Creature Design

Outlined below, are some of the creatures that the player will encounter in missions and the wild.

## **Peng**

The Peng is a rare magical monster and is regularly hunted for its meat and scales, as such their population is shrinking and are quite uncommon to find. The Peng is a cross between a bird and a fish and can glide through the air as fast as it can dash through water. It is said to be gargantuan in size. Sailors that survive encounters with Peng recount it’s quiet silhouette looming beneath even the largest of fish boats, and that’s when they attack. The Peng’s beak like jaw is rowed with razor sharp blades that can tear through a ship’s hull as if it were soft flesh. They benefit greatly from being able to attack from the water and the sky.

The Peng is a very territorial monster and will attack any creature that trespasses in its territory. Peng travel in groups of 3 or 4 and are very protective of each other, if one member of the group is in danger the others will quickly come to aid the vulnerable.

The world’s unstable climate requires Peng to migrate when the air temperature cools. Seeing these aquatic beasts take off from the water and defy gravity, flying over the edge of the horizon has become a spectacle in Hong Kong.

## **Ao**

Ao is an ancient and colossal dragon turtle that resides somewhere in the seas near Hong Kong, he is the only creature of his type. A great island sits on his back which moves slowly through the water as he swims. If he does not want to be seen he will submerge under the water and disappear making it difficult to truly see what he looks like. Ao is extremely intelligent and wise, while he can communicate his vast wisdom, he chooses to commune only with a select few. The Devine Bureaucracy will occasionally call upon Ao for advice in difficult matters. Aside from the Devine Bureaucracy few other people have seen Ao in person and so his existence is often brought into question.

Ao is peaceful in his solitude and will never attack. It would make for an interesting quest for the player to seek out Ao for guidance/mentoring

## **Pratas Dragons**

Pratas Dragons are a species of dragon that reside in the ocean south of Hong Kong. They are quite rare and are worshipped by many as they are believed to control the weather of the seas. These dragons can be found in the area where the Pratas Islands use
to be before the rising sea levels caused them to be submerged. When these islands were first discovered, thousands of years before the Re-Enchantment, they were named after the legend of the Pratas Dragon as a sign of respect.

Folklore say, like all dragons, the Pratas Dragons rise from the molten core of the Earth glowing white hot. The Pratas Dragons rise through the centre of their eponymous Islands, and when they touch the seas water their scales turn rock hard, like a blacksmith quenching the blistering heat of a newly forget chest plate. All the while, beneath the surface of their cool metallic scales the Pratas Dragon burns with a fire greater than any other dragon.

Like the Peng, Pratas Dragons are highly territorial, they will become aggravated if a creature comes to close to them or provokes them.

## **Xiangliu/Hydra**

Xiangliu are a type of hydra that are found in the tropical marsh regions near Hong Kong. They have the body of a large snake with nine heads. Xiangliu are extremely aggressive, it’s almost as if they kill for pleasure not just food or self-defence. These hydra are extremely fast and silent, they dash through the marshlands striking their enemies before they’re even aware of the Xiangliu’s presence. If a warrior were to land an attack on a Xiangliu they would would need to be careful as the Xiangliu's blood is extremely toxic and will poison anything that comes in contact with it.

Xiangliu is strongly connected with flooding. Climate change deniers that still exist after the Re-Enchantment commonly blame Xiangliu for rising sea levels and the flooding of Hong Kong.

## **Kelpies**

While Kelpies are commonly depicted as horse like creatures, in China they take the form of the Water Deer. Unlike many legends of the Scottish Kelpie, the Chinese Kelpie is docile beast and rarely shows aggression. This quickly resulted in Kelpies being captured and domesticated for the purpose of riding. Now the Kelpie is a vital member of society in Hong Kong. Since their domestication, traversing the flooded streets has become far easier. A kelpie’s traversal is not limited to the surface of the water, they can actually swim under water for stretches of 20-40 minutes, providing the rider has some means breath underwater.

Work by Anthony Keyes - 1700170