Description: The Litan is a compact horse with a well-proportioned body that stands an average of 16.5 hands high (a hand is 4 inches) at the withers (meaning its back is about five and a half feet from the ground). Sleek, it has a long face, delicate muzzle and widely spaced ears that curve slightly inward. The neck is thick and slightly arched, and the strong-boned legs are suited for travel over a variety of terrain. Coloration is usually bay, chestnut, sorrel, or a striking red.
Notes: Recently, in Elven terms, the Litan was developed as a travel horse for elves that range abroad. Due to the poor suitability of the Elven horse, the Dulas, in non-forested areas, the Litan was produced in response to the need of some elves to travel to other regions. Compatible with normal horse breeds, the Litan does not enjoy the longevity or agility shown by the Dulas. It has good endurance and a tractable temperament. Many years of travel have given the Litan high intelligence, an innate homing sense, and companionability with its rider. Careful attention to breeding by the elves have made the Litan an aesthetically pleasing animal, and outside of Arboria it is often referred to as the "Elvish" horse. The true Elven horse, however, is the Dulas, but it is not well known. Some breeders of the Litan offer temporary trade, where a horse can be purchased for a set period of time or for a specific journey. The Litan is not exceptionally common in non-Elven hands, for it is not sold outside of Arboria, but it is not as closely guarded as the highly specialized Dulas.
Range: Southern Balthazor; domesticated, no wild-roaming herds.
Physical Description:All Padrical Blacks are a very dark black, though an ideal mount is dark black with a dark grey mane, tail, and long feathers hanging over the hooves.
Notes: The Black Branch Knights have been breeding Padrical Blacks for a very long time. A large horse, it is powerful but very lithe. It is very intelligent and fast. They pick up dressage very easily and and make excellent mounts both for warfare and transportation.
Range: Northern portion of Thermador and Wadi Medani; domesticated, no wild-roaming herds
Physical Description: A mid-size horse, this breed typically averages 14.2-15 hands high (a hand is 4 inches) at the withers, meaning the back of the animal is about 5 feet from the ground. The breed typically has a slender neck, wide forehead, and dished profile, with tapering ears that give it an aristocratic appearance. They possess deep chests and strong quarters. Principle colors are cream, grey, and white. Markings range from smoky points (muzzle, ears, and legs) to dapples on the quarters. Their dark skin, better protection against the desert sun, adds to the smoky appearance where their hair is short. Now and again the unusual and highly prized silver coloration appears.
Notes: The nature of the environment in which the Tekaedan are raised, as well as stringent stud practices by the Dacapal, the sect of nomadic tribes that own them, have made the breed swift, strong for its size, and possessing incredible endurance. The breed tends to require less water than horses from other regions, and lasts much longer under hardship. The Tekaedan has had great influence in the development of the other horse breeds of Thermador, especially those from Wadi Medani. The horse is a way of life to the Dacapal that raise them, and children will die for want of water before a horse goes thirsty. Often desired by horse breeders for refining their own stock, the nobility as riding horses, and the military for scouts, many people would give a year's wages for stud rights, and even more to permanently retain the animal. The sale of a Tekaedan, however, is a rare event, and even then it is usually to the horse breeders of Wadi Medani. Smuggling is generally the only way a Tekaedan makes it out of Thermador, a process made all the more difficult by the horse's temperament: loyal to master and herd, and savage to others.
Range: Thermador; usually domesticated, but there are wild-roaming herds.
Physical Description: Short, tapering head, flaring nostrils, very prominent wide-set eyes; rather undefined withers; short back with high, flat croup; tail is set high and flaring. Tough horses, they are fine-boned, but the bones are incredibly hard and tend to stay sound. Average height is 14 -15 hands.
Notes: While many horses originating in Thermador are referred to as 'Therms', the purebred is a versatile horse and has a reputation for endurance that is only excelled by the Tekaedan. He is an intelligent horse of even and willing temperament, though often spirited.
Range: on the island of Ki Kumodi in Southern Oceanuus
Physical Description: At the time of day when the sun hangs highest and the heat is densest, there is a unique sight on the island of Ki Kumodi. It covers the gray slate of high rock cliffs. When the shadows wane, a dazzling display of local blossoms much like unfolding flower petals erupt in shades of sea-green and deep ocean blue. They catch the strong breezes at the cliff's heights and on the air alight and flutter, either swinging high in the trees where the winds are strongest or floating to flat stone to settle. Blue bodies with mottled accents of green and gold like sunlight filtered through tightly-wrapped canopies bask in the heat of the sun and gather heat during still naps.
The Kumodi drake is an intimidating creature when first viewed. The size of a small child, it moves with a swift, loping four-legged stride with its belly high off the ground much like a caiman. Even with its mouth closed, thick, sharp fangs jut out of its mouth, two at each side of its snout. But when it flies, unhooking strong claws from tree branches to dive and swoop at the shores and seek marine prey when it tires of fruit, it is an unquestionably beautiful sight. Broad, bat-like wings unfold and flap with tremendous strength to bear it aloft. Circling a school of fish, it tucks all four of its unwebbed limbs about its belly and drops like a dart between the waves. It can fly skillfully from the branches of a tree, but it can just as easily slide serpentine through the water and leap forth, immediately taking to the skies.
Range: Mount Rashkana, Thermador. Wild.
Physical Description: The adult is long, their size dependent on how much time passes between lavaflows, as lavafish never cease growing. On average, adult lavafish are as long as an arm, and serpentine in shape. The dorsal fins, usually held flat and folded like a fan against the fish, are a hands-width in size and the rays are sharp as quills. The pectoral and ventral fins are small and oval, while the tail fin is shaped like a spade. Coloration of non-breeding lavafish is a rosy red overall, grading to a pale orange on the belly. The fins are striped a muted yellow and grey. Breeding lavafish are brilliant in color, though the patterns remain the sam ewith the addition of a reflective stripe of silver that runs from mouth to tail. Juvenile lavafish resemble non-breeding adults, and the difference can only be told by cutting it open to see the organs. The fry are very small, looking like a pair of orange eyes with a silvertail.
Notes: Of magical nature, the lavafish resides in streams in and around Mount Rashkana, coming and going just as the intermittent waters flow. During eruptions, adult lavafish swim into the lava flows, migrating like salmon into the heart of the volcano where they spawn and die. The first spurt of high heat acts like a catalyst, scorching the adults to their brilliant colors. This phase of the fish is the most sought after,the most expensive-- and the most dangerous to obtain.
The eggs remain dormant within the molten rock, their unique mineral-coated shells holding them in stasis until another eruption sends them out down the volcano side. Finding their way back to streams by luck of the flow, and by being ingested and deposited into streams by the desert herons that dwell near Mount Rashkana, the eggs soften in the cooler waters and development of the fish fry begins. They hatch within two tendays, thriving near the edges of the small streams and growing. After one cycle, the fry reach their juvenile stage, moving deeper into the streams where they remain and grow for at least two years--a minimum of two lava flows must pass over the juvenile fish before they reach adulthood and can make the migration into the volcano itself. The most commonly seen and captured phase is that of the juvenile, called Taenleigh by those that hunt the lavafish.
Range: Meadows in the Talpeasea Mountains of Arboria
Physical Description: Invisible to the casual observer. Once they show themselves, lehti look very much like moths or butterflies; small winged creatures, but with unsegmented, blue eyes.
Notes: The lehti live among colorful flowers, perfect camouflage for their brightness. A field of wildflowers gently nodding in the breeze is really covered in lehti, but the illusion of nothing but flowers is what people see.
Range: Thermador, throughout the Quintak
Physical Description: Humanoid elementals with bright skin the color of flame ranging from blue to yellow to green. They range in adult heights from five to seven feet tall and often have very muscular forms. They have pitch black eyes and their exclusively black hair looks feathery and floats like smoke about their heads, although it is stiff and bristly to the touch.
Notes: Few people have actually seen the true appearance of a Glamour. This is because they have the ability to instinctively manipulate light, creating illusions of themselves and changing their appearances with ease. This ability is limited specifically to an aura of light around each Glamour.
Range: Thermador
Physical Description: Quiths are about the size of a horse and often used as beasts of burden in the manner of camels. They have thick, corded sandy or rust-colored wool to protect them from the sun and broad, thickly-padded feet to enable them to handle whatever terrain the desert throws at them. Like camels, they can bulk up to go for long periods without water, carried largely in fat cells around the torso and in the thighs. A triangle of small, vestigial horns protrude from their skulls, one on each temple and the third at the top of the head. Quiths are strong, stolid, notoriously calm and stoic creatures.
Notes: Quith and camels provide milk and blood for various dishes, and sheep, quith, and camels can all be shorn for their wool/hair.
Range: The inner waters of the Elbonian Sea
Physical Description: Usually 10-12'' long, the fish can reach 16''long. Covered in smooth black scales, a single, backward-swept barbed dorsal fin about four inches tall at its crest runs from the top of its head down its back. This fin is a bright red color in mature males and a dull purple in juveniles. Females' fins are grey and almost translucent, and often held back to seem more spiny than the male's. The pectoral fins of both sexes extend horizontally like leaf-shaped daggers, and are capable of expanding to allow greater flexibility of movement.
Notes: The redfin preys on any sea life smaller than it. Like sharks, redfins are drawn to blood in the water, although they do not exhibit the same feeding frenzy tendencies. There is an odd etiquette in feeding and the fish does not approach meals much larger than itself, even carrion. During courtship, the male flourishes its dorsal fin by bending the forefront spine forward. It then fans its pectoral fins and shimmies around the female to attract her attention.
Range: Underground waterways throughout Arboria
Physical Description: A scaleless red fish that grows up to a foot long, the rockangler has rough skin covered in small bumps. Half of its body mass consists of an enormous, bony skull with a hinged, gaping lower jaw and two rows of needlelike fangs. Atop its head is a high fin that runs down the curve of its skull, and at the front of this fin is a luminescent extension that dangles on a loose organ.
Notes: The rockangler is unique not only in its mode of vision and detection, but also in that it can leave the water for brief periods of time. Using its pectoral fins, the fish can cling to rocks and move from one body of water to another. Although the rockangler has a pair of beady black eyes, they are only capable of rudimentary detection of motion. Most of its "vision" comes from the sensitive light organ, which can actually detect the proximity of edible food. Its belly is capable of stretching in order for the fish to gorge itself, opportunizing food availability.
