Bestiary

Beings and Creatures of Almeryn.

An incomplete list

By Llewel Balanmore

## Volaris, Theran, Hirlath, Sumerak

The most dangerous and contentious of antagonists in the world will often be of the four prime mortal races. The motivations and agenda of the mortal races will almost never be outdone by the potential threats posed from other types of creatures.

## Cults of the Denied Faiths

Many a woman or man has fallen to the hubris of power and many of those have seen worship of the denied faiths as a means to that power. Throughout the world groups of people have gathered in small (and not so small) numbers to learn the rites and rituals of power. In most nations throughout Almeryn the Denied Faiths are prohibited to a greater or lesser degree. Widely known cults that are known to exist in Almeryn are

### The Vengeful Heart

Found throughout the world, The Vengeful Heart serves Ithilore, the god of violent retribution. Many of the adherents of this cult work as Bounty Hunters and Assassins. A grieving heart might call out to Ithilore in despair seeking solace through action.

### The Marauders of Embridge Haven

From the dreaded isles of Embridge Haven, west of Damryn, and born across the world in longships, these raiders will maraud through the coastlines of Almeryn plundering undefended towns and villages. While not really a cult, per se, the marauders of Embridge Haven almost exclusively worship denied faith gods.

## The Taken

There are those for whom the nature of their Touched Bloodline has taken hold of their spirit. As this atavistic process goes on they are consumed by it losing the awareness of their mortal selves. There are stories about The Taken becoming more wild and bestial, assuming more of the charistics of the source of their Bloodline.

### Gargoyles

Solarin that give themselves over to their bloodline, allow it’s drives to become the only thing they think about, become gargoyles. Creatures of singular purpose they seek to protect and defend anything they believe their god holds dear.

### Grotesques

Some Solarin become so completely antagonistic to their bloodline and the god it is associated with that they shun anything to do with it. These Solarin run the risk of becoming Grotesques, the power in their blood combining with their hate and disdain to twist their soul into a creature that seeks to destroy anything and anyone it believes the god responsible for it’s pain holds dear.

### Whispers

Grim spend their lives resisting the call of corruption in their blood. Those that give in run the serious risk of becoming a creature that people refer to as a Whisper. Whispers become agents of chaos and destruction, seeking to disrupt and tear down the social structures of the world around them. They rarely act directly, preferring to manipulate and whisper lies and half truths in the ears of those around them.

### Lost

Nature Touched who give themselves over to their bloodlines become Lost. Becoming more and more like the spirit that touched them. Lost eventually transform completely, leaving the mortal world behind for the most part. Amarial and Floran who are from more hazardous plants can become highly dangerous to those around them while they move through this process.

## Fell Creatures

There are dark corners of Almeryn, places of secrets and shadows, where lie fell creatures. Be they mistakes from the early days of magery, creatures twisted and corrupted by Demonae, or simply creatures that grew in shadows, it is not always possible to tell.

### Creatures of the Kestoff Wildlands

In the deep places of the wildlands creatures of nightmare lurk.

### Beasts of the Mountains

The high mountains of the Varendale highlands in Damryn, and mountains like them throughout Almeryn, are home to many fierce beasts. Mostly common animals of uncommon size, in the snow capped peaks there walk silent hunters who think nothing of slaying those who tread too close.

### Creatures of the deep

The seas and oceans of Almeryn are not considered safe on the calmest of days. Under the waves, in the deeps that no sunlight can pierce, lay enormous creatures awaiting the unwary ship’s crew.

## Dreadkin

The corruption of unlife can animate creatures that would otherwise be beyond the veil of death.

Some dreadkin are created by demonae, or more likely yet, controlled by them.

### Wraiths

As the name implies, a creature of unlife that has an insubstantial form and radiates great power and merciless hatred.

Wraiths are created by intense, all encompassing rage. Putting them down permanently is exceedingly difficult.

* The last known wraith was destroyed by a group of Strigoi from Pallandine who ripped him to pieces and ate the pieces.

### Drugyr

These are creatures of such rage and hate that even death could not stop their corpses from walking Almeryn seeking vengeance upon the living.

### Strigoi

These are creatures that are said to be able to change their form that of a spirit and to gain strength from the blood of the living.

* The first Strigoi is Eva Sabiline (sp?) now known as the Pale Queen

### Reavers

These are slaves taken by the Embridge Haven Marauders who are then killed and in a type of spirit form are used as shock troops in their raids. They’re very difficult to destroy. Simply cutting them down is never enough.

### \*\* NEW: Dreadlords

The 'Dreadlords' are a group of dreadkin that were created by the Demonae to destroy the world. There are only 5. Check out their page for more details.

## Spirits

The term “spirit” is used broadly throughout Almeryn to describe ethereal beings that interact with the world in different ways.

### Death

There are times when a person dies when their spirit is able to move about Almeryn. There are also times when a person dies and their spirits refuse to cross the veil of death. Their body might fail but their spirit remains in the world for a time.

### Nature

There are ephemerial creatures throughout Almeryn that inhabit and infuse the natural world. It is not clearly known what their role in the world is or how they came to be but they can be seen from time to time in the secluded places. Many people have personal names for them but most just call them nature spirits.

## Angels

Enigmatic and powerful agents of the gods. They are known to exist, though they have not been seen in Almeryn since the Field of Sacrifice on the last day of the Rupture. It is said that when they use their divine abilities near mortals, the grace of the gods can be felt.

### Saints

Once living women and men, these people have been chosen by divine for their service to the world.

### \*\* New - Grimori (sp?)

Grimori are what happens to angels when they have lost their purpose.

### \*\* New - Fury

When an Angel loses their divinity, they no longer fight for the divine but against it, often controlled by Demonae.

## Demonae

The corrupters, the devourers of life, the agents of destruction. Like Gods, and Angels, Demonae are known to be real but little is known of their fell powers or their will. They haven’t been seen since the Rupture and very rarely before that, though myth and legend of their evil is rife throughout the cultures of the world. The histories tell us that where the Demonae walk, dread and corruption can be felt.

### Chimera

The foot soldiers of the Demonae, the Chimera are lesser creatures of fear and destruction. They are no longer “of Almeryn” and it is not known where they reside but they are able to slip through the wards that guard the world and have been known to wreak havoc upon the people of Almeryn from time to time.

## \*\* New: Creatures of the Shade

The creatures that dwell in the shade are numerous, and little is known of them. Many of beasts that fled from Almeryn under threat of extinction have been corrupted.