Bestiary

Here is a list of all creatures unique to the world of Giantstep. This will include all beasts that have at least one mention in the lore, but aren't common enough to be just set aside (no sheep or dog entry, for example). Also, no sentient species, they have their own page.

## **A**

### Agricultural Behemoth

 **Status** | Domesticated

See Golden Sea of Wheat.

Agricultural Behemoths are massive creatures, with a strange and misshapen appearance. Their body is similar to that of rhinoceros, but somewhat hunched. The hunch is composed of powerful muscles, as they need it to move their oversized head, which almost composes one fourth of their entire body. Their cranium is somewhat flat, with small beady eyes and no nose. Their mouth is massive, with multiple rows of teeth, despite the fact their diet consists of grain. They have two long tusks at each side of their head, which grow and fall every couple of decades. These tusks can be moved up and down independently, though not to the sides. Their skin is leathery and wrinkly, protecting them from most forms of harm. Their legs are somewhat short, and this, combined with their tremendous weight, makes them slow and lumbering.

### Anemone Centipede

The anemone centipede are a species of marine myriapod that leaves within the coral reefs west of the Cornfloor Peninsula. They have a small but long segmented body, easily able to move across crevices to protect themselves from predators. A particularly inoffensive critter, it defends itself by planting bits of poisonous anemone on their carapace. This allows them to scavenge between coral without being eaten by fish and other bigger animals. The local populations use them to obtain cyan ink.

### Anemone Lion

The anemone lion is a species of mammal that lives in the Zulutaur Steppes. A strange symbiotic creature, it combines two organisms together to create a powerful predator. While the feline itself is smaller than many of the predators in the region, it is fast and resilient, capable of chasing down prey for longer than its competitors. However, this meant that its body is more fragile and vulnerable than other predators. The solution is its symbiotic relation to a species of land anemone. The anemone's tentacles are highly poisonous, boasting a paralyzing toxin that slows down prey with surprising speed, while the anemone lion itself is immune to its effects. This means that anything that attacks the lion will end up paralyzed before they can actually cripple or kill the lion, which will allow it to turn the tables on the attacker. This also means that the anemone lion is a very effective predator, only needing to attach itself to the potential prey to stun it, leaving it open to bleeding damage or a bite to the throat. However, this comes at a price, which is the anemone needs a lot of water to survive, even if it's adapted to the land lifestyle. Thus, they are usually near bodies of water, only moving away during the rain seasons. If a patch of skin is left without anemone, the lion becomes highly vulnerable, as its skin is very thin and brittle, depending on the anemone for protection, and it only has fur on its legs and tail, the only parts not covered by the anemone. The anemone lions hide their heads under the mass of anemone tentacles, only bringing it out to eat. The anemone lions are solitary creatures, unlike other species of lions, not working in packs.

### Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurs are a species of dinosaur that lives in areas between the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah and the Eldritch Jungle. A creature of seven meters of length, their body is covered to the brim with ossified bone, giving them an armored appearance. This allows the ankylosaurs to move around without fear of most predators in the area, since neither slash nor bite can really break this defense. Thus, the ankylosaurs can peacefully roam the land grazing. However, their level of intelligence is very small, and can scare quickly, which can be used by smarter predators, such as lions, hyenas and humans. They will surround the creature and try to aim to its neck, unprotected by bone. Other technique used for hunting them is to just exhaust them, since a creature this ponderous will end up overheating under the scorching sun.

### Antherion

Antherions are herbivorous mammals that occupy the forests around Drowchont and the Harmony Goddess' Realm. They are peaceful creatures, and are able to create illusions in order to disorient and escape from their predators. One such illusion involves mimicking various sounds of animals and nature, such as bears, waterfalls, loud gusts or even those of humans. They have the body of bears and the head of ravens, with the males having deer antlers. Their eyes are a deep blue, which can become red when enraged. They feed off vegetables and plants, and often can be found near the rivers, as they are keen of cleaning themselves frequently.

### Aruandan Whale Shark

Araundan Whale Sharks are a species of fish living in the waters east of the Great Norossor Peninsula. Despite their big size, around five meters long, they prefer shallower waters. Their scales are highly colorful, with dozens of different natural patterns, which are imitated by the araundans for their art. See Nosso Lar.

### Ash Bats

Ash Bats are a species of bat that have adapted to living in the heavily polluted environment of the Floating Garbage Patch. They are very small, with a wingspan of around 30 cm, and are covered in a special thick fur, protecting them from the humidity, the salinity, the ash and the soot of their home. They are very fast and agile, due to them having two pairs of wings, one main pair of upper wings, and a small pair of shorter wings near their legs, used for quick maneuvering. They live from hunting the many swarms of insects eating the garbage from the environment, often following a diurnal lifestyle. During the night, or during stormy seasons, they seek protection under some of the more solid parts of the garbage patch. Their small size and more limber disposition make them very fragile, causing them to have very short lifespans.

## **B**

### Bag Hunter

These fish live in brackish swamps and bogs. Their main body is about 1 foot long and covered in root-like scales which serve to hold their bodies tight to the bottom of the bog. They root themselves deep in the muck and inflate the tip of their tongue with hydrogen. This allows the tongue to rise up and out of the water, like a small pink balloon on a string. In the air, the inflated tongue secretes a foul smelling sticky substance, which attracts all manner of flying insects. These land on the tiny balloon and then stick to its surface. Over time these balloons get covered in small insects and when the balloon gets heavy enough to again touch the waters, the Bag Hunter will release the hydrogen, retract the tongue, and digest its full meal. It repeats this process indefinitely. See Dominion of the Bog Witch

### Basilisk

The basilisk is a giant serpent. Looking a Basilisk directly in the eye causes instant death, while an indirect look will merely render the victim petrified. It is a black magical beast that is usually bred by dark wizards or witches. The bogwitch Norn was the first to breed a Basilisk. She accomplished this by getting a toad to hatch an egg from a black rooster.

See Dominion of the Bog Witch

### Basiliosaurus

 **Status** | Insert Name

Basilosaurus are a species of carnivorous whale, measuring about 18 meters of length, and living in all oceans in the world. Its skull presents a very strong jaw, with large teeth capable enough to take chunks of meat from other megafauna in one bite.

### Batorpion

 **Status** | Wild

Batorpionsare small critters that hunt small prey during the night. They are blind, but have an incredible hearing, and they will detect the smallest vibrations. They then slowly approach their prey (mostly insects, birds and small rodents) and will capture them by using their pincers and venom stings. However, they are not particularly fast, and thus they will sleep during the day, diggind themselves into the ground until nighttime arrives.

See The Strange Meadows

### Beetlebear

 **Status** | Wild

    See The Strange Meadows

Bettlebears are solitary creatures that hunt in the meadows. They will move long distances in search of pray, and will eat anything that they can find. Since their size makes stealth difficult, bettlebears will only hunt big prey when there's a considerable chance of success, but most of the time they will eat frut, dig in the ground for lemmites and fish in the lakes and rivers with their great pincers. Those pincers are strong enough to break bone, and they are used to incapacitate their victims in one strike, preventing them from running. Local farmers and shepherds organise a hunting party every time one of this animals is located, since their strength and ferocity makes them very difficult to take down individually, although luckilly they don't seem to see humans as prey. Bettlebears are also very sensitive to high temperatures, and thus they will search deep caves and hybernate during the hottest months of summer.

### Berbagazi

Berbagazi are a species of land insects living in the desertic lands of the Corteau Canyon. They are burrowers the size of hares, with a physiognomy similar to woodlice, but actually being a type of beetle. They feed off the underground organic matter, and dig great tunnels through the dirt and the salt to reach the few edible materials in the harsh land. They are incredibly resilient to salt, being protected from losing their humidity due to their strange carapace. They are an essential part of the food chain of the region, as their tunnels are the perfect habitat for fungal and vegetal growth, which in turn end up feeding the berbgazi, and the berbgazi feed the predators in the outside as well.

### Bile Flies

 **Status** | Insert Name

Bile flies are a species of insect living in the Sea of Bile. They are the size of a small seagull, feeding off the organic material floating in the Sea of Bile. They have a greenish skin and small fur that protects them from the salt, the muck and the humidity of the air. Their eyes are highly sensitive, and are able to see the effluvia of rotting meat for miles. The bile flies move around constantly in search of organic matter, eating whatever is floating in the surface, which makes them victim to many ambush sea predators in the area. Their main objective is to find a major carcass floating in the water. Once they do so, they will lay thousands of eggs in there, with their body splitting apart due to the effort, and dying as a result. The eggs will hatch and begin eating the carcass at an astonishing speed, with the larvae being highly resistant to salt water. Once they become adults, they will begin this process anew, flying all around in search for a carcass. Bile flies are all born pregnant, so as to not need a couple if a floating body is found.

### Bile Mosquitoes

 **Status** | Insert Name

Bile mosquitoes are a species of great insects that live in the sea of Bile. A creature the size of an albatross, they feed of floating blood, both spewed and floating and from the sea giants themselves when they surface to breathe. Sea mosquitoes are able to stand still above the surface, with their legs able to grasp the bile and use it as a support, not sinking due to their incredible lightness. Sea mosquitoes lay their larva directly in the ocean, letting them drift away to find whatever organic matter they could come across, adhering to it and feeding upon it. To compensate for the low chances of finding something, they put astonishing quantities of eggs. They can cover great areas of the sea, and slowly split apart while drifting away from each other, to cover the greatest amount of distance. If there is no food around, cannibalism is a frequent act between the larvae.

### Black Bile Moray

 **Status** | Insert Name

Black Bile Moray are a species of eel that live in the waters of the Sea of Bile. Able to reach 10 meters of length, they are believed to live in the depths of the sea, eating whatever remnants of organic matter are still there, possibly even the corpse of the leviathan itself. During their youth, however, they are not able to resist the pressures of the deep, and they live ambushing bile flies and mosquitoes in the surface. Their teeth are razor sharp and somewhat poisonous, causing infections that, if left untreated, will lead to a fatal blood sepsis within a day.

### Bladegrass Moray Eel

Bladegrass Moray Eel are a species of land fish that lives in the bladegrass lakes. They are around 2 meters of length, and their strange skin is incredibly resilient to the bladegrass’ effects. Their elongated body has a great deal of strength, being able to propel themselves into the air, grabbing any critter with their jaws, and dragging them into the bladegrass, where the plant’s sharp edges will wound the prey for them.

### Bloatworms

The defining characteristic of bloatworms is that they can float. They float via a row of tiny, hissing, methane-gas-expelling ducts along their soft underbellies and constantly gulped in air. Bloatworms' bodies are long, lumpy, luminous, and slime-green. Along them are bulging yellow spots that ooze a cloudy liquid. Bloatworms' eyes are huge and milky. Bloatworms have rubbery lips and floppy feelers. Their mouths containe writhing tentacles with dripping suckers at the end to administer venom rather than a tongue and teeth. Bloatworms stink of rancid grease. After their bodies have been punctured or if they had died they pop almost like a balloon. Bloatworm venom is used for various purposes by the inhabitants of the witchbogs.

See Dominion of the Bog Witch

### Blood Fins

Blood fins are large predatory fish found in still waters on the northern half of Giantstep aswell as on Smallstep. Their name comes from the red color of their jagged dorsal and caudal fins. They are feared by anglers because their pulling power can cause small fishing boats to capsize. Due to their immense appetites, they bring entire smaller fish populations to extinction. They are particularly widespread in the region in and around the witch's swamps. Bloodfins are a delicacy and have a savory flesh that tastes similar to walleye. If a death-defying fisherman manages to snare one of these beasts, he can either sell it for a substantial sum or feed a family of five for several weeks.

See Dominion of the Bog Witch

### Bog Lamprey

 **Status** | Insert Name

See Dominion of the Bog Witch.

### Bog Lurker

The Bog Lurker is a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A rapidly growing fish, they have a voracious appetite, eating anything that moves and it’s smaller than them, biting them with their teeth in the shape of broken glass. They can reach up to two meters of length, and if left unchecked the can empty entire lakes from life. However, the bog lurker is also prey to a myriad of predators, as they are not very good at camouflage, often swimming close to the surface and causing very noticeable ripples in the water. Many fishermen dedicate a lot of time to hunt them down, both because of the great price that is getting a bog lurker and to keep the rest of the swamp’s fish safe.

### Bog Mudskippers

Bog Mudskippers are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are small, greyish fish, who have developed the ability to jump into the air and outside of the waters to protect themselves from harm. This has evolved into being able to survive on land for long periods of time, hunting for worms and bugs in the muddy shores of the lakes and rivers of the region. They move around in big schools, and when one of them jump, the others instinctively do so as well, creating authentic walls of fish if the school is big enough.

### Bog Snails

Bog Snails are a species of mollusk living in the swamps and marshes of the Bog Witch. Their size can vary wildly, though some of them can become big enough that their shells could be used by some fairy species as a home. Bog Snails live underwater, eating the decaying organic matter at the bottom of the swamp. They protect themselves by hiding in their reinforced shell, covered in spikes and sharp barbs. Many fishermen in the bogs have learned to cook them into a delicious dish, with roasted bog snails in herb sauce being a popular dish in many parts of the bogs.

### Bogfisher

Bogfisher are a species of fish living in Giantstep. They are massive fish, able to measure about 3 meters and weight half a ton. However, this size makes them very slow and lumbering, and swimming across the bogs is quite difficult. To avoid starvation, it uses a lure to attract its prey, with some even say their lights have a hypnotic effect. The prey will get in a trance looking at the shinning lure organ in its head, and once the bogfisher is close enough, the beast will strike, catching the prey with their strong jaws. They are able to eat both surface and underwater creatures.

### Bombarabedillo

Bombarabedillos are small herbivore creatures who live around fruit trees. They climb apple and peach trees and eat their fruits. While they are in that spot, they can be very vulnerable to predators, so the bombarabedillos can curl into a ball position and fall into the ground. This allows the bombarabedillos to quickly run away from predators. If that doesn’t work, the bombarabedillos can puke a chemical concoction, spraying it everywhere, and causing an immense irritation when in contact. Once the predator is suitable distracted, bombarabedillos will hide in the tall grass or under a rock. Many farmers have to keep a good look for bombarabedillo populations, since they tend to go for crops such as carrots, pumpkins and lettuces as well. Many farm dogs have learned to startle the bombarabedillos from afar by throwing them dirt and barking at them, avoiding their range of their chemical spray. Cats have been known to tire bombarabedillos from afar, and once they are out of spray, they play with the bombarabedillos in ball mode.

### Bonehead Peacock

The Bonehead Peacock is a species of bird that lives near the coasts of the southern coasts of the Zulutaur Steppes and the Azydiwi Peninsula. A flightless bird of 2m of height, the bonehead peacocks are incredibly dangerous and agressive, even though they are frugivores. The males develop incredibly complex feather patterns on their tails, designed to both attract mates and to threaten competitors/predators. If the creature feels a hint of fear, they will charge at the potential threat with their powerful claws, capable of gutting most creatures. In the case this does not work, their powerful necks and ossified craneum to bludgeon their threats to death. They are also incredibly resilient, and once they enter in a frenzy, they will not stop until the threat is dead or has outrun it (which, considering they are speedy creatures, is more difficult that one might expect) or they themselves die. The females lack the colorful tail patterns, but are in turn twice as agressive and dangerous, jumping at threats without warning.

### Brilliant Swallow

The brilliant sparrow is a species of bird that lives all around the continent of Giantstep. A small flyer, its outer wings are noteworthy in that they can not only change coloration, but they are highly luminescent. The brilliant sparrows use this light to find mates during the summer season. They can also use it for travel purposes, especially during the darkest nights. They fly in flocks of hundreds of individuals, moving to the Terrania Freeholds during winter, creating great luminescent patterns while flying. Their travels attract many onlookers, fascinated by the colourful and shinny lights they create.

### Brown Grouse

The Brown Grouse is a species of bird that used to live in the prairies of most of southeastern Giantstep. A creature the size of a turkey, the khenomeri believed it was a blessed creature, and was consumed only by the priestly classes. Their weird eyes are reptilian in nature, allowing the grouses excellent night vision, something they needed to avoid predators. It was this night vision what caught the attention of the khenomeric army, which brought many grouses with them in the early days of their expansion to watch out for night attacks and ambushes. Seeing the armed men as a threat, and wanting to protect their eggs (which are carried by the male in a translucent sack on their chest), they will ululate as strongly as possible, alerting the garrison. Thus, many nations who were part of the Khenomeric Empire still have plenty of these creatures around, though nowadays they are just mere farm animals. They are believed to be extinct in the lands now occupied by the gnoll.

### Bubble Slime

The bubble slime is a species of slime that lives near the coasts of the south of the world. They are practically transparent, and very light, floating with the current, absorbing everything that comes into contact with them. They occupy a similar niche that jellyfish do, but instead of poison, slimes use their muccus to asfixiate their prey. Since they are not poisonous, they are frequently prey to other animals, particularly sea turtles.

### Bugcatcher Slime

The bugcatcher slime is a species of slime present in most humid forest in the world. Taking a step aside from many slimes in the world, the bugcatcher slime takes a more solid appeareance and texture, looking much more solid and rigid that other slimes in the world. It also has distinctive parts, with two clearly differentiated halves. The exterior is where most of the slime's "organs" reside, and it has the diverse coloration expected in most species of slime. The exterior does not cover the inner part fully, leaving a great gap. This gap emmits a sweet scent that attracts a lot of insects, from ants and termites to flying bugs. Once they enter, they are trapped in the muccus inside and dissolved, feeding the creature. The interior is also reinforced with particularly sturdy slime walls, should something akin to a mouse or a bird enter instead, and threaten to damage the creature from within. This is important since the bugcatcher's nucleus is very near the feeding walls, and damaging it would kill the slime by making it unable to process food. Every once in a while, an insect will enter the bugcatcher's interior and escape, covered in dust. This is in fact how bugcatcher slimes reproduce, covering the insect in spores and leaving it to spread them throughout the forest. Bugcatcher slimes are very small, never growing bigger than the size of a small dog. They struggle to adequately feed bigger bodies than that, and it is frequent to see dying bugcatcher slimes due to growing more than they can provide for.

### Bukavac

The bukavac are large, horned, six legged creatures resembling both a lizard and a toad. They are about 1.5 meters of length, and prefer living in areas near lakes, surviving the near frozen waters due to the incredibly high amount of sugar in their blood. Their amphibian skin is very leathery and wrinkly, making them difficult to bite or cut into. Their mouth hides a prehensile tongue, which they use to grab their prey and drag them into the freezing waters, where temperature shock will leave them numb and paralyzed. Once debilitated, they bite into them with their powerful jaws. The male bukavacs have multiple pairs of horns, though they seemingly offer no practical function, as their horns are too close to their head for attack.They are considerably intelligent, learning the habits of their would-be victims before striking, and have been seen to be needlessly cruel while hunting.

### Bullwag

Bullwags are large, predatory, toad-like amphibians found in the Witchbogs. They use their toxic breath to kill their prey, then swallow the hapless creature whole. One of the telltale signs of a bullwag is the wheezing sound it makes. Their venomous breath can stun a victim 20 paces away and kill one that is only 10 paces away. They have needle-like fangs, long sticky tongues, two big bulging eyes (and four smaller ones), a fish like tail and warty mottled skin.

### Butterfly Sailfish

The butterfly sailfish is a species of fish commonly found in most oceans of the world. Its elongated size is adapted for speed, darting to catch the fish of schools one by one. They have a sharp sword nose, mostly retracted most of the time, and comes out when hunting or when fending off a predator. Its most unique aspect, however, is that its dorsal sail has divided into two, with very cartilaginous and covered in skin, almost in the pattern of a butterfly. The butterfly sailfish can open these fins after they jump from the water, using the momentum and the fins to sail over the ocean at surprising speeds, and with a considerable degree of control. They cannot breathe outside of the water, but this method allows them to attack schools of fish both from below and above, and it also helps them disorient their natural predators.

## **C**

### Cadaver Sponge

Cadaver Sponge is a species of sponge that grows in the swamps of the Bog Witch. It is believed to grow only in areas where a high density of decaying bodies. This, combined with the many stories about the sponges by the locals, can cause strong feelings of pareidolia, with many thinking skulls grow out them. They are used by some as remedies for bone maladies, as they concentrate a great deal of calcium and other substances, though harvesting cadaver sponges can be dangerous due to the risk of diseases in areas of high decay.

### Calcrabian Spaniel

Calcabrian Spaniels are a species of dog living alongside the hobbit communities in northern Scimitarian. They are a large dog, almost the size of a large wolf, with very dense and curly fur. They have been bred to help hobbits to move around the mountains, particularly as sled dogs, though some of them can grow so big they can be used by hobbits as mounts. Their heightened sense of smell, which doesn’t become dull even in the colder areas of the mountains, is able to find their way home no matter the winds or the cold. They are also used as rescue dogs, often seeing them with a barrel of Spulkenhome mead around their neck. Despite their big size and strength, they are very docile dogs. An inexperienced trainer may not be able to successfully make them do their bidding, as the calcabrian spaniels’ demeanor is so calm they often end up sleeping or loafing around.

### Cannon Cockroach

The cannon cockroach is a species of insect from Scimitarian. They are similar in many ways to the common cockroach, but with two distinct differences. First, the cannon cockroach cannot flight, having replaced its wings with a bigger and denser abdomen. Second, its head is much bigger than regular cockroach, with most of it occupied by a system that allows it to spit certain kinds of acid to defend itself. This acid causes a great deal of itching when in contact with the skin, and can cause important wounds in smaller creatures. Due to the sea trade, this creature has expanded throughout most of the world's coasts.

### Catfishmaid

Catfishmaid are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. The catfishmaid is an amphibian fish, able to crawl on land with its overdeveloped flippers and tail. They are insectivorous, eating the larvae and the bugs crawling near the mud of the lakes and streams of the swamps, and they can be seen digging into the mud in search for fresh slugs and worms. They are about a meter of length, but they are not a particularly ferocious creature. If threatened, they will go far away from their predator, either exiting the water or jumping into it.

### Cave Bear

 **Status** | Wild

Cave bears are a species of bear living in some areas of western Giantstep, being particularly abundant in the many cavernous systems of Furlaniya. They are massive predators, almost 3m of height when fully straight. They are highly dangerous creatures, and despite they mostly pass their days foraging or scavenging, they are strong enough to be a legitimate threat to the populations in the area. However, cave bears rarely exit from their cave systems, as the presence of big game such as spporgos, allow them to avoid any dangers like hunters. Often, their exits concentrate in the periods immediately before or after their hibernation, when cave bears are incredibly hungry and will attack anything they can eat.

See Fûrlaniya.

### Centifrog

The centifrog is a species of amphibian that lives in the forests of Faarowt. A strange creature, it has developed a long body and twelve pairs of legs, as well as a pair of horns. Due to its unusual anatomy, it has lost its ability to jump, and it needs to catch its prey using its prehensile tongue. It will coil around the tree branches to search for bugs, and it will catch them due to its excellent vision and longer than usual tongue. Its main defense is a poison coat that's higly hallucinogen, which will leave the creatures who attack it stunned and unable to do. The faarowt druids use this poison to mix concoctions and substances for meditation.

### Chakobsan Great Ape

The Chakobsian Great Ape is a species of mammal that lives in the jungles of Chakobsa. A gentle giant of more than 3 meters of height, they are incredibly strong, using their two pairs of arms to break vegetation to move around, crack coconuts and other fruits and to fight the many predators in the region. They are social creatures, living in groups of 20, led by an alpha, usually growing a big white beard. They are very protecting of their group, quickly closing ranks to protect their young, and they are quite violent when doing so. Their eyes are able to see in the dark, and they have a red shine during the night.

### Chakobsan Jungle Devils

The Jungle Devils are a species of mammal living in the jungles of Chakobsa. They are around 30 cm of height, but doubling that size if we take into account their tails. They move around the jungle in groups of around 30, moving from vine to vine in search of prey. They have no eyes, but their sense of smell and hearing are good enough, allowing them to be very effective predators, especially at night. Most of their face is occupied by a massive pair of jaws, which they use to bite into their victims, swarming them with numbers and biting it together with the rest of the group.

### Cheebrah

The Cheebrah is an elusive creature in the Strange Meadows. A very shy herbivore , they live in isolation and very far apart from each other. They are extraordinarily fast creatures, able to escape pretty much every predator in the region. However, due to their extreme isolated nature, the chances of one to reproduce are quite rare, and thus the population of Cheebrahs is much lower than one would expect. Due to the beauty and immense value of their fur, it is wildly chased after prey for hunters in the region. Many have also tried to domesticate them, with no success.

### Cherrystag

Cherrystag is a species of deer living in forested areas between the southwest of Florinth and the Forest of Getting Lost. They are a tall, almost 1.5 meters tall without counting the antlers, but they are also very elusive. They look like normal deer, with the exception of the males growing a third antler between the two main ones. From this antler, there grows a particular type of plant, seemingly in symbiosis with the animal in question. This plant grows and feeds from the deer, and in return, the cherries it produces are used to attract companions, who will feed on them before mating. These berries are highly sought after by florinthian cooking, but since the cherrystags do not let anyone else get them willingly, they have been hunted down to near extinction.

### Clinging Jellyfish

The Clinging Jellyfish are a species of jellyfish that lives in the forests of the Fungest. A creature oddly adapted to arboreal lifestyle, it can grow half a meter of length, most of which is its tentacles. The jellyfish tentacles are constantly emmitting a sweet scent that attracts many insects, and even birds. Once they get in contact with the tentacles, they will be stung with sleeping poisons, allowing the jellyfish to slowly eat the creature without resistence. Once the jellyfish detects there's no more prey in the area, they will use the tentacles to slowly cling from tree to tree to some other point of the jungle.

### Cockatrice

Cockatrices are magical creatures living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are the size of a rooster, with the body of a chicken and draconic features, such as bat-like wings, a reptilian tail and scales around their long neck. They are said to be the creation of a long forgotten wizard to protect their hens, though nowadays, they roam free for the land, hunting anything small enough to be edible.

### Coloss-Lion /Colossal Lion

Colosslions are a species of lion living in the Zulutaur Steppes. They are massive predators almost twice the size of other lions in the world. They have four pairs of limbs, which they use grapple with the megafauna of the steppes. Their slender body makes them much more agile and flexible that one may assume until it is too late. Their elongated mouths hold incredibly powerful jaws, capable of breaking bone with ease. Unlike most lion species, colosslions hunt alone, as there is rarely enough food for a pride of colosslions around the land. Their powerful strength makes them incredible hunters, though they often need to ambush their prey to get them, as their weight makes them not able to sprint for long distances. Colosslions are entities of praise in the savannah, seen as icons of strength and power. They are also very highly prized animals in the markets around the world, particularly for circus fights.

### Colossus Slug

Native to the Witches' Swamps, the Colossus Slug is the continent's largest known species of mollusk. When fully grown, she can rise to the size of a swamp ogre and to the weigh of two oxen. Her sharp-toothed maw is usually hidden by two large flaps of skin, which she can flap out in a threatening gesture. She is omnivorous but prefers fresh meat and can swallow a human whole. If you encounter her, you should flee as quickly as possible, since fortunately she can only move relatively slowly. However, this is often no longer possible as the Colossus Slug is an ambush hunter, disguising itself as a Swamp Mound, Dead Tree, or Driftwood until its prey gets close enough. Its slime is not only sought after by alchemists, as it can be used to make an extremely strong glue that is so durable that it can be utilized in place of nails in construction. Avoid stepping in the slime trail, however, or (without a special solvent) you'll be stuck to it for days.

### Common Slime

The Common Slime, also known as Regular Slimes, are the most frequent species of slime in the world. Its strange body has a different colorations, taking very colorful patterns, which many experts believe these are the equivalent of organs, managing a different bodily function each. Their exterior is sticky and gelatinous, relatively sensible to threads from the wild. They are able to live as parasites, eating away anything organic that enters in contact with it. Their growth is very slow, and generally their size never surpasses something beyond a human eye. However, if protected from predators, they technically can grow indefinitely, and there have been many instances of slimes growing big enough to be comparable to houses. Many species of insect consume the common slima, as well as many slimes eat weakened insects that cannot escape their sticky exterior. Once trapped, the slime will slowly dissolve their bodies and turn them into nutrients. The Common Slime is on the base of many food chains, since it's very nutritious and has little in the way of defenses, so it's eaten by many herbivores. Their reproductive cycle has two options: the first consist of a singular common slime splitting in two, each holding enough parts to survive in the wild. The second is through maduration, part of the slime will send spores that will travek using the wind to move great distances. Due to the need of the common slime of high amounts of water, it's commonly seen near rivers, though never close to sea water, as the salt blocks its growth and impedes its reproductive cycle.

### Compsognathus

Compsognathus are a species of reptile living in the lands of Eastern Chakobsa and the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savanah. A diminute dinosaur, barely a meter of lenght and less than half a meter of height, they are very effective carrion eaters. They will move in groups of 20-30 around the land, searching for recently deceased animals, and quickly eating it once found. However, they are also able to hunt, though their fragile constitution makes this a risky proposition. To compensate for this, their bite has an anaesthetic effect, and with enough bites the victim will be dazzled and confused. This poison is not particularly effective, and only works on older or sick prey.

### Craggian Simian

A species of simians makes its home in the Crag, something between a baboon and a macaque. They have a blueish tinted skin on their face, which it becomes bright blue when angry or fighting. They mostly walk on all fours, preferring to move on the ground than jumping trees. They are very intelligent, and can imitate very well things they see, something they have been proven with their enthusiasm when stealing items, especially swords or knives. They are extremely territorial and attack anyone who gets close to their homes, which are built close to caves and trees near the poison pools at the bottom of the valleys. Their lairs are usually full of stuff they have stolen from nearby populations.

### Crawl Shark

Crawl Sharks are a species of land fish living in the Kinga Badlands. They have developed lungs instead of gills and claws instead of fins, which makes them capable of crawling on land and even dig under the sun in search of underground creatures and to protect themselves from the sun. They are about the size of a hound, as there rarely is enough food around for bigger crawl sharks. They tend to move independently, without forming groups, and they are highly aggressive towards each other. Crawl sharks are a very significant entity for the Kinga, with the hunt of the crawl shark being a very important event for them. Only the men are allowed to hunt them, so the fathers will bring their sons to chase down and hunt the dangerous crawl sharks.

### Crocodilian

Dashing crocodilians are a species of predatory reptile living in the Bayukmen Marsh. They are a middle point between a lizard and a crocodile, measuring up to 2m of length from mouth to tail. They have the capacity to slightly alter their scales’ coloration, which they use to swim unseen in the swamps. Once they see their prey, their longer legs are able to dash towards their prey and drag them into the water. However, their bite is less powerful than most crocodilians, so they have to grapple their victims into the waters to drown and suffocate them.

### Crossbowhead

Typically observed in the seas around both Great Frozen Glaciers, this massive filter-feeding cetacean lives beneath and around ice. Normally peaceful, in times of duress or intraspecfic competition, they use their namesake weapon. Under the roof of their mouth, they possess baleen that forms enough tension to fire swallowed ice, that, smoothed by the tongue of the whale, becomes a spike. This can easily kill or maim a whale, and can cause solid damage to a ship. It is believed that this ice mouth crossbow is primarily used for fights between males during mating season, though both male and female crossbowheads can fire ice in this manner.

### Crystalid

Crystalids, or Crystalid Destroyers, are a rather odd and peculiar group of entities. Their forms and size may vary but most commonly they can be described as Insect-like creatures made out of pure crystals size can vary between "living crystal dust" and a "bastion on legs". They don't belong to the surface world neither the known underground worlds, some theorise they came from the heart of the world. The means of how they got out of there varies. Some came with earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, some crawled out of deep caverns reaching down to their habitat and some just dig themselves out. But the first instance is the most common. And by it they occur in higher numbers on active volcanic lands or near mountains. The desroyer in their name is not a misnomer wherever they go they are capable of creating mayhem most commonly by simply walking through their obstacles either crushing or slicing anything to a bloody mess (depends on the form). Fighting against them is also hard but not impossible. Because of their composition they are hard enough to damage but they can have a variety of offensive weaponry. Starting with the more common either sharp or blunt potrusions and growths even rarer encounters can have more extreme ones like a outproportioned "mouth" full of insanely sharp "teeth" or just unleashing such a strong scream that even their own bodies cannot tolerate, or being capable of shatering themselves to become smaller entities then fusing together again or just using parts of their bodies as projectiles. In some extreme cases they can morph their forms to suit their needs and while many of them formed wing like structures the capability of flight is only a theorised ability some entities posess. Each of them is a one of a kind which means they are unpredictable but on the other hand they worth a lot. Jewellers all over the world only wish to obtain even a small bodypart. Thanks to their unique composition and atteibutes they are highly coveted materials. But encounters are rare for the last thousand years there were only little more than 500 sightings (around 200 just on the soil of the drow citystates) worldwide. Artifacts made from this material can be extremely powerful if made right. But it can be hit or miss because of the one of the kind random nature of the creature its made from. This is why it was basicaly banned from alchemy and magical usage the results can be so random that the risk is just too high.

### Cuckoo Lizard

The Cuckoo Lizard is a species of reptile that lives near many human populations. Similar in shape and size to that of a chicken, with scales and feathers, they are a parasitic species. They will infiltrate the human farms and let their eggs near the chicken pens, where the chickens will mistake them with one of their own. Once the cuckoo lizard is born, it will look identical to a chick, with its true appeareance only surfacing after two weeks. It then will grow very fast, eating both the farm fodder and the chicks (when the mother isn't looking). Once its true aspect is revealed, it will try to run away from the farm and into the forest, where it will try to find a mate and the cycle will begin anew.

## **D**

### Death Divers

Death Divers are a species of bird living in many areas of southern Giantstep. They are a type of vulture, characterized by their shinning dark blue feathers and pinkish skin around their head. They have 6 meters of wingspan, and weight about 50 kg. While they are mainly scavengers, as are other vultures, they have developed a particularly noteworthy method of hunting. Once they spot a suitable prey from the sky, they will fly as upwards as possible, and then freefall into them, stopping just enough to hit them with their reinforced claws and beak, while keeping themselves from slamming into the ground. Their bones are surprisingly resilient for a bird of that side, making them much more capable of enduring blunt trauma. This method of hunting has made them quite a nightmare for herders all around the south of Giantstep, and thus they are hunted down by them when they have the chance.

### Deinocherius

Deinocherius are a species of dinosaur that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A creature of around 3 meters of height, they feed of the many swamp vegetation of the region. They are covered in a dense plumage, making them more difficult to slash or bite. They move in groups of ten or so individuals, communicating through great honkings, used to warn each other from predators, or to intimidate their enemies.

### Digging Tauros

Digging Tauros are hulking creatures that roam the lands south of the Onyx Mountains, grazing all day to mantain their massive bodies, the height twice that of an adult man. Despite their fierce appeareance, they are gentle giants, generally tolerating the presence of herders and their charges, and other herbivores. However, their peaceful nature ends whenever they detect a predator or a rival digging tauros infringing on their territory. Then they engage in brutal clashes, using their massive horns and powerful claws. This fights end up badly for the loser, geting gored and slashed mercilessly, generally dying in the process despite their tough skin and muscle. Their claws are not used only for fighting, they use them to dig for rare minerals, since their diet needs high amounts of salt. They've been often seen licking rocks to get enough of this food, it being one of the main reasons for a digging tauros to infringe into another one's territory.

### Direnewt

Direnewts are a species of giant salamander living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. Measuring 1.5 meters of length, they are very static creatures, waiting in the bottom of lakes and rivers for creatures to move near them, and then swallow them with their powerful jaws or even sucking them whole. They have a dreadful sense of sight, and they often prefer moving during the night, sensing the changes of pressure on the water to move around. Direnewts lay a great deal of eggs, and many within the bogs have become fond of eating them, as they are quite flavorful and nutritious. Finding the eggs is a hard task, however, as the direnewt often lay them below the ground, needing to dig them out to get them.

### Divovish

The divovish is a species of arboreal amphibian that lives in the forests of the Terrania Freeholds. They are the size of a human hand, and eat a mix of fruits and mushrooms in the area. They live attached to the trees and the giant mushrooms, absorbing the water in the air due to their high need for water for their body functions. They are good climbers, though most of the time they spend the day sleeping, only really waking up when hungry or when needing to find a mate.They are able to lay hundreds of eggs, gluing them to the trunks and leaving them to fend for themselves. Due to its inofensive and weak nature, it's in one of the lowest echelons of the region's food chain, and has a very short lifespan, only balanced by its high spawn rate.

### Dolphebra

Dolphebras are highly intelligent creatures that live in packs of 20-50 individuals. They are omnivores that will eat anything from grass, fruit to small animals, although they haven't been shown any particular predatory behaviour, prefering instead scavanging for carcasses or animals that don't require great hunting efforts. They communicate by creating a complex language of sounds, some of them reaching a spectrum below what humans and other predators can listen. This helps them watch over for potential threats, being able to escape quickly if there's danger around. They have been seen using pack tactics to raid some local farms, which forces the locals to breed dogs with specially strong sense of hearing to try and hear them coming during the night.

### Domestic Aphids

Domestic aphids are a species of insect living in the Terrania Freeholds. Domestic aphids are minuscule, less than 1 cm of length, and with a segmented body divided into two halves, with three pairs of legs. Domestic aphids are blind, relying completely on their sense of smell to find their food, which is usually sugary sap from trees. Domestic aphids have been the main husbandry animal of the chotë for centuries, due to their ease to maintain and their incredible reproduction speed. Domestic aphids barely live a couple of months, but on that time, they can asexually birth near a hundred aphids. This not only makes them a very easy source of food (though they need other sources of nutrients to complement their diet), they do not need to protect them that much from predators. In fact, chotë use their herds of aphids to attract bigger critters they could hunt down as well. There are many cases where chotë need to sacrifice part of their herd to keep it from growing so large they end up destroying the plants they feed on, though this rarely happens, as the number of predators that feed off them is very high. Drunig traders that go to the Terrania Freeholds to obtain exotic plants have to hire chotë to keep them free of aphids, to avoid them becoming a plague elsewhere. However, many consider this is not necessary, as the domestic aphids seem to be quite sensitive to temperature changes, and they wouldn’t survive the colder temperatures of Drunigzar anyway.

### Dragontail Frog

The dragontail frog is a species of amphibian living in the Terrania Freeholds. A small frog, similar in size to those found in ponds all around the step, it has a particular development quirk that gives it a great advantage in the jungle. Where most frogs lose their tail when growing from a tadpole to an adult, dragontail frogs not only do not, but it keeps growing. The frog uses it as a prehensile limb to attach itself to trees, and when combined with the frog's natural jumping abilities, it makes for an excellent arboreal species. The local Chotës need to pay attention to them, since they can be quite well camouflaged, attacking from far distances with their tongues, and they do not reject eating chotës. The chotës themselves do hunt them in return.

### Dragonupinus

Dragonupinus are small nocturnal creatures, slightly bigger than rats. A cowardly critter, quick to run despite being covered in sharp spikes, they only come out at night, when they search for fresh grass and fruits. Their eyes, occupying much of its head, are capable of seeing danger at long distances, sensing even the heat and movement of possible predators at great lengths.

### Drop Bears

Drop bear is a species of marsupial living in the jungles of Chakobsa. A small furred creature, barely 40cm of height, they are surprisingly aggressive and vicious. As they are not particularly agile, their hunting plan is to climb the top of trees, keeping themselves hidden with leaves and tree branches attached to their fur. Once something passes below them, they jump and fall on top of them, quickly gouging the victim’s eyes out with their small but powerful claws, tearing their neck appart and in general causing as much damage as possible in the least amount of time. Even if the victim manages to throw them off, they are very resilient, difficult to get off and their bones and muscles are resistant to impact, so being thrown away does little to them. If the victim falls dead, they will begin eating the corpse as fast as possible, to avoid sharing the meal with other predators. If the victim still has enough strength to flee, they will climb back to the trees and pursue from there, though they will relent if the target can move fast enough, as they do not have the stamina for long pursuits. They often hunt in packs, with the alpha drop bear always being the first dropping into their targets.

### Drunig Goat

Drunig goats are a species of mammal originated from the Izar Peninsula. A very resilient breed, the drunig goat is the preferred animal of the drunig herders, and it has expanded all around the lands drunig settlers have colonized. They are about 90 cm of height and 1.80 m of length, with a considerably big pair of curved horns. They are covered in a coat of greyish brown fur, which is of great quality. Drunig goats are very smart and docile, easy to herd and train, even by inexperienced herders. They are capable of fending off predators by joining together against them, never leaving the newborns behind. Drunig goats are notorious for their resilience, both to the elements and the lack of food. The barren lands of Drunigzar have made the drunig goat a natural survivalist, capable of eating pretty much anything organic, from dry bramble bushes to lichen. Even then, the drunig goats trust the herders to drive them into greener pastures, especially once the cold starts to arrive. The drunig people have lived with these goats for centuries, and have learned to respect their endurance and stubbornness to survive, making it a symbol for the entire nation. Drunig goats are present both in the flag and in the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Drunigzar, and many drunig noble houses have them as well. Even with the growing power of Drunigzar, it is frequent to see many nobles control great herds of these animals, both as a source of prestige and a way to preserve tradition. Drunig goats have been sold frequently as cattle to many areas of Eastern Giantstep, though due to their inferior output of both meat and milk in comparison to other breeds, the drunig goats stays as a near exclusively drunig animal. Some members of this species have escaped captivity, and have been seen proliferating in different areas of Eastern Giantstep, and even Zemyland.

## **E**

### Electric Cod

Electric Cod are a species of fish that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A fish that lives in the deepest parts of the ponds in the area, it can reach nearly 2m of length. Due to the great amount of predators in the area, the Electric Cod has developed a very unique defensive system. The creature has distributed all thorughout its body a series of modified muscles called electrocytes, which generate an electrical discharge when threatened. The bigger the cod is, the bigger and deadlier the discharge is, being able to momentarily stun the giant predators (the same voltage can cause heart failure for a healthy human if caught unaware).

### Emerald Islands' Venom Eels

Emerald Islands' Venom Eels are a species of eel native to the Emerald Islands. They are a small fish, barely 10cm of length, and usually moving around in great schools. They have a black coloration with yellow fins, and a slimy skin that helps them move around even when in great numbers, reducing abrasion to a minimum. Their main source of food are the vines and flowers of the death lotus, either those that fall into the water or those that grow near the shallow waters. To access those, they will move around through the sandy shores to get to the plants, and they can resist quite a long time without breathing, though they have to be mindful of the tides, least they end up stranded. They have become immune to the venom, with their bodies holding a great deal of poison as a result.

### Emerald Islands' Venom Lizards

Emerald Islands' Venom Lizards are a species of reptile native to the Emerald Islands. Slightly bigger than a common iguana, they are excellent swimmers and climbers, with their webbed claws and long tail serving them well with both. They have a retractable crest they use to attract mate, which becomes bright red during mating season. Venom Lizards’ main diet are the eggs of the death blossom spiders. They are able to crawl or swim across big distances, avoiding the most dangerous parts of the spider webs to reach the spider nests. Once there, they will eat as many as possible and quickly go back to safety, as death blossoms are much bigger than them, often by jumping into the sea and swimming below the spider web. While venom lizards are somewhat immune to their poison, they can still be killed by the much bigger spiders. They also eat venom vines. Their mouths produce a substance that makes them less prone to getting stuck on the spider webs, and to produce that chemical, they need to ingest venom vines. Venom lizards lick each other to make sure they are completely covered in saliva so that they don't fall into the spiders' traps.

### Emerald Islands' Venomous Viper

Emerald Islands Vipers are a species of reptile that live in the Cocoon Islands. They are about 1.5 meters long, and have a very muted coloration, a point between dark green, brown or grey. These vipers feed off birds and small mammals, but they cannot generate their poison of their own. Instead, they eat venom vines and death lotus, processing their venom in a special organ they have above the stomach, which then can use to incapacitate their victims. The wizards studying the island have learned to use these organs to produce some powerful antivenoms for a wide variety of toxics, as the vipers can apparently generate poisons with most venomous substances and yet not fall prey to their deadly effects.

### Emerald Islands' Web Birds

Emerald Islands' Web Birdsa species of birds that live in the Emerald Islands. They are songbirds, quick and nimble, eating bugs and seeds from across their island. They are immensely skilled at flying, and that combined with their small size, makes them able to fly through the webs of the death blossom spiders. They also use the silk from some of the most unraveled parts of the spider web as fundaments for their nests. Aside from nesting in areas far from the spiders, the web birds’ eggs look like spider eggs, making many spiders leave them alone. Once born, the birds have to grow quickly, least they are discovered and eaten by the spiders.

### Emerald Islands' Web Spiders

Emerald Islands' Web Spiders are a species of arachnid that live in the Emerald Islands. They are near identical to the death blossoms in both shape and coloration, being a clear case of batesian mimicry. However, the poison of the web spiders is much less powerful compared to that of the death blossoms. They also cannot produce silk, having to parasitize the webs of the death blossoms to hunt. Web spiders are considered parasites, eating the prey entangled by the webs done by the death blossoms. Web spiders tend to keep their distance from death blossoms, since their disguise, while effective, is not foolproof.

### Erlfish

Erlfish are aquatic creatures that live near ponds and rivers. They are great swimmers, hunting down small fish and frogs, but due to their physiology, they are quite vulnerable on land. They have to balance their oversized heads by wobbling around, giving them a very uncoordinated look. They defend themselves by living in great flocks, making a great deal of noise to try to scare away possible predators. However, this tactic does not work with most predators, and thus they will try to jump to the water and swim away. If they are caught on land, they have little chances to defend themselves other than by pecking at their attacker. Local populations tend to hunt them, and some have even begun to farm them.

## **F**

### Fanged Slug

    Slimy and disgusting, Fanged Slugs (Pulmonata Dentata) are abhorrent creatures that inhabit the witches swamps, where they wander slowly in search of food, with their preference being dead or decaying organic material. They use sharp extendable teethed jaws to reduce food into manageable chunks, then devour it. There are reports of them also attacking live prey, boglins and wanderers. They leave a slimy trail behind them that persists for days. Slipping from such a trail of slime and falling into one of the deadly pools, a leech hole or a pit full of quickmud has cost the life of many a traveler. An adult fanged slug can reach about the size of a large dog. Their poisonous fangs are turned into daggers and knives by various crafty swamp dwellers. A wound inflicted by such a weapon, if left untreated, will result in a slow and agonizing death, the emphasis being on slow though since the slug venom takes about a month to reach the heart and to subsequently trigger the fatal cardiac arrest. However, the wounded is only able to move at a third of their normal speed for the duration of the poisoning.

### Filth Fiend

The filth fiend are a species of small rodents living in the garbage islands of the Great Garbage Patch. They are minuscule, barely 6 cm of length without including their tail. They live eating the organic garbage floating in the sea, as well as any small invertebrate burrowing in the grime, and have to be quite agile to do so, jumping, running and swimming from patch to patch seeking things to mulch. Their fur camouflages nicely with the grime and rubbish of the region, adopting the coloration of the area they are living at the moment. Due to their small size, they are hunted down by many other local predators, and tend to hide during the night. Their droppings are valuable fertilizer for the few plants capable of surviving in the area, as it generates the minimum soil needed to start sprouting.

### Fire Salamander

The fire salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela which often has been ascribed fantastic and occult alchemical qualities. It has no digestive organs, and gets no food but from the fire, in which it constantly renews its scaly skin. The salamander is completely immune to heat and fire and enjoys being surrounded by flames. He and his oily exudates are used for all sorts of potent alchemical recipes. The fire salamander hibernates in and under rotting logs. When this wood is brought into the house and lit, the creatures often "mysteriously" emerge from the flames. There is a larger fire-breathing variant of salamander, often confused with dragons, that were trained by the knights of the kingdom of wands and used as mounts. They are ideally suited for scaling the rugged volcanic landscapes and magma-drenched mountain passes local to the eastern tarot kingdom. Salamanders are the heraldic animal of the kingdom of wands and the archetypal elementals of fire.

### Flesh Eating Eels

Flesh Eating Eels are a species of fish native to the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are a diminutive species, barely reaching 10cm, though they are voracious critters. Their mouths are filled to the brim with needle-like teeth, and they are able to bite incredibly fast over and over again. This makes them capable of burrowing themselves in the flesh of their prey very easily, often causing great bleeding before the target can swat them away. The flesh eating eels are blind, so they travel using their sense of smell, and become frenzied once they detect blood in the water.

### Fleshox

Fleshox are a species of cattle originated from the swamps of the Bog Witch. The origins of this cattle are quite murky, though many believe they were bred using strange alchemy and a great deal of natural selection to create a type of bovine that would thrive in the swamps. Fleshox are massive, nearly 1.85 meters of height, with a huge hump on their backs. They are constantly eating, to the point of practically need no sleep (and even then, they are capable of continue eating while sleeping). This has made them massive in weight, being able to reach almost a ton in weight. Once they reach a certain size, the rest of their fat will begin filling some skin sacks at their sides, each of them filling almost 50 kg of fat and protein. If they feel threatened enough to fear for their lives, they will detach one of these sacks, letting them on the ground while they run away. This can be done quite easily, as despite their imposing looks, fleshox are incredibly dumb, with brains barely the size of a child’s hand. Their intelligence is so low, in fact, that they are one of the few species that do not immediately flee from gnolls upon contact. This has made them, alongside the tortoplodon, one of the few species that can be herd by the gnolls as farm animals. Gnolls use them mainly as sources of food, leather and bones, though they can be used as beasts of burden as well. Fleshox are often left breeding by themselves in massive numbers, and they are fed by the many slaves of the Gnoll Empire, who toil away in inhumane conditions to produce the feed to make fleshox grow their sacks faster. Their rate of breeding is also quite high, with female fleshox capable of giving birth every eight months, can become pregnant even when breastfeeding a calf already, and newborn fleshoxs can grow into adults by the year mark. Their use outside the gnolls and the ogres is beyond rare, as their meat has a rancid taste that makes most species ill, and so does their milk.

### Floating Anemone

The floating anemone is a species of anemone that has developed the ability to float and move around. Instead of being anchored to the rock like most anemones, they have sacks of oil that allows them certain degree of buoyancy, and a couple small tentacles in the shape of fins allows them to somewhat control their movement. Combining these two, these anemones can roam around the coral reefs of the world, hunting fish and jellyfish, though they are still rather vulnerable to attack from below.

### Floatox

Floatox are a species of jellyfish that live in the Sea of the End. They are considerably big, with the bell measuring about a meter in diameter. They float around the sea catching whatever fish they can get with their poisonous tentacles. Their poison is quite harmful and painful, resulting in severe burns. However, it is also frequently used for respiratory diseases: if properly treated, floatox poison can help increase the efficiency of the lungs, able to breathe deeper. This makes many fishermen in the Sea of the End catch them whenever they find them.

### Florinthian Sacred Carp

Florinthian Sacred Carps are a species of giant fish living in the Sherrilu-Ium Lakes. About 3 meters of length, they are very elegant fish, with long and flowing tails and flippers, and with complex patterns on their scales. They are highly docile, to the point of letting children ride on their backs, and smart enough to float on the surface to not drown them. They will also come closer to people when they see them, and the florinthians always have food for them, usually a type of grain. They are considered a sacred animal for the florinthians, who keep them around and let them navigate the canals of their cities. In fact, all cannals have to be wide and deep enough to let at least two carps move through at the same time.

### Flying Almiraj

Flying Almiraj is a species of mammal that lives in the prairies of the Swaying Meadows. Small and nimble, it is believed that the flying almiraj have evolved to fight a species of reptilian predator that is no longer still around. The almirajs are peaceful, eating grass, roots and wild berries. However, at the sight of any reptilian creature, they quickly adopt a very agressive stance, swarming it by flying at it, scratching it, biting it and stabbing it with their horns. Once the reptilian creature is dead, they will start eating the carcass until only the bones remain. After the meat is gone, they will go back to their peaceful state. This is believed to be the reason that there are barely any reptiles in the region.

### Frghaa'l Bat

Frghaa'l Bats are a species of mammal living in the Siuverland Archipelago. They are a diminutive species of bat, with a wingspan smaller than a human hand when fully grown. Frghaa’l bats are unique in that they build nests out of leafs, being considered a pest by the farmers, as they tend to cripple some crops before they grow to a certain size. Despite this, the local priesthood forbids their hunt, as they believe they are highly adept at detecting demonic blood. Their heightened sense of smell makes them detect altered blood such as that from demonic heritage. If a frghaa’l bats smells blood and begins to freak out, the siuverlander authority will keep an eye on them for the rest of their life. However, frghaa’l bats may just become frightened due to the presence of many people, and thus will condemn a healthy individual to constant scrutiny for the rest of their life.

### Furburau

Furburaus are strange creatures, the result of a magical experiment gone wrong.Believed to be originary from Drouchont, they are mostly seen now in the slums of the cities of Tarot and the land of the Astromancers, where they are treated as pests and hunted down. They are dangerous creatures, attacking unsuspecting people during the night, and feeding exclusively off human flesh. They consist of a body around the size of a domestic cat, with a mouth that occupies most of it. Its body barely functions, always showing rotting bits even if at the peak of their health. Their multitude of spindly legs allow them to crawl over many surfaces, using this to hunt humans. They will climb to a hidden high spot, open their mouth as much as possible, and then fall over their prey, trying to chomp on its head, or at least rip off a chunk big enough to eat its brain. Their reproduction is very slow, as only furburaus that have been feeding for a continuous time can reproduce, laying a single egg. They are asexual, and all furburaus are nearly identical. Luckily for the human authorities, the furburaus are highly sensible to light, so the nations where they have been spotted dedicate a lot of efforts to light up their streets propperly during the night. Also, they emmit a very particular smell, and thus they can be detected by hunting dogs. They are not capable of surviving in the wild, as many creatures are able to take them down due to their uneven proportions and sensibility to sunlight. Hunting and cleaning parties go to the sewers every week just in case a colony of furburaus is discovered, since damp and dark places are perfect spot for furburau to breed.

## **G**

### Garbage Gull

Garbage Gulls are large, mutated seagulls. Its beak has grown longer and sharper, allowing it to dig through piles of garbage for food, and its feathers have become oily and waterproof, protecting it from the polluted waters. It feeds on fish and smaller sea creatures that have become trapped in the garbage, as well as any organic scraps it can find.

### Garbage Slime Slugs

Slime Slugs are a type of slug that thrive on the mounds of rotting organic material that make up the garbage patch. They are able to consume vast amounts of garbage and can grow to immense sizes, though often need to contain great amounts of salt water within them, as if they fall into the sea, they need to float away into another mound of garbage. They have a very inflated look, with a beak face, perfect for burrowing into the organic matter.

### Gargantflies

    The Gargantfly is one of the most feared predators in Scatoley. It is a housefly the size of a Roc that has two powerful jaws in addition to it's proboscis. Like their smaller relatives, they feed primarily on carrion and feces, but will occasionally attack live prey in order to carry it alive and wriggling to their nests for their young. Fortunately, unlike their smaller relatives, these creatures breed very slowly. A female Gargantfly only lays a clutch of three eggs every seven years, from which arm-length maggots hatch, which usually eat each other until only the strongest is left. Such a gargant maggot needs 13 years and a lot of food to become a full-grown Gargantfly. A full-grown Gargantfly has enough power to carry a live ox. A Gargantfly is a relatively rare sight in Scatoley, as Gruntlings prey on the protein-rich maggots and the adult flies only nest in the highest of the dung mountains. Attempts by some Scatomancers to train these dangerous creatures into flying mounts have largely failed. Only about a half a dozen Scatomants have ever managed to fly a gargant fly, with two-thirds of those falling or being eaten somewhere on the way.

### Gärls

Garl are insectoid creatures that live in the Ögchuck Peninsula. They are strange creatures, about the size and shape of a horse, but fully insectoid. Their head is very similar to a beetle, with a pair of pincers at the sides of their mouth, and with multiple compound eyes. Their torso hides two pairs of wings, though the garls are too big to actually fly with them, and they are often used to intimidate opponents. Their entire torso is covered by a strong and smooth carapace, hiding their wings with it. Their legs are segmented like those of an insect, but ending in hooves just like a horse. They are very gregarious creatures, though they take a long time to actually grow a bond of trust and confidence with humans or other sentient species. The Ögchuk have made the garl a fundamental part of their culture, training individuals to ride them from very early ages. However, garl are poor beasts of burden, and such they are not used for chariots or caravans, only individual riders.

### Gem Beetle

Gem Beetles are a species of insect that live in the Emerald Islands. About the size of a rat, they have a very weak carapace compared to other insects, making them very vulnerable to predators. To compensate, they mostly live below ground, eating roots and tubers. However, they need to come out to the surface to reproduce, so during the days before the mating season, they will cover in their carapace in the strongest rocks and minerals they can find. Often, they will end up unearthing rare minerals and gemstones, which they also use to impress potential mates.

### Gem Crabs

Gem Crabs are a species of crustacean that live in the Emerald Islands. They are about the size of a rat, and during most of the year, they hunt and forage near the shores, eating anything organic beneath the sand. However, during the gem beetles’ mating season, they will cover the bodies with gemstones and minerals abandoned in previous mating seasons or rocks that can be found in the beaches. They will do so to look like gem beetles, hiding their pincers below their body. Once they find a gem beetle, they will act like a beetle so they can get close to it, and once there, they will quickly grab it with their pincers and kill them. The gem crabs are highly prized for their beautiful shells, with many of the gems used end up indented in the carapace.

### Gem Mite

Gem mites are a species of insect that live in the Emerald Islands. They are minuscule, a couple of mm at most. They mostly live below the ground, digging through the land to find organic matter. They have developed a way to dig through some of the rocks of the island, seeking to find certain minerals needed for their metabolism. This has seen them across gem beetles and crabs, who inadvertently dig the minerals up and glue them to their backs. Once in the surface, the gem mites quickly exit and begin burrowing back, as they do not like sunlight. The gem mites leave behind a glittering trail of sparkling dust, which is highly prized by alchemists for its magical properties.

### Giant Catfish

Giant Catfish are a species of fish that lives in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A voracious predator, its 3 meters of length from head to tail and 400kg of weight when fully grown make them an absolute prize for fishermen in the area. Their barbed mouths have poisonous stingers, which paralyze anyone who steps on them while also serving to shovel ground from the bottom of the lakes. While most of the time they feed on plankton and the organic paste at the bottom of the water, they can sometimes swallow entire fish whole, which then will digest with their powerful stomach acid.

### Giant Dragonfly

Giant Dragonflies are a species of insect living in the Dragonfly Island, east of Saint Thinerio Peninsula. They are a very unique creature, being dragonflies the size of horses. Their two front limbs are razor sharp, and the dragonflies can use them to pick up the great purple berries that grow exclusively on the island. While the dragonflies are omnivorous, giant dragonflies need a constant consumption of these berries to stay healthy, becoming anemic and dying if they do not get it. This species was discovered by the khenomeri during their expansion through the region, and they managed to domesticate them, seeking to use them as mounts of war. However, they quickly discovered two major problems that kept them from being useful as mounts: the first was the inability of the giant purple berry tree to grow anywhere outside of the island, for unknown reasons. The second issue is that, once a rider mounts them, the amount of energy the dragonfly needs to expend to move both it and its rider will make it consume itself, burning out and dying if they do not rest for months to recuperate. However, once a dragonfly rider enters a battlefield, they are an incredible force multiplier, due to the ability of the dragonflies of flying at incredible speeds (much faster than horses) and to fly in all directions: upwards, downwards, forward, backwards and sideways. This gives them incredible flexibility, though they often have to limit to light skirmishers, as they simply aren’t suited for carrying bigger armor or weapons. Due to the limitations in the production of giant purple berries, only the most elite local knights can afford having multiple dragonfly steeds, and dragonfly knightly duels are some of the most expensive honor duels there are in the world due to this.

### Giant Dungbeetles

Giant Dungbeetles are a species of insect that lives in the lands of Scatoley. They are about the size of dogs, with a head the shape of a shovel to move around dirt and dung easily. They often live in pairs, creating complex tunnels to hide excrement below ground for their larvae to consume during winter, as they are too sensitive to move around on the surface when the cold arrives. The males are known as “rollers”, and are the ones in charge of moving around and bringing the feces to the hideout, while the females, called “ballers”, prepare the balls and the nest for future consumption. They can intricate underground catacombs, trying to hide their stashes from other dungbeetles and other burrowing creatures.

### Giant Eagle

Giant Eagles are a species of bird that inhabit the northern lands of Eastern Gianstep. Twice the size of a human, giant eagles are incredibly strong birds of prey, often living in the mountains or around the Forest of Getting Lost. These creatures are believed to be descendants of the faerie lord known as “the thunder bird”, and tales tell that they inherited its strength, but not its intelligence, being mere smart animals. Giant eagles have a wide variety of plumage colors, and most of them have a series of extra feathers across their legs. They tend to hunt big game, hunting down things such as cattle or deer, eating them and then flying away. Some have been seen hunting in the sea in search for marine monsters. However, the numbers of giant eagles is actually quite small, with the only place where they are somewhat plentiful being the Kingdom of Tarot. The reasons for this are not well understood, but one of the leading theories is that this is the result of competition with the other giant bird in Giantstep: the Giant Magpie. While Giant Magpies are half the size of the giant eagles, giant magpies are considerably more intelligent and often travel in groups, while giant eagles are solitary creatures. Some explorers and experts have seen murders of magpies harass giant eagles until they left the territory in question, and some have even been seen breaking the eggs or killing the hatchlings when the parents are away hunting. This is one of the possible reasons why giant eagles are so rare, while giant magpies seem to have spread around most of the continent of Giantstep.

### Giant Fox

Giant foxes are a species of mammal that live in the forests of the Hedge. The size of a small tiger, giant foxes are surprisingly skittish creatures for their size. They are very intelligent, and avoid contact with the sentient species of the land if they can do so, often knowing there can be retribution if they attack them. However, that doesn’t stop them from stealing from them, both their cattle and their gardens. Giant foxes are incredibly fond of grapes and other sweet fruits, and some even have suggested they have evolved to that size not to hunt, but to reach the branches with fruit more easily.

### Giant Lampreys

Giant Lampreys are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. While they are incredibly long, their actual size is deceptively big, with a width barely bigger than common lampreys. To hunt, they wait for big prey in the shallowest parts of the lakes and rivers for big creatures to go through, and then they wrap up around their limbs, biting entire chunks from their victims. It is very common to see people with rounded bite scars on their bodies, where a giant lamprey has taken a chunk of flesh out of them. They have an incredibly strong grip, but once they have taken one or two bites, they will quickly flee to avoid retaliation.

### Giant Mosquitoes

Giant Mosquitoes are a species of insects originated from the Eldritch Jungle. One of the better known monsters of the accursed jungle, the males are the size of a human head, while the females are the size of a dog. They can drain blood at astonishing speeds, causing symptoms from nausea to rashes to seizures as the body enters in shock from quick blood loss. Their buzzing has some strange properties that makes it sound like they come from everywhere at once, helping them hunt their prey. They are believed to be magical in some way, as they seemingly cannot survive outside of the jungle, not even to the neighboring Terrania Freeholds or the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah.

### Giant Pigs

    Giant pigs are a species of mammal living in the lands of Scatoley. This species was indigenous to the region, and it was quickly domesticated by their first inhabitants, and by the time the Merfolk Empire took over the region, they had been fully tamed, though wild groups still exist. The adults can reach about 700kg in captivity, but the domesticated individuals become incredibly passive and lazy, and end up losing the ability to move as a result. They have to be fed and cleaned up, and the females have to be bred by younger and lighter males, as otherwise their weight would make mating impossible. The wild ones are much smaller, though can still reach a size of 500kg fully grown. Both tamed and untamed breeds have two pairs of giant tusks sprouting out of their mouths, which they use to dig through the dirt. The domesticated pigs are hairless, with the exception of a mane of sorts around their necks, while the wild ones are completely covered in fur. The domesticated ones live in the area around Brown University and Smutling. The untamed ones can be found all over Scatoley, especially in the flatter areas.

### Giant Rabbit

Giant Rabbits are a species of mammal living in the lands of the Hedge. They are the size of a pony, with long ears and a small beard. They are believed to be a domesticated version of local hares, grown by centuries of selective breeding. They are used as mounts by the hobbits, who keep them happy by feeding them all sorts of vegetables from their gardens. As mounts, rabbits are fast and nimble, though they can cause dizziness in some due to all the hopping. However, hobbits tend to neuter the rabbits once they grow to their maximum size, as otherwise, they would quickly swarm all fields and cause the hobbits to starve. Giant rabbits are hunted down by giant foxes, though the rabbits’ kicks can hurt quite badly a careless fox.

These rabbits live primarily in the Hedge plains, where a specialized type of quick-growing grass dominates the area. They are primarily raised by the Hobbits that live in the area. By looking at local Hobbit history, these giant rabbits were originally hunted for their meat and pelts, but eventually the Hobbits domesticated them and began riding them several thousand years ago. For centuries, the Hobbits have specially bred different types of giant rabbits which range from livestock rabbits that can barely move, to breeding rabbits, to riding rabbits which are one of the fastest and most enduring mounts you will ever find. However, there is one type of giant rabbit that absolutely no-one with a working brain will tame, the albino. It is known for having a taste for flesh rather than grass and is probably one of the few things that prevents the Bog Witch from expanding her domain westwards. They have to be ritualistically hunted and burned alive, because the albino has a chemical within it that overstimulates the adrenal gland greatly and will make even the most mild-mannered person into a frothing berserker.

### Giant Riding Corgi

Giant Riding Corgi are a species of mammal living in the lands of the Hedge. A dog 2 meters of length and 80 cm of height, they are the prime hunting and shepherding animal in the Hedge. Their size makes many predators think twice about attacking their charges, and their docility and good nature makes them excellent for domestic care. Hobbits use them as transport and as beasts of burden, though the latter is only done in caravans, as they cannot carry as much as a horse on them. They prefer living in the plains due to their comparatively short legs, making them less capable climbers.

### Giant Sarcosuchus

The Giant Sarcosuchus is a species of crocodile that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A massive predatory reptile that can easily reach the 8m of length from head to tail, it is a dangerous presence in the murky waters, and even big enough to be a threat on land. The darkness of the bogs and the murkiness of the waters can easily hide their movements as just a rotting log, hiding their bodies until they are ready to strike. Their scales are incredibly resilient, and have been seen resisting even fire enchantations, so durable and impervious they are to damage. Once they catch their prey, they will begin spinning their bodies to rip out chunks of their victims, or just cut them in half with the sheer bone-breaking pressure of their bite. However, the Giant Sarcosuchus have a bitter rivalry with the Swamp Spinosaurus. The Swam Spinosaurus have learned that, if they can avoid the first strike of the crocodilians, they can use their powerful claws to flip them upside down, leaving their soft underbelly unprotected. However, this is easier said than done, as the sarcosuchus' bites are strong enough to cripple the dinosaurs if caught unaware.

### Giant Sea Serpent

Giant Sea Serpents are a species of fish living in most of the world’s oceans. While it was believed to be a serpent due to its physiognomy for many centuries, it was eventually discovered that it has gills, and even retractable flippers, identifying it as a giant eel of sorts. They can measure up to 15m of length, and are very fast swimmers. Their feeding habits are mostly unknown, and they are believed to feed on creatures from the deep. They have been known to attack ships, though this is often assumed to be the creature mistaking the vessel for other creature, as vessels rarely are worth the energy needed to sink them down.

### Giant Seahorse

Giant Seahorses are a species of fish living in the southern coasts of the Labyrinth Bay. They are a seahorse about 1.6 meters long from head to tail, and they feed on the algae floating around in the sea, plus any food they are given by the local populations. Giant Seahorses have been used for many centuries to combat algae infestations that occupy the nearby waters, cleaning the waters and avoiding growths that could damage docks and ships. They have become very docile around humans, and many giant seahorses are actually kept as pets. They are greatly appreciated in the Kingdom of Tarot, where they have become part of their heraldry, particularly in the Kingdom of Cups. In particular, seahorse knights are chivalric units specialized in ship boarding and close quarters combat on the sea.

### Giant Squirrel

Giant Squirrels are a species of mammal living in the forest of the Lumberling Grove. As one of the many strange creatures protecting the Fountain of Youth, they are surprisingly ferocious critters. However, their role is to dissuade the travelers from continuing further, which they do so by harassing them, taking their provisions and breaking anything they might need for the road. They are the size of dogs, and can appear in very large numbers, swarming the trespassers and biting them with their strong incisor teeth. However, they are very afraid of fire, and they will keep their distance as long as one is carrying enough torches.

### Giant Sunflower Bee

Giant Sunflower Bees are a species of insect living in the Sunflower Forest. They are similar to the common bee, but of much bigger proportions, about the size of small cats, and of a slightly brighter yellow coloration. Giant Sunflower Bees live in great hives of thousands of individuals, moving across the fields pollinizing the sunflowers, and producing great amounts of honey. They are very docile creatures in the wild, especially when far from their hives, but they become increasingly aggressive and territorial if one nears their nest. Giant Sunflower Bees can only sting once before dying, but their poison is incredibly painful, not to mention the size of their stinger is about that of a small dagger. However, they tend to avoid stinging as a last resource, preferring to bite the strangers with their jaws, and throw irritating dust into their eyes. They need massive amounts of honey and nectar to survive, which is why they aren’t found outside of the Sunflower Forest.

### Giant Swamp Pikes

    Giant Swamp Pikes are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A fish of about a meter and a half of length, their tongue is covered in abrasive spikes, capable of grinding down any prey they manage to keep a hold of with their teeth. These spikes are used by many inhabitants of the swamps to create tools, often with the purpose of treating skin or fur to produce clothing. However, this tongue actually makes them hard to catch by angling, as they tend to break the lines. They have to be caught using harpoons, which makes their hunt quite a tedious process, considering the low visibility of the murky swamp waters.

### Giant Tapeworms

Giant Tapeworms are a species of worm native to the lands of Scatoley. They are much bigger than the common tapeworm, and they grow faster too, and because of this the common lifecycle of tapeworms is not viable to them. When a tapeworms’ eggs are ingested by a big enough mammal or bird, they will parasitize the host’s digestive system, becoming quite long. However, instead of staying on the intestines of the host, giant tapeworms live before being fully grown, often causing quite a lot of pain on their way out. Once they are outside, they will act akin to constricting snakes, asphyxiating small animals to death before draining them out of their fluids. Once big enough, they will lay their eggs on recently deceased animals, which then will be eaten by carnivores, beginning the process anew.

### Giant Toads

    Imagine an agar toad the size of a garden shed. Now give her the appetite of a Gluttonlander and the irritability of a Gryplow. You get the idea. A giant toads' thick warty hide can be used to make a strong water-repellent armor, which is very popular with the marsh dwellers. Especially the swamp ogres like to wear this unadorned utility clothing appropriately referred to as "Toadskin". The iconic piece of armor is a simple but effective leather jerkin reinforced with rivets. A well-crafted Toadskin can fetch a good price on the bog market.

### Glowflies

Marsh Glowflies are a brightly glowing species of firefly native to the Witch's Swamp. Although they are significantly smaller, they are sometimes confused with Wisps and therefore have an unjustified bad reputation. They appear in swarms and are extremely shy and skittish. For this reason, having a few swarms of glowflies around is always a good sign. They can even be used as a natural warning system, as the small insects, with their very sensitive organs of touch and large compound eyes, perceive the slightest vibration on the bog floor and the quietest movement. If they flee from your campsite, so should you.

### Glustyworp

    The Glustyworp is the evolutionary link between aquatic insect, fish and amphibian. It's a rough-skinned water creature, four yards in length and resembling a stump overgrown with algae. With ten paws and jaws like cut-saws, glustyworps live in swamplands. It is a carnivore with the teeth of a predatory fish, the body of a long-drawn water beetle and the mating behavior of a newt. Many scientists have speculated that it might be an umuncle, but since the species predates the ancient Bogwitch, they have concluded that it is a naturally occurring predator. They use the bog mist as cover, not appearing in the sunlight as it dries them out and makes them become more vulnerable. Their prehensile cephalic limbs with razor sharp claws, have great power, as well as their tail-fan. As the pollution by the wiitches got worse it became a feeding ground for these creatures. And due to the constant food source via people and livestock transported on boats along the rivers and water traderoots, they can grow incredibly big to the point of pulling a cow off one of the ships was no issue. The Glustyworp fills the evolutionary niche of a crocodile in the Witches' Swamps, since these creatures do not exist there due to the relatively low temperatures. Only in the Bayukmen swamps, heated by hot mud springs and combustible swamp gases, exists a species related to them called crocodillians. The Glustyworp exhibits hunting behavior similar to those eating insects, mollusks fish, frogs, lizards, crustaceans and mammals alike. In some areas of the Witch's Swamp, dozens of these dangerous creatures can be seen lounging on the muddy banks during the night. A full-fed Glusytwomp no longer poses a great threat as it becomes lazy and won't attack even if you walk relatively close to it.

### Golden Trout

Golden Trouts are a species of fish living in the Blue Lakes of Littlestep. They are about a meter long, and have a distinctive shinning gold coloration, with scales that are very appreciated by some craftsmen of the Woodcutter Cities. They are a fish of unusual intelligence, being very wary of both people and the traps they set up, and are seemingly always aware of fishing lures. That, combined with the remoteness of their habitat, makes them very difficult to catch for most of the year. However, during late spring and early summer, the glaciers within the Blue Mountains begin melting, increasing the size of the Blue Lakes at the center of the forest. It is at this time where the golden trout begin their reproductive cycle, and begin congregating in the tens of thousands, driven by a mad desire to breed. This annual event attracts thousands of fishermen to the lakes, crossing the entire forest to reach the lakes, where they then will jump on their boats and try to catch the trouts. This event is also used as familiar bonding, since parents will bring their kids to see the beautiful views and teach them how to fish, rewarding their efforts with the exquisite taste of the golden trouts.

### Gongoran

Gongoran are a species of magical bird found on the island of Wanaidheain. They have a build similar to a hawk or an eagle, but slightly bigger. They are a tone between orange and brown, with the wings bright yellow, often with black patters on them. Their most striking feature is their numerous eyes: across all of their body, the gongoran sprout dozens and dozens of small eyes, many of them having a complexion and structure non-avian. Some of the eyes look humanoid, others can look amphibian, insectoid, feline and even eyes of previously unknown nature. The magical properties of the gongoran help their owners to channel arcane energies, doing so faster and with less risk for the wizard. They are a very calm and collected species, often acting like they understands the moods of their owner completely, and because of that is a very sought after familiars for many wizards. However, their rate of reproduction is very slow, being in heat only once every 50 years. Because of this, many wizard groups and orders keep an eye on their specimens of gongoran, and a laying of a gongoran egg is an event that becomes great news for the local wizard community, quickly searching for a good master for the hatchling. They seemingly only eat a few times a year, and their diet consists of aether, which they consume in small quantities. Their lifespans are very long, with an average of 400 years, though they can live longer. Because of this, they can change many masters in their lifetime, and it is said that the wisdom of their previous owners will be carried over through the gongoran if the wizard takes good care of their bird. Ole Croaky was a famous Gongoran that dwelt in the ancient halls of the Grand Priory of the Order of Pedants for an estimated 490 years before dying in a freak weather accident.

### Grape Mosquito

The Grape Mosquito is a small insect typically found all around western Giantstep. The Grape Mosquito is a common pest in most areas, using its sting to drain the fluids of fruits and vegetables. Unlike other species of mosquitoes, both male and female grape mosquitoes are fully frugivore, and do not prey on warm blooded animals. Its flight emmits a particularly high pitch, which uses to threaten predators into thinking they are bigger/more dangerous than what they really are.

### Greasy Black Corruption

    The area above the Lump Mountains and below Sewington is referred to as soiled land by the locals due to nightsoiling experiments that contaminated the ground there and caused strange creatures and a greasy black corruption to emerge. After the secret machinations of some notorious Nightsoilers in the area oily black Bubbles started to appear someday. They spread in a similar fashion to some fungi and appear to form an underground "root system". It is believed that there is a central source of sinister origin deep within the muddy earth below that is the cause of these greasy springs. When organic matter such as living beings comes in contact with the black tar-like mucous sacs on the surface, the sac first coats part of the body depending on how direct the contact is, then the tar recedes, corroding and absorbing all organic material. The Brown University Scatomancers have successfully stopped the spread of this corruption in Scatoley and contained it to a relatively small and manageable area. On the other side of the border, however, these sacs have spread unchecked into the Seven Castles district, as the Scatimists feel no jurisdiction beyond the borders of Scatoley and the other Brown Pact countries (namely Grobianism, The Urine Woods and Cockaigne). The nature of the "Black Grease", as the corruption is popularly called, has been thoroughly studied, but the scientists who deal with it are still faced with many question marks. Some of the most groundbreaking insights regarding it are that the Black Grease may be some sort of singular living organism, that a forbidden combination of Scatology and Necromancy led to its creation and that contaminated areas should be avoided and refrained from entering at all costs.

### Great Babirusa

The Great Babirusa is a species of mammal that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A wild pig almost 6 meters of length, they are surprisingly peaceful creatures, eating anything that's edible in the swamps. They are extreme omnivores, though they always tend to go towards highly caloric elements, such as the oysters the ra breed. The ra tend to fight these creatures, as not only they can eat massive swathes of the oyster fields, but also attract many predators that frequently target the babirusa. The babirusa can be scared away easily with fire and loud noises, but if the babirysa is hurt or thinks their lives are in danger, they will become fierce, charging at the threat with their six pairs of tusks and horns. These are the size of a human arm, perfectly capable of impaling a creature. Usually, however, the babirusas are not a threat for the carapaces of the ra, but they are still dangerous if they are hit through a vulnerable spot.

### Great Cicada

The Great Cicada is a species of insect that lives all throughout the northern coast of Giantstep and Littlestep. A slow, lumbering insect, incapable of flight or even fast movements, it defends itself by digging a massive burrow and coming out once every 10 years, where they will mate, lay eggs and go back to hibernation. Their metabolism is incredibly slow, ready to last a long time with very little food, obtained by drilling trees and drinking their sap. Once they gourge on sap, they will begin to dig their burrow, where they are protected from predators. The fact that it needs so little food to survive, even taking into account its hibernation, baffles experts, making some believe they have alternative ways to nurture themselves.

### Great Northern Penguin

The Great Northern Penguin is a species of bird that lives between the eastern and wester coasts of Zemyland and the Great Frozen Glaciers of the north. A creatur of near two meters in height, they spend most of their time underwater, fishing from squids, octopi and fishes. They live in great groups of hundreds of individuals. A pair will bond for life, and while the female lays the egg, the male will keep it inside a poach to keep it as warm as possible, while the female goes hunting. This is because the males can defend the egg from predators by spitting acidic spew, a mix of rotting fish and food eaten that, when launched into the predators' eyes, it can blind them so foul the concoction is. The chick will spend months inside the pouch, until it's too big to fit anymore.

### Great Parasitic Isopod

The Great Parasitic Isopod is a species of crustaceans that can be found all throughout the seas, as long as there are big sea creatures. They are able to attatch to massive sea creatures by throwing their eggs into the sea and waiting for sea creatures to pass. The larvae hatch in the open sea, and can survive for a couple of days on their own, waiting for a suitable creature to pass. Once one of those pass near them, they will attatch to them, hiding in some spots difficult to dislodge. The isopod will grow as big as the host allows it to, reaching up to the size of a human torso, though these sizes are rare in the extreme. Once their host dies, they can become quite aggressive with the creature that has killed them.

### Great Pincering Squid

The Great Pincering Squid lives in the depths of the Great Salt Lake, north of the Onyx Mountains. It is an immense creature, nearly five times the size of a man. It is a voracious predator of the deep, feeding on fish and carcasses that sink in the unusually deep lake. However, due to their immense size and frequent food scarcity in the depths, they attack animals that drink at the borders of the lake, or at the birds resting at the surface. It is one of the few beings that can reliably take down a Digging Tauros, since its pincers can deal with the horns, and once the prey is trapped, the Squid can just drag it into the depths, where it will drown. Due to their size, there are very few Great Pincering Squids, but their activity is enough to make the local populations try to actively hunt them down, since the attacks to the fishing ships are common enough to warrant massive hunting campaigns after one of them is spotted.

### Great White Spiders

These gigantic arachnids are the size of a horse, and feed of the mammals of the rivers. During the day, these creatures need to protect themselves from the sunlight, so they will dig their burrows and stay underground for as long as possible. During the night, though, they will come out and hunt down whatever they can find, whether it is a buffalo or a human traveler. Their silk is not strong enough to trap or immobilize their prey, so they instead use it to create traps for their prey. Taking many fruits from the trees, they will glue them together in big mountains of food, attracting many animals that would feast on them, only for the spiders to ambush them in turn. This shows a greater degree of intelligence, and has made the spiders a big target for domestication by the different tribes of the region. Spider-riding has become an important tradition, but due to the spiders’ distaste for sunlight, it can only be done during the night.

### Great Worm Shark

The Great Worm Shark is a species of shark frequently spoted in most seas of the world. Easily identifiable due to its elongated figure, it is one of the fastest creatures of the sea, thanks to its powerful musculature and six pairs of pectoral fins and powerful tail. It detects its food using a wonderful sense of smell, as well as an excellent vision, using four pairs of eyes. Once discovered, it is able to dart towards its prey and then use its masive jaws to wound it. Despite having powerful jaws, strong enough to crack most shells and carapaces, it prefers to wound its victims, causing death by blood loss. This is because, despite its strength, its very vulnerable to attacks from other sea creatures, and needs to avoid confrontation when possible. This means that the Great Worm Shark is itself victim to bigger sea predators, though they usually need to ambush it in order to get a hold of it.

### Green Crab

Green Crabs are a species of crustaceans living in the Kinga Badlands. They are a small breed of crab, the size of a human thumb. They have managed to live in symbiosis with a species of algae, which covers most of its body. The crab eats anything edible, from lichen to dry plants to underground insects. During the few hours when the sun is up but the temperature is not scorching hot, the crabs will go out and bathe in the sun, all while the algae photosynthesize and feed off the crab’s waste, turning it into more algae that the crab can then eat. Once the temperature is too hot, the crabs go back to the tunnels to rest in the pockets of water. During the night, the crabs also look for different kinds of minerals needed for the correct growth of the algae. This allows the green crab to be very efficient, multiplying fast and spreading throughout the water tunnels across the badlands. Many creatures have evolved to hunt them.

### Green Slime

The green slime is a species of slime typically found in the northern areas to the swamps of Northern Gianstep, and they are very frequent in the Bayukmen marshes in particular. This species of slime is one of the few that can actually developed complex movements, actively hunting down its prey instead of being a passive predator. The slime generates many tendrils from its body, moving around the area in search of signs of life. Once it finds something, it digs up a hole below itself to anchor its body, while its tendrils slowly spread around. The slime adopts a darker tone when on the hunt, mimicking a rock full of lichen. Once something gets in contact with the tendrils, they attach to the prey, slowly gaining a hold of it, while moving more tendrils towards it. The slime will try to suffocate its prey by swallowing it whole, after which, it will begin to digest it, sometimes the process starts while the creature it's still alive. The Bayukmen have used these creatures in the past as a natural line of defense against the bog witch, having learned how to deal with them without being attacked by them, herding them towards the border and eating whatever entity comes from the other side.

### Greentail Swallow

Greentail Swallows are a species of bird living in most of the continent of Giantstep. They are slightly smaller than the common swallow, and are notorious for their green tails, which clash with the rest of their darker coloration. This green tail is often used as a means of attracting mates, powdering their tail with pollen and nectar from flowers to make it smell good. This action makes them important pollinizers wherever they live, though most of the time they end up migrating southwards, either to the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah or other places in the south. In particular, the greentail swallows are important for the lifecycle of Southern Plantains, roosting in the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah for only a few months each year during the rainy season.

### Grey Flamingoes

Grey Flamingoes are a species of bird living in the Bladegrass Lakes. A taller bird than the common flamingo, they have developed feathers that are immune to the cutting effects of the bladegrass, protecting them from the cutting and the puncturing of the thorns. They are also capable of knowing where the bladegrass is actually taller than it seems, avoiding to fall into the grass’ deathtraps. They walk on their claws, keeping as little surface on the ground as they can, giving the impression of dancing ballerinas. Their eyes are covered by a particularly dense fold of feathers, just in case the plant threatens their vision. They can also fly very far without needing to stand still, though they rarely spend that much energy on flying. They manage to feed off the insects and small crustaceans that make the deeper parts of the grass their habitat. The lack of natural predators in the area has caused their numbers to rise dramatically, being around in the hundreds of thousands.

### Grunadont

Grunadonts are a species of reptile living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A lizard of about a meter of size, they take a middle position in the food chain of the swamps. They often keep the population of some of the biggest creatures in the swamps in check, due to their diet of eggs and larvae. They will raid the nests using their mimetic scales and by segregating a chemical from a pair of glands at the sides of their heads that nullify any smell. However, grunadonts are hunted down extensively by other species in the swamp, both big and small. Grunadonts tend to have a very fast growth rate, becoming sizable creatures in a relatively short amount of time, guaranteed that there are enough nests around them to feed. Cannibalism is also frequent, with grunadonts raiding each other’s’ nests.

### Gryphons

Gryphons are a species of alchemical creature living in the Kingdom of Tarot. Their origins can be traced back to the founding of the Kingdom of Tarot, when the king ordered the creation of a flying mount that would guarantee the protection of the nation during the chaotic days of the fracturing Northern Khenomeric Empire. Mixing the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, they were hoping to make it a revolutionary mount that would guarantee Tarot’s independence and control over the region for generations to come. However, no matter how many attempts were made, the alchemists couldn’t find the perfect equilibrium. If they were big enough to be mounts, their wings would be too weak to carry both through the skies, and if they were small enough to fly, it would amount to small flying cat, of no use for anything but to hunt bats. While the project was cancelled, the gryphons stayed as a prime elite mount, due to their strength and resilience. Hard to train and of irritable character, they need to be trained from birth to allow anyone to mount them, but those who manage to gain their trust can become fierce warriors in the battlefield. They feed exclusively off meat, needing immense quantities of it every day to keep their strength. Because of this, only the most powerful and affluent houses can afford keeping one. Gryphon breeding is a very complex task, as the newborns need quite a lot of attention and care, and neither one of their parents have any paternal instincts whatsoever, thus the youngling needs to be taken out of their sight as fast as possible. This is the main reason why gryphons have never been able to escape and breed in the wild.

## **H**

### Hagsfiend

The Hagsfiend is a rare species of black owl found in the Forest of Getting Lost. The great black bird is a favorite familiar of witches and black magicians. It's feathers are said to have powerful magical properties. Its cry sounds like a mixture of the cry of an owl, a raven and the death scream of a dying human being. The females only call when someone within a radius of 666 meters dies . For the larger males, it's the other way around, resulting in certain parts of the forest being traversed only with earplugs on. The few dark wizards who keep a male Hagsfiend usually have his beak tied for this reason. Death by a Hagsfiend's scream is said to be instant and entirely painless. The bird is considered an allegory of death and in the poetry of the continent it is often used as a literary motif synonymous with the grim reaper. He is said to take the souls of the dying and bring them to the realm of the dead, which is why it is customary for the dying and those who are weary of life to sprinkle sugar on the window sill to lure him in.

### Hallucigenia

Hallucigenia are a species of sea worm that lives in the shores of the Terrania Freeholds. A strange creature, about half a meter long, its noodle-like form is covered by hard calcareous spikes, used to move around as limb and as defense. When threatened, they will shrink down, moving their spikes outwards to avoid the predators' bite. They mostly live underwater, as their bodies are ill suited for travelling on land. However, sometimes they can be seen walking around in the sandy shores of the freeholds, trying to find anything organic through the sand. Some Chotë dedicate a lot of time searching the beaches for shed spikes, as they can be turned into powerful weapons, though they need to be adapted due to their size compared to the chotës’.

### Happy Willy

Happy Willies are a species of fish that live in the northern seas of the world. They are about twelve meters long, often moving in and out of the deep, following the undersea currents. They are similar in complexion to puffer fish, only with a more elongated shape and much bigger. They have three mouths, one located in their head and the other two on their sides, right above the flippers. They feed off filtering the water, moving to an are they consider suitable for feeding and then expand their bodies, quickly swallowing the water and anything on it, keeping everything organic within them, and after a while, spewing the water back. They can reach tremendous sizes during this feeding process, looking like small islands if they happen to be on the surface. While they are technically filter feeders, they can digest fish of pretty big sizes, though they tend to let the bigger things escape to avoid getting hurt from within. They can also inflate to protect themselves from predators, quickly filling with water and spewing it right back at them in a torrent strong enough to cause concussions to sea predators. Happy Willies are very amicable creatures, and they will attempt to interact with most ships they see. They are rather intelligent, and they know that the strange floating things only appear near concentrations of fish, and so have developed the habit of following them close. While traders and military ships see them as good omens, with their enormous size keeping most predators at bay (and many tales of rescued sailors brought near the shore by Happy Willies), fishermen hate them, since they drive away or eat all the fish. The only ships they actively avoid are kentgorodian hunter ships, since they know the danger they represent for their lives.

### Head-Eater

Head-Eaters are a species of birds that live in the Zulutaur Steppes. A toucan the size of a vulture, its flamboyant coloration and fanciful chants hide what's a very efficient predators. They fly around searching for small animals, usually those alone. They then will dive towards the victim, using their beaks to ram them as fast as possible, targeting the heads, hence the name. If the attack fails and the victim fights back, they will try to fly away as fast as possible, since they are mostly cowardly creatures. Their beaks are incredibly hard and resilient, which impedes them to fly for long periods of time. Hence, they stay at the treetops until they get hungry. They are also very good scavengers, though they prefer eating brains due to their nutritious value.

### Heel Biter

Heel Biters are a species of insect living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A small insect, around the size of a fly, they live in the shallowest waters of the bogs, waiting for someone to cross. Once they detect a passerby through the vibrations of the water, they will swim towards them and quickly sting them, injecting them with an anesthetic poison. Once the member is numb, they then will lay their larvae upon the flesh of the victim, which will feed off the meat of the target for about a week. Afterwards, the larvae will burst from the body, leaving a considerable hole in them. If not treated, it can lead to serious infections and even the rotting of the afflicted member.

### Hell Ants

Hell Ants are a species of eusocial insects living in the remote Squid Peninsula. They are slightly smaller than common ants, with one singular white dot between their eyes differentiating them from other species of ants. Their jaws are incredibly strong, capable of ripping and tearing skin and flesh apart with ease. They also breed very fast, with the different colonies growing into the tens of thousands in a couple of months if food is available. They, along with the hell termites, are one of the reasons the Squid Peninsula is uninhabited to this day, as their aggressive behavior and quick reproduction make them a legitimate threat to life outside of the island, and the reason why the great firewall was created. Any living being who arrives to the region will be immediately detected, and once they start getting deeper into the island, they will be assaulted by swarms of ants, eating their flesh while they are still alive. Even magical protection seems ineffective against the creatures, which makes many naturalists think that they fed off magical creatures in the past, and developed measures to neutralize magic. However, the only thing that seems to contain the ants and termites is salt water. They are apparently quite sensitive to salt water, having no other defense for it other than grab whatever item is floating at the time and try to wait to go back ashore, chocking when their bodies oversaturate with salt.

### Hell Termite

Hell Termites are a species of eusocial insects living in the remote Squid Peninsula. They are slightly bigger than common termites, with an albino white body and one singular black dot between their eyes differentiating them from other species of termites. They feed off the wood of the land, which they can devour and consume at tremendous speeds. Due to the hyperdense woods from the region, they need to use a particularly potent type of acid to melt it down for digestion. If used on the island, they can consume wood at a normal speed, but against any other type of wood or plant, their consumption speed is shockingly quick. They also breed very fast, with the different colonies growing into the tens of thousands in a couple of months if food is available. They, along with the hell ants, are one of the reasons the Squid Peninsula is uninhabited to this day, as their aggressive behavior and quick reproduction make them a legitimate threat to life outside of the island, and the reason why the great firewall was created. Any shipwreck that lands on the Squid Peninsula’s shores will be detected and melted down into goop, leaving the poor crew stranded for the hell ants to eat. Even magical protection seems ineffective against the creatures, which makes many naturalists think that they fed off magical creatures in the past, and developed measures to neutralize magic. They are in a constant fight against hell ants, countering the ants’ voracious appetites and numbers with their near impenetrable fortresses and acid sprays. However, the only thing that seems to contain the termites is salt water. They are apparently quite sensitive to salt water, having no other defense for it other than grab whatever item is floating at the time and try to wait to go back ashore, chocking when their bodies oversaturate with salt.

### Hercython

Hercythons are underground creatures. Their elongated bodies allow them to enter and move through burrows from lemmites and other digging creatures, in search for roots and tubers. In the case of not being able to find an already made burrow, they will dig one themselves with their horns, though they do prefer saving their energies. To protect themselves from predators, the hercythons coil around the enemy and repeatedly hit it with their heads, both strangling them and bashing them. They hercythons are not that big, though, a meter at most, so they have to be careful when to fight and when to hide.

### Hippokraken

The hippokraken are a variety of different species of fish that live in the southern seas, particularly around Scimitarian. Their size range from small enough to live within coral reefs to big enough to be a threat to local ships. Their upper bodies are similar to sea horses, but the lower half is composed of about a dozen or so tentacles. These tentacles help the hippokraken move, but they also help them grab to algae, coral and rocks to feed off nectar and algae. The bigger specimens of hippokraken are also herbivore, floating through the currents in search of plankton, but they are still considerably dangerous due to their tendency to mistake ships for food. This can be legitimately dangerous for the crew, but an experienced captain knows that hippokrakens spook easily by loud noises or strong smells, so they will keep a barrel of scents or any other odorous material to scare the creature away before its curiosity damages the ship. The hippokraken are bioluminescent, emitting coloured lights from their body during the mating season, or to scare away predators during the night.

### Hoary Leviathan Beaver

Hoary Leviathan Beavers are a species of rodent living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are about two meters tall, with a flat tail that can measure up to half a meter, being some of the biggest rodents in the world. They are covered in dense fur, half brown and half white, with a keratin plaque on their foreheads. Their teeth are constantly growing, and are reinforced with iron, which can make them cut wood with ease. They often live alone, only joining together during the mating season. Once a pair bonds, they will stay together building a damn to protect their spawn from the many predators of the swamp. They are incredibly aggressive during this period, and they can cut in half some of the most powerful creatures in the area with their powerful bite. Due to this, even seasoned hunters stay away of leviathan beaver dams, knowing what can wait for them there.

### Hornamantis

Hornamantis are small creatures that live at the bottom of rivers and ponds. They are the size of a human thumb, and form big troupes eating any organic matter that falls from above. They also prey on mollusks, breaking their shells with either their beak or their claws. For a creature that small, they show great levels of strength, and are quite capable of breaking the bones of other animals that try to prey on them. They have earned the hate of many fishermen due to them cutting down their fishing lines. Fortunately for them, hornamantis are quite delicious if cooked appropriately. Fishermen have developed traps to catch big groups of them, and bring them to the surface, where due to them being unable to breathe, they will lose most of their strength and be easier to take down.

### Horned Bat

Horned Bats are a species of bat living in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A small flying rodent, it is quite sturdy in comparison to other species of bats. In fact, one of its main methodes of defense is to fly at high speed towards the potential thread, headbutting the oponent with its reinforced skull. While this isn't particularly harmful, especially against the giants of the region, they are very precise, and tend to go for the eyes or the temple of the head, thus caussing concussion or disorientation. They eat bugs and frogs from the swamps, catching the bugs within their sticky beard and eating frogs by biting them and leaving them to bleed, before eating their liver.

### Horned Capybara

The horned capybara is a species of giant rodent that lives around the rivers of the Moonlight Shores. They are the size of a small horse, and mostly live a semiaquatic lifestyle, grazing on algae and plants near the rivers. They are very peaceful creatures, most of them barely reacting when humans or other races get near them. If they feel threatened, however, they can cause severe damage due to their powerful incisives and horns. The horns grow in strange arrays, similar to antlers, and are used during the mating season. The growing influence of the chimeric creatures from Sidari has caused a reduction of their population, with mostly moving southwards to avoid the new predators.

### Horned Wild Wolf

Horned Wild Wolves are a species of mammal living in the lands north of the Glass Mountains. A small species of wolf, more close to big dogs, they universally suffer from an illness that makes them sprout a bony protrusion from their head. This kind of growth reduces their lifespan by a lot, since after the seventh or eighth year of life, it will have grown so much they cannot longer chase down their prey, and will die of starvation. Despite this, horned wild wolves are very effective predators due to their effective teamwork and focus on protecting their cubs first and foremost. This allows a very high rate of success for a newborn to reach adulthood, as the rest of the pack will make sure they get enough to not go hungry, growing quickly and allowing them to participate in hunts from a very early age.

### Hunting Mosantis

Hunting Mosantis are a agressive herbivores, using their massive height to reach the highest branchest from the trees. Using their claws to grip fruits, they are a very dangerous creature for the local farmers. Luckily for the farmers, they are an elusive species, and their agression tends to be the death of them, especially during mating season, where their agression levels go so high that many end up dying during fights for mates. The color of their bodies changes throughout the year, reaching a pinkish red during the mating season, signaling other creatures from the region to keep their distances.

## **I**

### Ice Wyrm

Ice Wyrms are reptilian creatures that live in the Island of the Volcano God. These creatures live in the hidden peaks of the island, measuring up to three meters of length with a wingspan of five meters of wingspan. They have no arms or legs, having a serpentine body with two tails. Their elongated head is covered in horns, and their jaws hide razor-sharp teeth, designed not to tear meat from the bodies, but instead to cause massive bleeding. Indeed, ice wyrms are somewhat frail for creatures of their size, preferring to hunt their prey during the fog, and biting them while hidden. Then they will follow their wounded prey from afar while blood loss and frostbite do their job for it. Afterwards, they will take the prey with their tails and bring it to a safer area. Humans are a preferred meal for them, but their weapons are able to pierce the skin from their wings, leaving them vulnerable and helpless in the ground. As such, ice wyrms only attack humans when they are alone or in small numbers, actually picking them up with their tail and killing them once far from their kin.

### Iguanadon

Iguanadon are a species of dinosaur that live in many areas of the south of Giantstep. They are massive herbivores, measuring 9m from head to tail and standing nearly 2m tall at the hip, they are nomadic grazers, eating the vegetation in big herds. Their forelimbs have a special cone-like claw made completely out of bone, serving both as a support when eating from tall trees and as a defense against predators, though it is a very awkward weapon to use, and they prefer using their sheer size and bulk to intimidate their opponents. Despite their size, many predators have learned to hunt them down. Due to their low intelligence, they can be prone to being scared, causing stampedes that might exhaust some of the weakest members of the herd, or force them to abandon their nests where their young and their nests lay. At a certain point, they were imported to Scimitarian, and now some herds can be seen naturally moving across the Cornfloor Peninsula.

### Itch Bug

Itch Bugs are a species of insects that live in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are minuscule, about the size of a tick. Their physiognomy is something between a mosquito and a wasp, with very long legs and a body almost as thin as them. They are incredibly silent and stealthy, biting and drinking the fluids of many other creatures. In particular, itch bugs love to drink the ichors from the eyeballs of warm blooded animals. Their silent flight and slender frame makes them very difficult to detect, and the way they bite their victims makes them unable to be seen even when directly on top of their lacrimal glands. However, itch bugs carry plenty of diseases, and it is not uncommon to see damaged or rotting eyeballs in the inhabitants of the swamps.

### Ivory-Horned Elk

    Ivory-Horned Elk are a species of mammal living in areas in Northern Scimitarian. Similar in size to some other species of elk, they have been bred over the centuries to serve as the main mount for the sea elves. They were initially chosen by them due to their skills in swimming, having much more resilience and the ability to float much better than horses, and nowadays are fully domesticated creatures. Their fur keeps quite a lot of air within it, helping them with buoyancy.

## **J**

### Jellyfly

Jellyflies are flying creatures that feed off nectar from flowers. They small size, slow speed and frail complexion would make them very easy prey, if not for the fact they have a very powerful poison. The sting of one of this will cause the wound to become luminescent, creating a burning sensation that brings pain to the victim. While this feeling is not near as painful as other venoms known, it is a very long lasting one, robbing the victim of their ability to sleep. This, combined with the luminescence of the wound, would make it so the predator ends up exhausted due to lack of sleep and marked for other creatures to attack them.

### Jellyspooker

Jellyspookers are some of the most dangerous creatures in the rivers of the region. They are the size of a duck, with gelatinous and translucent bodies, mostly composed of water, with many tentacles with stingers on them. Their head is slightly darker, with jaws full of teeth and a luminescent organ on their forehead. Their method of hunting is just swim around the bottom of the rivers, attracting fish and other creatures with their lantern and eating them. They can eat bigger fish with their mouth while eating the organisms from the bottom, putting them directly into their stomach. Populations of jellyspookers can grow pretty fast, and leave to regions of the river to be depopulated, and as such, fishermen will try to kill them at every opportunity.

### Jögnirov Sea Snake

Jögnirov Sea Snakes are a species of fish that live in the northern seas, though mostly congregate in the Platinum Strait. They are about 17 meters of length, with a squat head keeping a powerful jaw. Their biting power is tremendous, capable of crunching bone from a bite, and they have multiple rows of teeth as strong as steel. This allows them to hunt other giants of the sea with considerable effort, from giant squids to whales to other sea predators. They are not particularly fast, however, and have to ambush their prey from the deep, looking for the silhouette of their prey from below. They will first hit their victim with their head as fast as possible, hoping for blunt trauma to soften the target. They then coil around it and bite some of the softer parts, causing massive bleeding and death. They also tend to attack ships, mistaking the shape of vessels for other creatures. However, if the ship survives the initial bite, they will often leave the ship alone, as they will realize it is a piece of wood and steel, and not flesh. However, some have learned that sinking the ships makes people come out of them, granting them easy snacks. Many vessels often bring barrels of spicy plants aboard to keep these beasts away, dumping them into the sea to irritate the sea snakes’ eyes and gills to the point of leaving.

### Jumper Lizard

The "Caxtihn", also known as the Jumper lizard, is a small species of reptile found in the jungles of the Terrania Freeholds, but it has begun to expand to other forested areas of the world due to trade. The Caxtihn are small lizards, around the size of a human hand, that eat fruits and insects they can find. They have four pairs of limbs: two pairs of back legs to walk around and climb trees, a pair of arms that end in two digits used to grab their prey or any given fruit, and a pair of wings, used more for gliding than actual flight. They jump from tree to tree searching for food, usually climbing to the top of trees and jumping, gliding to their destination. Their excellent vision helps them find prey, and their antennae help them sense predators from considerable distances. Many experts claim that they have a level of intelligence similar to cats, tolerating the presence of sentient races as long as they are not a threat to them. They have become very popular as a pet within the drunig colonies in the Terrania Freeholds, since they are both a very exotic pet, relatively harmless (their small size and small teeth mean that they can't really harm humans even if they wanted to) and very low mainteneance. Trade of these creatures meant that some areas of the world that trade with Drunigzar have seen populations of these creatures escape and proliferate in other areas, such as the Forest of Bloody Vengeance, the Littlestep forests and even the Fungest.

## **K**

### Kangwhall

Kangwhalls are big herbivores who travel in packs, usually near other species' herds. They feed on both fruits growing on the highest trees (which they reach by jumping and spearing it with their nose horn) or by diggind the ground for mushrooms and truffles underground (using their paws and nose horn to dig up). They are a very confrontational species, with members of the same herd fighting using their paws and powerful tail. However, this fights will only include the nose horn if they are very serious, as in a challenge for dominion of the herd. Otherwise, fighting is just part of keeping the social structure. Their young spends a full year after birth in their mother's pouch, and only then will the horn grow. Male horns are considerably longer than the females', which will take a spiral pattern in comparison to the males' segmented pattern.

### Kelpie Shrimp

The kelpie shrim is a species of crustacean that lives in the hot and template seas of the world. A creature twice the size of a human, it has a very tough but flexible exoskeleton, which is constantly renewing as it grows. To protect themselves, it is full of sharp spikes, allowing them to ram any would be predators with the head spikes, or turn around to stop the bites. This means the predators will need to turn the kelpie shrimp to the side, since its underbelly is much softer and vulnerable. They are bottom feeders for most of the time, but they also frequent some of the fields of kelp in some areas of the ocean, since they also eat many of the kelp parasites. They have fourteen limbs: eight small appendices to crawl between kelp and at the bottom of the sea, four fins that allow them to swim effectively, and a pair of powerful horse-like front legs, used to fend off predators. The "kicks" of these creatures are extraordinarily strong, and help them protect them from attacks to their underbelly. It needs the protection, since despite the appearances, it is not a particularly fast swimmer, at least compared to other sea fauna. It is greatly appreciated by fishermen due to its excellent taste, though hunting it in areas with sea elves is forbidden, as they form part of their customs and rituals.

### King's Sea Snail

The king’s sea snail are large snails, the size of a human head, and develop a massive conical shell all throughout their live. They are completely blind, only being able to move around though the many appendages covering their body, which grant them an impeccable sense of touch. Their meat is considerably poisonous, and while a human could eat one and survive once properly cooked, the painful stomach aches it would cause would make him not to try it ever again. For smaller beings or creatures with a weaker constitution, it could cause severe damages or even death. Thus, they have been able to populate the entire area around the coast. They mostly live in the coral reefs near the shores, which extend for miles parallel to the coast. Twice a year, the king’s sea snails go to the beaches in the tens of thousands to reproduce. They males compete with each other by generating a massive amount of purple spew, a show of strength and virility to attract a mate. This would happen for two entire weeks, until all females find a mate and they all go back to the sea. The sheer amount of purple spew leaves the normally white sands of the region with a distinctive purple hue, hence the name of the region, the Purple Shell Coast.

See Purple Shell Coast

### Knife Fish

The Eastern Sea of the Continents is home to the notorious Knife Fish. About six times the size of a piranha, these fish come in schools of ten up until three hundred individuals. What makes them so feared are their sharp metal fins, particularly their three-foot-long iron dorsal fin, which is as sharp as a multi-tempered witch elven warblade and slices through a ship's hull like a piece of brown bread. The fish feed almost exclusively on the crews of merchant and warships and which they capsize through strategically placed cuts. They are responsible for thousands of shipwrecks with sometimes extremely valuable goods on the floor of the Northern Sea. The larger the swarm, the greater the hunger and the targeted ship. Knifefish can also jump up to five meters out of the water, for example to slit the throat of a fisherman on a small fishing boat out of the blue. The only known way to defend yourself against a school of knifefish is to vibrate large metal plates similar to castanets or a gong, as this also vibrates the partially metal bodies of the fish and causes them discomfort. However, if you are unlucky and encounter a starved swarm, even that cannot save you.

### Knuckle Horse

Knuckle Horses are a species of mammal that live in southern areas of Giantstep, mainly in the Zulutaur Steppes. They are a strange humped creature, with a face similar to a horse, but with clawed forelimbs, using their digits to grab and even climb trees to eat leafs. The can measure up 1.5 meters when standing up, and weighting around 600 kg. They are pretty strong, with their claws causing massive damage if they manage to connect. They move around in familiar herds for protection, with the males keeping check on the savannah while the females eat and take care of the young. Some badgassi groups have captured some from time to time, and have tried to turn them into pack animals. This rarely works, as they are not particularly smart, but in those cases that work, they can be sold for quite a price as a luxury possession.

### Kondo Dog

The Kondo is a sighthound dog breed found amongst the Mona Ki. In traditional folklore the Kondo was a trickster spirit that tried to abscond Imalutwa, the wife of the Great Golden Lion. His scheme was foiled by a great human hero, the shepherd boy Mizombe. To punish Kondo the Great Golden Lion banished him from heaven and forced him to serve humanity. Kondos are known to be lazy and temperamental making them useless as shepherding dogs. They are however excellent at spotting and following prey through the vast savannah making them invaluable to Mona Ki hunting parties. I

### Kongropikye

The kongropikye is a species of hybrid felines that lives in the realm of the Goddess of Harmony. The are creatures rarely seen, and thus the information about them is beyond scarce. The size of a tiger, their head is composed of a flower-like structure, with a massive singular eye in the middle. Sprouting from behind the vegetal head, there are multiple tentacles, allowing them to grab on to things. They are widely believed to be the judges of character chosen by the goddess, and they will watch those who cross the realm with great interest. It is said that those of pure heart and soul will be left alone, whereas those who falter in their road will be attacked by the creature's powerful claws. Its ability to mimic the environment almost seamlessly makes it a very dangerous creature.

### Krogofus

Krogofus are big mammalian creatures that inhabit the volcanic lands of Scimitarian. They are quadrupeds thought to be a very primitive species, possibly related to bovines. They are about 1.2 meters of height and 1.8 meters from head to tail. They are ungulates, with very flexible and resilient hooves, managing to withstand the heat of the volcanic ground with little issue. Their head is massive, almost twice the size of that of cows, and without a neck to speak of, as if directly sprouting from the body. They have a short snout, a massive mouth and big nostrils. Their head is nearly devoid of flesh, with the skull beneath being very prominent. They have little to no fur, often around the eyes and nostrils to keep volcanic ash from entering. The eyes are sunken down into the skull, and are believed to have a dreadful sense of sight. Their brain is the size of a walnut, a shockingly small brain for big mammals. Slow, smelly and without that much intelligence, they usually move in small herds around volcanic chimneys and areas with high fume concentration. They have developed an insane resistance to poisons, gases and heat, and thus can thrive in areas where most predators simply would not survive. It is not really sure how they become so big in areas mostly devoid of vegetation, and some believe they are able to feed of minerals and heat directly. Their meat is not use for consumption, but as an ingredient to create concoctions protecting people from heat.

### Kutipus

Kutipus are diminutive cephalopods that live in the forests and plains of the lands behind the Hedge. They live in small flowers, feeding on the nectar and protecting them from predators. They move from flower to flower using their tentacles, pollinating them in the process. They also hunt small insects, flies and bumblebees. They can change shape and colour to protect themselves from bigger predators, such as lizards, dragonflies or birds. If that doesn't work, they can throw small ink bubbles that could get stuck in the predator's skin, slowing them down enough to allow the kutipus to flee.

## **L**

### Lacrymose Leeches

Lacrymose leeches are a species of worm that live in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are capable of growing up to 6 meters of length, and their powerful muscles allow them to coil around their prey, asphyxiating it before drinking all their bodily fluids. Instead of teeth, they have a spiked hollowed tongue they inject within their target once it has been weakened enough to stop struggling, and then they start sucking all water, blood and fat from the target, while also pumping different kinds of acids to liquefy organs and muscle. In the end, the victim is left as a sack of empty skin and bones, with even the eyes having been drank by the leech. They often wait near up the trees or below the water, waiting for a victim to pass nearby.

### Ladybug Crab

The ladybug crab is a species of crustacean that lives in the north of scimitarian. A creature the size of a small dog, they have developed massive, oversized pincers to be able to crack fruits and the shells of animals. They are also capable climbers, going up trees to get to the coconuts and other fruits. Once they are up and they have thrown the food to the floor, they will jump down, slowing their descent down by using a pair of wings they have under their carapace. These wings are strong enough to keep the creature from plummeting to the ground, but due to the crabs' weight, they cannot fly or hover. To reduce their weight, these crabs' shells are quite light, and despite their strength, they avoid the sea as much as possible, since many predators are able to quickly eat them.

### Lake Snappers

Lake Snappers are a species of reptile living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A turtle the size of a lion, they are nevertheless incredibly skilled at camouflage. Their rocky skin and the irregular shape of their shell make them look like massive boulders, often covered by tons of grass, plants and swamp moss. They will slowly move across the swamp carrying their massive shell until they reach a body of water appropriate for their purposes. They then put their head below water and open their mouth, using their fish-shaped tongue to attract prey. They can spend as much time as they want below the water, as they have a second pair of lungs, with its orifices located at the top of their shell. If it ever becomes clogged, the lake snappers will try to clean it up by rubbing themselves into anything they can until they are rid of the strange body. Otherwise, they are doomed, as they cannot breathe underwater, and they will not be able to hunt as effectively.

### Leap Leeches

    They are a predatory and nomadic type of Leech that can grow to the size of a dog. Their ring-segmented bodies can retract and expand with great force, allowing them to jump great distances. They leap from mud hole to mud holy in search for prey and thanks to their wing-like flaps of skin, they can fly up to ten meters with each jump. In contrast to the maggot leeches, they suck on their victim until it is completely drained of blood. Their favorite places to set their deadly bite is on the neck which has earned them the nickname vampire leeches in the vernacular. Rumor has it that a wanderer's pale bloodless body, drained by a Leap Leech, wakes up at night and wanders restlessly through the swamps as if he had forgotten that he is already dead.

### Leedsichthys

Leedsichthys are a species of fish living in all major oceans in the world. They are huge, more than 16 meters of length and weighting multiple tons. They have a very strong skull, with a massive mouth always open to allow the water inside, filtering great amounts of water for plankton as they move. They move in schools of around ten individuals, protecting each other from the sea predators with numbers. However, they are not particularly intelligent, they are not truly social creatures, they just instinctively group together, ignoring their fellow leedsichthys. A persistent predator can scare one of them away from the protection of the school, and then the leedsichthys is left by itself to fight of the threat. Leedsichthys have teeth, used only to defend themselves from predators, and a bite of them can rip predators in half. And even if they cannot bite them, leedsichthys are quite resilient, with bony scales protecting their gills and other vulnerable areas.

### Lemmite

Lemmites are also a known prey to the spider goats, but their general small size (around the size of a small dog) and underground lifestyle makes them difficult to catch in the open. They are frequently caught when they burrow right into the spider goats' traps and get caught, but otherwise their lives are very far appart. Lemmites are big generalists, eating everything that's organic, though they mostly feed on underground mushrooms and truffles. Their slow speeds and blindness make them easy pickings for any surface predator, even those below half their size. Their colonies can house hundreds of individuals, though they usually limit themselves to around a hundred, unless there's a big increase in the food available. There's only a breeding couple, both male and female being twice the size of a regular worker and barely able to move, giving birth to sterile workers. Their underground way of life has seen them expand their territories to the deserts to the south, since the effects of the harsh desert are mitigated by an underground life.

### Leopard Jellyfish

The Leopard Jellyfish is a common animal in the coast of the southwestern Giantstep. It can reach the size of a rooster, and it's characterized by the spotted pattern it generates over time. It can live up to 10 years, and during this time, it builds up many chemical substances within its body. Depending on its diet of fish, it is able to create certain substances over others, from cooking ingredients to alchemical substances. As such, it is widely hunt all around the area.

### Lhaza Tiger

Lhaza Tigers are a species of mammal living in the Eldritch Jungle. Our knowledge about this creature is very poor, due to their rarity, the dangerous nature of the Eldritch Jungle and their sheer level of aggression and violence against sentient creatures. From witness testimonies, we know that they are about as big as common tigers, if not slightly bigger. They have a pair of giant fangs, used to break skulls with their bite. However, their main characteristic is their ability to completely mimic their environment, to the point of near invisibility. This makes them one of the most feared creatures in the entire area, even more so that the giant reptiles that roam the jungles. The reasons why they haven’t spread outside of the jungle are unknown. We do know they can survive outside of it, as there have been expeditions to capture them for circuses or private collections. They can even still perform their mimetic camouflage. However, no matter how much it has been tried, they simply refuse to mate and reproduce outside of the Eldritch Jungle.

### Lily Spinners

Lilly Spinners are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are small and flat like flounders, floating belly up at the surface of the water. They have light green bellies, that blend with the surrounding vegetation. In particular, they are meant to imitate lily pads, even smelling like them, and sometimes growing a yellow coloration at the center, as if a flower. They are used to lure amphibians, small insects and other critters to their bellies. Once they touch the belly, the lilly spinner will twist and clamp down, gripping the insect within it and sinking to the bottom of the water, drowning it before swallowing it whole. Despite their numbers, fishermen tend to avoid them, as they have a terrible taste, as if eating mud.

### Lindwurm

Lindwurms are reptilian creatures that live in many underground areas of the world. They have a physiognomy similar to small dragons or drakes, but around the size of chumpmunks, but with more rounded wings. While they cannot fly, they are capable of gliding around the underdark, climbing stalactites and pillars and jumping all around, hunting things from insects to bats. They have a simplistic social structure, forming nests defended by multiple females, while the males hunt. They are nearly blind, but they have a tremendous sense of hearing, helping them navigate the dark caverns.

### Liopleurodon

Liopleurodon are a species of reptile living in all major oceans in the world. They are about 18 meters of length from head to tail, with a massive elongated jaw full of conic teeth. Their limbs have the shape of great paddles, allowing them to swim with considerable speed to chase down their prey. Their sense of smell allows them to detect small amounts of blood through immense distances, eating anything from squids to sharks. Their preferred way of hunting is the chase, being fast enough to not need to ambush their targets. They do not lay eggs, instead they give live birth, and are skilled hunters right of the bat. However, it is during this period when they are the most vulnerable, and they have to keep close to the mother for many years, and even then very few actually make it through adulthood.

### Little Leviathan

Little Leviathan are a species of mollusk living in the southern oceans of the world. A lumbering giant, little leviathans are closely related to nautiluses, with a massive shell full of spikes protecting them from predators. They can grow up to 7 meters of diameter, with their mouth tentacles reaching almost 10 meters. They feed off both algae, plankton, krill and any fish that get close enough to them, as they move along the currents to save energy. Due to their passive movement, entire ecosystems can grow on their shells, which end up attracting more food for the creature. Little leviathans are preyed upon by some of the other great beasts of the ocean, but only those with a bite powerful enough to crack their resilient skull can actually take them down. Southern towns consider finding a beached little leviathan shell to be an omen of good fortune, and they are often used as part of the local decorations by the authorities.

### Littlestepian Woolly Aardvark

Littlestepian Woolly Aardvarks are a species of mammals living in the Elyrian Swamps in Eastern Littlestep. About 1.5 meters of length from snout to tail, these creatures are covered in a very dense coat of fur, incredibly resistant to humidity. Woolly Aardvarks live off eating insect nests in rotting trees, using their powerful claws to break down the crumbling wood and insect nests to reach the insect larvae within. These creatures also use their very long tongues to reach deep into the insect hives. The people from the swamps, particularly the elyrians, greatly appreciated their hide, as with those one can craft clothes that are resistant to the cold and humid lands of the swamps. This has reached to the point of many populations of littlestepian woolly aardvark reaching critically low numbers, and many worry about them going extinct due to the growth of the elyrian population.

### Logworms

Logworms are a large species of predator that live in the southern parts of the witchbogs. They are extremely deadly and float like bloatworms to which they are closely related to. As the name suggests, logworms are somewhat log-like in appearance. They are large and somewhat cylindrical. Their skin is brown and rough, like bark. Green moss and ferns often grow on them as well, completing the appearance. Unlike logs, logworms have cavernous mouths and throats that smell of putrid meat. Within the throat multiple rings of sharp teeth are found, and around it there is a ring of green eyes. On the bottom of logworms' bodies there are knot-like ducts that spew powerful jets of methane gas, while air is inhaled via their huge mouths, to keep them hovering and moving. In the process the ducts produce a loud, shrill, hissing noise. Logworms are dormant when they have food in their belly, and they remained harmless until the food is digested after a few weeks.

## **M**

### Maggot Leeches

Unlike their counterparts in Lake Lacromosy, these Leeches only grow to about the length of a forearm. This genus is highly sought after by medical practitioners across the continent, as they lend themselves perfectly to the medical practice of bloodletting. The chewing implements of this species are so powerful that it is impossible to remove a leech once it has latched on without tearing out large amounts of your own flesh. It is therefore advisable to let the leech suckle until it releases itself if it has bitten you. In addition, the leech should not be squeezed during the sucking stage, otherwise there is a risk that it will vomit its poisonous innards into the bloodstream of its victim.

### Mammoth Seal

The Mammoth Seal is a massive mammalian that lives in the coldest shores of Zemyland. A creature that can reach the 6m and weight over two tonnes, they are filter-feeders. They will swim through the waters with their mouth open, which can open to near half their full size, and let the water go through it. They have developed a gill-like set of organs that leave the plankton in. They are one of the most dangerous creatures in Zemyland, as their dense blubber makes them nearly immune to common weapons, and their bites can easily cut a man in half. They are also highly agressive and territorial, fighting to the death between them to control as much land as possible.

### Manticore

Manticores are a chimeric species that live in the lands north of the Glass Mountains. Manticores are some of the most dangerous creatures in the region, being the result of an alchemical experiment gone wrong. It is believed that rogue alchemists were creating a series of creatures for gladiatorial combat, making them both exotic and dangerous. However, the knights of the Kingdom of Waldemaria learned about this illegal activity, and swiftly put the operation down. While the rest of the creatures were exterminated to a fault and their researched burned down, enough manticores escaped to become a threat in the region. By royal decree, it was established that all manticores should be purged from the kingdom, something they nearly managed, but the war and eventual defeat against Mossovoy trumped their efforts, and now manticore numbers are going up again. Manticores are the size of a small tiger, with the body and mane of a lion, the face of a human, the tail of a scorpion and a pair of bat wings, though they are not capable of flying. Their body is covered by very dense crimson red fur, protecting them from slashes. Their face is always on a constant grin, showing a mix of human and animal teeth, and their eyes never close, not even when sleeping. Their stinger is capable of pumping poison, though they often do not need to, as the size of the stinger itself is as big as a shorts word, causing massive internal bleeding when in contact. If the stabbing itself does not kill, the poison slows down clotting, making the wounds exponentially worse. They are carnivores, often attacking cattle or travellers. They rarely go into heavily populated areas, though, as they are very afraid of fire.

### Marsh Hydra

The Marsh hydra is a large reptilian creature with a stocky body, slimy scaled skin and multiple heads on long, serpentine necks. If one of it's heads is severed, two more heads will emerge from the fresh wound. The only way to kill a Marsh Hydra is to jab a spear into its soft belly, damaging vital organs or ideally its heart. The number of heads gives an indication of how aggressive or old the hydra might be. The bite of a Marsh Hydra is extremely venomous and deadly if not treated with an appropriate antivenom within an hour. The marsh hydra is amphibious, feeding on both fish and large land creatures. She is occupying an aphex predator position in the swamp food-chain. Aside from the humanoid swamp critters, only Swamp Serpents, Marshstalkers and Lacrymose Leeches pose a serious threat to her. She is immune to nearly all poisons found in the Bogs. A universal antidote can be made from her gallbladder.

### Marshstalker

    The Marshstalker is a predatory fish the size of two horse-drawn carriages. He is found particularly in the flowing waters of the Witchbog. He stalks boats over long distances, patiently waiting for the right moment to capsize them for the crew to fall into the water, where he awaits them with his teeth as long as short swords. He is one of the largest predatory fish in the witch swamps and especially feared by the traders who use the swamp's intricate waterways to transport mostly questionable goods. It is seen as a gift from the gods that he cannot walk. The Marshstalker reproduces slowly, which is why there are only relatively few specimens of its species. The unfortunate ones who fall victim to it are later declared as having been cursed by the swamp witch.

### Matryoshka Cat

The Matryoshka Cat is a species of feline native of Zemyland. At first glance, it is near indistinguishable from regular cats from the rest of the world, outside of its slightly bigger and stronger build than the common domestic cats. However, when presented with a big enough threat it cannot run away from, they will begin to produce small copies of itself, puking them and attacking whatever it considers a threat. The older a Matryoshka cat is, the more copies can produce, and the more copies there are around, their behaviour becomes more rabid and violent. It has been documented that, in the wild, a dozen or so Matryoshka cats can join together to spawn dozens of these critters, capable of fending off monsters many times their size. Outside of that, Matryoshka cats seem to behave just as any domestic cat would, and they are commonly seen in houses of older people. Families will avoid getting close to the Matryoshka cats, seeing that children might cause the cat to lash off in this way. Matryoshka cats can also reproduce using this technique, being capable of essentially asexual reproduction, although they will try to mate with other cats the old fashioned way. The asexual reproduction method is rare, however, as these copies have very low chances of survival once spawned, frequently dying after a couple of hours if they don't get immediate support and care.

### Megatherium

Megatheriums, also known as Giant Sloth, is a species of mammal that lives in the forests of Southern Zemyland. They are colossal sloths of more than 6 meters of height from head to tail, they slowly move around eating the leaves of the highest trees. They are extraordinarily strong, and when threatened they can break a wooly spider or a saber-tooth tiger, and their sharp claws are as useful for disemboweling would be predators as they are for grabbing tree branches.

### Megegslug

The melegslug is a species of winged slug that lives in the coasts of the Sea of the End. A slug of half a meter of length and a wingspan of three meters, it eats fish and krill floating near the surface of the water. Its sluggish body and beaked head contrasts heavily with its angelic wings, with some implying it's of alchemical origin, or even a creature that came from the Maelstrom. They make a duck-like noise when travelling, especially when they see fishing ships, since they usually float around them to peck on the scraps. It has two eyes, two antennae-like eyes and two on the side of its head, always checking the reflection of the water for possible prey.

### Mimic Fruit Tick

Mimic Fruit Ticks are a species of arachnid that live near agricultural lands. They are the size of a human fist, and they hide between fruit trees. They have the ability to somewhat mimic the shape and color of human crops (in particular are adept of imitating tomatoes). They then wait for birds or mice to eat the fruit, and when they are close, they strike. While their poison is not particularly potent, it is incredibly fast, making quick and nimble animals freeze solid. Afterwards, the tick will drink their fluids until they are a dry carcass. Humans and other bigger creatures are mostly unharmed by the venom, though they will have their bitten limb totally numb for hours. Farmers are not sure whether they are a good creature that keeps pests away or a nuisance that will ruin their day if they are not careful.

### Mimic Slime

The mimic slime is a species of slime present in most humid forests in the world. The mimic slime has evolved to be able to imitate the shape of some of the creatures in the forest, usually those in the lower echelons of the food chain, like mice, lizards or songbirds. They are able to somehow adopt a similar form of those creatures, even managing a certain degree of movement, giving it the impression of a sick or wounded animal. This attracts predators, who will try to eath the mimic slime. Once they bite it, the mimic slime will either rupture and release all of the liquid or be swallowed whole. This is part of its reproductive cycle, as its spores can only travel within the organism of other animals, and grow within their droppings. Once outside, the mimic slimes grow fast. This species is very small, barely the size of a tiny mouse, and has a life cycle of barely three months.

### Mishifuzzy

Mishifuzzies are a species of chimeric creature that lives in Azan and its former territories. It is believed to have been created as an animal that would hunt down rats efficiently, mixing domestic cats and long legged birds. While the end result was not at successful at rat-control (it was, in fact, scared of rats), it turned out to be a very popular pet for nobility. Thus, they have spread all around the region, being creatures pampered to no end by their owners. They have many sizes and colours, but they always share the fuzzy feathers hiding most of their legs. When scared, they tend to jump as high and as fast as possible before sprinting out of dodge, something they can do easily enough. They have six eyes, great for seeing in the dark, probably as part of their pest-control design. They are known to not be able to survive in the wild, as they are too docile to fight predators and lack the strength to hunt for themselves, though they are very good at hiding. Despite their bodies being mostly avian, they cannot fly.

### Mold Sponge

Mold Sponges are a species of sponge living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They often grow beneath the roots of trees that have been submerged by water, ending up rotting as a result. Mold sponges grow on the decomposing organic matter in the area, absorbing it into its body, growing into green masses. They have been used as a drug for a long time in the swamps, having exceptionally potent hallucinogenic properties. A single dose of treated mold sponge will cause many to become addicted to the bright and clear colors they see, in comparison to the drab and dark swamps. Mold sponge junkies are very dangerous, as they will do anything to get their hands on them.

### Mole Toad

Mole Toads are a species of amphibians living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. A creature the size of a human head, they are incredibly bloated, with their bodies covered in warts and chemical glands, giving the impression they are about to burst at any moment. Mole toads segregate an incredibly nasty poison that, while not lethal, causes such a disgusting taste if they are bitten than any would be predator will immediately release. This aftertaste does not disappear after drinking or with time, instead, the chemicals end up mixing in their mouths, becoming a permanent flavor that no one can ever get used to. Because of this, they are mostly left alone as adults, though their tadpoles are one of the lowest parts of the region’s food chain, releasing millions into the swamps for only a handful to survive.

### Moose Giraffe

Moose Giraffes are a species of mammal that live in the Zulutaur Steppes. Closely related to reindeers, they have evolved to follow a similar survival strategy to the giraffe. Their legs and neck have grown considerably, reaching the 4.5 meters of height, seeking to eat the tallest leaves from the trees. However, unlike giraffes, they also grow a massive pair of antlers, almost a meter long of pure bone. Even though they are deceptively light, moose giraffes still need a powerful neck to keep their heads from collapsing, granting them the most powerful horn strike in the entire steppes. They are solitary creatures, preferring to live nearby herds from other species rather than their own. The mating fights between moose giraffes are some of the most violent spectacles in the entire animal kingdom, with head clashes that can cause shards of antlers fly into the air at the speed of a cannonball.

### Moss Mammoth

These creatures inhabit the various tundras of Zemyland, typically traveling in large herds. Though indeed mammoths, the moss name is a misnomer. These mammoths are covered in lichen, which makes their coats a splotchy orange and green. These lichens photosynthesize for sustenance, and have limited heat production abilities, which help the mammoths stay warm. The mammoths return the favor by helping spread the spores of the lichen through their grazing travels. It appears the mammoths have some control over the lichen's heat abilities. When very frightened or backed into a corner, the mammoths can cause their lichens to explode in a scalding hot barrage upon the perceived threat. This makes hunting and evening managing these mammoths a difficult task.

### Moth Albatross

The Moth Albatross is a massive winged insect that lives in the eastern side of Giantstep. Its wingspan is one of the biggest ever recorded on an insect, easily surpassing many birds around the world. This allows them to glide all across the world with very little stamina loss, using their wingspan and their relatively low weight to get carried by the wind currents. They generally move towards the milder areas of the world depending on the climate, moving northwards during summer and southwards during winter. They lay eggs twice a year, which they will carry over their own bodies. The Moth Albatross can only fly, its legs have shrunk to the point of being unable to hold their weight, and thus they carry their larvae within sacks added to their bodies. Once hatched, they are capable of immediate flight, and thus they never need to step on the ground. Their diet consists of anything they can get while flying, from seeds to insects to small birds, they will use their large size and a strange stunning dust generated by glands all around their wings and body to dizzy their prey until they are weak enough to be caught mid air. However, this tactic doesn't work against bigger and more aggresive animals, especially considering how light Moth Albatross actually are. Thus, they spend most of the time at really high altitudes, searching the land below with their incredibly accurate vision.

### Motherly Stork

The Motherly Stork is a species of bird that lives in the lands around the Great End Peaks. A creature taller than a human, it flies around, seeking rough but protected mountain peaks and wall caves to set up their nests. They are one of the most feared and hated species in the region, due to their choice of diets. While the adults have a normal diet of rodents, fish and other creatures from the wild, the chicks can only eat human babies. Thus, the motherly storks will travel far distances around the land, seeking to take unprotected babies to take them to their nests. They are able to fly while carrying big weights due to their two pairs of strong wings, and with their keen vision, they can watch over great swathes of land. Once they fnd a baby unprotected (the biggest known victim of the storks was three years of age), they will quickly grab it, making sure the baby is unharmed on their claws, as they need the baby alive. Once they reach the nest, the stork will keep the baby alive and fed as much as possible, protected from the cold by keeping it warm by using their body. The stork will keep it alive, since the chicks will only eat it if the baby is still alive. This way of life, combined with the many hunts against the creature, has caused their numbers to quickly decline, being a rare sight nowadays. Many quests have been organized to save the taken children, with a surprising amount of them being successfully accomplished.

### Muamar Elephant

    Muamar Elephants are a species of mammal living in the Great Norossor Peninsula. They are huge, being the biggest elephants in the world, measuring more than 4 meters of height. They have a greyish skin, full of wrinkles, often scarred after the many fights they frequently have in the wild. Their skull has an elongated lower jaw, from which a second pair of tusks sprout, which grow and fall every couple of years. Their main pair of tusks are much stronger, but only grow once, and cannot be replaced. Their trunk is nearly two meters long, and strong enough to rip trees from the ground. Their ears are very small, much smaller than those from mammoths or other elephants, and often filled with holes. Muamar elephants have become sacred creatures for the people of Muapar, using them as transports, beasts of war and even moving temples. Their domestication is a long process, due to their massive size and enormous energy needs, and as such, only the most powerful lords can afford having just one. According to tradition, a Mumak is deemed unable to rule unless he is able to tame and ride an elephant into battle, and a lord's elephant was seen as a symbol of his power. Muamar elephants are covered from head to toe in sacred paintings, expected to protect the animal from harm.

### Muamar Tiger

    Muamar Tigers are a species of mammal living in the Great Norossor Peninsula. They are about 2 meters from head to tail, and yet somehow manage to be very stealthy. Their light orange fur is covered by white stripes, very effective camouflage in the savannah of the peninsula, and even some individuals have been spotted hunting in the desert. The muamar have managed to tame, with a lot of effort, some individuals, though due to their natural ferociousness, these are few. The beastmasters in charge of training muamar tigers are trained in some forms of magic, training them to enter into a frenzy against certain enemies. Whenever a trained muamar tiger detects a certain bright colour or a specific shape, usually the one pictured in the enemy’s banners, they will throw at them with abandon, fighting to the death and causing disarray within the enemy. However, if the tigers survive, taking them out of the trance is very difficult, and often impossible, and the beastmasters have to wait for them to fall into exhaustion to recover them.

### Muck Manta

A large, winged sea creature that glides above the Great Garbage Patch, feeding on the smaller creatures that are attracted to the garbage. They are very big, with almost a meter from flipper to flipper. Their aerodynamic shape allows them to fly for short periods of time, propelling themselves from the bottom to the sea and using the flying altitude to hunt for fish gathering near the garbage patches. Once they have seen them, they will dive into them, catching them off guard from above. Its wings are made of a durable, oily material that allows it to soar through the polluted air, and its body is covered in a thick layer of muck and grime that protects it from the harsh conditions of the patch.

### Mud Dunkleosteus

The Mud Dunkleosteus is a species of fish that lives in the bogs of the Stymphalian Swamps. A creature the size of a crocodile, its heavy weight and reduced limbs makes it slow and cumbersome swimmer. However, its limbs are tough enough to allow it to slowly crawl on land, and its tail can allow it to make short bursts of speed, but only for a few seconds. Thus, the mud dunklosteus will ambush birds and mammals drinking at the edge of the water, quickly jump towards them and bite them with its massive bone jaws. The victim them will either be dragged down into the mud to suffocate to death, or bleed to death due to the wounds. Either way, once the creature is dead, the mud dunkleosteus will slowly crawl towards the corpse and eat it. They have developed primitive lungs, allowing them to breathe out of the water, but since they are very small and the creature is too cumbersome, they get out of breath fast outside of water.

### Mudlings

    Mudlings are the unofficial staple of the swamps. These small, brackish-tasting fish can be found in almost every bog pond and are extremely easy to catch due to their low intelligence. They can, with a little skill, be pulled out of the swamp water with bare hands, a sharp pointed stick or with a string to the end of which is attached something vaguely reminiscent of a worm or fly. They taste neither particularly good nor particularly bad, which is not a given in the swamps. They also have a gland in their rump that protects them from all the poisons, diseases, parasites and infections of the filthy bogwater, so after a short roast over an open fire they can be eaten without any health concerns. Their taste is akin to that of a slightly rotten carp that has been left in a bucket of moldy water for a little too long.

## **N**

### Neepus

Nepus are strange creatures that appear all over Scimitarian. They are reptilian creatures that move all over land and water (though they prefer muddy lakes or swamps) with their tentacles, filtering the floor and eating whatever crums that find. They have no scales, instead having a slimy skin that makes whatever predators unable to bite them without choking on their slime. Through their skin they can also absorb the moisture in the air quite efficiently, even in the dryest of areas (though they avoid volcanic areas, since the cinders apparently choke them). Their eggs are a great source of nutrients, though what' more interesting about them are their shells. Made of an incredibly durable material, they are nearly impervious from the outside, but quite soft and fragile from within, protecting the younglings from harm while allowing them easy birth. Many fey armor and shields are covered in nepus' egg shells, since they are so abundant and highly resistant. Its durability is comparable to high quality iron, but if hit in the wrong angle the armor will crack... like an egg. Thus, fey smiths have to be very careful about how to work the material, leaving as little weaknesses as possible.

### Northern Grouper

Northern Groupers are a species of fish that live in the northern shores of the world, particularly northern Giantstep, Littlestep and Northern Scimitarian. They are around a meter of length, with an oval-shaped body and a big mouth, used to swallow other fish whole. They are an important part of the local ecosystem, being one of the main predators in the reefs near the shore, but small prey when going into deep sea. They are a popular fish for culinary purposes, and many cultures around the world know how to catch and prepare them.

### Northern Platypus

The northern platypus is a species of egg laying mammal that lives in the coasts of zemyland. They are the size of walruses, and spend most of their time laying on the beaches of the continent, resting and sleeping. When they are not loafing around, they spend their times underwater, hunting down fish. They lay their eggs during the spring, and the young need to grow quickly if they wish to survive the winters of Zemyland. To help this endeavour, many females will lay their eggs together, defending them from predators, and will share food with others' spawn when their mother didn't get lucky on the hunt, expecting to receive the same treatment when they don't find anything. They also group together in big masses of bodies, keeping their warm within them.

### Noseless Mammoth

The noseless mammoth is a species of mammal living in the mountains of the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah. They are hairy creatures, slightly bigger than a horse. Despite it's shape, it is not actually an elephant, but a type of giant pig. Its name was given to it by explorers of the region who mistook the species for those mammoths of the north. Instead of a trunk, the noseless mammoth has developed to massive tusks, used to dig up vegetation and tubers from the underground. These tusks can move independently from one another, and they can use this ability to make a great deal of noise, which they use to threaten possible predators.

## **O**

### Oakcritters

Oakcritters are a species of fey animal living in the Forest of Getting Lost. They seem to be a bundle of butterfly wings, all lumped together around a wooden worm-like body, no bigger than a human hand. These critters feed off meat, though they are too weak to hunt. Thus, they are often scavengers, moving around the magical forest eating whatever corpse they can find. However, once they find a living sentient being lost in the forest, they have learned to trick them into their doom. Oakcritters will act as helpful creatures, leading them to water and food, until they trust them enough to lead them into poisonous mushrooms. These mushrooms are innocuous to the oakcritters, but anything else enters a psychedelic trance, lasting for hours upon hours. After the victim is completely incapacitated, the oakcritters will expel a pheromone calling other oakcritters, entering a feeding frenzy, and slowly eating the victim alive. They use a similar eating mechanism as some sea cucumbers, pulling out their stomach and spewing acids into the victim, drinking the resulting smudge. Sometimes the target can break out of their malaise, only to find their flesh eating almost to the bone.

### Oil Eels

A type of eel that have adapted to living in the heavily oil-polluted waters surrounding the garbage patch. They are small, around 20cm of length at most, and move in schools of dozens of individuals. They are detritovores, able to filter out the oil and other pollutants from the water and use it as a food source. Their mouths can open greatly, filtering the water through their gills, and expelling any garbage with their tongue.

### Orontian Mountain Lizard

The Orontian Mountain Lizard is a species of reptile that lives near the mountains of Oront, as well within the inner plains. They are the size of a small goat, and are particularly resilient to cold for reptiles. Despite they being reptiles, they are warm blooded animals, though not to the same extent as birds and mammals. They have powerful upper scales, blocking attacks from the many birds of prey in the area, as well as from foxes and other predators. Their three pairs of limbs allow them to grab and climb the rock with ease, gripping themselves to the rock if they weel threatened. They are omnivores, eating the different kinds of plants and berries growing around the mountains, as well as eggs they find between the rocks. They cannot stand the orontian winter, though, so they will seek a cave to enter hybernation during the colder months.

### Owlbear

    Owlbears are a species of mammal that live in the Island of the Volcano God. These creatures are about 3 meters of height, with a body similar to a bear but with sharper claws and a bird-like tail. Their head is similar to that of an owl, with a short but strong beak and big eyes, capable of seeing through dense fog and snowstorms. It has no hair, instead having a dense coat of feathers that protect it from both the cold and humidity. Most owlbears are able to shed their feathers before the colder periods of the year, becoming near completely white, and helping them camouflage their bodies from their prey. Owlbears are very intelligent and patient hunters, able to stalk their prey until they are close enough to strike, as they are not particularly fast creatures. They have also developed the ways of scavengers, waiting for creatures to fall into geysers or boiling hot water to catch them once the body ends up at the shore. Some groups of hunters value these creatures a lot, as they seem to be extinct everywhere else but in the island, and are thus incredibly valuable. However, these creatures are dangerous to hold prisoners, as they are expert climbers, and their claws are so dexterous that some have even been seen opening the locks of their jails.

### Owlintis

Owlintisses are small flying creatures, so small that one adult male could fit within the palm of a human, and with room to spare. Despite their fierce appeareance and warning noises they do when feeling threatened, Owlintisses are purely frugivores, using their frontal claws to grab strawberries and other small wild fruits growing around the Onyx Mountains. Once a year, Owlintisses abandon their solitary lifestyle to fly in massive flocks, doing elaborate flights and dances to find a mate.

## **P**

### Pambdelurion

Pambdelurion is a species of ancient arthropod that lives near the coasts of the Trolltooth peninsula. An elongated creature of around 1.5 meters of length, they are completely blind, moving around using their sense of smell and touch. Their bifurcated heads have hundreds of sensitive hairs, always in contact with the ground, helping it move around both in land and in the sea. It feeds off both plankton and fruits that are brought to the shore. To avoid the attacks of predators, they have a powerful carapace, but if this isn't enough, they can excreet certain chemicals from their mouth that irritate the threat into leaving.

### Phantom Bat

Phantom Bats are a species of mammal living in the Cocoon Islands. They are very small insectivores, half the size of a human hand. This size, combined with their flexibility and reflexes, allows them to eat many quick and nimble insects that live around the death blossoms. To avoid the attention of the death blossoms, phantom bats are covered with a strange fur that blurs the light around them. This, combined with their nocturnal habits, makes them very difficult to detect by the spiders as long as they do not get snared by the webs.

### Phantom Dolphins

Phantom dolphins are a species of sea mammal living in the waters around the Cocoon islands. They are about 3 meters of length from tail to snout, being quite powerful, yet silent predators. They are very intelligent, and are one of the few creatures that know how to hunt the death blossom spiders. They have a second hole below their respiratory orifice, which can be used to throw big streams of water upwards. Once they detect a death blossom near the shores, the pod will slowly move below it and shoot it up, making the spider lose equilibrium and fall into the water. Once there, the dolphins will sink the spider into the water, keeping themselves far from its fangs, until it drowns, and once it is done, they will eat their innards.

### Phoenix Chicken

The phoenix chicken is a strange creature, present all around the world only in the animal collections of royal courts and powerful wizards. It is unknown why would someone cross the majestic phoenix with a lowly chicken, but the end result of this was the phoenix chicken, a magical bird that is constantly engulfed in small flames. Its reproduction is extremely rare, only laying a single egg every year. Other than that, and its slimmer frame, it's size and behaviour is identical of that of a chicken. Some wizards talk greatly about its magical restoring abilities, since eating a phoenix chicken's meal is said to recover the energy and stamina of magical users greatly.

### Piddle Toads

An artificially bred dog-sized species of toad that changes it's color from a murky transclucent-white to a sulphuric-yellow when a pregnant woman urinates on it. This species is the first working pregnancy test of giantstep. Weither it was first bred by Scatomancers or Urinomancers is debated to this day since this species is native to the Urine Woods aswell. The non-alchemically altered ancestor has a greenish-brown complexion and is popularly referred to simply as "pretty big toad". It is now critically endangered but can still be found in most of the swamps and wetlands of Scatoley.

### Pippy Rabbit

Pippy Rabbits are small creatures that roam the land in great numbers, usually living in burrows to protect themselves from bigger predators. When they feel threatened, they inflate their neck pouch to look bigger, but this seldom works, and thus they are forced to run away.

### Pirahgator

Pirahgators are a species of fish that live in the swamps of the Bog Witch. The name pirahgator is a misnomer, as the species is actually closely related to garpikes, but with stockier bodies and longer jaws. They have a very aggressive behavior, biting anything that enters their field of vision. This works both for and against them. On the one hand, some potential predators will avoid getting in trouble with pirahgators, as they can cause severe harm even if they die. On the other, pirahgators will end up swimming towards creatures they have no chance taking on, and being easily devoured. Pirahgators are hunted down for their teeth, which are used to make cutlery in the swamps.

### Protoceratops

Protoceratops are a species of reptile living in many areas of the south of Giantstep. They are about 1.5 meters long from head to beak, and are characterized by their bone frills around their upper neck and their parrot beak. They are herbivores, spending quite a lot of time eating grass, fruits and mushrooms around the land. Protoceratops are very gregarious, moving in groups of 10-20 individuals, often creating monogamous pairings for all their lives, and protecting their nests collectively. Many farmers have managed to turn these animals into domestic critters, taking advantage of their meat, their scales and their eggs (though taking a protoceratops’ egg is a risky job if one wants to keep their hand intact, as the protoceratops will bite whoever tries to approach them). In particular, they are very easily to turn into farm animals, quickly adapting to enclosures, as they thank the protection that gives.

### Ptericar

    Ptericars are a species of reptile living in the areas across the plains around the Bone Lake. They are very big flyers, with a small but strong beak and very wide wingspan. They have long spindly legs and a long tail, which they use to cushion their landing. They have a small crest that they use to mate, flushing blood to make it bright red to attract mates. Ptericars are scavengers, being too weak to actually hunt or fish, as any impact would tear their frail wings or break their bones. They are so frail, in fact, that trying to hunt one alive is near impossible, as trying to capture one will inevitably led to broken bones. They can only survive due to their ability of staying in the air for days and days until they detect a carcass with their powerful eyesight, then they quickly go down and eat as much as possible before going back to the safety of the skies. Some witchelven have managed to domesticate them, often with a mixture of feeding them and torture. However, due to their frailty and lightness, they cannot carry a lot of weight on them. As such, ptericar raiders have to be particularly light themselves, and even then carry as few items as possible. Due to this frailty, using them as war mounts is often useless, as the creatures are smart enough to avoid danger, but they are perfect as scouts and messengers, since they can fly high enough to avoid detection.

### Puffing Monkey

The Puffing monkey is a species of monkey that inhabits the forests and shores around the Huan Ho-Sei Sea. Of medium build and with short brown fur, they spend most of their time in the canopy, usually in groups of 60 to 100 individuals. No one quite knows why but the puffing monkeys are famous for being natural talents with bag pipes. Some scholars say that this is because of their natural deep bellowing cries, while others maintain they have been uplifted by the gods. There are several versions of this tale, usually involving Azanese saints, the most famous of these is the tale of Saint Yunnan. Yunnan was one of the original followers of Aza who travelled to the far South to spread his word. As he attempted to cross the Huan Ho-Sei Sea, a terrible storm came one evening and capsized his ship. Hopelessly lost at sea, Yunnan was able to find his way to the shore in the dark thanks to the deep and echoing mating cries of the puffing monkeys. As thanks Yunnan blessed the monkeys and their cries and from that day forth, the puffing monkeys have been inherently musical. Humans tend to find them amusing and many courts from the merchant princes of Fûrlaniya to the zhouwei of Bajkin are known to include a puffing monkey or two to accompany feasts with music from their bagpipes. As they are considered blessed animals, they are usually treated with respect and some nobles are even known to commission little courtly costumes for them.

### Pyasanjaw

The Pyasanjaw are a species of fish typical of the rivers of Changrila. They have developed the ability to float for long periods of time by producing certain gases within their bodies. Then they are able to maneuver in the air by using their lush fins. They are not particularly fast flyers, and as such, they can be prey to birds and fishermen while they are doing this. To avoid this, the gasses they produce are hallucinogen, setting those whoever eats the fish in a happy daze that can last for days, and leaves the unlucky victim completely vulnerable to the elements. Pyasanjaws are used in local medicine for their sedative and pain neutralizing abilities.

## **R**

### Ravedary

The Ravedaries are a particularly enjoyed prey for the spider goats. This animals travel the lands at the skirts of the Onyx Mountains in family groups of 20-50 members. Their high intelligence and endurance makes them excellent mounts and beasts of burden, but unlike regular camels or dromedaries, they are very picky eaters, and they are thus a very bad fit for travelling in deserts of any kind.

### Red Fiend

Red fiends are a species of reptilian creatures that live in the Eldritch Jungle. Like many of the creatures living in that accursed place, information about them is scarce, though there have been multiple successful attempts to capture one or two living individuals. They are reptilian creatures, around 3 meters of length and a meter of height, with powerful legs used to jump on top of their prey, as well as to move across the jungle. Their forward limbs are also very powerful, with sharp claws used to maul their enemies. They are seemingly blessed with some amphibian features, such as gills and fins, though there have been no recordings of the creatures in an aquatic environment. Their head is quite strange, designed to grab their prey not with jaws, but with a pair of maxilla. These maxilla keep the prey in place, while from the bottom of their mouth, multiple nested mouths, filled with lamprey-like teeth, attach to the victim. They then begin to eat the prey alive, usually starting with the more vulnerable parts of the creature, such as the eyes, mouth, or neck. They have a very distinctive chittering, used to coordinate their attacks. They attack in groups of around 6-7 individuals.

### Red Slime

The Red Slime is a species of slime living in the jungles of Chakobsa. A seemingly normal slime, it dissolves the ground beneath it, gaining more and more space, connecting wth the roots of the trees and plants nearby. Once an animal steps in, it will become glued to it, struggling endlessly until they die of exhaustion. Once they are dead, the red slime will dissolve them for nourishment. The slimes will grow as much as their environment allows, with the deepest red slime being around thrice the size of a human. This growth also makes the plants arount it grow, nourishing both slime and plants, and the plants in turn will grow enough to hide the pool of red slime, making passing creatures unaware of the danger. Red Slimes live around 30-60 years, and the older it becomes the less sticky it becomes, thus becoming unable to feed itself and dying of hunger.

### Rideable Spider

Rideable Spiders, also known as Ampleazzian Spiders, are a species of giant arachnid living in many areas of Western Giantstep. Rideable Spiders look like tarantulas bigger than horses, with a dense cover of spider fur around their torso, abdomen and lower legs. Despite their imposing appearance, they are actually incredibly docile and meek. Their big size and eight legs makes them not particularly fast nor stealthy, and neither they can produce silk, and as such, they have become scavengers, looking for rotting meat with their heightened sense of smell. It was this sense of smell that brought them in contact with human populations, being frequently seen in the outskirts of town and cities looking for remnants of eaten cattle or even human cadavers. Eventually, the humans began feeding the spiders, and that eventually made the populations trying to domesticate them. The result was the rideable spiders, which serve as mounts and beasts of burden in exchange for a supply of meat. One of their advantages over other mounts is their skill at traversing difficult terrain (so long as it is dry terrain), as they are still spiders and can stick to surfaces. Some even can walk vertical surfaces with their riders, and even upside down, though it takes time to train the riders to keep their equilibrium. The spider riders are often used as skirmishers and infiltrators due to these abilities, but they have to be careful, as rideable spiders cannot gallop to safety.

### Riverbulls

    The Riverbull is an ox-sized predatory fish native to murky waters and swamps. An adult and well-fed specimen can weigh up to 94 stone. Its massive jaw has three times the bite force of a pit bull, meaning that once it bites, it won't let go. It's even said to bite through the wooden hulls of smaller fishing boats. Although more closely related to the carp, the Riverbull displays feeding behavior similar to that of a piranha, although, thank god, it is a cannibalistic loner that does not come in swarms. Once a river bull has smelled blood, it goes into a violent frenzy in which it attacks everything in the rough radius of its prey, including larger predators that are physically superior to it. These lake monsters only tolerate each other during the mating season. However, only for a short duration, after the mating the larger female mauls the male mercilessly. Despite its enormous size, the Riverbull is able to move silently through the murky waters of the swamps. Its tattered fins reminiscent of aquatic plants floating in the current, its mud-colored uneven skin, and the long algae-like appendages on its body provide camouflage. Trying to catch river bulls is strongly discouraged as they still pose a significant threat even on land. Their meat tastes absolutely disgusting anyway and is not worth putting yourself in mortal danger.

### Roach Roachers

Roach Roachers were designed to be pest controlls. They are the size of a small cat, but their snouts contain a very long prehensile tongue, able to fit in narrow spaces. Their insectoid legs and legs make them able to fly and to stick to the walls, giving them a great range of action. They are quite tame and easy to domesticate as well, so many have trained them to clean up termite or ant infestations. It usually finds a home in the rural towns, where pest control is quite important, and they can cover what cats cannot (roachers cover for insect plagues, cats cover for rat plagues). However, roach roachers make quite a lot of noise while eating, and that, combined with their cockroach looks, makes it very unpopular as a pet anywhere else.

### Rognareyan Giant Cat

Rognareyan Giant Cats are a species of mammal living in central Zemyland. They are the size of tigers, though they share more similarities to mountain cougars. They have two big fangs that come out of their mouth, though they are not as big as saber-tooth tigers. Their fur is very dense, often making the cats look bigger than what they are, often being a light brown color that greys out during the winter. Rognareyan giant cats are often used to solitary life, hunting the massive prey of the mountains of central Zemyland. They were more frequently seen in southern Zemyland, but hunting for their fur has pretty much made them retreat further north. The rognareyan warriors have managed to tame some of them, turning them into mounts for the bravest and strongest of the tribes. The rituals to tame and train a rognareyan giant cat are difficult, since unlike many other mounts, they need to be captured from the wild, instead of being breed domestically. The norskyries need to hunt down their preferred giant cat, and make it submit to them, choking it with their strong braids until they surrender. This process will continue until the giant cat immediately obeys the orders of the warrior without resistance.

### Rogue Raptors

The Rogue Raptor is a species of reptile frequently seen in the underground of magical societies. A meter tall and 3,6m long, it is a dangerous creature, with two pairs of clawed arms and a long spiked tail, coated with poison. Its main feature is its strange skull, looking like multiple heads joined together, with what appears to be three jaws at once, with two pair of eyes. This allows the Rogue Raptor to bite multiple things at once at the same time, which can cause terrible bleeding on its victims. The origins of the rogue raptors are magical, created by criminal wizards as guard animals to protect their business. Rogue raptors are extraordinarily loyal to their masters, and are very intelligent to boot, something that turns them into excellent war beasts. However, they cannot breed on their own, having been created with magical limitations to their being so that they do not breed uncontrolled. As such, their numbers are quite few, and many kingdoms have forbidden keeping stocks of these animals. However, one can find viable eggs of rogue raptors in many hidden black markets if one is willing to pay enough.

### Rope Fish

These swamp and bog dwelling variety of eel grow to be 20-30 feet long. Much like a garden hose, the tend to coil and extend their way through the water. Their lazy coils act as small constriction traps for small mammals which might be walking through a swampland. Their small 1 inch diameter make them little threat to larger animals or people, but small mammals get constricted and drowned easily. Some swamp people and bog hags use the bodies of dead Rope Fish to lash things together. As the fish’s body dries in the air, they shrivel like wet leather and tighten lashings well. Although the long lasting smell is not pleasant from uses like this.

### Rotsucker

    Rotsuckers are large winged predators of the witch's swamps that prey on those who roost there, especially those who try to climb the trees for shelter from the various dangers of the ground are at risk. They will also attack other animals, as tasty wanderers are not all that common in the Witches' Swamp. In addition, they feed on all kinds of carrion, which they suck up through their toothy trunk, which has given them their name. When angry or frustrated, Rotsuckers spit a corrosive bile. Rotsuckers are known to follow their prey from a safe distance, circling unnoticed at a considerable height until the unsuspecting victim goes to sleep. Awake travelers will only be attacked when the Rotsucker is particularly famished or when a flock of them gathers to hunt, a rare but deadly natural phenomenon in the witches swamps. When a Rotsucker finds a sleeping victim, it injects its caustic bile into it. He then coats the now partially paralyzed body in a rapidly hardening tar-like liquid that he produces in glands on his abdomen. The result is a kind of hard black cocoon. The bile and its caustic fumes kill the victim in a short time, breaking it down into a thick slimy liquid. The Rotsucke then grabs the hardened cocoon, rises into the air with its powerful leathery wings and attaches the sac with its sticky saliva to one of the large, gnarled Bulgebirches (also called Suckerfruit Trees for this practice) that can be found almost everywhere across the swamps. After 5 to 7 days, the Rotsucker then drills a hole in the cocoon with the circular, jagged, ossified end of its proboscis to suck out the nutrient-rich broth. Every once in a while, a gang of Boglins steal these black nutrient sacs on the sly, heat them up over a fire, cut them open, and drink it as what they call "stinky soup". Rotsuckers are surprisingly intelligent and lead long inner monologues as they glide across the nocturnal swampy plains. However they are not capable of verbal language. To the east of the swamps rises the infamous giant Muckbark Tree (a name presumably derived from the sour-smelling, anal secretions of the Rotsuckers that almost completely cover the top of it's bark) where, contrary to their nature, the Rotsuckers gather annually to breed and lay their slimy eggs in its knotholes. The mighty dead tree corpse stands in the otherwise sparsely wooded Moderholz and not only in the mating season should a large as possible berth be made around it. Up to three hundred Rotsucker are said to have been sighted sitting and hanging all over its branches at peak mating times.

### Rust Beetle

    Rust Beetles are a species of insect living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. An aquatic beetle the about 15cm of length, they eat rotting plant matter at the bottom of some lakes, as well as near the waters of rivers and lakes. Their droppings have an acidic property, able to rust metals with frightening speed. While the amount of droppings needed to get that effect is considerable, rust beetles are very numerous, forming big colonies in the thousands. Thus, their excrement end up mixing with the mud and the water in the area, which causes all metallic materials in contact with it to quickly rust and fall off. Just getting in the same pool of water as one of these things degrades the ferrous equipment of adventurers. The existence of these critters is one of the main reason why so many populations within the bogs have little use for iron or steel.

## **S**

### Saber-Tooth Tiger

Saber-Tooth Tigers are a group of species of felines living in many areas of Giantstep. They range in size depending on their habitat, with the smallest being around the size of a cheetah and the biggest being 1.5 times the size of a common tiger. They are universally predators, with a powerful set of claws that can tear up flesh with ease. Despite the common misconception that Saber-Tooth Tigers kill with their notoriously long canine teeth, they actually prefer to break bones and bleed out their victims with their claws, ambushing their prey to get a solid hit before the target is weakened enough. Once it is safer to finish it, they will use their canine teeth to break the neck or the skull of the prey. They tend to hunt in small packs, in a similar vein to lions, though some varieties of them prefer living solitary lives, especially in areas where prey is either smaller or rarer. They have spread throughout the world, showing many varieties in size. Unlike many other felines, the attempts to domesticate them are rare, as they are naturally aggressive, though that has made them a favorite choice for gladiatorial spectacles.

### Sacred Qilin

The Sacred Qilin is a species of chimeric creature living in some of the forests of Changrila. Its origins are closely linked to Changrila's independence and the rise of the first God-Emperor of Changrila. Seeking to create a great symbol of power, the newly appointed God-Emperor ordered the creation of a new creature, a mix between unicorn, elk, deer, horse, lion and dragon. After many attempts, the end result would be the qilin, which greatly pleased the emperor. However, the qilin were stolen from the palace, with the perpetrators never being caught or identified. Dismayed, the God-Emperor forbade the creation of further qilins. However, centuries later, sightings of strange creatures would appear in some of the forests, later identified as the mythical qilin. They are strange creatures, with a head of a deer, horns of unicorn and elk, mane of a lion, tail and scales of a dragon, body of a deer and legs of a horse. They are highly intelligent, and avoid the company of sentient beings as much as possible, which they achieve with their natural talents. They are nimble and silent to an uncanny degree, which has allowed them to avoid their capture, since they are greatly appreciated in private collections. They are frugivores, only eating very selective forest fruits.

### Salt Cucumber

Salt cucumbers are a species of echinoderm living in the Red Land Steppes. They have adapted to live in the highly saline lakes within the steppes, and they are able to find nourishment even in those waters. Salt cucumbers are elongated creatures that accumulate water into its body, feeding from any organic particle within it. Once the water has been cleaned from any spec of organic dust, it will expel the salt and the excrement from one orifice and the water from another. This offers two vital things for the gökmavi: clear and drinkable water (though it tends to be of horrid taste, and barely drinkable from the standards of outsiders) and salt. This has made salt cucumbers a vital part of the gökmavi economy, being bred in the millions around the lakes. Many gökmavi dedicate many efforts to feed them and to keep them healthy, since access to water is essential in the dry steppes.

### Saramaga

Saramagas are a species of lizard living in the island of Tuarapon. Saramagas are the size of iguanas, but with a physiognomy more akin to geckos. Their scales and bones are less powerful than those of other reptiles, in exchange of being more resilient to the heat and the toxicity of the fumes of the island. To counter this, they tend to act like hermit crabs, using the skull of deceased saramaga or other reptiles to protect themselves from predators. They will carry over the skull until they outgrow it, and then they will search for another.

### Scavenger Percher

    Scavenger Perchers are large bird-like creatures with slimy black skin and leathery wings. Instead of a beak, they have a proboscis, which they use to suck up decaying carrion. Scavenger Perchers hunt by briefly diving into the murky swamp waters to look for rotting fish carcasses, drowned swamp dwellers, or snails. They are good at navigating underwater because of their aerodynamic build and smooth, fish-like skin. They also fly long distances over the swamplands in search of carrion and are attracted by the smell of rotting meat. If you see one circling overhead it is never a good sign as they are able to anticipate bloodshed and impending death. After large scale battles in the witch's swamps, the sky is littered with them. They build their nests in tall bare swamp cypresses and occasionally engage in territorial battles with rotsucker and other flying swamp fauna. They are partially edible, but their skin is incredibly tough and tastes like a moldy shoe sole. There have been isolated reports that trained Scavenger Perchers have been deployed within the swamps to deliver messages over vast distances.

### Schlickschluck

Schlickschlucks are a species of fish living in the swamps of the Bog Witch. They are massive near 10 meters of length, with jaws that are reinforced from within to be able to bite and crunch anything. Many believe they are a descendent of sea monsters that somehow became stuck in the swamps. Their massive size makes them the definition of a big fish in a small pond, and as such, Schlickschlucks have developed lungs as well as gills, making them capable of slithering from body of water to body of water once the resources begin to dwindle. Their scales are hardened against abrasion and puncturing. Gruntzlings believe them to be demons, and they are worshipped by them, offering sacrifices to appease them. This can range from captured prisoners to maidens from their own tribe, all for the purpose of keeping Schlickschlucks away from their underwater nests.

### Scourge of the Seven Seas

Scourge of the Seven Seas are a species of cnidarian living in most of the world’s seas. These creatures look like the biggest jellyfish in the world, with their bells measuring up to ten meters of diameter and tentacles that can be almost 30 meters long. However, they are, in fact, colonial organisms, a plethora of different cnidarians and other organisms living together to catch as many fishes and other prey as possible. Each individual organism is in charge of a certain vital function, making sure the colony survives their long voyages through the seas. They even grow special sails if they feel their current area is not enough to sustain them, using the wind to propel themselves towards other hunting grounds. During storms, it is frequent to see these colonies broken in multiple sections, but as long as each one can hold enough parts of the whole, it will survive.

### Scrap Serpent

A giant, eel-like creature that inhabits the deeper parts of the Great Garbage Patch. Its body is made up of scrap metal and other hard materials, allowing it to move through the garbage with ease and defend itself against predators. It feeds on smaller fish and sea creatures that are attracted to the garbage, and its scavenged metal body is a valuable source of materials for scavengers.

### Scurrowers

Scurrowers are a species of crustacean living in the shores of Scimitarian. They are 40cm of length, similar in shape to horseshoe crabs, but with much longer legs. Instead of shedding their carapaces, they shed the skin of their legs, often at different speeds. This makes them often walk at a strange pace, looking like they are scurrying around the beaches. To protect themselves from predators, they join together with another scurrower, grabbing each other’s legs and forming a ball. Once there, they are very difficult to forcefully separate.

### Sea Monkey

Sea Monkeys are a species of sea slug living in the waters of the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah. They are bottom feeders, moving the bottom of the shores in search for organic matter, which they will absorb through their skin. They search for food within the rocks at the bottom, and if they detect any predators, they will try to dig to hide themselves from danger. Their small size and shape similar to a monkey has made them popular as exotic pets, being hunted and traded a lot throughout the south of Giantstep.

### Seer's Tortoise

The Seer's Tortoise, also known as the Astromancer's Turtle, is a species of reptile found exclusively in captivity. It's origins' date is murky, but it's well known that this was a collaboration between wizards and astromancers to create a tool to predict the future. While the end result doesn't actually predict future events in any way noticeable, it has become a symbol of prestige to own one, for both the wizard and the astromantic communities. The Seer's Tortoise is a big creature, almost 2m of length and half a meter of height, with stumpy legs and leathery scales, usually wrinkled and giving it a very old appeareance. Its neck is considerably long, and they can use it to reach vegetation in places inaccessible to them due to their bulk. However, the main feature of this creature is that, instead of a regular shell, the Seer's Tortoise has a massive eye on its back. Covered by an incredibly resistent and fully transparent substance, this eye moves as if it was alive and conscious, paying attention to things and with its pupil expanding or contracting depending on the light. Many wizards believe the tortoise can see through this eye, though the creature doesn't seem to react when something happens and the eye pays attention to it. Seer's Tortoises can live up to 500 years old.

### Serpent Fly

These critters are a result of black magical fusion between snakes and swamp inhabiting insects. They are small creatures, around 40 cm of length, with their serpentine body covered in dozens of insectoid wings. Their eyes are also compounded, having an extraordinary vision even while on the move. For their speed and agility, the bog witch uses these creatures as scouts. The powder on their wings seems to disrupt the flow of positive magic. Its bite feels like a dozen wasps stinging you at the same time.

### Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolves are a species of mammal living in the Cocoon Islands. They are believed to not be actual wolves, but a species of dogs that became native after a ship landed on the island and were left abandoned. They are small, due to the limited size of the prey on the island and the need to keep far from the death blossoms. They eat pretty much anything they can find, from lizards, birds, rabbits, spider eggs, carrion stranded on the shore… To avoid the attention of the spiders, they often go near them at dark, when they are sleeping. Shadow wolves try to eat the animals that end up trapped at the edges of the webs, and to avoid being detected by them, their fur is very dark, completely absorbing light, making them near invisible during the night.

### Shroom Crabs

The Shroom Crabs are diminutive crustaceans that live all around the coast of the Fungest. They are the size of a human nail, and have a near flat carapace. They eat fungii growing in the land, moving great distances for their size. While they move, the spores get stuk on their carapace, and are thus able to move great distances without the need of wind. Some mushroomites use them as guardian animals, to see if certain shrooms are healthy. Though most of these creatures are wild, moving around in herds of hundreds. The humans from the region are able to prepare a delicious soup with them.

### Shroombug

Shroombugs are a species of insect that live in the jungles of the Fungest. They are minuscule, the size of small spiders, though they are quite strong for their size. With this strength, they empty a mushroom and use it as a carapace for both protection and stealth. They are omnivores, eating anything organic that leaves in the forest, though they always run at the sight of mushroomites, since they consider them pests that kill mushrooms when they are still growing.

### Silent Sloth

The silent sloth is a species of mammal that lives in the jungles of Chakobsa. A sloth the size of an ogre, many are surprised to see they are one of the most, if not the most feared predator of the region by the yagura. Unlike many sloths, they are complete carnivores (in fact, many suggest they only eat flesh from sentient species), slowly stumbling towards their victims. They walk in a hunched stance, their massively elongated and sharp claws hidden by either skins, folliage or other matter to avoid losing their edge. Their walk is slow, unnervingly so, to the point many outsiders wonder why are they so feared. The yagura say that they have a petrifying stare: if they look at you long enough, and you meet their stare, you will be paralysed completely. Unable to move yet painfully aware of your surroundings, the only thing the victims can do is look at the eyes of their predator, as it walks towards the victim at a glaciar pace, never keeping its eyes from the poor sod in its clutches. After the sloth is close enough, it will unsheath its claws and painfully and methodically gut the victim, eating the victim while it's still alive, as death takes forever to take those affected by the petrifying stare.

### Silk Pig

The Silk Pigs are strange creatures, even for the area. At first glance, the physiognomy of this animal would make any naturalist wonder how it can survive in the wild. Their long and fat bodies clash with their small, tiny legs, barely able to hold its weight. Combined with their elongated bodies, it makes them unable to run, walk, or even turn at any kind of reasonable speed, to the point of spider goats being able to just walk straight up to them, pick one and drag it to their hideout with very little problem. However, they are very gregarious animals, and their ability to feed off of everything combined to creating great amounts of silk makes them unvaluable for the herders and farmers of the land. The sheer amount of silk they can spew combined with a very low mainteneance cost mean that they are an incredibly valuable resource for the local economy, and thus protected by the local farmers. It is very doubtful that the Silk Pigs could survive in the wild without any human help.

### Silk Shapeshifter

Silk shapeshifters are a species of fey animal living in the Cocoon Islands. They are strange creatures, about a meter of height, with most of their bodies being underground. They have been described as “onion-like”, with tall leaves in the upper half of their body, and a bulbous nucleus as their lower half. They have dozens of insectoid limbs which keep the silk shapeshifter anchored to the ground. They are completely blind, having no eyes, but they have a great sense of smell, which they use to find the silk of the death blossoms. Their diet consists on the silk of the spiders, which they eat with abandon if they feel the spiders are far. To do so, they can shapeshift and manipulate the size and shape of their own bodies, swallowing as much silk as possible before burrowing back underground, where the spiders cannot reach them. Then they will mix their silk with a form of photosynthesis to obtain energy. They are highly prized by alchemists for their unique abilities and are said to possess great magical power.

### Silver Red Ortugan Crab

The Silver Red Ortugan Crab is a species of crustacean unique of the island of Ortuga. It was first discovered during a particularly powerful tropical storm brought by the Maelstrom in 3.001 ABE, when there apparently was a rain of crabs that filled the island of these animals. While many of the individuals were dead due to the winds and the fall, enough of them survived to make it a common species in the island of Ortuga. The Silver Red Ortugan Crab has a central body with many appendages sprouting from its underside. Its shell is decorated with metallic looking patterns, which have an uncanny similarity to stellar patterns and old constellations. It lacks particularly powerful claws, instead using its small appendages to feed itself from carcasses, rotten fruit or the remains of organic matter at beaches. Its shells is considerable durable for a creature of its small size, but its low strength makes it a victim of the playful cats brought to the island by the pirates, who playfully bash them around until they get bored and move to something else. The tribal people of Ortuga consider it a gift from the Maelstrom, and frequently use it as a dish for particular festive dates. The most curious thing about the Silver Red Ortugan Crab is that, before the storm that brought it to Ortuga in 3.001 ABE, the species was unknown to exist. In fact, other than in the island, there are no signs of the species living anywhere else in the world. And since the crab doesn't show any particular capability to endure the pressures of the deep, many speculate that it came from the Maelstrom itself, giving weight to the theories that the Maelstrom is somehow a door to the Mare Tenebrosum described by the tribal populations and the kobalins.

### Sixhorn Sheep

Sixhorn Sheep are a species of mammal living in the Swaying Meadows. A relatively small sheep, even compared to other domestic sheep, they are famous for their three pairs of twisted horns and the quality of their wool. Despite the intimidating aura of the male rams, they are actually very docile, having bred to be easily handled by the shepherds. It is believed that many of the human populations of the Swaying Meadows went there attracted by these wild sheep, ending up domesticating them, and now they are bred in the thousands. Their wool is of considerable softness and quality, perfect for clothing and domestic interiors, though it is not particularly strong, and as such, it cannot be used for ship sails or military uses.

### Skunky Beetles

Stunky Beetles are small creatures, around the size of small dogs. They are very skittish herbivores, and will scare easily if an unidentified creature gets close to them while they are eating or searching for food. To defend themselves, Skunky beetles are able to produce a wide array of chemicals within their bodies, ranging from incredibly smelly liquids to stronger acids that could blind any creature if it enters in contact with their eyes. This chemicals are wildly valued by farmers and herders in the area, since they are very effective predator deterents. Skunky beetles are not domestic, however, so many locals will attract Skunky beetles with food and then make loud noises with pots and pans from afar, to scare the Skunky beetle to spray their lands with predator repellent and then leave.

### Slippery Tuarapon Toad

Slippery Tuarapon Toads are a species of amphibian living in the island of Tuarapon. A toad the size of a small boar, they are one of the biggest creatures on the island. Their dense hide is full of warts, which produce a cover of mucus that is quite toxic to the touch. This is believed to be a defense mechanism against a now extinct predator, since nowadays they have no natural predators. Nowadays, the main thing limiting their growth are predators eating the tadpoles and insect parasites. They feed off insects, lizards and fish, which they can catch with their retractable tongue.

### Slulele

The slulele is a species of slug that lives near the coasts of Kokaine. They are strange and bizarre creatures, about the size of a seagull. Their elongated bodies are covered by sacks of skin, filled with gas, allowing them to float in the air. They use these sacks as flippers of sorts, both moving them to redirect themselves and to go up and down in the air. They search for small fish with their surprisingly good eyesight for a slug, always paying attention at the surface of the water. Once it sees something with its multiple eyes, it will quickly expell the gas to dart towards it, catching it before it can react. Some groups have tried to breed these creatures in captivity to produce their floating gas, but so far the creatures have proved to difficult to breed and take care of in enclosed environments.

### Smiling Glutton

The Smiling Glutton is a species of reptilian monster that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A creature of unknown origins, its biology has focused its digestive system to the extreme, to the point most of the space inside of its body is just stomach and intestines. Its head has been reduced to a stump with multiple giant eyes, the number and size of which depend from individual to individual. The entire head can open from the neck, presenting a track full of sharp teeth all the way to the stomach. To capture its prey, it uses its powerful arms and claws to immobilize the prey and swallow it whole. In case of being prey capable of fighting back, it will spew from its "mouth" a torrent of digestive system, which can easily cause second degree burns, and are particularly painful. The Smiling Glutton has very little in the way of intelligence, having a brain the size of an apple.

### Snailotamus

Snailotamus are massive herbivores that spend most of their time grazing the underwater grass and algae that grows near lakes and rivers. They are extremely passive creatures, due to their big size, low speed and low intelligence. However, their incredible biting strength and tough shell makes predators very weary of attacking them. The Snailotamus' slime is used by the local populations to deter predators and to make certain kinds of glue. The locals usually sell the Snailotamus slime for cosmetic uses to foreign traders, though its actual effects are not really clear.

### Soot Drake

A small dragon-like creature that is known for its ability to breathe fire. Its body is made up of a sooty black material that allows it to blend in with the polluted skies above the Great Garbage Patch. It feeds on smaller creatures that have become trapped in the garbage, and its fiery breath can be used to melt and shape metals and other materials.

### Soothsinger Sparrow

The soothsinger sparrow is a species of bird present all throughout western Giantstep, though it's mostly located in the lands of the Hedge. A seemingly common sparrow, its most noteworthy trait its is high level of intelligence. Centuries of selective breeding on the part of brownies and other diminutive fey have managed to create a species with a level of intelligence similar to dolphins. As such, not only they serve as mere mounts for the smaller fey, but also behave in groups and communicate to a certain level with sentient species. To do this, they have developed a complex system that mixes body language and songs to communicate both with their handlers and with each other. Soothsingers need a lot of intellectual stimuli to develop correctly, with many of their fey handlers doubling as singers or playing an instrument, using music to stimulate the bird. The sparrows will even join in and begin improvising their own tunes, with such a complexity and talent that surprises many who hear them first time. Their physical appeareance is near identical to common sparrows, other than a slightly bigger size and denser plummage to make riding them more comfortable. The main method to differentiate them is in their behavior. Soothsinger Sparrows are much less nervious than most songbirds, needing to move much less while on the ground, and they are also capable of paying attention to a single spot for much longer. They also group up in flocks of hundreds, creating some of the most complex flight patterns on the sky. The soothsinger birds can be found both free and domesticated.

### Southern Dwarf Elephant

Southern Dwarf Elephants are a species of mammal living in many areas of southern Giantstep, particularly in the lands of the badgassi. As their name implies, they are very small for pachyderms, being around the size of a horse. Their trunks are proportionally longer than other elephants, reaching heights surprisingly high for their size. Their tusks are short but strong, used to unearth tubers and other underground food. They are very gregarious, living in big herds led by the oldest females. Southern Dwarf Elephants have been domesticated for a long time by the populations of the south, due to their intelligence and strength. However, they never became quite as popular as other mounts: bigger species of elephants are much stronger and tougher, while horses and other mounts are faster and more agile than them. They are mainly used by the badgassi, as they are very intelligent and can be trained for a multitude of purposes.

### Spider Goat

Spider goats are hunters twice the size of an adult man. They prey on horses, cattle and any other big prey they can get their limbs on. Due to their big size and not particularly fast speed, these goat spiders have evolved into great ambush predators, using the environment to their advantage. They will hide in mountain ranges and chase their prey, making them fall into gorges filled with spider web, trapping them and allowing the spider goats to slowly eat them. Those spider goats that prefer hunting in the valleys or in the plains take a different strategy, digging holes in the ground and hiding them in web and dirt, and waiting for unsuspecting victims to fall and be unable to get out.

### Spider Monkey

Spider Monkeys, also known as “the stalkers”, are a species of mammal often found in the underworld of many wizarding societies. They are believed to be created during the elyrian conquest of Stór Kartöflu, as one of the many weapons against pirates and the local populations. They are monkeys small in size, often small enough to sit comfortably in a man’s shoulder. However, they can multiply themselves if they are left in the dark, able to copy themselves into four or five individuals. This allows them to grow in number very fast, attacking their enemies in swarms during the night, though these copies always disappear when in contact with sunlight. Spider monkeys are swift and agile, capable of climbing across many surfaces. Although deadly, they can follow the orders of their master, like a trained hound would. Many societies in the east have banned their distribution and ownership, as they can become quite a threat for small populations.

### Spoopus

Spoopus are small aquatic creatures that live in ponds and rivers. Being the size of a human hand, the spoopus show an astonishing degree of intelligence for their size. The spoopus are carnivores, eating small fish and frogs at the shore of rivers. However, spoopus aren’t particularly fast swimmers, so instead of chasing after them, the spoopus create underwater webs. This thread tends to float to the surface, so the spoopus will attach the foundation of the thread to rocks at the bottom, and slowly cover a portion of the river with a web. The fish, bugs and frogs that touch it will be instantly glued to it, and will either be immobilized or become to encumbered to flee. The spoopus will then move and bite them, using their melting poison to kill them and drink their fluids, since they don’t have any teeth to bite and chew. To avoid being caught by bigger predators, spoopus can walk on land for certain periods of time, though their movements on land are very sluggish. There have been plenty of registered cases where spoopus will move close to human settlements, and then act in a way that could be described as “cute” so that the people feed them. Many believe this behavior has been learned by watching dogs or cats, or by experimenting around fishermen near their hunting grounds. There have even been cases where spoopus have become domestic pets. However, touching a spoopus when the rings on their skin are glowing blue is dangerous, since that means they are ready to jump and attack, and spoopus’ bites are quite painful due to their flesh-melting poison.

### Sporggo

Sporggos are type of subterranean mammal like creatures that dwell in the vast cave networks of the Furlaniyan karst. These pallid and grotesque creatures are about the size of a donkey and feed on algae, cave mushrooms and the occasional lost goblin. Females and their young live in small groups of ten to twelve while adult males are solitary. Males are fiercely territorial and frequently fight each other for control over caves and alcoves. Sporggos are primarily nocturnal and can often be spotted at night near the entrances of underwater caves where the algae grows best.

### Spotted Oyster

The Spotted Oyster is a species of bivalve mollusc that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A creature with a growth and spawn rate that would be considered like a plague anywhere else in the world, the spotted oyster has been bred by the careful attentions of the ra to become their main food source. Spotted Oysters can grow as big as a human head, and the biggest individuals being as big as the ras' pincers, they have a strong shell, always overflowing with meat. They are eaten almost exclusively by the ra, as their meat causes strong stomachaches if not properly treated, but the ra are used to it and feel no ill effect. These creatures are bred and grown in massive fields, highly protected by the ra to keep predators away. They need high amounts of murky water, since they somehow cannot survive in clean waters, the reasons for this being unknown. They are fed anything organic the ra can get their pincers on, from captured wild animals to crunched plants and fruits, the ra turn this into a paste that's mixed with the water and absorbed by the oysters.

### Starlight Giant Squid

The Starlight Giant Squid is a species of cephalopod that lives in all major seas of the world, particularly the deeper areas. They are massive creatures, easily reaching 12 meters of length. We know very little about this species, since they spend most of their lives in the deep, and only come to the surface in rare instances, usually at night. The times they've been seen, they have been surprisingly gentle giants, they tend to leave ships alone. However, during their mating season, they become highly agressive, though not for the reasons one might expect. Their bodies can change in color in very precise ways, becoming almost transparent when feeling the threat of predators. But when in heat, they will display extremely bright and complex displays of light to show affection. There have been instances of squid attacks to ships while shinning in incredibly iridescent patterns, only to the attack to immediately end when all the lights on the ship are turned off. It is believed that the squids can mistake the ships for mates, since their senses during heat are dulled enough to mistake ships for squids. When the lights are turned off, the squid interprets it as having been mistaken (or having been rejected) and peacefully leaves.

### Stellar Owl

Stellar Owls are a species of bird that live in some parts of southern Zemyland. A bigger than average owl, they are covered in pearly white feathers, making them very stealthy during the day. However, stellar owls are nocturnal creatures, and only hunt during the night. The inner part of their wings has feathers that can mimic the night sky above. While this mimicry is limited to making the wings dark with white spots simulating stars, this makes them, along with their silent flying, quite stealthy hunters. They often prey on a wide variety of critters, from rodents to foxes to other birds, and some have even been seen targeting newborn cattle. Snow elves consider them a holy animal, and a lot of imagery on their cities and temples represent stellar owls.

### Stenchskipper

    Stenchskippers are a species of fish originated from the swamps of the Bog Witch. A small fish, barely a third of a meter, they are of vivid color, almost as if they were from tropical reefs. This makes them clash with the often brown waters, making them very difficult to miss. This is because stenchskippers are actually quite dangerous. Surprisingly smart for fishes of that size, they are able to spit a slime from an organ below their mouth. So sticky it is that it can take weeks for the slime to dissipate, making it a death sentence if it ever goes into the respiratory track of most beings, and incapacitating them near fully if in contact with eyes and ears. Their massive eyes makes them very accurate with their shots, and can often attack preemptively if they feel threatened. Because of this, even some of the biggest creatures in the swamps leave them alone. Their slime can be used to fabricate a very powerful adhesive glue, though it can melt with ease if in contact with high concentrations of dry salt.

### Stinkspitter

    The Stinkspitter are creatures with a sack-like leathery skin somewhat reminiscent of large engorged ticks. They reach the size of three horses stacked on top of each other when fully grown and saturated. The Stinkspitters seem to drink from the springs of black grease, which bloats them and keeps them alive, although these creatures aren't technically alive in the first place. Much like a virus, they appear to be essentially dead matter that only seeks to multiply (how they do so is unknown) and spread the black corruption. Although they move very slowly, they can cover amazing distances and show no signs of fatigue. There are reports that some of them have been sighted on their migration as far away the Realm of Harmony. When they get far enough away from the Grease Spring they drank from, they emit a foul-smelling black cloud that, like fungal spores, causes the ground they're standing on to become a breeding ground for black grease bubbles. Being close to this process is absolutely fatal as inhaling the miasma causes a terrible disease known as the Brown Plague which is a sickness not unlike the Bubonic Plague except much more disgusting and painfull. However, the deadly and contagious disease appears to be merely a side effect of the Black Grease's process of reproduction and is otherwise unrelated to its spread for as much as is known.The Scatomancers have figured out an effective method of preventing them from crossing their territory which they keep secret from the rest of the world (a thick line of salt). Aside from their miasm phase, Stinkspitters are mostly harmless and peaceful (as long as you don't touch them, but why would you want to). They hardly notice their surroundings and appear to have no sense of sight, smell or hearing. Attacking a bloated Stinkspitter is strongly discouraged as it will cause them to explosively release their miasma destroying him instantly and the aggressor aswell but more slowly and painfull. Just like the Black Grease the Stinkspitters are the result of forbidden alchemical experiments combined with various types of occultism and black magic. Most of the individuals responsible for them have been severely punished or passed away.

### Stymphalian Bird

Stymphalian Birds are an avian species that appeared in the Stymphalian lands about 100 years ago. These birds caused quite commotion in the area, driving the population into the swamps for protection. Stymphalian Birds are of considerable size, having a 3 meter wingspan. They seem to be some sort of magical creation, as their feathers are made out of a metallic alloy, and somehow can still fly despite their weight. This metallic covering protects them from arrows, and as such they are very hard to take down with common means. Their most notable feature is their long beak, made out of bronze, able to penetrate many ferrous armors. They tend to attack centers of civilization, from towns and cities, and kill everyone they can in great flocks. Their excretions are poisonous, making the land unsuitable for agriculture for as long as the birds are in the area. The uncanny nature of these birds has made some azanese experts to suspect they are the creation of wizards, either from the Witchelven Empire or from the Republic of Kalydon. Multiple attempts have been done to exterminate these birds, but so far all of them have been fruitless. Many authorities and the local populations still demand the imperial authorities to dedicate more effort into this campaign, but many also believe they are a ploy of the witchelven to distract manpower from the borders, and as such, they are reticent to comply. Some members of the Order of Most Practical Wizards have also launched investigations about their true nature, but they are quite dangerous, and the studies move slowly.

### Stymphalian Lilly Spider

The Stymphalian Lilly Spider is a strange arachnid species that lives on the Stymphalian Swamps. Its tremendous size, near the size of a newborn horse, and its high camouflage makes it great catching birds and fish at the surface of the lake. It fills the surface of the swamps with many webstrings, hypersensitive to movement, to detect any worthy prey, and then it uses plant-like movements to approach them without them noticing. Despite its intimidating size, the Stymphalian Lilly Spider is not a threat to humans in general. These animals are not as strong as they appear, and their venom is not that potent, so they will avoid attacking anything bigger than them.

### Swamp Moray

    This up to thirty-two-feet-long eel slithers through the murky water with uncanny grace, mouth open to display its large teeth and a second set of jaws. Swamp morays are freshwater animals that lie in wait to prey to ambush. Once they get hold of prey, or an intruder, they are tenacious biters, gnawing and tearing on it's flesh. Swamp morays latch on to a chunk of whatever large animal they are eating, then begin to spin rapidly to rip off chunks and swallow it whole. This "death spasm" is used as a way of killing its prey by dragging it under water and intensely wriggling around their muscular body in an uncontrollable spastic motion, so their prey ends up drowning. It’s also used as a way to rip off chunks of flesh from their victims so they can eat it more easy. Swamp morays are known to ocassionally rear up like a snake sticking their head outside of the water to look for nearby victims that are getting too close. They can then quickly catapult several meters forward to catch prey that is further away from the water and pull it backwards into the swamp. A Swamp moray sticking its head out of the water should be avoided at all costs, as this is a sign that it is starved and will attack anything that moves. Usually they lurk in shady caves deep at the bottom of the swamp.

### Swamp Otters

Swamp Otters are a species of mammal that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A lanky creature of near 2 meters of length, they are highly intelligent predators. While their size compared to many giants of the swamps, the otters are pack hunters, attacking unsuspecting prey in groups of 20 or more otters. They have been known to attack species such as giant sarcosuchus and swamp spinosaurus, going for their eyes and genitals, trying to cause the creatures to bleed to death. Their complexion helps them avoid attacks, and their smaller size allows them to be more agile than their prey. Then they'll use their powerful claws and jaws to attack wherever they can. Once their target is hurt and bleeding, they will pursue it and harass it until it falls from exhaustion. They are smart enough to keep their distances from the ra while travelling, but the ra need to take extra precautions to keep these critters away from their oyster fields. And since they are highly intelligent creatures, they need to come up with new traps constantly or always keep the fields on guard to avoid the otter attacks.

### Swamp Serpent

    Swamp Serpents are among the most feared predators of the witchbogs. Their size varies greatly, but particularly well-fed specimens can reach enormous lengths of up to one hundred feet. As if their size wasn't bad enough, they're also extremely toxic. They are amphibious and spend most of their time underwater preying on large fish and other unfortunate swamp creatures. They are good swimmers and their territory stretches for hundreds of kilometers. Swamp Serpent poison is among the most potent poisons on the continent and is coveted by poison brewers and alchemists alike. It kills an adult swamp ogre in seconds and is not detectable in the corpse. Consuming pickled Swamp Serpent Eyes is said to grant the user long life and magical abilities. Many myths and stories surround these creatures and anyone who slays an adult specimen can achieve legendary status in the swamp. They are the old bog witch's favorite pet, and it is rumored that she gave birth to them herself. Their teeth are traded as sacred relics among the swamp dwellers, sometimes fetching immense sums on the black market. They are used as ritual knivesand said to have black magic properties. A Slithknife is a sacrificial daggers crafted from Swamp Serpents fang. Slithknives are legendary weapons used to perform animal and human sacrifices for powerful black magic rituals. Possessing such a weapon causes lesser swamp creatures to flee at the mere sight of it.

### Swamp Spinosaurus

The Swamp Spinosaurus is one of the species of reptiles living in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. Believed to be a species originated from the Eldritch Jungle that somehow found its way into the swamps up north, the spinosaurus is a smaller version of the dinosaur giants from the south. A creature of 5m of length from head to tail, it is nevertheless a formidable predator, mostly hunting giant fish and whatever other creature has the misfortune to cross in its path. Its massive dorsal sail is covered in vegetation and plants that have attached themselves to it. The swamp spinosaurus use these as camouflage, staying still for days until something comes close enough to catch with their powerful claws and jaw. However, this species is not particularly fast, and its big size can become a problem when moving through certain parts of the swamp. Thus, it much prefers the role of ambush predator. It is also much faster on water than on land, since its weight and the uneven terrain of the swamp stop them from fast movement. The swamp spinosaurus have a deadly rivalry with another of the apex predators of the swamp, the giant sarcosuchus. Both follow a similar lifestyle and strategy, and it's not uncommon for the two to be close enough to each other yet undetected due to their camouflage, only to enter into a deadly fight once prey gets close enough to make them jump.

## **T**

### Tanystropheus

Tanystropheus are a species of reptiles that live at the southern shores of the Sea of Fog. A clumsy and slow creature on land, its massive neck allows it to hunt down fish with ease. Their favourite method of hunting is laying on a rock, submerge their heads under the sea, and catch as many fish as possible. While they are decent swimmers, they are not particularly fast, and since they are unable to turn their necks around, limiting their ability to detect prey. To combat this, they have a limited ability to mimic the color of their environment, and they are also capable of regenerating most wounds, especially wounds on their tails and limbs.

### Teetheater Worms

The teetheater worms are an species of insect that proliferates in the densest and most humid parts of the bog. The term teetheater worms include a variety of different kinds of worms, all having in common their diet of teeth. The methods they have to digesting their prey vary, from spewing bone melting acid to creating small jaws of their own, they require a constant diet of calcium to sustain themselves, though they seem to have a preference for teeth. While mostly carcass eaters, they have been known to consume living prey. They will come out of the ground if they detect that a big enough prey is somewhat stuck in the mud and the muck of the bogs, and in their thousands they will start digging in to reach the bones of their prey, racing towards the mouth of their victims to consume the precious teeth. Many of their targets will die of axphixiation, since so many worms end up clogging their respiratory system.

### Terrania War Wasps

Terrania War Wasps are a species of insect originated from the jungles of the Terrania Freeholds. A wasp the size of a thumb, they are extraordinarily violent, yet intelligent species. They are often scavengers, eating a mix of carcasses and fruit. However, they are powerful enough to hunt their own prey if they need to, from other insects to rodents and birds. Their poison is very powerful for a creature of their size, easily dissolving flesh on contact, and it generates a pheromone signal that announces the presence of a stung victim for kilometers around. They live in hives of hundreds of individuals, often occupying a considerable hunting grounds, and they protect it very violently from other hives. Surprisingly, the fairy race known as chotë has been able to tame, and even domesticate them. Learning to imitate their pheromone signals and offering food to the hives, they managed to somehow get war wasp larvae of their own as a form of exchange. These larvae will be taken care of by the chotë, and they will grow up to see the chotë tribe as their own hive. Chotë use these creatures as mounts, due to their diminutive size, moving around and hunting all across the jungle. Wild terrania war wasps never give the chotë the larvae of queens, and thus, chotë need to take care of the wild hives. Terrania War Wasps are big enough to hunt chotë, and in many occasions that has happened, but a mix of instinct and chotë knowledge about their behavior keeps them at bay.

### Thanedd

Thanedds are a speacies of giant crustacians living in the southern seas of the world, from the Sunset Ocean to the Leviathan Gulf. They are about 10 of length, with a torso reminiscent of a lobster and a lower half containing ten tentacles similar to those of octopi. Their head is a rectangular shape, full of spikes, with elongated tongues that serve the purpose of drawing their food into their mouth. Beneath these tongues, there lies a strong beak, which is used to break the bone or the armor plate of their food if the need arises. They also have two massive pincers, often used to grab their prey while chocking it, and they rarely are strong enough to outright cut other gigantic species in half. They are carnivores, more often scavengers, and can consume the carcass of a whale in a few days. Their speed is very slow at the best of times, and as such, they prefer not to hunt, as it is exhausting for them. However, they have proven to be very smart, luring other creatures into ambush with smaller carcasses to attract bigger prey. Thanedds have a strange affinity towards human meat. A thanedd who has never eaten a human will often ignore ships, as they are often mistaken for rotting wood or other things that cannot be eaten. However, once a thanedd eats a human, they will develop a severe addiction, to the point they can starve themselves by hunting nothing more than human ships. Their passive search for carrion will be replaced by a frantic search for vessels big enough to satiate their craving. This only happens with human ships, but addicted thanedds will attack any vessel in the hopes of finding humans. Oddly enough, this often ends up being lethal for the thanedd, as a human-only diet is not enough to sustain a creature the size of a thanedd, and they eventually starve to death. To attract humans, some thanedds have actually been seen imitating humans, their vocal cords recreating screams of help, and even taking the body of dead humans and simulating they are drowning, hoping to draw vessels towards them.

### Therebian Chicken

Therebian Chickens are a species of bird commonly found in the lands of Western Giantstep, particularly in the Hedge. Unlike other species of chicken, therebian chickens are very tall, with the males reaching heights of 1.8 meters tall, and the females around 1.2 meters. While the hens are as docile as any other chicken, the males are very aggressive, and will kill any other rooster they can see near the females. Because of this, the populations of the Hedge often moved the extra roosters aside from the females, making them less temperamental. This led to the turning of the therebian roosters into mounts, and in particular war mounts for the gnomes. They use their sharp talons to jump into their enemies and slash them, causing severe damage, all while pecking them to death. They are about as fast as a donkey, however, so a fast enemy can easily outrun them. Many other groups have tried to bred therebian chickens, but due to their slow rate of egg laying compared to other species of chickens, it is actually more efficient to have other farm birds.

### Therizinosaurus

Therizinosaurus are a species of reptile that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A very tall herbivore, it feeds off the many plants growing in the swamps. It can grow up to 5 meters tall, using its long neck to reach the top of the trees. Its skin is protected by very resilient feathers, protecting the creature from slash attacks. It has developed massive claws, both to defend itself from predators and to carve its way through the swamps. Due to its low intelligence and the presence of many predators in the area, it is highly agressive, entering into a rage if it feels threatened, something highly dangerous, as the claws are long and sharp enough to disembowel big predators and cut smaller creatures in half.

### Three-Legged Crow

    The three-legged crow is a large raven bird native to the witchbogs. It is about two times the size of a common crow and as its name suggests, has three claws instead of two. What is not clear from the name is the fact that the crow also has three eyes. Witches like to keep it as their familiar because of it's appearence and the fact that three-legged crows start crowing and croaking loudly whenever a stranger tells a lie. It is said that she can look into your soul with her third eye. The three-legged crow feeds primarily on carrion, but there are tales of starving swarms attacking travelers.

### Time Toad

Time toads are a species of amphibian that live in the frozen swamps north of the Princedom of Platinum. They are a greyish toad, the size of a baby’s head, with an overly big mouth. They are able to swallow whole a great range of critters, from insects to other amphibians to small mammals. They segregate a strange poison from their skin, which alters the perception of time of whoever licks them. The effects vary from toad to toad, but some make feel like time is moving faster, while other that it moves slower. This poison has been used extensively for a lot of uses, mostly as an anaesthetic, making people feel their pain goes away faster. However, it causes a considerable addiction, and it is not recommended its use unless it is paramount to do so. They dig themselves into the ground during winter to avoid frostbite, but they also use this period for reproduction, quickly exiting for two days, two hours and two minutes to breed and then go back underground, to free their tadpoles into the water once it starts to melt. For this and their tricky nature, they are sometimes called "Two-Timers."

### Titanic Sea Slug

The titanic sea slug is the biggest species of slug in the world, living in the southern seas of the world. A massive gentle giant of the seas, its massive size and slimy exterior protects it from most predators in the world, even from most monstrous sea predators. However, this is a very rare creature, since very few of these creatures actually reach this size before being eaten by the myriad of sea predators.

### Toadmaw

A horse-sized hybrid of a lizard and a toad with sharp yellowish fangs that secrete a paralyzing venom which causes excruciating pain to the injured. Toadmaws are solitary and lurk for hours on their prey disguised as driftwood. In order to lay their eggs, which are coveted by potion brewers, they dig deep burrows in the morass, where they breed for months. They defend their wet clutch with their lives and with the utmost aggression. Their venom is applied to spears and arrows by some swamp dwellers.

### Tongue Beetle

Tongue Beetles are small, insect-like creatures, that feed off of small flying bugs, such as mosquitoes and flies. They live in the backs of the much bigger herbivores living in the land, hunting the parasites they have around. Their excellent reflexes and eyesight, combined with a prensile tongue, makes them unable to rack up enourmus amounts of bugs eaten every day.

### Tongue Devil

The tongue devil is a species of mammal that lives in the jungles of Chakobsa. A vicious creature of relatively small size, around 1.5 meters tall, they are very efficient predators. Hiding at top of trees and using the folliage as cover, they use their extremely long tongues (they usually have two, but there have been records of tongue devils having up to six), almost twice their own size, to strangle unsuspecting prey. Choking them from a distance is their prefered tactic, though if the prey resists too much, then they will jump towards the prey, using their claws and sharp teeth to bleed it faster. If the victim actually manages to break free, the tongue devils can use their back spikes as a defense, avoiding being grabbed. Their tongues are very abrasive, causing great wounds by themselves, and can regenerate if they are damaged or cut, though the tongue devils will retreat from battle if that happens, to wait for recover.

### Tortoplodon

Tortoplodon is a species of giant reptile living in areas of central and southern Giantstep. A massive behemoth of a turtle, about the same height as a giraffe and more heavy than an elephant, these colossal reptiles used to be more widespread around Giantstep. However, many believe the spread of agriculture forced the ancient populations to hunt them down, as they were quite destructive towards any field. Tortoplodon have a long neck and legs similar in shape to an elephant, making them pondering giants, eating whatever greenery they can reach, and are believed to target the agricultural fields of some of the first sentient inhabitants of Giantstep. And while taking a tortoplodon down is a very slow task, many believe that these people attacked their nests, so much so to drive them to near extinction for centuries. They live now in the swamps of central Giantstep, where they survived as walking islands, with vegetation growing so thick on top of them they were highly camouflaged. The ogres learned to use them as living homes, as they are so big the remnants of one can be used as foundations of a home big enough to allow an ogre to live in it. An adult tortoplodon’s ribs are spread out with the tail and long neck creating foundations for the front and back wall, easily filled by wood or other materials to make a home. Multiple tortoplodons’ skeletons put together can make for a very convincing small fortification. They are not that intelligent, however, as their enormous size, hard shell and near invulnerable scales makes them quite powerful, and thus do not need to be that bright. It’s these qualities that made them one of the few creatures domesticated by the gnoll. The gnoll cannot really hurt tortoplodons in any meaningful way, especially once they grow to a certain size. Once they die, however, their massive body leaves tons of fresh meat for the gnoll and their maggotgnolls to feast upon. And when only bones and the shell remain, they are used as foundations for homes, as most gnolls are incapable of any kind of architecture. Many believe ogres are in charge of protecting the eggs and the young tortoplodon until they grow enough to become immune to gnoll attacks, working as herders of sorts. Because of this, their numbers have expanded greatly throughout the Gnoll Empire, and now they are believed to be safe from extinction.

### Trash Titan

Trash Titans are a species of fey animal living in the Great Garbage Patch. They are believed have been born through naturally occurring magic, concentrating some of the more strange and volatile refuses and junks from the Garbage Patch and turning them in organisms of sorts. About three meters tall, they are lumbering creatures, having many tentacles and hands sprouting from an oval nucleus. They search every possible nook and cranny in the garbage for anything organic, and sometimes even other particular garbage they use to build their own body. They would be considered as artificial constructs if not for the fact they reproduce, laying eggs in some of the tallest parts of the Garbage Patch. They are believed to be blind and deaf, moving alone exclusively through touch. Their bodies are made up of a variety of different materials, including wood, metal, and cloth, and they are capable of crushing smaller creatures with a single stomp of their foot. Scavengers hunt them due to their bodies containing rare loot and materials.

### Tripping Cuttlefish

The tripping cuttlefish are a species of cephalopods living near the shores of Scimitarian. They are very intelligent creatures, the size of domestic cats, with tentacles the size of their bodies. They are hunter-scavengers, eating fish and crabs from the rocks and crevices near the shores. To avoid predators, they have developed a great deal of forms of camouflage, changing their shape and colours with ease. They are also known to attack fishers and shell gatherers near the coast, by tripping them with their tentacles, hence the name. This is believed to be a way to make the fisher fall and get their catches, before the fishermen have time to react.

### Tuahotel Wyvern

Tuahotel Wyverns are a species of reptile that live in the jungles of Chakobsa. They measure about a meter of wingspan, and have a particularly long tail, which they use to grab themselves to the tallest branches of the trees. Their red scales clash particularly hard with the greenery of the jungle, and their wing membranes is often covered in spots of different colors, changing constantly throughout the year. Their heads have a pair of ossicones, often used by the males to fight each other during the mating season. However, their head-butts are not particularly powerful, and they are not enough to dissuade the myriad of predators of the region. To defend themselves, they have developed a spitting venom, mixing rotting fruit within a special organ. This concoction is produced by eating some of the most poisonous plants in the jungle, and not only is acidic in nature, but it generates a miasma that can cause dizziness and faintness to the point of passing out. While a single tuahotel wyvern spit is not enough to threaten a big predator, the fact the wyverns move in big groups makes them quite difficult to take down if discovered, as dozens of them will be throwing acidic spit at you. Tuahotel Wyverns are frugivores, eating all kinds of fruits from the tallest parts of the trees., and they move around in swarms of about 50 individuals. Tuahotel Wyverns are praised by the yagura people, and they use their skins for ceremonial dresses.

### Two Legged Tortoise

The Two Legged Tortoise is a species of reptile that lives near the beaches of the Great Peninsula of Cemak I. A tortoise the size of a human head, it has developed a marvelous sense of balance and equilibrium. It only has two legs, but they are robust enough to allow it great bursts of speed, even on sand. If that isn't enough, they are somehow able to control their movement when inside their shell. They can roll for considerable distances while protecting their head and limbs, but it can become overheated if it does if for more than a minute or two. They eat cacti, bushes and underground bugs and insects. Some humans have used the shell of the Two Legged Tortoise as a helmet once it dies, though they can be quite heavy.

### Two-Headed Gavialis

The two-headed gavialis are a species of reptile living in the Land of Changing Waters. A crocodilian that can reach up to 5m in length, it spends the days hunting fish in the swamps. Despite it having two heads, and the both of them seemingly working independently from one another, they do not seem to have any motor problem, or any clash for the control of their body. This is generally attributed to their low intelligence. Their thin mandibles are filled with glass-sharp teeth, and while its bite it's not that powerful, the damages it can produce can cause fast bleeding on even big creatures. However, it has a lot of problems eating armored animals like turtles.

### Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex are a species of reptile that live in some areas of southern Giantstep. A massive predator, they are around 14 meters of length from head to tail, and almost 4 meters of height. The males have a colorful mane of feathers, which they use to impress the females during mating season. These theropods have an incredibly powerful bite, with a head of almost a meter long, capable of breaking bone with incredible ease. This is very useful to them, as despite their intimidating size and power, they are mostly scavengers. When they have to hunt, however, they mostly target other megafauna, trying to get a bite out of one of them and waiting for blood loss to slow it down. There have been sights of multiple Tyrannosaurus Rex joining together to attack faster targets, surrounding them before the strike. These giant dinosaurs are believed to live mostly in the Eldritch Jungle, sorting out to the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah to the north occasionally. There are a few populations of these reptiles in the south of the Zulutaur Steppes as well.

## **U**

### Umpish Bat/One Eyed Bat

    Umpish Bats are a species of mammal that live in the swamps of the Bog Witch. These small creatures, of around 40cm of wingspan, are believed to have been created by foul and ancient magics, possibly even by the hand of the Bog Witch herself. These creatures have a body similar to bats, but with two major differences. The most obvious one is their massive eye that occupies the space where their face should be. This eye apparently functions as the brain and the sensory organs of the creature, and it is constantly moving and pulsating. They also have a small prehensile tail, long enough to grab branches and cling upside down in them. This is due to their legs are not well adapted for grabbing anything; instead, they are highly sharpened to attack or defend themselves. Rumors say that these creatures feed off the magic of the Bog Witch, and in return, they serve as they loyal followers, transmitting all they see and hear directly to their mistress.

### Unicorn

Unicorns are a species of mammal that lives in northern Scimitarian and the western and northern areas of Giantstep. They are a variant of horses, almost 1.8 meters of height, with a spiral horn sprouting from the middle of their forehead. For such big creatures, they have proven to be quite elusive, rarely seen in the wild, even harder to see a blessing of unicorn together, and harder still to see one captured. Unicorns are also intelligent, with some believing they are almost sentient. Their fur is often pearly white, with the males sporting a long goatee and longer horn, and the females having a shorter one. Unicorns have been related to the concept of purity since ancient times: one of the few methods of finding a unicorn is leaving a young virginal woman in the forest with clean water and fresh fruit to feed the unicorn and a beautiful singing voice, since the chances of finding one and it not running away immediately are not zero. However, the reactions afterwards often depends on the sex of the unicorn found. A male will try to attack the female, often trampling her until she runs away or dies, whereas a female unicorn will approach calmly and take the fruit. The reasons for this are not well understood, but the risks on attracting unicorns makes the would-be volunteers quite reticent. Their magical nature is well known by the public, but few actually understand what that magic entails. For such big creatures with a specific coloration, they are shockingly stealthy, giving weight to the theories they use some form of magic to camouflage themselves. Their horn also have magical properties, and they are very valuable items for wizards, which allows them to better draw from the arcane energies of the world. However, the true prize is their meat and blood, which are said to have incredibly healing properties, in some cases capable of even regrowing lost limbs or other body parts. However, their hunt and consumption has been forbidden in most of the world for millennia, as these creatures were considered sacred by the old Western Elven Empire, and as part of their diplomacy, they forced the rest of the nations to forbid their hunt. Despite the disappearance of the Western Elven Empire, the Faerie Lords still continue to push for the prohibition of their hunt, and as such, nearly all nations have forbidden their killing and consumption, though there is a thriving market in the underground.

### Urgun Buffaloes

The most important beast in the Urgun Plateau is the wild water buffalo, multiplying in great numbers around the rivers. These Urgun Buffaloes have an above average tendency to suffer from albinism, and these white buffaloes help their bodies deal with the sunlight by staying most of the time either under the shade or under the water. The people in the region consider the white buffaloes as sacred, feeding them and bringing them to great stables within the cities. These stables are under the protection of the priests, the only ones allowed to own the water buffaloes and to wear the white leathers made out of them once they die.

## **V**

### Velvet Turtle

Velvet turtles are creatures with a particularly strange body. They have a dense shell that can reach a size of half a meter, and protects the innards and the neck of the elder turtle. However, they are able to compress themselves to an astonishing degree: their neck, full of pseudo-legs, can reach the three meters of length. They use this enormous neck to slowly climb tree trunks or rock walls, eating the fruits and leaves that would be impossible to reach otherwise. However, they are left quite vulnerable when eating, exposing most of their body outside of their shell. If they ever feel threatened, their body is capable of spewing great amounts of slime and gunk in a very short amount of time, choking the predator that tries to bite them. Farmers keep them away from their crops by making them go back to their shells, and then picking them up and moving them far away.

### Venom Baboom

Venom Babooms are pack predators, using the tall grass and the cover of trees to jump into unsuspecting prey. Due to their small size and slow speed, they need to ambush and poison their pray, waiting for the strong paralysing venom to take their prey down. However, due to their small size, animals that could resist the venom, like spider goats and digging tauros, can easily wreack any pack of venom babooms. They are also carrion eaters, feeding on whatever carcasses they can find.

### Vermithian

Vermithians are a species of reptile living in the Forest of Getting Lost. These creatures measure around 2m of length from head to tail, and about three quarters of a meter of height. Vermithians have a chameleonic appearance, but with bigger and more powerful arms, capable of both clinging to trees and swiping at other creatures. They have four pairs of eyes, a bigger pair that focuses on their target, while the other smaller three keep looking around in case of dangers. Their prehensile tongue can be shot at incredible speeds, though their maximum length is proportionally shorter than those of other chameleons. Instead, they trust on the blunt force of the attack, combined with the surprise, to knock out their prey before they have time to react. Their saliva is both sticky and acidic in nature, starting the painfully slow digestive process before the vermithian has even swallowed their prey. They hunt anything they can find in the jungle, and are known to eat those individuals that dare to enter the mysterious forest. They often spend most of their time camouflaged, though, as they are not particularly strong nor capable to drive out other predators such as the saber-tooth tigers, which use their sense of smell to hunt them down instead of their sense of sight.

## **W**

### Walking Leeches

The walking leech is a species of annelid that lives in the swamps of the Crimson Plateau. A creature the size of a human infant's hand, they are always looking for creatures to feed upon. The walking leeches have a pair of insect-like back legs and two flexible proboscids, one in the front of their face, and another on the side. The first one is used to pierce even the toughest skins and carapaces to reach the blood beneath, while the second is vestigial. It cannot drink blood, it's instead used as an limb of sorts to grab to creatures in cases they need time to attach to them and get to their blood. The walking leeches have eyes, but are practically blind, and move around through their sense of smell.

### War Whale

War whales are a species of marine mammals living in the northern seas of the world. They are creatures similar in size and shape to sperm whales, albeit somewhat smaller. However, they are quite feared by both the sea life and sailors alike, as they are quite aggressive. The males can reach about 13 meters from tail to head, which not only has a similar squared shape as sperm whales, but they also have a massive spiral horn on the front of them. This makes their echolocation incredibly long-ranged and precise, capable of travelling miles upon miles to find a suitable target, and it can also be used as a weapon against other sea monsters. It is not uncommon to find massive beached creatures in the shores, having been impaled by a massive horn. These horns regrow quickly when lost, growing back to their maximum size of three meters in one year. And if they cannot use their horn, they can use their overgrown jaws, with teeth the size of a human head, capable of crunching other sea lifeforms into nothing. Not only that, but they are incredibly intelligent, and have been seen ambushing or even feigning death to attract other sea predators. They also attack ships, though they do not see them as food sources, only as sport, jumping into the air and creating massive waves that hit the vessel. Kentgorodians love to hunt these creatures, being some of the most challenging prey they can find on the north, and the war whales in turn, will fight to the death against the kentgorodian hunting vessels, preferring to die fighting rather than fleeing.

### Waselfish

Waselfish are gregarious creatures around the size of chickens. They fly in great numbers searching for prey insects, mostly located in swamps and lakes. Waselfish will use their front arms to move the top of the trees and the grass around bodies of water to force insects to move and flee, while other waselfish catch them. They are an integral part of the local ecosystem, since they reproduce in great numbers and lay their eggs underwater, forming part of the diet of many species. However, consumption of the adult Waselfish is not recommended, since they apparently have developed a horrible taste to dissuade predators, although that rarely works in the wild.

### Water Leaper

    The Water Leaper is a small creature that lives in swamps and ponds. It looks like a frog with membranous bat wings that have amphibious phalanges at their ends. It has wings instead of forelegs, no hind legs, and a long, lizard-like tail with a slightly toxic and sharp stinger at the end. It jumps across the water using its wings, hence its name. Also it often occurs in flocks. It lurks beneath the water surface and will bite and sting everything that comes close to the water's edge. It gets blamed for snapping fishing lines and taking the bait cleanly off hooks. It is carnivorous by nature, feeding on blood and fish. To protect themselves from them, some swamp dwellers rub themselves in foul-smelling clay.

### Web Weaver

Web Weavers are a species of arachnid living in the Cocoon Islands. These spiders are parasitic of the death blossoms, unweaving their silk for their own. Web weavers are much smaller than death blossoms, around the same size as a common tarantula, and they are unable to produce their own silk. Thus, they go around the death blossoms’ webs, untangling as many streams as possible and storing them within them, leaving once they detect the death blossoms arrive. They then produce their own webs with the stolen silk, often in areas small enough to be safe from the bigger arachnids. This silk thievery can cause entire sections of web to crumble and fall into the ocean, killing a surprisingly big amount of death blossoms.

### Web Whale

Web Whales are a species of aquating mammal living in the waters around the Cocoon Islands. They are similar in size and shape to belugas, though their coloration is a dark shade of blue. Their skin is covered in microscopic spiked structures, which they use to grab as many strands of death blossoms’ web as possible. They will cover themselves fully with the remnants of the web, constantly renewing the parts of the body that lose their layering. They will then swim around, going through schools of fish, getting as many of them stuck on them as possible. As they hunt in packs, web whales then will eat the fish stuck on each other. They are very social creatures, as they need a great deal of cooperation to clean themselves, particularly to avoid getting web stuck on their breathing blowhole. Web whales have a taste for web weavers, jumping in the air to eat them whenever possible, though their main diet is indeed based on fish.

### Whale-Eater Isopod

The Whale-Eater Isopod is a species of divinutive crustaceans that live in the underground tunnels of Kentgorod. Half the size of a common mouse, these creatures have a segmented body, highly resistent to the cold, though they cannot survive outside on the much colder surface. Their ten limbs are able to crawl at a considerable speed, though their main use is digging through the frozen ground. They have two bulging eyes, able to see temperature changes, which they use alongside their sense of smell, to detect anything edible in the underground. Their main source of food are lichen and detritus found in the caves, but once in a while, they will manage to enter into the kentgorodian reserves of monster meat. Once there, they will eat as much as possible, reproducing at an astonishing speed, and consuming all of the meat, only for them to either scatter back into the tunnels or be culled by the kentgorodian watchers. The kentgorodians are always on guard due to the threat of the destruction of their food reserves, since monster hunting is a profession that rarely brings food to the table. Many believe the Whale-Eater Isopods evolved from parasitic isopods, who preyed upon sea monsters and ended being brought to Kentgorod by the hunters themselves.

### White Cave Wyrm

White Cave Wyrms are a species of reptile that live in the cavern systems of Furlaniya. They are about the size of a human hand, and as a result of the near total darkness of the caverns, they are completely white. They have no eyes, instead moving around the tunnels through echolocation. They feed off blood from the many warm blooded animals living in the underground, waiting for them to fall asleep to bite them. They have a near instantaneous poison that numbs the bitten part, allowing them to drink with little risk of disturbing the much bigger creatures, like sporggos or cave bears. Once they have drank enough, they will retreat back to the safety of the stalactites, where they will sleep until they become hungry again. This method of feeding is quite risky, as any sudden movement can damage their fragile wings, and leave them broken and unable to go back to the safety of the ceiling. They also have to be careful not to drink too much, as the extra size may cause them to not be able to cling well, falling to the ground when they are asleep. Their eggs are laid in some of the most inaccessible areas of the cave walls, with both fathers taking turns to take care of them and go find food for the newborns, until they are big enough to fly and feed themselves. During these periods, the need for extra blood makes them come out of their caves and move into the farms, where they drink the blood from farm animals, something that can transmit some diseases to them. As such, furlaniyan farmers often lay traps to keep these creatures away during the night. However, some of them also use farm animals as bait to catch them, as their poison can be turned into an effective anesthetic, highly valuable for soldiers that need to treat their pain in the middle of the battle.

### White Widow Spider

The White Widow is a hand-sized, bone-white spider native to the Witchbogs. Apart from her bright white colour, her physique is reminiscent of the conventional, smaller black widow. On her rump she wears a light gray pattern reminiscent of a cross with three crossbars, whereby the middle one is slightly shorter than the upper and lower ones. The bite of the white widow creates a strong fever for a few hours, during which the bitten suffers the most terrible agony. According to reports, it feels like being burned alive. It is also described that one becomes blind for the duration of the fever and all one sees is a glaring bright white light. When the fever subsides, the bitten person has undergone a mental and physical transformation. As if cleansed by the light, the affected person feels reborn and full of life. All sickness, physical ailments and mental illness is cured as if it never existed. There are also reports of profound philosophical inspirations and existential religious insights during the martyrdom. Unfortunately, only about two-thirds of people bitten by a white widow survive the experience. The white widow's thread emits a dim, cold light that attracts wisps and fairies, who become entangled in her webs and are among her most favorite foods. A dream catcher woven from these amazingly robust and resilient threads is said to ward off evil spirits and nightmares. The white widow owes its name to its reproductive behavior, since the larger female devours the inconspicuous and smaller males after the sexual act.

### Will-o-Wisp

Will-o-Wisps are a type of fey animal that live in many fey-influenced areas of the world. They are composed of pure light, which can take many different shapes and sizes, though the closer one gets to them the smaller they seem, as well as the light seems more concentrated. They float around lakes and swamps, slowly moving around and illuminating the dark corners of the forests and swamps they inhabit. They have seemingly magical effects over those who see them, luring them into deadly waters or quicksand, though whether they do this willingly or it is just a result of their natural magical powers is unknown. Their diet is unknown, as they seemingly just exist, only dying when completely sealed for very long periods of time. Many people seek to capture them to turn them into powerful lanterns, but catching them is often a daunting task, as they are fast to run away when they feel threatened. When someone succeeds in the nearly impossible task of catching a will-o-wisp, they have to lock it behind magically sealed glass. The trapped Will-o-Wisp will initially protest and make angry hissing noises and fly around wildly in the lantern, causing it to flicker. However, he will come to terms with the situation after a while and the light will eventually stabilize. Freeing a captured Will-o-Wisp is often discouraged, as the critters can seemingly hold a grudge, and will try to attract as many threatening creatures to your location.

### Witchowls

Witchowls are small fey creatures created by Sowa with the body of a barn owl and a humanoid face with large black eyes. They have the ability to look into the soul and into the thoughts of people. Witchowls are essentially harmless but have a reputation for bringing bad luck, as their cry is said to indicate someone just died. Witchowls are relatively rare and often mistaken for common owls. Their feathers are coveted ritual items and potion ingredients. They are preferably found in barns or in some of the smaller woods in the Wheatfields. Sowa is said to be able to see through the eyes of every single witchowl at once.

### Wranglerdor

Wrangledors are small predatory fish, the size of a beetle. They fly around during the night in great numbers, using their light organ to attract insects, to them gobble them up with their oversized mouths. They always move in great numbers, creating complex light patterns in the night sky. During the day, they sleep in areas hidden from possible predators, like atop of trees or in caves. While small and brittle individually, the fact they always fly in great numbers is enough to scare away many predators, as their oversized jaws can still hurt bigger creatures, and a swarm of them is a scary prospect.

## **Y**

### Yellow Bile Fish

Yellow Bile Fish are a species of fish that lives in the Sea of Bile. They are big, similar in shape to an overly fat tuna, and about 4.5 meters of length. They are powerful predators, having a very fast rate of growth, gaining weight by eating absolutely everything organic they can find. They mostly live in the depths, feeding off the organic remnants of ancient life at the bottom of the sea. They are not particularly intelligent, falling quite easily to traps and fishing lures, and even when they escape them, they immediately go back to them, having forgotten what just happened. While the meat of the yellow bile fish is not edible by most species, it can still be used as lure for other fish, particularly other big catches, and thus it is greatly appreciated by fishermen. Their innards serve as an alchemical ingredient for potent acids that can dissolve flesh, swords and granite alike.

## **Z**

### Zemylandian Koolasuchus

The Zemylandian Koolasuchus is a giant species of amphibian that lives in the rivers of Zemyland. A massive creature similar in size to a crocodile, its massive oversized jaws are able to bend metal with their strenght. They are slow and ponderous, and as such, they are ambush hunters, waiting in the bottom of the rivers waiting for their prey to come to them, and them jump at them using their powerful tail. Their sense of vision is not particularly good, and they need to detect the prey using the vibrations of the water. They also wait in the bottom of the rivers with their mouths open, with their tongue in the shape of a dead fish attracting unsuspectim prey. They are very vulnerable in land, only coming out of the water when they are starving. During the winter season, they will hybernate, digging themelves at the bottom of the rivers and lakes, where water does not freeze, and just wait for spring to arrive.

### Zemylandian Wooly Centipede

Zemylandian Wooly Centipedes are a species of insect living in central Zemyland. About the size of humans, these insects are covered in a very dense coat of fur, almost doubling their actual size. Their bodies are segmented in about twelve different sections, having a total of eight pairs of legs, which they use to slowly move around the land in search for anything to mulch. Their great coat of fur protects them from both the cold, the heat and the salt of the Corteau Canyon. They are capable of moving around their fur, maximizing or minimizing their body heat depending on their need, and they also keep the salt from entering their eyes and mouth. Zemylandian Wooly Centipedes move in big herds around the desert, protecting themselves from predators by spewing powerful silks to trap any threat in place, though they are still one of the main prey animals of the local predators. The local populations use the Zemylandian Wooly Centipedes as a source of fur, shearing part of their coats from time to time, which is the main material to make clothes in the arid landscape of the canyon. They are believed to have magical properties, and the local tribes keep good care of their herds of wooly centipedes.

### Zemylandian Wooly Rhinobeetle

Zemylandian Wooly Rhinobeetles are a species of insect living in the arid lands of central Zemyland. The rhinobeetles are about the size of horses, but much wider, with physiognomies that imitate the coralline environment around them. Their bodies have a texture with protrusions that look like dead coral, and their massive frontal horn does look like a great coral branch. These protrusions are above the outer wings, and inside them, instead of a pair of wings, they have a coat of fur that protects them from the harsh cold of the canyon. Their coloration is similar to the lands around them, and they can be so still that they end up looking like rocks, a mechanism they use to protect themselves from predators. Wooly Rhinobeetles dig up for anything they can eat, from plants to tubers to carrion meat. If they find a source of clean water, they will drink as much as possible to fill an organ inside them, which allows them to preserve enough water to survive for weeks.

### Zemylandian Wooly Rhinoceros

Zemylandian Wooly Rhinoceros is a species of mammal living in most of Zemyland. They measure up to 4 meters from head to tail, and are almost 1.8 meters tall, though most of that height is taken by a hump on their back. They have three horns in their snout, two smaller ones near their eyes and a massive 1.5 meter long horn at the front, which they use to fight against each other and to defend against predators. They are covered by a short, but surprisingly dense coat of fur, protecting them from the cold of the continent, though that protection is improved by a dense layer of fat underneath their skin. Wooly Rhinoceros are mostly blind, which can led to unprovoked attacks. However, they are much smarter than other species of rhinoceros in the world, and as such, they will try to figure out the possible threat by other means. A wooly rhinoceros’ charge is one of the most dangerous threats in Zemyland, as they weight near two tons and they can reach surprisingly fast speeds. If the sheer brute strength of the impact does not kill you, being impaled by their frontal horn will. Thus, even experienced hunters will be very weary when trying to take on this creature. Wooly rhinoceros have been known to enter into farmlands, as any fence is useless against a creature such as them. Farmers dread having to deal with them, often needing to call for multiple hunters to deal with them before they stomp all over their lands.

### Zemylandian Wooly Scorpion

    Zemylandian Wooly Scorpions are a species of arachnid living in the lands of central Zemyland. They are the biggest predator in the area, measuring up to 3 meters of length from head to stinger. Their body is covered in both a flexible but resilient chitin and spots of fur where the plates intersect. This combination makes them considerably lighter than what they might seem. Due to this, their actual strength is not that remarkable, depending on their speed to get close to their targets. They will charge at their prey, quickly grab them with their pincers, and before they can offer a more considerable resistance, inject them with their venom. This venom is, often enough, not capable of actually killing their prey, but with a stinger of half a meter long, a hit will cause massive internal bleeding. This is particularly effective against giant insects and arthropods, but it will struggle against mammals, which can cause severe damages if they resist. The few mammoths and rhinos that enter the depths of the Corteau Canyon can represent a real threat for the wooly scorpions, but they often just try to tire them down until they fall under their own weight. A carcass of wooly rhinoceros or mammoth will attract dozens of wooly scorpions, as they rarely see so much fresh meat together.

### Zemylandian Wooly Spider

Zemylandian Wooly Spiders, also known as Shelkvidurite Spiders, are a species of arachnid living in central and southern Zemyland. They are a kind of giant tarantula, with their size ranging between that of a dog and a small rhino. They are covered by a dense fur, which they mix with their silk to camouflage themselves with the elements around them. They cover great areas of the forests with their silk, creating a wide web to trap any warm blooded prey they can. The spiders are completely blind, using their large trichobothria to sense movement and changes in air pressure, as well as the vibrations of the web. Their sensory hairs are centered around their legs and their mouth, and wooly spiders clean themselves constantly, least they lose part of their senses. After the defeat of the hyperboreans in the Great Hyperborean War, the spiders were able to expand throughout most surrounding areas, becoming a threat to trade and travelers alike. However, these spiders are considerably weak to fire, as their trichobothria burn quite easily, and thus they tend to keep far from cities as long as the roads are well lit. Some wooly spiders have entered into the Corteau Canyon, but their expansion through the deserted coralline lands is slow due to the lack of appropriate areas to set up webs.

### Zorse

Zorses are a species of mammal living in the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah and the Zulutaur Steppes. They are hybrids between zebras and horse, with the physical appearance of horses but with black and white stripes covering half of their body, the parts covered depending on the individual. The history of the zorse is very ancient, as unlike most other hybrids between two different species, the zorse actually managed to become their own species. Many believe this was done using very primitive, near prehistoric alchemy, and now zorses are another part of the ecosystem of the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah. Interestingly enough, the appearance of zorses in both the Mona Ki Ngi Xica Savannah and the Zulutaur Steppes seem to be unrelated to each other, as they are technically different species of zorse. Zorses have a herd behavior similar to zebras, though they can be domesticated into mounts by the Mona Ki Ngi Xica. Zorses are an important part of the cultures of both areas, with the zulutaurs respecting them as kindred beings, which makes the Mona Ki Ngi Xica using zorses as rides quite offensive. The Mona Ki Ngi Xica, in turn, believe that the zulutaurs were creating by fusing a tribe of humans to their zorse mounts.