School of the Crane Bestiary

The **School of the Crane Bestiary**, as its name suggests, is a book that compiles information about the types of monsters typically faced by witchers of this school. This, in turn, is part of the collective work known as the Tome of Monsters, to preserve this knowledge and enable a witcher from another school to utilize this information if necessary.

## History

The origins of the bestiary can be traced back to the period spanning from 1290 to 1300, long before the formal establishment of the school. During this time, one of its founding members, Putnam Pitch, undertook extensive witcher maritime endeavors, safeguarding ships on their various routes from the diverse array of monsters that prowled the waters of the Great Sea.

Subsequently, the bestiary underwent revisions and enhancements, particularly during Putnam's sojourn on the Silk Islands as part of the Fabio Sachs' expedition, which unveiled the previously unknown islands and the Western Continent. It wasn't until the late 14th century, following the de facto beginning of the school, that the bestiary reached its ultimate version. This moment coincided with the inclusion of Jolanta as a co-founder, and together they embarked on the task of recruiting their first generation of students and adoptive children.

The bestiary was subsequently incorporated into the Tome of Monsters after the visit by Adalwulf of Aedirn to Kaer Darh in the year 1390 except for those entries already present in the Tome of Monsters such as some draconids, for example.

Many years later, following the passing of Jolanta and Putnam, the responsibility of maintaining and updating the bestiary fell to several of their adopted children, including figures like Ucalt and Ezeld.

## Bestiary contents

### Antherions

* Cahuella
* Huenchula

### Asteroideas

New classification created to designate those monsters with a starfish-like appearance.

* Moldabbie
* Stella
	+ Abyssal Stella
	+ Coral Stella

### Beasts

* Alula
* Ammonite
* Colossal Squid
* Crocodile
* Megalodon
* Mangrove Octopus
* Mud Octopus
* Saltwater crocodile
* Shark **( various types )**
* Killer Whale
* Wholphin

### Cursed Ones

* Bosch
* Semalodir
* Kianpraty
* Werecrow
* Werecrocodile
* Weredolphin
* Wereseal
* Wereshark
* Werewhale

### Demons

* Abere
* Davy Jones
* Nuckelavee

### Draconids

* Alber
* Basilisk
* Beisht
* Bregdi
* Boiuna
* Caicai
* Codrile
* Culebre
* Dracoturtle
* Drakaina
* Dungavenhooter
* Forktail
* Guivre
* Hydra
* Hydragos
* Jaculi
* Koakun
* Kurrea
* Ladon
* Orange dragon
* Ornitodracon
* Magüi
* Moha
* Morgawr
* Nidhogg
* Nyan
* Rahara
* Rarasha
* Ro
* Royal Wyvern
* River Dracoturtle
* Sea serpent
* Sisiutl
* Slyzard
* Tropical Nidhogg
* Whowie
* Wyrm
* Wyvern
* Zataran

### Elementa

* Cherruve
* Colorobetch
* Maride
* Water Elemental

### Hybrids

* Aereal Fungoid
* Adaro **( male counterpart of the nixa )**
* Anka
* Barrisdale
* Brethmechin
* Cealeno Harpy
* Cuchivilo
* Ekhidna
* Eastern Ekhidna
* Erynia
* Griffin
* Hafmus
* Hippogryph
* Hippocamp
* Harpy
* Harpy Queen
* Ieltchu
* Marcupo
* Mangrove Fungoid
* Moura
* Mouro
* Melusine **( until 1358, it was believed that only one specimen existed, which was killed by Geralt of Rivia in Spikeroog, Skellige )**
* Mushweli
* Nixa
* Ocean Fungoid
* River Fungoid
* Roc
* Romsiwamnari
* Royal Griffin
* Pincoy
* Pontarof
* Poukai
* Raiquen
* Sea Griffin
* Shishiga
* Sirin
* Tropical Harpy
* Kathveli
* Kusakap

### Gnathostomulida

Classification used to designate those monsters with a worm-like appearance, but with features such as fangs.

* Auseq
* Skolex Leukos
* Ocean Skolex Leukos
* Tropical Auseq
* Western Skolex Leukos

### Insectoids

* Aeschna
* Aknib
* Cirenea
* Circho
* Conrit **( aquatic giant centipedes )**
* Mangrove Aeschna
* Tunnanu
* Tropical Cirenea
* Tropical Mecopteran
* Ocean Cirenea
* Saratan
* Vatnaormur

### Medusozoas

New classification created to designate those monsters with a jellyfish-like appearance.

* Erumía
* Muirdris

### Molluscae

New classification created to designate those monsters which, unlike insectoids, do not have an exoskeleton but a shell.

* Chen
* Puatutahi

### Necrophages

* Camahueto
* Coastal Water Hag
* Drowner
* Hrokal
* Fuath
* Mangrove Hag
* Slattenpatte
* Ocean Hag
* Tropical Hag
* Tropical Drowner
* Water Hag

### Ogroids

* Nihau
* Ranamari

### Ornithosaur

* Afanc
* Cockatrice
* Ornitodracon
* Gucumat
* Ketsal

### Relicts

* Aughisky
* Ancient Ocean Deep One
* Ancient River Deep One
* Aspidochelone
* Apukohai
* Black Demon
* Coastal Hirikka
* Dagon
* Dobharchu
* Kabagon
* Kor
* Leviathan
* Mothman
* Ningen
* Nykur
* Saeulfur
* Swamp Hirikka
* Taniwha
* Trebius
* The Great Maja
* Kelpie

### Octopodes

New classification created to designate those monsters with an octopus-like appearance.

* Atkorkamuy
* Lusca
* Kayran
* Kraken
* Muturangi
* Tropical Kayran

### Pisces

New classification created to designate those monsters with a fish-like appearance.

* Abaia
* Ceirean
* Echeneis
* Habilut
* Isonade
* Laxamodir
* Mastopogon
* Marool
* Murex
* Namazu
* Neemora
* Ofuguggi
* Ompax
* Poisonous Pike
* Silingur
* Vatnaskratti
* Whale Eater

### Sentients

Non-humans with whom reasoning has been attempted, but proved impossible, and endanger the lives of not only humans, but other non-humans as well.

* Arragouset
* Cecaelia
* Runanshah
* Iti ( disputed )
* Sea Doctor ( disputed )
* Migo
* Ponaturi
* Sea Witch ( disputed )
* Vodyanoy
* Zitiron

### Shapeshifters

* Eachuisge
* Glashan
* Mo´o
* Tarbhuisge

### Specters

* Adamastor
* Blue Miasmal
* Caoineag
* Ghost Ship
* Fisher´s ghost
* Lakuma
* Nightmarcher
* Tipua
* Tikokura
* Tulpa

### Vampires

*For Higher Vampires, non-aquatic, non- flying vampires, and other vampire-related monsters, check out the School of the Bat Bestiary.*

* Broxa **( not to be confused with a bruxa )**
* Manananggal
* Silk Islands Plumard
* Yaramaya

### Ketos

New classification created to designate those monsters with a whale-like appearance.

* Brunfiskur
* Dettir
* Hafgufa
* Lyngbakur
* Nauthveli
* Pollur
* Pristis
* Taumur
* Kembir

## Notes

* If you want to make an article about any of the monsters present in the bestiary, feel free to do so.
* The adaptation of the taniwha from Maori mythology, would borrow from their evil version, mixed with their good version, and being a sort of "equivalent" to the leshen, but in the water.

## Trivia

* Unlike the red miasmal, born from the suffering of a plague, the blue miasmal would be born from the suffering caused by the death from scurvy on the high seas.
* The tulpa was already present in bestiaries from eastern schools, like the School of the Manticore, School of the Dragon and the School of the Lungonite.
* Most of the new aquatic and aerial monsters were taken from information compiled by the website A Book of Creatures, others are from The Witcher books and games, cryptids and from more "unknown" mythologies, one of the sources was this tumblr blog along with Wikipedia.
* Ketos was the Greek word from which cetus was derived, for the classification of cetaceans, i.e. whales. It literally means "sea monster".
* Migo is a reference to the Lovecraftian race known as Mi-Go.