Beastfolk

**Beastfolk** are a group of sentient species living in the world of Giantstep. The term “*beastfolk*” is poorly defined, as it more or less includes any species that could be described as a humanoid creature with animal characteristics, or an animalistic creature with humanoid characteristics. As such, it is the classification with the biggest amount of species out of all categories of sentient species. However, the numbers of most beastfolk races are relatively few, and are limited to certain geographical areas, being much less widespread than humans, dwarves or fey.

What exactly makes a species a beastfolk depends on the expert, and the criteria used. The term “beastfolk” was created by humans, to describe creatures who could basically be described as humans with animal features. It has also been adopted by fey, who have a similar description, but it comes from their creation myth. Many fey believe that the first sentient species were a result of the gods, racing with each other to create the perfect race to populate the world. After they created the fey, they began to run out of bits and parts, and thus they had to use animal parts. The remaining parts were thrown out as waste, giving birth to humanity. Fey see most beastfolk as creatures more in tune with nature than humans, but still in a lesser way than the fey.

## Mammalian Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with mammals.

### Gilgemashi Catfolk/Urmahlullu

The **Urmahlullu**, also known as the **Gilgemashi Catfolk**, are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Urmahlullu are a kind of centaur, with the upper body of a human and the lower half of a lion. They are terrifying creatures to behold, reaching almost 3 meters of height and 4.5 meters of length from head to tail. They are highly muscular, both in their feline and in their human halves, easily capable of overpowering most creatures through sheer strength alone. Their human half begins at around the bellybutton, and it is frequently covered in scars of previous duels. Their human hands also have short claw-like nails, though not to the same size as their actual claws in their leonine limbs. Their eyes have slit pupils, and are reflective of the light, though they are partially color blind, being able to see only blue and yellow.

Urmahlullu used to be much more widespread, but nowadays they are limited to a series of areas in Gilgemash. Many believe urmahlullu actually come from the Zulutaur Steppes, but they were forced to move after some great debacle, the details of it are unknown. Urmahlullu are rather reserved, and do not like to intermingle with other groups if they can avoid it. They keep to themselves, living in the outskirts of the cities. The fact they have to live in environments clearly not designed for them also strengthens the theory they come from somewhere else. The natural strength of the urmahlullu has made them work as mercenaries and bodyguards, as very few are brave enough to threaten the safety of their lords.

### Pigfolk

**Pigfolk** are one of the many species of Beastfolk living in Giantstep. Slightly smaller than humans, they are considered cruel creatures, frequently seen in some areas of Southern Giantstep. Their head resembles that of a warthog, with a pig-like snout and curved tusks. They have a hunched posture, as their head is too big to keep upright. They also have a tail, but seems more vestigial than anything, as it is too short to accomplish anything but swatting flies. They are not particularly smart, with an intelligence between ogres and trolls. This allows them to create crude weapons both to defend themselves and as tools for hunting and thievery.

The main characteristic of pigfolk is envy. A pigfolk will always want more that what they have, and especially if they see someone else have it. It does not matter they have no use for many things they see, they will try to appropriate them by force if necessary. This envy sees them stealing items for no other reason than to make sure someone else doesn’t have them, to the point of torture of death. They are incredibly vicious in their attempts to steal others’ properties, using what little intelligence they have to separate passersby from their wares. They do not even keep most things they steal, they just abandon them on the wilderness, but as long as others do not have them, they are satisfied. This has made pigfolk notorious bandits and thieves, and are generally kept away from civilized society as much as possible, since they are generally causes of trouble.

Pigfolk tend to work alone, as any group of pigfolk will invariably devolve into infighting. However, they are intelligent enough to avoid danger when possible, and thus they keep themselves from attacking groups during the day, preferring to approach individual passersby during the night.

### Hippotaurs

**Hippotaurs** are one of the many beastfolk species living in the world of Giantstep. Hippotaurs are a kind of centaur, with the upper half of a human and the lower half of a hippopotamus. They are around 3m of height and almost a ton and a half of weight. Their lower half is covered by a thick and dense subdermal blubber, protecting them from damage, with only piercing damages being able to truly hurt them. They are so dense in fact, that they are unable to float in water, which combined with their bulk and weight, makes them able to just cross fast and dangerous rivers by just strolling underwater. They can hold their breath for a long time, so drowning is not usually an issue. Their upper half is also filled with blubber, with their strong muscles hidden under layers of fat. While this may give them an unathletic look, they are in fact quite strong, capable of impressive physical feats of strength and speed. Their heads have no ears, and their mouth is twice the width of a human’s, with two pairs of tusks coming out of it, too big to fit within their mouth.

Hippotaurs feed on mostly vegetables, and they usually work within lakes and rivers, planting algae and underwater fruits to eat. They also grow other fruits in dry land, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, melon, orange and pineapple. They need to eat a great deal of food each year, and to save energy, they spend many hours each day under the shade or beneath the water. This also means that hippotaurs usually live outdoors, not building any structures beyond anything needed for gardening or for shade. Hippotaurs protect their gardens fiercely, charging against any would-be thief with murderous intent.

Hippotaurs are very peaceful creatures, not bothering with the wars of their neighbors, content with living a quiet life full of tranquility. This does not mean they cannot fight, but they do not have any inherent warrior element in their culture. They also try to help those who seem in need, though they are smart enough to figure out who is trying to take advantage of their hospitality. Hippotaurs can spend many hours meditating during their free time, seeing as a way to commune with nature and with the world.

### Satyr

**Satyrs** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Satyrs are around 1.25m of height, having a look of a slender human with goat legs. Their legs are proportionally shorter than human legs, and often they are seen walking tiptoeing just to gain a bit of height. This also makes them look like they jump everywhere they go. Their upper half is similar to that of a human, but thinner. Males have a great deal of chest hair, something not present in females. They have a small tail, which somewhat resembles that of a goat. Their heads are elongated, with the males having great curly horns, while the females have only small stumps. Their forehead is very thick, and they can easily take hits to the head without issue. Satyrs also tend to live near fey. Their love for nature and their laid back way of life fits well within fey populations.

Satyrs are lovers of sensation. They enjoy feeling the world around them in any way they can, and this often is seen in their ties to art creation. Satyrs are great artists, with many famous satyrs being composers, musicians, painters, singers… They also enjoy nature and the world around them. This often sees them being the life of the party during any kind of celebration. This leads them to ingest great quantities of alcohol, and while satyrs are resistant to drunkenness, their small size means they eventually fall prey to it. A drunken satyr is a strange thing to behold, as most of their inhibitions are unleashed and become capable of great feats of bravery (or foolery, as many would call it). Satyrs will drink most alcohols, but they prefer wine.

### Chorts

Chorts are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Chorts are believed to be the result of the experiments made by the mysterious creature known as “*The Black Devil*”, who made the chorts in its image for purposes unknown. They are humanoid creatures, with a sickly and emaciated body and the head of a goat. Their human skin is somewhat ashen grey, with random spots of fur. Their hands are elongated, with extremely long arms and fingers, giving them an uncanny appearance. Their goat eyes are a bright yellow, and are able to shine in the dark. Chorts have been corrupted over the years due to their demon worshiping ways, welcoming demonic corruption within themselves. This leaves a dent within their bodies, with frequent scars of self-mutilation, bulging cancer or bite mark caused by other chorts.

Chorts are hateful creatures that revel in the destruction and suffering of those around them. Local populations actively hunt them down, trying to keep them far from their homes, as there have been cases of chorts silently entering villages and gutting the locals while still alive, leaving them screaming while their entrails lay in the snow. A chort raid will also see them stealing anything they can use as a weapon, especially focusing in iron items, as they cannot practice metallurgy on their own.

Chorts are considerably intelligent, and they will use this intelligence to praise the demons they worship as much as possible. From the sacrifice of other sentient creatures, taking the form of torture or execution, to the ritualistic dances during full moon, they are creatures to be avoided at all costs. They usually stitch the skin of their victims to their own, seeking to gain their strength. A chort that has managed to survive for long and has managed to obtain many sacrifices will look wrinkly and putrid, as the skin rots and begins to decompose their own. Their use of dark magic tends to consume them, especially once they actually manage to seal a pact with a demon.

### Fauns

**Fauns** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Fauns measure around 1.35 meters of height accounting for their antlers, having a humanoid body with deer legs and features. They are more robust than the satyrs, especially the male fauns, which are outright muscular in comparison. Their heads are somewhat bigger, with the male fauns sporting a pair of antlers. These antlers only appear in males, and grow all throughout the year, falling only after the birth of each of their sons. They also tend to be covered in a species of climbing plant that has evolved to live in the antlers, blossoming when a faun is romantically interested in another.

Like satyrs, fauns are lovers of sensation and arts. Unlike satyrs, however, fauns are much more restrained, preferring to discuss and debate about the nature of the world. They might spend days arguing about some aspect of existence, all while playing some instrument as ambiance. During certain moments of the year, fauns reunite to celebrate great art competitions, mostly music and poetry. Despite their talents for arts, the world in general regards satyrs as the superior artists, as their less restrained nature is able to garner more creativity and imagination than the moderate fauns are. Fauns are also well known for having a great sense of direction, always managing to find their way even through the densest and darkest forests.

### Centaurs

**Centaurs** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. They are one of the more widespread of the beastfolk, with communities in many corners of Giantstep, though their numbers are always low. Centaurs are one of the quintessential examples of beastfolk, having two torsos at once: an upper humanoid half and a lower half of a horse. The internal anatomy of a centaur is full of redundancies, and the way the two halves interact with each other is something only experts fully understand. Centaurs have four lungs, a pair on each half of their bodies, working in tandem to oxygenize their body. Their massive heart is located within the horse half, and it is much bigger than those of common horses. Most of their organs are, in fact, located in the lower half of their body, with the upper torso containing just lungs and a stomach they use to digest their food multiple times before continuing its way through the digestive system.

Centaurs are very tall, around 3 meters of height, and are considerably bulky and strong. The males are generally bald, while the females have a strange hair coloration. Their hair usually ranges from white to light brown, usually mixing multiple color strains at once, whereas their lower half’s hair coat can have a wide of colors and patterns similar to those found in horses. Centaurs are often very isolationists, walking across the land in a never-ending travel, and avoiding other sentient species if they had the chance, though they will tolerate more fey entities. They hunt their prey through archery, being very skilled at shooting while galloping. Centaurs also have a warrior culture, though not in the normal sense of warfare. They will partake in ritualized combat where two centaurs try to grapple each other to the ground.

Centaurs travel in familiar herds. Centaur families need to dedicate quite a lot of time to their foals, as they are unable to fend for themselves for a very long time. While they are able to move around and follow the adults, they are very dependent on their parents for feeding, defense and general learning. Centaurs spend a great deal of time finding the perfect mate, and centaur males will fight each other to near death in order to impress their potential lover. Centaurs live around 100 years, with them reaching adulthood at 20 and beginning old age at 50, with them gradually becoming more and more ill and weak afterwards. Both males and females beyond 50 years old are incapable of breeding, being relegated to defending and teaching others’ foals in the herd. This only makes them capable of having foals for around a period of 30 years, and with gestation periods of an entire year, procreation is something they consider a high priority by all centaur society.

### Deertaurs

**Deertaur** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. They are a centaur-like species, with the upper half of the body being humanoid and the lower half being that of a deer or a stag. They are very small when compared to other centaur-like beings, around 1.6 meters of height, not counting the antlers. They are very light and nimble, being incredibly fast on the run, though their stamina is not the best. The male grow enormous antlers, often so big they end up becoming a hassle when crossing the forest, and they have to trim them every so often before they naturally fall off. Female deertaur also grow antlers, but they are barely stumps on their head.

Deerfolk are very skittish and frightful, often living nearby other beastfolk societies for protection. They avoid fighting to a fault, always dashing for cover or running away from the possible threat. The males’ contest of strength consist in riddles, challenging one another to puzzles they have to solve until one admits defeat and surrenders. Deerfolk families consist of groups of one male and two females, often moving across the land to provide for their children. Deerfolk are also highly superstitious, with one of their most spread traditions being the creation of “firefly lamps”, nests of fireflies within translucent leaves that create illuminated spots across the forest, often at random intervals, confusing the bystanders.

### Yakfolk

**Yakfolk** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Yakfolk are massive creatures said to be cursed by the demonic entity known as Gogotha, with the head of a yak, a body of a human and bovine legs. They are humanoid in a very limited sense, as their bodies have very distorted proportions, their small bovine legs are unable to keep their full weight on their own, and as such, they walk on all fours. Using the knuckles of their gigantic hands, they walk across the mountains in search of food and other resources. Their heads are bigger than even those of yaks, and need to be rested upon massive shoulders. They can measure up to 2.5 meters of height, and weight a quarter of a ton. Their mouth has many fangs and dagger-like teeth, and they can open their mouth much wider than one might expect a bovine skull to be able to. Their tail is prehensile, used to help with the climbing.

Yakfolk are believed to be humans that fell into the worship of Gogotha, and were slowly cursed to be intertwined with their charges, until a single being remained. Yakfolk are intelligent beings, at least as much as a human, and are not ignorant of the disgust the local people have for them, especially due to their demonic worship. They prefer to be left alone, tending to their own cattle of yak and sheep, safe for the rare events when they need a human sacrifice for their deity. They usually try to steal babies from their cribs, something incredibly difficult due to their great size making them very bad at stealth. Local populations are recommended to avoid moving across the mountains with their newborns, least they get kidnapped throughout their journey.

### Babbooki

**Babbooki** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Babbooki are simian creatures, measuring around 75cm from head to feet, with a tail almost as long as their entire body. Their elongated snouts are filled to the brim with canine teeth, and its fur shows very deep and colorful shades. Around their necks, the male babbooki have great manes, which protects them from attacks to their head and their neck, but fill with water when raining, making them slow. Female babbooki are considerably smaller, measuring around 55cm at most, and having a marble white fur, in comparison to the males’ dark grey. Babbooki are an arboreal species, living in the small patches of tropical jungle at the edges of the savannah. While not particularly intelligent, babbooki have managed to create complex societies, moving from tree to tree gathering the fruit the jungle produces, as well as anything else hidden in the branches, such as bird eggs or the birds themselves, lizards, insects…

Babbooki have developed a strange kind of agriculture, caring for the fruit trees of the jungle while living in them. They keep them clean of parasites, cut the sick and diseased branches and make sure the greenery is as healthy as it can be, and in return, the trees generate fruit all year long. This allows them a life of considerable leisure, and while there is a lot of work, it never is so grueling babbooki do not have time to relax. They have become fond of playing music with percussion instruments, such as drums, cymbals, maracas or wood xylophones. However, since they need the trees to feed themselves, they usually get the wood from other areas, trading with travelling merchants in exchange for the local fruit.

## Avian Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with birds.

### Harpies

**Harpies**, also known as vulturefolk, are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Harpies are a very widespread group, living in many areas of Western Giantstep and Scimitarian. Harpies measure around 1.33 meters of height, though they often look smaller due to their hunched position. They have a very avian pose and physiognomy, with bird talons instead of hands and feet. Their nose is made out of a hardened material, functioning as a beak of sorts. Both their limbs and their back are covered by feathers, usually leaving many bald spots. Northern harpies tend to develop green and red coloration in their plumage, whereas the southern ones develop a brown and black one. On their back, they have a pair of wings. Harpies cannot fly, but they can glide for long periods of time. To do so, they tend to climb to high places such as cliffs and mountains, and then jump, using the inertia to search for food or victims. Harpies are very good climbers, ascending most surfaces with their sharp claws. They are also very light and thin, helping them stay in the air for long, and thus they have to avoid prolonged fights, as they are very physically weak.

Their vocal chords are much different from those of many creatures. This means they talk in a frequency that to the rest of sentient beings sound as undecipherable screech. However, some harpies learn to use these frequencies to create alluring sounds for the weak minded. They use these sounds to create traps for rival harpies or whoever is around. Most harpies live in tribal groups, with the females hunting and the males tending to the eggs and the newborn. The hatchlings grow very fast, as they can eat quite a lot of food, and by the age of 7 they are as tall adults, though they reach adulthood at 15. Harpy lifespans are around 50 years, and most of the time they die much younger than that, since their violent tendencies cause frequent infighting, succumbing to their wounds after a while.

Harpies are led by a matriarch, the oldest and strongest of the tribe, though it is very common to see two matriarchs leading at once, in case one of them falls in battle or during a hunt. Harpies seldom do anything but hunt or practice banditry, since their short temper and violent tendencies make for poor merchants, and their carnivore-only diet makes agriculture pointless. However, some groups use harpies as scouts, though this only works so far as harpies are not capable of true flight, and can only stay in the air gliding, which limits their effectiveness quite a lot.Harpy religion is very animistic, revolving around the many spirits that dwell in the land. According to harpy legend, the original harpies were capable of true flight, but an envious god broke their wings from within, condemning them to a live on the ground. Their worship of the sky takes many forms, from ritualistic dances to honor fights during storms and typhoons. They also worship the suns, the moons and the stars, as the things that keep the sky in its place.

### Kikimori

**Kikimori**, also known as kikimora, are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Kikimori are creatures that live in swamps, and are used to the dark and damp conditions of the many bogs in the step. Kikimori have a humanoid complexion, though slender and shorter than most humans, measuring around 1.5 meters of height. Their hands and feet are instead bird claws, sharp enough to leave marks in stone. Their head is avian in complexion, with a massive beak covering most of their face. The shape of their beak varies depending on the region they live in, and kikimori can identify each other’s’ origins by looking at their beaks. They have a long neck, usually covered in very dense plumage to avoid any harm, and also to protect them from the cold and the humidity of the swamps. Their skin is ashen grey, though it tends to become purple the longer a kikimori lives.

Kikimori are said to be a corrupted species, affected by the dark magic of the swamps of the Bog Witch, and from there, they expanded to others swamps in the world. In what way they have been cursed, though, it is a matter of speculation. Kikimori are hunter-gatherers, seeking anything edible in the dangerous swamps, from plants to meat to other sentient creatures. They have a “might makes right” mentality, and have little sense of pity, empathy or remorse. Kikimori live in tribes, located in areas dry enough to lay their nests without issue. They tend to form tribes of 20-30 individuals, with a dominant chieftain who monopolizes as many females as possible. The position of chieftain is a hard fought one, with frequent clashes between the young upstarts and the old leaders, with the leader eventually succumbing to their mounting wounds and age, only for the process to begin anew. The females tend to their nests, but once a kikimori reaches a certain age, the mothers sever all connection with their spawn, forcing them to survive on their own alone.

Those kikimori who dwell in dark magic or are twisted further by the darkness of the swamp are known as “cursed kikimori”. Their form becomes more distorted and they grow sharp teeth on their beaks, giving them an uncanny look. Frequently, corrupted kikimori tend to serve the dark powers of the swamps, as their corruption has bind them irreparably to them.

### Ostrichfolk

**Ostrichfolk** are of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Ostrichfolk are notorious within avian beastfolk, as they follow a centaur pattern, with the upper half of their body being humanoid and the lower half being that of an ostrich. They have long, powerful legs, allowing them to run extremely fast through the savannah. These avian legs are also very powerful for kicking, especially when taking into account their powerful claws that can disembowel most creatures in the savannah if the kick connects. Their lower half is covered by a dense plumage, with the males having black and white coloration and the females having a brown and white coloration. They also have a pair of wings, though these seem vestigial, as they are too small and clumsy to do anything with them, much less fly. Their upper half is humanoid, with both males and females lacking any body hair. They are completely bald, though they tend to cover themselves with clothes made out of their own fallen feathers. Their hands are slightly clawed, but otherwise look like regular human hands. Ostritchfolk have no bellybutton, as they reproduce through eggs.

Ostrichfolk are vegetarians, and are unable to process meat. They feed off many kinds of grains and fruits growing in the savannah, which they usually harvest in small, individual farms. These farms are isolated and far from the rest of the civilized societies, preferring a life of solitude. At most, they live in familiar groups, with young ostrichfolk couples seeking a bit of land to work once they marry. They are self-reliant and self-sustaining, though it is frequent to see ostrichfolk in the towns and cities, seeking to buy farm tools and items or sell their produce. While they are not carnivore, they do take care of cattle, mostly pack animals like horses, donkeys or camels, as they need them to bring their produce to the market.

Ostrichfolk families are very irregular, with families that can range from a single child to more than ten children. Ostrichfolk lay a single egg per batch, a massive egg that needs a year to hatch. The long gestation period makes ostrichfolk eggs very vulnerable to all kinds of problems: humidity, temperature, predators, diseases… Ostrichfolk mothers spend most of the day protecting the egg, taking turns with the father to keep it warm and clean throughout the entire process. Still, the many risks they have to deal with make most ostrichfolk eggs not survive the process. Ostrichfolk try to lay an egg every single year, just in case they do not survive, hence the massive demographic ranges. Ostrichfolk families with more than three children are considered blessed by the spirits of the wild, and have a high status within the ostrichfolk community, with their children being quite popular as marriage candidates. Ostrichfolk youngsters tend to travel around once they are big enough to leave their home but are not married yet, usually hired as messengers and scouts by other groups.

### Crowhags

**Crowhags** are lesser but aggressive humanoid witches with bird-like features found in the wheatfields. They are horrifying, almost human, a terrible conjoining of woman and crow fused together. Nothing more than a husk of humanity surrendered in exchange for possession of the powers of dark magic. In melee combat, they are a force to be reckoned with, employing a claw attack, that can potentially infect enemies with ergotism. In exchange for their sacrificed humanity, crowhags gain enhanced magical powers that trump those of most other lesser witches and warlocks. In addition to a resistance to weaker spells, crowhags can cast powerful curses on enemies and healing spells on themselves when damaged or fleeing. Few creatures match the depravity and repulsiveness of the Crowhags. They will take through savagery what they cannot win through guile.The crowness of Crowhags varies between individuals, but it is said that the more pronounced the crow half, the more animalistic and violent the Crowhag is, while those that appear more human are said to be more cunning and have stronger magical powers. Wrona is considered the mother of all crowhags.

Crowhags can transform into ravens or crows to fly through the night and perch on isolated bare trees high above the wheatfields from which they hang gibbets which they steal from the wheatfolk. They then lock people into these gibbets, preferably children, who they fatten up in the dizzy heights until they are fat, round and ready to be eaten. In addition, they steal jewelry and objects with shiny surfaces that they collect in secret hiding places.

### Mannshahn

**Mannshahn** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Mannshahn are a humanoid species, with the upper half of a human and a lower half of a chicken, measuring around 1.40 meters of height. They are a very sexually dimorphic species, with the females being much less muscular and not surpassing the 1.30 meters of height. Male mannshahn also develop massive spurs, which they can use to defend themselves. Males develop a red cockscomb at the top of their head, which becomes bright red during moments of stress. Their plumage covers most of their lower half, but they also have spots of feathers in their humanoid half, usually as head hair. Mannshahn do not, in fact, have hair as we know it, developing a type of plumage that simulates it. Mannshahn rarely ever go bald, displaying great feathery manes of many colors.

Mannshahn tend to live in isolated groups, moving nomadically across areas alongside the southern coast of Grënndell’s Sea, near the wheatfields far from the shore. Their numbers are unknown, but they are considered a rare sight indeed. They live from what nature produces, with the wild wheat fields generating enough grain to sustain their low numbers. The exact reasons of why they are such a reduced species are hard to pinpoint, and the mannshahn themselves do not like to talk about it. Many believe their numbers are actually higher than what we know, as their nomadic lifestyle makes them hard to tally. Rumors also talk about them being the result of Piskleta, one of the deities worshiped in the Sea of Wheat. The legend tells that some mortal wanted to know what came first, the chicken or the egg, so she decided to show him the truth. However, when Piskleta actually revealed the truth, the mortal was distracted by a passing fly and was not paying attention, missing the answer for the riddle. In response, Piskleta punished him and his family into turning into a bird, so he could find the answer for himself.

Mannshahn live a life of warriors, having many rituals dedicated to the arts of ceremonial warfare. The males are trained for warfare from the moment they can walk on their own, and never stop training for the remainder of their lives. They will use a type of short halberd made out of wood and stone, and will fight each other for any reason. These fights are usually preceded by ceremonies and dances designed to praise the spirits and nature. The clashes see the two combatants fight stark naked against each other, using all elements to their disposal, from their halberds to spurs to grappling. Females are not allowed to fight, instead they are married very early on in their lives with the male mannshahn, expecting to serve him in any way they want. Each male mannshahn has a harem of female mannshahn, and the better at fighting they are, the more wives they can have.

## Amphibian Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with amphibians.

### Froglins

**Froglins** are distant relatives of the Toadlings. They are slightly smaller and scrawny than their toad-faced elders and live in secluded stilt villages. Their appearance resembles erect frogs, although their faces and bodies also bear some fish-like features. They feed exclusively on fish and insects, and they particularly like catching maggotpox mosquitoes with their long tongues. Froglins are usually armed with wooden spears, which they only use for defensive purposes. Unlike the Toadlings, they have no endogenous poison. They are among the most peaceful inhabitants of the swamp, but are shy and generally suspicious of strangers, which may be due to the fact that cooked froglin thighs are a coveted and extremely tasty delicacy not only in the witches' swamps. They don't like violence and if you manage to gain their trust, they might even hospitably grant you shelter and food for a few days in one of their Hidden Villages. Unfortunately, due to the fact that they are at the bottom of the swamp's food chain, their numbers have declined drastically in the last millennium. They call their remaining congregation the Slippery Diaspora since being decimated at large numers by rapacious Kikimori. For every 100 males there is only one larger and fatter female, who lays thousands of eggs per year, from which tadpolings hatch, with at least ninety percent of them usually being eaten by predators. When a froglin broodmother is pregnant, she will eat copious amounts of food brought to her by the males. Due to the fact that they also eat meat and larger creatures during this breeding phase, it is advisable to avoid Froglin Villagers at this particular time, as the survival of their own kind is still their top priority.

### Toadlings

**Toadlings** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Toadlings are amphibian creatures with a humanoid shape. They have a hunched posture, hiding their roughly human equivalent height. Their skin is dense and full of warts and poison sacks, and while it is more resistant to dryness than other amphibian beastfolk, it does need frequent humidity not to deteriorate. Their hands and feet are similar to those of toads, with massive proportions in comparison to those of humans, and with webbed skin between their digits to help swimming across the swamps. They have a bellybutton, though unlike in mammalians, this is not the result of birth, but it is instead a hole through which they secrete poisons and venoms. They have no neck, and their toad-like head is filled with small bone spikes, which grow all throughout their lives at a very small rate. Their constant poisonous secretions keep them well protected from skin parasites and attacks from most creatures, though there are still plenty of beings resistant to their venom.

Toadlings are very peaceful when compared to other beings of the swamps. They are scavengers, finding anything that could be of use from the bogs and seeking to trade it with anyone interested. They are always carrying their wares with them, as they never know when they are going to be able to find someone interested in them, which makes them vulnerable to banditry. To defend against this, they are able to spit part of their venom from their mouths. While toadlings do not have a protractile tongue like other amphibian beastfolk, they can spew part of their venom from their mouths, enough to make creatures the size of humans sickly and dizzy, unable to stand on two legs. It is rarely lethal, but it is enough for the toadling either to run away or to finish the job.

### Ulwogs

**Ulwogs** are a colossal species of amphibian swamp dwellers. They are distant relatives of the Toadlings but of considerably less intelligence. Their language sounds like deep bubbling and quacking noises and consists of only thirty phrases, the most important being "there food", "attack" and "hungry". Their jaws are extremely muscular and can bite through entire tree stumps. Unlike the Toadlings, their body venom is significantly less toxic, but can cause itchy skin irritations, warty rashes, and fungal-like infections. They feed on leeches, fish and various swamp creatures, basically anything that moves, is smaller than them and stepts into their territory. Some Ulwog tribes engage in territorial feuds with the swamp ogres, who are almost equal to them in terms of strength and physical stature. Their largest settlement is Muckmarsh, a semi-aquatic swamp village consisting of large round mud structures mounted on stilts at various heights, vaguely reminiscent of oversized frog spawn. A slimy secretion that the Ulmogs secrete from their abdominal glands allows them to waterproof the clay burrows and construct these dwellings both above and below the water. The Ulmog are generally antisocial loners and mostly roam the swamps in search of food, since there is hardly any food left for them in the vicinity of their home ponds. During the mating season they collectively return to their foul-smelling home villages and the males engage in brutal fights over the strongest females, resulting in large numbers of dead Ulwogs every year. The horrifying sounds of these gruesome courtship fights alone are enough to send even the most hardened and vicious swamp dwellers fleeing. If an Ulwog cannot find other food, it will resort to cannibalism.

### Hop'en

**Hop'en** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. They have often been compared with the Ecrkoecknoi from the Land of Changing Waters, and it is easy to see why. They are roughly the same size, around 1.35m of height, and share a similar weight and physiognomy. Hop’en legs are not as powerful as those of the ecrkoecknoi, but they are still capable of jumping three times their own size from a single hop. Their webbed feet are also smaller, being rougher and more prepared to walk across the jungle rather than crossing swamps. They are also capable of climbing most surfaces, but they are slower in comparison to the ecrkoecknoi. While the hop’em have a similar frog-like head, their eyes are smaller than the frogmens’, though they are still bigger than those of humans. Their eyesight is actually more balanced, having a better balance between short-range vision and long-range vision.

The most notable element of the hop’em is their skin, full of vibrant colors, making them difficult to camouflage with the jungle. However, this is intentional, as this serves as a warning to others that their skin generates a deadly toxin. A bit of this poison will kill something in a couple of minutes if an antidote or healing magic are applied in time, and it will do so while causing excruciating pain. Hop’en rub their arrows and lances in the secretions from their skin, as they have no natural way to use this venom offensively. However, they cannot use this poison as a hunting tool, since they are not immune to it. If they ever ingest the toxin, they will suffer excruciating pain for weeks, though they are resistant enough to it to not die from it.

Hop’en live in the depths of the chakobsan jungle, always fighting for survival against the yagura tribes. While the yagura cannot practice feasts with the meat of the hop’en, they are still valid enough for ritual sacrifices, using their skin to craft weapons against other beings. Hop’en ambush yaguran hunting parties every time they can, chopping off their heads and leaving a scenery full of spiked skulls as a warning, with their bodies left to be food for the local predators.

### Woggies

**Woggies** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Woggies are one of the least intelligent creatures capable of sentience, to the point many consider them barely animals. They are small, around 20cm of height, with physiognomy very similar to that of a toad. They are hunched, with elongated hands and legs, with a mucous grey skin through which they can breathe. Their minuscule head is mostly occupied by their eyes, massive in comparison, and they always have a blank stare, barely reacting to anything. They have a great eyesight, but their hearing is not that good. Their reflexes are terrible, and due to their low intelligence, they are very slow to protect themselves from danger. The only reason that they have survived for this long is their naturally stealth and that they are protected by higher powers.

Woggies have a natural ability that makes them incredibly useful for all the powers in the swamp. Their blood is somehow able to store the memories of what they see and hear, and those who drink their blood will be able to see the woggies’ memories. This makes woggies extraordinarily useful tools for espionage, as their small size and inability to betray their master (for their simple reason they are too dumb to know how to do so) means they can hide in a pool of mud and just wait and see whatever happens in an area. This has its limitations, though. Woggies’ lack of intelligence means they will not know what to do if intercepted, as they simply cannot understand danger. They are also unable to serve as anything more than eyes for their masters, and things such as stealing or sabotaging are excessively complex for them. They also have problems reaching their destination, often needing to be brought there personally by other agents. And if a woggie gets intercepted, there is little stopping their targets to just drinking its blood themselves to figure out who is spying on them.

Woggies reproduce asexually, with one out of every couple of hundred woggies becoming a “hag woggie”. These hag woggies grow up to 1.5m, losing the ability to move around as their arms and legs stop growing. They then develop reproductive organs all throughout their body, spewing woggie eggs on the clock. This is needed, as their rate of death is incredibly high, and otherwise they would go extinct in a couple of years. The powers of the swamp keep these hag woggies well protected and fed, farming woggies as scouts and spies for their nefarious purposes.

## Reptilian Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with reptiles.

### Dragon Tieflings

**Dragon tieflings** claim to descend from the offspring of humans and “good divine dragons”, also known as “aezars”. It is unclear if they were true offspring, or created indirectly somehow like demonspawn or dragonspawn gnolls. There have been no credible records of any new dragon tieflings being created since pre-Azan Empire times. All dragon tieflings since then have been the offspring of dragon tieflings and other races.

According to ancient legends, theology, and the best efforts of archaeologists, the dragon tieflings had their own distinct nation in what is now the Heartland Region of the Azan Empire, though they were a minority even in this nation. Directed by guidance from a series of prophets, with Aza being the final and most important, they joined forces with neighboring human nations and defeated a number of ancient evils.

During the First through Third Dynasties, they were seen as semi-divine beings and enjoyed high social status. Eventually most of them ended up repeatedly marrying high status human families, resulting in all the main “dragon tiefling noble houses” being increasingly human. Some families took drastic measures to restore useful traits to their bloodlines, including inbreeding, mating with powerful fey, and demonic pacts. This led to a significant drop in the social status associated with the dragon tieflings by the end of the Third Dynasty, though it did enjoy a number of comebacks in the millennia that followed.

Despite this drop in social status, the dragon tieflings continued to prosper, as by this point nearly all of them had either been elevated to noble status. The remainder had their bloodlines diluted to the point they were indistinguishable from humans and their lineages forgotten.

By the time of the early Fifth Dynasty, the noble houses of the Azan Empire had split into the four unofficial castes that still exist today:

The “Pure Bloods” prioritized preserving their bloodlines above all else and began to see themselves as the only true dragon tieflings. Although they would sometimes marry off a lesser member of their house for political gain, only individuals with the purest bloodlines are true members of the house. The “Pure Bloods” go to great lengths to emphasize their heritage, including developing new fashions, architectural styles, and languages drawn from their ancient culture.

The “Old Money Houses” are those that became immensely wealthy during earlier dynasties and have managed to preserve that wealth. They marry either dragon tieflings or humans depending on which is to their advantage, and are generally considered dragon tieflings by all except the Pure Bloods. Although some have become aloof and out of touch, they remain the most politically powerful faction.

The “New Money Houses” descend from prominent merchants, officers, and bureaucrats who managed to claw their way up into the nobility within the past few centuries. A few may eventually become Old Money Houses, most fall into obscurity. A key milestone in becoming a New Money House is marrying a (generally minor) member of an Old Money House, so in theory all members of New Money Houses are also dragon tieflings, though in truth few have dragon traits and can present themselves as humans or dragon tieflings depending on their preference.

The “Southern Houses”, generally defined as those with roots south of Terusia, have far less dragon tiefling blood regardless of the age, wealth, or status of said house, due to the long distance from the homelands of the dragon tieflings. Some, like the Changrilese, greatly value even the smallest amount of dragon ancestry, though very few have traits associated with being a dragon tiefling.

At times, there was a fifth faction of houses, those with fey origin as well as dragon origin, though this controversial even during its peak during the Third Dynasty, and has become very rare since then.

These four castes have had their ups and downs over the millennia. Unlike in many other parts of the world, there has never been a truly successful revolt against the Azanese nobility, with the majority of houses managing to survive each major social upheaval. However, the importance of having dragon tiefling traits has fluctuated greatly over the millennia. During some periods, having even some dragon tiefling traits was immensely prestigious, leading to the Pure Blood and Old Money Houses being dominant. At other times, such traits were viewed with indifference, or even suspicion, leading to more power for the New Money Houses and the Southern Houses.

In modern times, dragon tieflings are rare even in the Azan Empire, but continue to be very wealthy and politically powerful. Small pockets can be found in former Azanese holdings.

In terms of physical traits, the original dragon tieflings resembled humanoid dragons, though these traits faded with time, and perhaps not just because of increased human admixture. Some believe that the divinity of the dragon blood has also faded with time. Individuals with a strong resemblance to dragons were rare even by the time of the First Dynasty, and almost unheard of by the time of the Fifth Dynasty.

By modern times, even “Purebloods” were happy to have all of the following traits; patches of scales, oddly shaped pupils, and small horns. Having large horns, claws, fangs, tails, or wings is usually seen as being either of exceptional pedigree or being touched by the divine. From roughly the Fifth Dynasty onward, having just one minor trait plus noble status was usually good enough to be seen as a dragon tiefling. Dragon tiefling traits don’t seem to transfer like human traits do. It is common for a particular trait like golden eyes to disappear for many generations before suddenly reappearing. However, certain traits have become associated with certain families, mostly thanks to a certain amount of inbreeding.

For many, the most valuable dragon tiefling traits are longevity and magical aptitude. The original dragon tieflings could sometimes live for centuries, though these days most are happy to just live twice the lifespan of a normal human. Innate magical ability has also dropped considerably, though many dragon tieflings still seem to have a knack for elemental magic and/or enchantments. During the Second and Third Dynasties, some dragon tieflings houses went to great lengths to try and regain the longevity and magical aptitude they once had, but by the Fifth Dynasty, most had accepted such abilities were permanently reduced from what they once were.

Even in modern times, having dragon tiefling ancestry is seen as having divine ancestry, however, the doctrines of the New Azan Faith have entrenched the notion that even those with divine origin have free will, and are therefore fallible. Such notions have at times been popular in the past, but have never been as central to church doctrine as they are now. Despite this, dragon tieflings retain high social status in modern times, though this often has more to do with wealth and power than it does with the lingering respect for those of divine lineage.

### Demon Tieflings

It is said the first **demon tieflings** were created as a dark mockery of the divine dragon tieflings, though a few iconoclasts believe that Althazzar has always taken dragon form and he only saw it as natural for his own servants to have dragon forms as well. Like most demon blooded races, as well as likely the dragon tieflings, the first demon tieflings aren’t the result of direct offspring between demons and humans, but rather a sort of magical transformation. There are a number of myths and dubious historical records of such individuals fighting to undermine Bronzar’s followers throughout the ages, but most demon tieflings trace their origins to the two time periods preceding the two Great Tiefling Purges.

The older stock of demon tieflings trace their origins back to Siuverland during the late Third Dynasty, when proximity to the Ancestral Breach allowed the establishment of many cults of Althazzar. The Adrianids had many other problems at this point, and were only halfhearted in their efforts to suppress the cults. Leovus I is far more assertive, but it was his heir and grandson Leovus II who carried out a massive purge of the demon tieflings regardless of religious affiliation at the behest of religious hardliners.

The newer stock also descend from Siuverland, but during the time period when the Empire was at is peak, prior to major defeats for Azan by the drow and witch-elves. These demon tieflings were seemingly defeated in a pair of crusades (sometimes confused for one of the purges, which it essentially was), but instead went undercover and began infiltrating Azanese society from within. Eventually though this was also discovered, leading to the Second Great Tiefling Purge.

There were also several smaller, though still quite powerful, cults of Althazzar throughout the ages who produced demon tieflings, particularly during the lawless period of the later Fifth Dynasty.

Nowadays, demon tieflings can be found in a number of tolerant nations, including Terusia, Gvilderstaaten, and Hereby, though even in these nations they are few in number. New demon tieflings are still sometimes created among the followers of Althazzar, but given the dark nature of Althazzar’s cult, are hunted relentlessly, particularly in Siuverland.

As beings of demonic origin, demon tieflings are often discriminated against by even the most tolerant of individuals. And even the most unbiased of researchers have noted that demon tieflings have natural tendencies towards having short tempers, sadistic impulses, paranoia, and strong feelings of resentment and bitterness towards others. As a result, most demon tieflings end up forming close knit communities with each other, or become loners. However, although they are proportionally much more likely to become criminals or cultists than most other races, the majority of them are law abiding citizens.

Although some demon tieflings have a strongly draconic appearance, most resemble modern dragon tieflings, particularly if they were specifically created to do so. The most obvious trait that can give a demon tiefling away is red eyes, which some demon tieflings have, but dragon tieflings never do (except a few with drow ancestry who in modern times are often seen as demon tieflings anyways). Demon tieflings are more likely than dragon tieflings to have large horns, tails, and claws, but less likely to have scales. Demon tieflings with prominent horns and tails, but no scales, are also sometimes mistaken for certain fey or demons. The easiest way to tell the difference between a demon tiefling and a dragon tiefling though is context. Dragon tieflings are almost always wealthy and well connected, while demon tieflings are often middle class at best, the few who become wealthy who are generally well known locally. Those with a particularly strong need to tell the difference between a demon tiefling and a dragon tiefling (like the priests of Siuverland) can also use one of several invasive and/or magical procedures which are fairly foolproof.

## Insectoid Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with insects.

## Arachnid Beastfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with arachnids.

### Scorpionfolk

**Scorpionfolk** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. A frequent inhabitant of the more deserted areas of the Zulutaur Steppes, they are centaur-like beings, with the upper half of their body being humanoid and the lower half being that of a scorpion. From head to legs, they are about 1.5 meters of height, with the females being slightly taller than the males. However, the length of their scorpion side is about 2m, with the stinger being about 1.75 meters by itself. They have about twelve limbs: two humanoid arms on their torso, eight arachnid-like legs and two massive pincers. Despite their intimidating appearance, these pincers do not have a strong grip for their size, and are mostly used for digging. And while their stinger is quite powerful, especially for stabbing, the scorpionfolks’ poor eyesight makes it a very unreliable weapon for precise attacks, being use more commonly as a battering mace.

When two scorpionfolk become married through the ancient tradition of stinging each other. While the poison of a scorpionfolk is not that venomous, but if one of the parts reacts in any way to the venom, they are considered an unworthy partner and leave in shame. Once the poison’s effects have passed, they then search for a place to call home. Scorpionfolk live in burrows half-way underground, and due to their big size, they need to make their homes incredibly spacious, even when most of the time they walk around with their stinger lowered. Scorpionfolk consider the building of their own home a sacred duty, and do not accept the passing of an already-built property.

Scorpionfolk often live in areas with very few resources, and as such, they have learned to live a very frugal existence, treating every resource available with exceptional care. Scorpionfolk are carnivorous, and they often breed chickens, rabbits, rats, and even protoceratops. They will tile the land to feed these animals, since they can only eat a very few species of vegetables and fruits. Scorpionfolk are very family oriented, as they only lay a single egg each time they mate, and their mating periods are very spaced out over time. Thus, they take care of their child with incredible care and attention, teaching the spawn how to survive in the wild, as well as making sure they pray to the gods in the correct way and learns the ancient customs without error. When a scorpionfolk reaches maturity, they are obligated to leave the nest, being forced to take their chances in the outside world in search of a mate. The parents give their child a statue made with the earth of their burrow to never forget where their roots are. Once the parents die, the children of that couple are obligated to tear down the old home, covering it with dirt and ground and dismantling any other structure, leaving the land as if no one had ever lived there. Once done that, the scorpionfolk are obligated to take their ritual statues and bury them in the place where the house once stood, and never look back.

## Fishfolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with fish.

### Ancient Mermaids

**Ancient Mermaids** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. Ancient Mermaids used to be one of the many powerful groups ruling the long lost Merfolk Empire, having great colonies both above and below the sea. However, after the Curse of Uun, it was believed ancient mermaids had become extinct, twisted and broken by the treason of the god. The only mermaids that survived the curse were those far away from the Merfolk Empire at the time, and the sheer fear for the curse made many populations began kicking them out, which further thinned their numbers. The ancient mermaids of now are a far cry from those from the past. Having lost most of their lore, culture and underwater knowledge, not to mention the favor of Uun, they survive in small colonies scattered all throughout Eastern Giantstep, seeking to find any way to recompose themselves after the curse and to avoid extinction for one more day.

Ancient mermaids are big, fully aquatic creatures. They measure around 2 meters from head to tail, though there is a considerable difference between males and females, with females being at most 1.70 meters of height. Ancient mermaids are humanoid beings, with their lower torso replaced by a fish-like tail, though there are some cases where their tail splits into two. This tail is very powerful, allowing them high speeds when swimming, and its covering of strong scales allows them to move through land for short periods of time without fear of hurting themselves. They are not suited for the surface, with their non-marine colonies being near rivers and lakes, as they can only wobble around as a means of land locomotion. Ancient mermaids have both gills and lungs, with their gills located both at the sides of their neck and at the sides of their upper torso, while their lungs are similar to those of aquatic mammals. Their arms are long and powerful, and their hands are covered in scales, with webbed skin between their fingers. Ancient mermaids have very long hair, somehow never blocking their view then swimming or getting stuck on anything. Their eyes are covered by a substance that protects them from sand particles and other substances alongside their eyelashes, making them look sparkly all the time. They have no cartilaginous ears, instead having a comparable structure, similar to the flippers of a fish. Ancient mermaids have a powerful voice, something they use to communicate with each other through great distances at sea.

Ancient mermaids go to great lengths to continue their existence. After the fall of the Merfolk Empire, they reneged Uun and its worship, and now pray to a variety of sea deities. However, they consider continuing to exist despite the hardships their ultimate vindication against their former god. Thus, ancient mermaids put a lot of stock in marriage and child rearing. Ancient mermaids live around 120 years, and they reach adulthood at around 25. Ancient mermaids have live births, and their gestation lasts for about a year. Once the youngling is born, a female mermaid cannot have other children for at least five years, as having one sooner could cause important damages to her innards, not to mention it being dangerous for the fetus. Ancient mermaids practice arranged marriages, with families planning for the weddings from the moment the kids are born. Ancient mermaids live off underwater agriculture, planting swathes of oysters in areas of the seabed. They also breed certain mollusks and fish, though this is considerably more difficult, as it needs very complex systems to be successful. Most surface dwellers have described ancient mermaids as “beautiful, but depressed, as lamenting their long lost days”. They live in shores near human populations, as trade with them is now essential, especially when the waters are not particularly apt for oyster farming. These towns are small, of only about 300-500 individuals each. The biggest mermaid population still standing is the underwater city of Alka, near the waters of the Kingdom of Tarot.

### Lampreyfolk

**Lampreyfolk** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Lampreyfolk are horrific and unsightly creatures, living in the depths of some of the most dangerous swamps deep within the marshes of the Bog Witch. Lampreyfolk are humanoid creatures, with a massive, elongated head. They are seemingly blind, they do not have any eyes in the outside of their head. At first glance, one would assume lampreyfolk have no face, as their head is near exclusively occupied by a massive mouth, filled to the brim with teeth. However, their actual face is deep within the rows and rows of teeth. They rarely show their true faces to outsiders, but those who have seen them and survived tell that they look like rotting skulls, with eyes the color of burning coals. Their body is covered by pulsating tentacles, and lampreyfolk can use some of the strongest to grab their prey. They have a slimy, brownish skin, covered in an adhesive substance that makes quickly freeing themselves from their grab impossible.

Lampreyfolk are cruel creatures, enjoying to play with their prey before eating it alive. Their method of hunting consists in sinking into the mud and muck of the swamp, locating anything that might be worth the kill and wait until they can slowly move their tentacles towards them. Once the tentacles grab the victim, they will slowly move out of the depths and grab the prey with their arms, immobilizing them while neutralizing any possible means of defense they have. After that, they will slowly open their mouths, letting the prey look upon their cadaveric face before crushing it, making the victim mincemeat with their rotating teeth while the face drinks the blood and chews on the meat.

Lampreyfolk follow dark customs, praying to the evil gods of the swamps. They are known to celebrate ritualistic sacrifices and torture. When not eating, they bring their prisoners to their hidden villages, where the matriarch organizes the appropriate sacrifices. Lampreyfolk are a matriarchal society, as the females are much bigger than the males, with almost twice the height (2 meters of height of the females compared to the 1.2 meters of the males). As an initiation ritual, every hunter who has reached adulthood must drink the blood of one of the males, which she personally killed, sacrificed and disemboweled with a special ceremonial knife. In addition to their circular and razor-sharp rows of teeth, they use long, rusty bidents and nets made of algae ropes for hunting.

### Mirelow

**Mirelow** are one of the many beasfolk species living in Giantstep. Mirelow are a fully aquatic race, with the upper totso of a human and the lower half of a moray eel. They are massive, about 3 meters of length from head to tail, though most of that length is taken by their lower half. Their scaleless skin is coated with a type of mucus that protects them from perforation and abrasion, and makes them very hard to grab. This allows mirelows to hunt in areas filled with sharp obstacles, fitting right through crevices and holes within the murky waters of the swamps. They are able to swim at a very fast pace across the muck and the mud, usually jumping from the water to slam against whatever creature they are hunting at great speed. If they fail to concuss their prey or impale it with lances and hatches, they will use their thin but surprisingly powerful arms to choke it, keeping the prey’s head below the water until it drowns. Mirelow have a cadaveric look, with their bright yellow eyes shining on their emaciated features.

Mirelow are often seen with other aquatic sentient species of the swamps, such as gryplows or mirewenches. While they are very aggressive hunters, their sheer size and strength means there are very few creatures that can threaten it without risking serious harm, and thus they maintain a confident attitude. However, mirelow tend to avoid forming groups with other mirelow, as the resources of the swamp might not be enough to maintain multiple of these creatures at once. When two mirelow find each other, they often try to scare each other away to defend their hunting grounds, and if this doesn’t happen, this devolves into a fight to the death. As mirelow are very resistant to abrasion and perforation, they fight each other using blunt weapons, bludgeoning each other until one of them either runs away or dies. In the case that a male and a female find each other, there is the option of forming a temporary truce in exchange of reproduction. Mirelow do not see procreation as something morally charged, seeing it as just a thing that needs to be done. Once the mirelow have spent enough time together, the outsider leaves to keep searching for hunting waters of their own, carrying the child with them.

### Ekhidnas

**Ekhidnas** are one of the many species of beastfolk living in Giantstep. They are aquatic humanoid creatures, with the lower body of a sea serpent and the upper body of a human. They are around 2m of length, with most of it concentrated on their serpentine half. They have a very distinct sexual dimorphism, with females not only being bigger and stronger than males, but also having a pair of wings. These wings are similar in shape and structure to those of a bat, but with scales instead of skin. Ekhidna females use them to entrance those who look at them, as they can change hues and colors into hypnotic patterns, expanding their wings to their fullest span and dancing in alluring ways. Through this, they can convince onlookers they are gorgeous women, even though their true form is hideous. Despite having wings, however, female ekhidnas cannot fly, something that angers them to no end.

Ekhidnas practice many kinds of rituals, often trying to capture the attention of passing sailors, merchants and fishermen, enchanting them into falling for their charms and then using them as fuel for the rites. Most ekhidnas have innate magical abilities, and they fuel these magic skills through their sacrifices. The most ancient of the ekhidnas, Kahunoa, has been posing as a god for centuries as a way to obtain power and extend her life. Her cult is the most successful of all the ekhindnas’, and her followers are granted a superlative skill to turn into the idealized beauties, irresistible to those who see them.

### Mirewenches

**Mirewenches** (also called **Mirewitches**) are the great-great-grandmothers of the more human looking Pondmaids. They exhibit similar behaviors when it comes to hunting anglers and adventurers, but have significantly stronger magical abilities at their disposal. Luckily there are only about a dozen of them living in the depths of the Witch's Swamp. It seems they neither die a natural death nor reproduce. They are rumored to have been created by Muckra in which case they'd be directly related to the Old Bogwitch, what would explain their dark powers. Her lower body resembles a long green eel's tail while her upper body looks like a pale woman's body, easily mistaken for a drowned corpse. They are capable of commanding large fish monsters such as Bogfishers, giant swamp pikes or the terrifying Swamp Serpents. In addition to all the magic tricks at the Pondmaids' disposal, they are capable of raining black tar, creating illusions in the minds of the weak-willed, and spawning lesser swamp elementals. They are able to leave the damp wet for long periods of time to slither like snakes through the damp swampy soil of the witchbogs, though they do so only very rarely and under special circumstances, as they abhor the aridity of the overworld.

## Crustacean Seafolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with crustaceans.

## Cephalopodian Seafolk

### Squidfolk

**Squidfolk** are one of the many beastfolk species living in Giantstep. Squidfolk are the result of the Curse of Uun, as the betrayal of the god of the Merfolk Empire turned part of their citizens into horrible monster. Squidfolk are said to be nobles, priest and members of the elite, forced by Uun to become unrecognizable, grotesque monsters. Not two squidfolk look completely alike, though they have gained the name “squidfolk” due to the tendency of having multiple tentacles and spewing black ink from their orifices. They have been recorded to have multiple arms, faces, heads, or legs, all covered in grime and algae. Due to their massive size, they tend to live near the shore, as their own weight hurts them, so they spend as much time underwater as possible, where they can free themselves of part of that pressure. However, they cannot breathe underwater, and they have to go back to the surface to both feed and breathe.

Those who have seen squidfolk have described them as “constantly suffering”, acting insane and crying out of pain, rage, madness and regret. They are also seen doing something most interpret as crying when they feed or when they mate with each other, as if the process itself not only was painful but as if it was against their will, being no longer in control of their own bodies. They also attack all nearby witnesses, something incredibly dangerous as most of them are not only immortal, but near indestructible. They have been seemingly cursed with a resurrective immortality, meaning that once they are destroyed (and they have to be destroyed for them to “die”, as anything less they will just heal), they will reappear somewhere else, in a process particularly painful and horrifying. However, we know that squidfolk do indeed mate and reproduce, with their spawn being as cursed as their forbearers. This makes some people believe that the number of squidfolk is always the same, and when a squidfolk is born, another one stops being resurrected. This theory also suggests that squidfolk newborn are not new individuals, but in fact, the same squidfolk reincarnated over and over in a never-ending process.

### Gryplow

A species of small pond dwellers with sharp fish teeth and six tentacles on their lower body, allowing it to navigate underwater with exceptional speed and agility. The Gryplow has a sickly green colour, with green teeth. It has long, strong fingers which it uses to strangle its prey. It is generally found in still or stagnant water and behaves surprisingly aggressive for its size. It hunts in packs usually strangling its victims with its long fingers and octopus arms. However some of them are tamed by the Grützlings, Pondmaids and Gombwoddles who like to keep them as pets and guard-dogs.

## Other Seafolk

Here are the beastfolk species that share characteristics with multiple sea creatures at once.