Sociocryptozoology

A Brief Introduction:
My name is Tichon Almar, and I’m a human man born in the Sands, and I’m a scribe. I studied history in the Sands, but I found it lacking, while there is a great amount of art and parchment expended rendering the greatness of our leaders, very little was recorded among the common folk. My attempts at filling in this gap proved politically unviable, and I hastily relocated to the Valley.
These days I travel as much as I can, and learn the ways of the people.
Recently i have gained an interest in sociocryptozoology, not the study of these mythical creatures themselves, but about the people who search and believe. 
Below I’ve included some interviews I conducted between the years of 1797E and 1800E (i.e. after the fall of Orcus, but before The Great Cockatrice Plague Of Skor)
Karthos
Tichon: Would you please introduce yourself?
Karthos: Yeah sure pal. I’m Karthos, I’m a Hob-gobbo, and I’m a hunter.
T: How long would you say you’ve been hunting cryptids?
K: Never.
T: Pardon?
K: If you catch ‘em, they’re not cryptids, are they pal?
T: I guess not. So what drew you in? What made you believe?
K: I don’t.
T: Pardon?
K: I don’t believe. I reckon they’re made up. Some of them are down-right silly.
T: So, why do you do it?
K: Money. Most of them are made up, as I said, but a few are real. Catch ‘em, haul ‘em in, wizards or some other pointy-hat weirdo will pay ridiculous coin pal. Outrageous.
T: So, how long have you been hunting? What have you found.
K: What year is it?
T: 1797.
K: 20-some years then pal. I caught a whole bunch of weird shit. The Moth Bat. The Green Ape. Malicious, and uhh...what was that other one? The one with far too many pigs?
T: The Dream of the Fallow Fields? You caught that?
K: Yeah pal, that was a right nudge in the doffel, you know?
T: I’m afraid I don’t.
K: It banged me up pretty good and bit half my face off. Was quite the payday, the wizards up in Tsar gave me coin for the Dream, and another sack ‘cause i let them study the wound. Turns out the Dream has some weird shit in it’s spit. Wizards went crazy for it. Got to spend 2 months sitting on a couch while people fussed over me, and I got paid to boot.
T: Sounds like a lovely time.
K: You’re Frog-Damned right. Plus, a lot of those wizards hadn’t seen much of the way of scars or wounds. Some of them were pretty, youknow…
T: So, you had an open wound with an unknown poison in it, and wizards found this erotic?
K: Wizards.
T: Wizards. So, you think you’ll keep at it?
K: I have to now. I have a reputation. Doesn’t pay often, but it does pay a lot.
T: You’ve sure sold me on it. Thanks for your time Karthos.
K: Ta pal.
'''
Professor Morrin, Tsar College of Mages.
Tichon: Would you please introduce yourself?
Morrin: Certainly, would love to. I’m Professor Morrin, and I’m the resident expert in speculative zoology.
T: One moment, for my records, are you an elf?
M: No. My father was a Abyss-touched tiefling, and my mother was a Vishkanya.
T: Wow, that’s quite a lineage. Is that why you’re interested in cryptids?
M: What do you mean?
T: Nothing. Nothing at all. You were saying speculative zoology? How’s that different to cryptozoology?
M: I’m not interested in fables and feytales, I’m interested in facts.
T: Can you give me an example?
M: Werewolves.
T: Those are real, I’m pretty sure.
M: Oh, they are. So are werebears, weretigers, werebrush-thylacines, weresharks.
T: There’s quite a variety.
M: There is. There’s a documented case of lycanthropy for a wide variety of animals. But not all. Where’s the weremice? The weresalmon? The weremammoths?
T: Oh, I see. So you suspect these creatures exist?
M: It seems likely, doesn’t it? We can look at where cases of lycanthropy crop up, cross reference that with local fauna, do some searching, and there you go!
T: Oh wow! What have you found?
M: Nothing yet, but I’m pretty sure we’re getting close.
T: What else are you looking for?
M: There are nearly a hundred recorded species of distinct aberrations. From Aboleths to Yithian.
T: You don’t have one starting with Z?
M: No, but when I find one, I will name it a Zzanthinian, and fix that problem.
T: Is that with two Z’s?
M: Yes. It guarantees I’ll always be at the end of the alphabet.
T: That’s very far sighted of you. What kind of aberration are you looking for?
M: There are so very few flying aberrations. Why?
T: I don’t know.
M: I don’t know either, and I think it’s a fascinating question!
T: What else are you looking for?
M: Vampire Stirges. Ghost Clams. The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow. Wherever all the zombie hyenas are coming from.
T: You’ve got a lot of paths here. Any bearing fruit?
M: No, not yet. But with so many possibilities, one of them has definitely got to exist, right?
T: Professor Morrin, thanks for speaking with me today
M: Any time.
A foul-smelling halfling I met in a rotting tree on the side of the road.
Tichon: Would you please introduce yourself?
Halfling: No.
T: What’s your relationship with cryptids?
H: Married.
T: Pardon?
H: I’m married.
T: To the cryptids?
H: No. I think bigamy is a sin.
T: A sin according to whom. Wait, we’re getting off track. Are you married to a cryptid?
H: Yes. The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow.
T: How, uh, how long have you been married?
H: Three years.
T: That’s nice. How is that going?
H: It’s ok I guess.
T: That’s nice.
H: Three kids.
T: Really?
H: Yes.
T: So you’re saying The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow is real, and you’re married, and your union has born children?
H: Yes. Three kids.
T: So, what uh, race are they?
H: Half halfling, half The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow
T: Oh.
H: I call them halfblights.
T: That’s very nice. I’m happy for you.
H: Thank you. Would you like to meet them?
T: What?
The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow
Tichon: So, uh, would you please introduce yourself?
The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow: Yes. I am The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow
T: Oh. Oh wow.
B: You’ve met my husband. He is lovely.
T: I did. How did you meet?
B: He likes living in rotting trees. I like living in rotting trees.
T: And you’ve been married three years?
B: Yes. Having children out of wedlock is a sin.
T: Three kids?
B: Yes. I bear children once a year, under the first full moon of winter.
T: So, coming up to a fourth one soon?
B: No. The fourth child shall not be mine, it shall be a thing of the space between the stars, and it will bring ruin.
T: That’s very unfortunate.
B: It is the way of things. With love comes a cost.
T: And in this case, the love is that between you and your husband, and your fourth child shall bring ruin?
B: Yes. The fifth child will slay the fourth, and order shall be restored.
T: That’s...wow.
B: Indeed. I shall not mourn, it is not my way.
T: So, what is it like being a cryptid?
B: I don’t understand the question.
T: Nor do I, now that I asked it. It was lovely meeting you.
B: Goodbye. We will meet again, on a day that has already been determined.
Author’s note: As it stands, I am yet to meet The Blight of the Moonlit Hollow again, but I don’t think their parting words were a threat. Of all the people I met on this journey, I think it was the one who most knew what was actually going on in the world. I look forward to our next meeting.