Animals

1. Animals

   #1

   Beasts of Ûrghul
   
   Transfered
   
   Inspired by David Eddings
   The beasts of Ûrghul are primitive animals originating from the vale of Ûrghul, a remote, forested valley within the Cyllerean Mountains. From that location they spread throughout the eastern parts of the Dhargenaas continent. In the beginning there was nothing that could stop the huge predators, so the Ûrghul population boomed, resulting in widespread death and destruction. For the Beasts of Ûrghul are gigantic carnivores with a physique resembling gorillas, but with a dark bluish-green scaly skin and huge ram horns protruding from their low foreheads.
   
   They live in the trees and move about on the ground by knuckle-walking. In the trees they move about by jumping from tree to tree, often causing the entire trunk to shake. Thus their appearance is often heralded by the severe shaking of trees, ever closer to their prey. They have long black nails on all digits and their fangs and jaws are powerful enough to shred through platemail with one bite. They are about 7’ to 8’ tall (213 cm - 244 cm) and a male usually weigh in excess of 1400 lbs (636 kg), while the females are smaller.
   
   They need not pluck the meat from the bones, rather choosing to fully devour their victims, sometimes even armour. In one week their strong digestive system will completely digest a victim and in this period the beast will be satisfied and peaceful, only responding to direct physical confrontation. Their droppings take the colour of various nuances of reddish-black and omit a vile stench of rot. The valued Tareeka mushroom thrives in the soil fertilized by such droppings and thus expeditions are mounted into Ûrghul territory when it is mushroom season.
   
   There is an adage among the Belemarian Imperials “Rather one dragon, than an Ûrghul herd in mating season”, which sums up the dangers of the Ûrghul and teaches the young to be careful. More than one fool of a knight has been killed for drawing the attention of a hungry Ûrghul, yet it has become the mark of a true warrior to hunt and kill a beast such as this. This has led to the huge incursion of local and foreign nobles accompanied by large entourages of soldiers, maids and servants into the areas formerly considered the sole domain of the Ûrghul. While this has caused a slight decline in Ûrghul population, it has also become a feast of sorts for those Ûrghul who has been strong enough to survive. Indeed the rumours talk about an “Ûrghul Lord” which is so strong and powerful “it can only be killed by the most valiant knight”.

2. Animals

   #2

   The Wrapper lives in and on the bank of large rivers. It has a flat ray-like body which can reach the size of a large carpet and can change colour (within reason) to blend into it's surroundings. It has eyes on stalks, a large tooth-filled mouth and two long squid like tentacles to catch it's prey.It lays eggs in the hottest month of summer and will defend them with it's life.Whilst it prefers to eat fish and other water creatures, it has been known to attack and eat humans.

3. Acehrax raptors - Transfered

   #3

   These trerrible things have resemble a cross between an eagle and a dragon,having the white head and talons of a bird of prey but the leathery wings and tail of a dragon. With a wingspan streching 50 feet across,these birds are reknown among the Snake Riders for being the mortal enemy of the beloved Serpents. Regarded as monsters worth collecting as trophies,they have been the target of many a party of Snake Rider warrirors that go off in search of the rocky islands they are said to nest in. Armed with poisoned arrows and spears,the hunters flush the beast out of it's lair by building a fire at the entrance. Then,when the beast storms out screaming,they fall upon it with their weapons. This is extremely dangerous,for even when disorientated,the raptor can still be lethal. The chief of the Ogax tribe who once went on such a hunt,recollects seeing a raptor slay a Serpent with it's talons and then rip apart five men with its beak before it was finally brought down.
   
   Most raptors are very solitary and live alone,coming together only to mate. The exceptions to this are females guarding their eggs or fledglings unable to fend for themsleves.

4. Animals

   #4

   Ka'tshar
   
   Ka'tshar are very similar to ants with one exception. They are about 4" long. They have a above animal intelligence but still can not communicate with intelligent beings. Their mandibles are large and extremely strong, being able to punch through most chain mail with ease. they are very skittish when it comes to confrontation with things far bigger than they are, but wil lswarm in the hundreds if their mounds are provoked. Often overpowering even the mightiest of cretures with sheer numbers.
   
   Home
   The Ka'tshar are generally found in desert environments but have been seen in plains areas that tend to be dry and devoid of an abundance of life. Their nests are generally underground with their mounds sometimes stand ten feet above the ground and go as deep as forty feet below the surface. Falling in one is not advisable. The tunnels have been known to be lage enough for a small snimal to crawl into or even a small child, however most do not make it ten feet into the tunnels before soldiers are sent to remove intruders.
   
   Resources
   They have a number of different sources of food. The workers who are detailed to forage outside of the nest gnerally look for water bearing plants to suppliment the need for water in such a dry climate. These workers are very specific and do not have any defense other than running. However, this a select group of foraging Ka'tshar that search for real food. These groups ranks are generally filled with at least 1/3 of the soldier caste. The soldiers compliment the workers by taking down small prey for the use of food.
   
   They are aggressive enough to swarm animals and use them for food. The largest swarm seen has been able to take down a healthy Yeaken within three minutes. They use the animal as any other scavenger would by taking what they need back to the colony to feed the queen and the rest of the colony.
   
   Caste Distinction
   Their coloring dictates their station in the colony.
   Workers : A soft color orange.
   Soldiers : Red and black striped with a numbing secretion on their mandibles that slowly paralyze their victims. Normally used only on food to stop it and bring it back to the workers.
   Scouts : Also known as swarmers. They have a set of functional wings that they use to fly and find food and water. They look similar to the soldier but without the black stripes. Their mandibles are just as large but lack the secretion of the soldiers.
   Queen : About 6" long, with a white sticky pouch attached to her midsection. She seldom moves and is protected by a vast number of soldiers at ever moment of the day. She lays approximately fifty eggs a day.
   
   The eggs of the Ka'tshar are very nutritious and are a delicacy in most homes. They are traded with some of the other cultures in the land and put on the tables of the rich and important. The eggs average 3" long and look similar to a chicken egg with a soft outer shell.
   
   Visit the Hewdamia Thread for more information regarding my world setting.

5. Transfered

   #5

   Yeaken
   
   Yeaken - is a large beast of burden similar to an ox. Their shoulder stands at about eight feet in height and they can weight close to seven hundred pounds if they are healthy. They have leather skin closely resembling that of a rhino or elephant and a broad curled horn in the middle of their head.
   
   This horn is half as wide as their skull but can measure up to 2' long if straightened. In it’s use it is ideally similar to a ram’s horn in that they can butt with it. It does have a small opening in the base near the skull that the Yeaken can produce sound from. They have a tuba sounding blast when they are angered or mating. It is extremely hard and is colored brown and tan. Their eyesight is normal as well as their hearing, but they have a great sense of smell. Males tend to have a facial beard that is white that hangs close to the ground.
   
   Their front legs are longer than their back, giving them a sloped appearance and slow runners. They can not attack with their front legs, instead use either their frontal ram horn, or their back legs. Their back feet have wicked claws on each to protect them in the wild. It is common for domesticated Yeaken ot have these removed for safety.
   
   They are social animals and are very peaceful in the wild as well as domestication. In the wild they very seldom do they travel alone, but tend stay in family groups of herds. They always travel with the weaker and smallest of the family inside and have the larger and stronger Yeaken toward the outside forming a circle as they travel. They are very trusting which makes domestication extremely easy and makes them easy prey for predators that can take something as large as them down. They can sense hostile intentions with their acute sense of smell and keep a long memory of things that hurt them.

6. Arkths or Ravagers: Transfered

   #6

   These are large landbound crablike creatures about the size of Grizzly Bears. Physically, they are quite tough... and strong. The fact that they travel in pods of 4 to 12 allows them to be even more formitable. They live partially in the astreal plane, which allows them to support the weight of their shell (and makes them hard to target). Their food is concentrated magical energy. They can sense it at huge distances. Since spells and such are hard to eat (being in motion) and magical places are the equivalent of a sea of krill to them, they are looking for magic stashed in concrete places. Their primary food source is magic items, alchemical potions, and enchantments. They do a pretty good job of mangling/ eating the physical aspect of said items in the process of chowing down. These things will be the bane of dungeons everywhere, as they will slowly eat away much of the treasure (and the magical traps... so it can be advantagous to follow these things). Note: They will attack people with highly magical natures (i.e. high magic powers). They will probably kill the person in the process of sucking out the power.

7. Animals

   #7

   Marongghovec (ale-ox)- the Marongghovec, or ale-ox, is a large, yak-like animal native to northern Ageratos. It lives on the tundras and plains, eating sweet grasses with its long, sticky tongue. The marongghovec's general features are yak or oxe-like, but their horns are lustrous and red, and they have aforementioned long sticky tongues. In addition, their lower bellies are a distinctive bone-white color (disguised by the shaggy fur) and are ribbed with leathery, thick skin.
   The marongghovec's meat is tough and stringy, and its milk always tastes sour. The animal's true value lies in its mighty strength, equal to that of three normal oxen. A marongghovec is also usually belligerent, stubborn, and generally inflexible beyond its will. There is a way to get past it, and that way is beer. Any good marongghovec-driver will tell you that the best thing to quench ale-ox thirst with is beer, good beer. Upon drinking beer, marongghovec become quite drunk, and are at first doubly belligerent, rearing up proudly on their back-hooves to show off their fine, white bellies; during this early drunken state, a rearing ale-ox may at any moment enter near-paroxysms of rage, and cast about to destroy. But soon afterward, the marongghovec becomes quite stuporously intoxicated, and thense slumborous and stray-minded; they are then quite easily led as a work-beast.

8. Animals

   #8

   Sandgrazer
   
   Sandgrazer’s are large camel like creatures that roam the desert in small herds. They stand roughly 7' tall at the shoulders and have a broad square face with three eyes, two in the forward front of their skull and one higher up in the middle on the back of the skull. This eye is used to watch for predators. They have a very high endurance and don’t seem to need to eat. They do however need water.
   
   They can smell water up to twenty miles of any size and find it unerringly. They have large glands that hang below their belly that can be removed that are filled with water. Removing these glands does not hurt the animal, as they drop off naturally after a certain amount of water has been retained in them. The water held in these glands are equivalent to a gallon of water and are fresh, if not a little warm. It is drinkable and will sustain anyone that has no food for an extended period of time as nutrients are passed into the water through the animal.
   
   The nomadic Lemeain tribes of the desert hoard these animals for this benefit and usually track down anyone attempting to take one without permission, which they never give.

9. Transfered

   #9

   Blood Spider
   
   They are a dark brown rust color, nearly the color of dried blood and have a body that is approximately 8' wide. This does not include their legs. They are covered in short dark hair and enjoy grooming themselves to stay clean.
   
   Society
   The Blood Spider is normally a solitary animal, preferring the company of it’s victims then it’s own kind. They will usually live away from the bustle of humanity where they will not be disturbed and hunt on large animals for food. Only during mating season will they gather together, the males fighting for dominance over the females for rights to mate. Those who win, mate with the females and leave them to their own ends.
   
   Home
   The tend to live in tight fitting hollows that they dig in the ground. these hollows are usually under boulders or old trees where there is ample seclusion and protection.
   
   Resources
   They will normally attack their prey by surprise, knocking them to the ground with their two front legs and then stinging them with a small protrusion that extends from their mouth. This stinger has a fast acting venom, that when it is injected into their victim they begin to go numb.
   
   Vision goes first, then motor skills, until they can no longer move. This leaves a very small and unnoticeable mark when they puncture the skin. The spider then grabs them and hauls them back to their lair, where they inject a small tube into the victim and drain their blood.
   
   The venom can be harvested up to three hours after the Blood Spider has died. This venom has been known to be used by countless assassins as well as for medical purposes.

10. Dunkleoustous: Transfered

    #10

    The Dunkleoustous is a 30 foot long armoured fish with bony ridges in it's huge jaws that serve as teeth, and a two foot long mouth.The first three feet of it's body are covered in natural armour plating that is almost impossible to penetrate with a weapon. These highly fierce fish are very good at breaking down the morale of an opposing army and are used as the spearhead of a charge. An Eshal sits on a saddle mounted on the head.
    
    Having said this, they are very labour intensive to feed and have to be trained from when they are very small.And there is a danger that they could end up panicking and fleeing through their own lines, in which case they have to be killed with a blade thrust by their driver through an eye to reach the brain.
    
    They are the aquatic equivilant of elephants in a battle situation-very dangerous, but no army can afford to have large numbers of them.

11. Transfered

    #11

    Selvaks - carnivorous squirrels
    
    While Selvaks have some resemblance to their timid and weaker cousins, they are far from cute and fluffy.
    
    Appearance
    An adult Selvak male will reach up to 3 feet in length..not including it's tail. And will weigh roughly 45 pounds. They are very light and surprisingly agile creatures.
    An adult female reaches only 2 feet in length. Again, that does not include the length of it's tail. Females weigh about 30 pounds.
    Selvaks have very fine and highly prized pelts. In fact a Selvak pelt is very rare..and extremely hard to get.
    Their fur is very fine and a dark blue-black color.As they age, a Selvaks coat begins to turn, silvery white patches appearing upon it's pelt.
    Selvaks have large pinkish red eyes, limiting their vision in the daylight. But at night they can see more clearly than any other nocturnal animal.
    
    Society
    Selvaks are pack hunters. Often using their young as bait to draw other predators to them. The mewling of an infant Selvak is almost a perfect match for a human infant.
    This draws in the Selvaks prefered food of choice. Humans.
    The pack will encircle their prey and attack from all sides. Their strong and sharp front teeth can easily pierce the thickest of leather armor. After the kill, the entire pack will eat their fill of the body. The only thing left is cracked and chipped bones. Not a drop of marrow is left.
    Young Selvaks, still to young to consume whole flesh, exist on a diet of the blood lapped up from the ground and marrow sucked from the bones.
    Selvaks are very territotorial..and some packs have been known to take down full grown bears and pick the body clean in a matter of hours.
    
    Enviroment
    Selvaks are the most at home in tropical like enviroments. Possessing a gland in their bodies to regulate heat and warmth. Some Selvak packs have been rumored to exist in snow covered forests that nestle the base of moutains.
    
    Weakness
    After consuming a large meal, the Selvaks will fall into a deep slumber which lasts for several days. So after the meal is eatten, they will return to their nests in the high canopy to sleep. They are very heavy sleepers. Only waking when the hunger gnaws at them again.

12. Hewdamia Animal

    #12

    Dark Unicorn
    A dark unicorn appears as a black unicorn that has had its horn uncurled and split. Where one horn rested, now two glossy black and twisted horns sit drinking the light as if it fed off of its brilliance. Their eyes glow a fierce red and their breath steams with anger and hatred.
    
    To kill a Unicorn is to bring bad luck and the hatred of nature itself down upon the foolish. It is said that the mate of a unicorn that is murdered will turn horrible in it’s pain and anger, turning against nature to hunt and kill the murderer of it’s mate. It turns dark and soulless and seeks nothing but the death of it’s enemy.
    
    A dark unicorn was once a majestic unicorn that has had or seen its mate murdered. Their hatred and sorrow consumes them from within and warps their morals and sensibilities turning them into a festering form of hatred that despises anything living. They can sometimes be found as being mounts for demonic beings. Their first task, however, is to avenge their mate and kill their murderer.
    
    The are still very intelligent, but they have lost their morals and compassion and will stop at nothing to avenge the death of their mate. Once they have witnessed the death of their mates murderer, they will seek out others of like mind to bring pain and sorrow to those of the living and natural world.

13. Snufflehorse

    #13

    A Snufflehorse appears to be very like a normal horse, but the front teeth are sharp fangs.The horse can eat both plants/grass and meat, and in the wild it preys on rabbits. It pretends to be a normal grass-eater, gets as close as it can, then gallops up and breaks the rabbit's neck with it's jaws.It then eats the rabbit down to the bones.It prefers meat but can get on fine eating grass. Another method it uses is to wait above a rabbit hole for a rabbit to come out.It has a very good sense of smell.
    
    Snufflehorses that are owned like their owners to feed meat to them,although they will accept other food. A well treated Snufflehorse will be totally loyal to it's owner and will defend it's owner to the death if it has to.A badly treated one will escape, or,if it cannot escape, will try to kill and eat it's owner.Most Snufflehorse owners are very good to them.

14. The Great Serpents

    #14

    The Great Serpents are the primary form of riding transportation for the Eshal. These massive, venomous creatures are one of the primary reasons that the Eshal were so successful in running roughshod over the cities of the Mer-folk. There are only two races who have learned to tame these beasts- the Eshal, and the mysterious Snake-Riders, men from the east of Tarrod who have recently begun to raid the Eshal while riding Great Serpents.
    
    Great Serpents are, on average, about 13 feet (about 4 meters) from snout to tip of the tail. Their bodies, save their underbellies, are lined with tiny, brightly-colored scales; there is a ridge of large, plate-like scales down the center. The head is reminiscent of a snake's, with horned ridges over the eyes and jawline. Like a land-borne snake, they smell with an organ in their tongue. They have short, triangular razor-sharp teeth, which they use to great effect; the edges of these teeth secrete a powerful venom.
    
    Great Serpents can travel very, very fast, faster than any land-horse, and are strong enough to crush the rider's enemies in the coils of its tail. They travel by undulating their bodies in a rapid fashion, and thus, riders of Great Serpents must either have a harness-bar (in the case of Eshal) or a harness-saddle (in the case of Snake-Riders).

15. Hewdamia Animal Transfered Forward

    #15

    Choke Horror
    Choke horrors are nightmarish creatures that give the most knowledgeable and adventurous pause. They are tall gangly bipedal creatures that have four whip like appendages instead of arms. These whips end in small, yet sharp claws that rake metal armor as would a sword. They have a white pallid complection and a smell of sweet decaying roses. This gives them a quick appearance of being a corpse if they hide their whip arms. Their black eyes showing no signs of intelligence or thought, but behind those eyes are primal predatory instincts.
    
    Resources
    They have no speech or culture, but will occasionally hunt in packs of two or three. They are single minded and devious, wanting only to feed. They tend to lurk and hide in the shadows and jump out at a anyone or anything straggling behind for an easier meal. They will attempt to grapple their intended prey with two of their arms leaving the other two open for defense or attacking and try and strangle their victim to feed on at a later date.
    
    Home
    They can only attack with three of their whips as the forth one is always left for defense or to grab anything close for defense or food. They are carnivorous creatures that will eat the flesh from their victims before their last breath escapes their lips. They will eat any animal they can get a hold of, but prefer humanoid and sentient beings for some unknown reason. They rest in dens hidden away from direct sunlight as the sun seems to hurt their eyes. It doesn’t harm them, but bright light seems to be an aversion to them.

16. Ranchowen

    #16

    Ranchowen are aquatic beasts that are ridden by high ranking Eshal warriors. A lot more comfortable to ride than Great Serpents and infinitely more docile,they are highly prized live stock that are bred and reared in special hatcheries by skilled Eshal animal trainers and herders.
    
    The Rachowen is a large but fast beast which can travel quicky in both water and land. It has a large but sleek body that normally measures 15 feet from the large head that resembles a lizard's,to it's trailing prehensile tail that is ridged with small bony protusions,used to spear small fish and has 6 strong legs that end in webbed feet. With strong,fast strides of it's legs, it can cut through water easily. On land it can lope fast on those same legs,although it won't be as anywhere as fast as is in water. The most distinguishing thing about it however,is the large,colourfully patterened carpace that covers it's back.Resembling an over sized turtle shell,it is a wide,oval surface on which even a large Eshal warrior can rest his rear comfortably. The rest of it's body is covered with a tough grey hide.
    
    Now to describe the advantages it enjoys over the Great Serpents. It has remarkable endurance and though not as fast as a Great Serpent,it can run or swim for far longer without tiring.In addition,unlike Great Serpents that are know for their foul tempers,Ranchowen are intellignt,good natured things that are easily trained,only snapping in self defence when attacked. The one disadvantage is that they reach sexual maturity slowly and are thus hard to breed.

17. Animals

    #17

    Carvitons - land sharks
    
    Carvitons bare a strong resemblance to their water dwelling cousins, including the large dorsal fin.Carvitons will come up for air every 3 hours.
    
    Appearance
    An adult Carviton male will reach up to 10 feet in length. And will weigh roughly 120 pounds. They are surprisingly agile creatures through the sand dunes.
    An adult female reaches only 13 feet in length. Females weigh about 135 pounds.
    Carvitons have very thick pebbly hides that are very hard to pierce with conventional weapons.
    Their markings range from spots to some stripes on a dark brown setting. The female Carviton will sport a bright red underbelly during mating season which takes place every 16 years. The season lasts for a duration of 3 months.
    
    Society
    Carvitons tend to be solitary hunters. It is rare to see more than one sharing an hunting area of 20 miles. How ever, if more than one is discovered in the area, it is most likely a mother teaching her young to hunt. Or there is a large dead body nearby.
    Some legends say that a small group of carvitons can be seen trailing behind any carivan brave enough to face the desert, picking off those who start to fall behind.
    
    Enviroment
    Carvitons can be found in vast desert regions. The females can be seen breeching the sand dunes in the fading dusk. Though they prefer a fresh kill, Carvitons will settle upon eating those who have the misfortune to die out in the desert.
    
    Weakness
    Water. Carvitons cannot move through water. Or water soaked ground. They possess this ability to predict a coming storm in the desert and will rise above the desert sands until the storm has passed. However, storms in the desert are very rare.

18. Webbats

    #18

    The Webbats are predators of the hot desert regions, massive bats with a twelve foot wingspan, very good eyesight, and the ability to do what no other bat can do...spit web from a gland beneath it's jaws. It flies down like an eagle on it's prey and spits a jet of web just in front so that the prey runs into the web, and then comes down within a few seconds and bites the prey with it's fang-filled beak.The fangs secrete a poison that can kill anything rabbit size or smaller on the spot and injure larger prey quite badly. The poison also causes gangrene if the wounds are not treated witin an hour, so an injured prey that escapes will soon die.
    
    The bats will not fly in daylight unless they have to, as it's too hot for them and the sun hurts their sensitive eyes. They live in caves, mate for life, and have litters of six or seven batlings that are fed by their parents for a year before they can hunt for themselves. They normally will not attack humans, as they think them too dangerous to attack (a meal of human is not worth having one's wings slashed.) They will fight back if their caves are invaded,however. And if the father or mother or one of the little batlings are killed, then the entire family, even in daylight, will swoop down and try and kill the person who did it, even leaving their cave to pursue the killer.

19. Gartrap

    #19

    The poisonous Gartraps are the bane of the desert and semi desert. They are the same colour as the sand in which they hide and can change colour to blend with the background. Fully grown ones are the size of a bear trap, although there are myths of huge ones. A Gartrap looks rather like a heavily armoured toad, with four eyes instead of two, and huge jaws, that make up 40% of the body size. These are full of poison-filled fangs, slashing teeth, and molars, and a fully-grown Gartrap can bite off a dog's leg and break the ankle of a human, and the poison causes gangrene if untreated. They live along the banks of rivers and oasises.
    
    They ambush creatures, hiding in the sand and snapping when a foot or a paw comes within snapping distance. They are slow creatures that use their armour for defense.Only a crushing-type weapon or a very sharp blade can kill a Gartrap.The armour from a freshly killed Gartrap can make a decent breastplate for a dwarf.
    
    They are generally territorial and when one Gartrap intrudes on another, rather then kill each other, they mesaure the size of each other's jaws and the largest jaw size wins the territory. Once a year they mate, and the area is full of the sound of croaking Gartraps looking for mates. Each mated female Gartrap lays two eggs and defends them with her life. Very few creatures will even try to eat a Gartrap's eggs. They can live for up to 150 years, and the biggest Gartrap ever found was the size of a human-sized breastplate.
    
    OOC-Thank you ScorpianJinx for the name of "Gartrap".

20. Animals

    #20

    Carvitons - land sharks

    
    
    knock knock knock "Candygram."
    
    "You can't fool me. You're that carviton, aren't you?"
    
    "Um, I'm really a dolphin."

21. Crats

    #21

    Crats are a large insectivore. They are commonly found among the treetops in the wild, but have taken to living in barns & attics in settled areas. Their name derives from their most common description "rats the size of cats."
    
    While they are neither rodent nor feline, they do have certain traits in common with both. They possess curved and sharp claws, and a propensity for climbing, similar to cats, but the claws of a crat are not retractable. They also have padded feet, but lack the feline grace needed for truely silent motion. In general appearance, they greatly resemble rats, including the naked tail. They also have pronounced front teeth, but these are sharply pointed, rather than rodent-like. They share the habit of gnawing with rodents, albeit to a much reduced degree.
    
    While their ecological niche is useful to farmers--they eat harmul insects & their sheer size frightens away many rodents in the same areas--crats are considered pests. This is in part due to the damage they cause in building nests; crats do not keep one nest, but change location every few weeks. Additionally, their size, aggressive tendencies (as insectivores they are predatory, even if two-legged creatures aren't on the menu), and resemblance to rats do not endear them to those whose buildings they inhabit.
    
    The natural enemies of crats are the reptilian publicans.

22. Drainers

    #22

    OOC-I got the idea through a really bad dream.
    
    IC-Drainers are large orange leeches a foot long, with a round toothy mouth and a hunger for blood, that live like their smaller cousins in swampy areas. They swim in packs of up to twelve strong and will all attack at once. The mothers carry their inch long babies within their mouths for protection and if the mother is killed, the babies will swarm out and attack the killer.
    
    The colour warns creatures that might eat them that they taste horrible.
    
    The bite has poison in it that has a mild sedative affect, making creatures tire easily.
    
    Salt will kill the leeches on contact, whilst fire will scare them away. Sugar will make them detach to eat the sugar as they like the taste of sugar better then blood.

23. Animals

    #23

    Squicken - 3 legged chicken/monkey/squirrels
    
    Squickens are the kleptos of the animal kingdom.
    
    Appearance
    The basic squicken has 3 legs. One in the front, with two legs located in the back of it's bird-like body. Squickens do not have wings, they have 2 arms that end in small hand like appendages with 3 fingers and 2 oppossable thumbs. Squickens sport the reagal and soft feathers like that of a chinese silkie Instead of a bird like face, squickens have a face that is very mammal like. An oval shaped head with large rounded ears and a feral snout, their mouths even in a relaxed state always seem to be smiling. The Squickens have large bulging luminous green eyes that do not appear to have any eyelids. However, this is not true. Squickens do have eyelids the close diagonally instead of horizontaly, eyes retreact into their skull briefly when blinking. Squickens have light, hollow bones like birds.
    An adult male squicken stands roughly 4 feet tall. Male squickens are black and sport a multihued elaborate tail similar to a peacock.
    An adult female squicken stands roughly 5 feet tall and are a reddish brown hue. They have short less elaborate tails that sport dark brown and black plumes.
    Squicken offspring - Squeakers have downy fur like feathers that molt within their first year. During this time a Squeaker will give the appearance of having mange.
    White Squickens are very rare, extremely vicious and more carnivorous than the others. A white Squicken can be either male or female and are insane.
    
    Society
    Squickens are solitary animals.Preferring to live alone and not in troops or flocks. Once a year the squickens will swarm swamp like regions for the purpose of breeding. After mating the female will lay her eggs and covers them with debris such as moss and other rotting materials. This will help incubate the eggs. It takes 28 days , from the time they were laid to the time they hatch. A squeaker only needs it's mother for 3 days, after that it can forage for it's self.
    Squickens eat vegatation, small bugs and will on ocassion be carrion eaters.
    Squickens are very territorial and almost violent to anything passing through their area.
    
    Enviroment
    Squicken territorries extend for several miles. They prefer forest regions with low shrubs and swamp like conditions.
    
    Weakness
    Shiny objects. Squickens are drawn to anything that sparkles. It is known that travelers have been attacked in the past. kniock to the ground and their pockets and pouches sifted through by the squicken until it finds what it wants. Sometimes it is a necklace or a piece of armor that catches their eye. Squickens are profficient at rolling seasoned travelers to steal their armor.They are also extremely fast, hitting their target, taking what they want, and fleeing before their victim knows what hit them. And then the squicken will retreat making hooting sounds of joy, like monkeys.
    
    Squickens keep their shiny objects in small clearing so that they might sit and watch the sun sparkle off of their horde. Over time dirt and debris will cover the treasures and the squicken will wander off in search of new shiny objects. it is not unusual to find clumps of jewels, silverware and other shiny objects to be found under rotting piles of leaves and feathers within squicken territory.

24. Zaben

    #24

    Zabans are a classic example of a wizard's tinkering with life gone horribly wrong,a warning to those who would meddle with life. A century ago,the wizard Hlatar of Astaroph was given the task of creating an elite army of aquatic beings for the amphibious assault by the king of the island city state he lived in. These warriors when created,would be sent against a rival located on the mainland. Though armed with a powerful fleet to guard it's coast against such assaults,the admirals of that nation would be helpless against forces that would simply swim across the strait separating them from their arch foes on the island city state. And so it was that the ambitious but foolish king ordered his court wizard,the equally ambitious and foolish Hlatar to design troops that could breathe both out of water and in it.
    
    To Hlatar the answer was obvious. Cross the ocean's most dangerous predator with one of the most cunning foes known to humanity. Thus it was that in a giant tank in his lab, the Zaban were born. The result of the magical merging between a goblin and a bull shark,these creatures were vicious and deadly. Sufficient numbers were created and they were moved to a pen built along the coast of a rocky isle,where they were to await their training. But before this could happen,disaster struck. A massive storm hit the island and the creatures escaped into the wide ocean.
    
    The Zaben are truly the stuff of nightmares. Measuring ten feet from head to tail,these beings have a shark's ugly head and scythed tail but the straggly mane and powerful arms and legs of an orc,albeit limbs that are streamlined and equipped with webbing between their respective appendages for easier movement through water. Armed with both lungs and gills,they can move at will out of the water. And they are drawn to a single drop of blood. Many fishermen and swimmers have been devoured by these foul things and many a costal villages has found itself having to fend off a small group of Zaben. To make matters worse,the Zaben can survive in rivers as easily as it can in the ocean,thanks to it's bull shark heritage. Zaben will kill and eat anything smaller then them that they find,including each other. A younger Zaben that happens to run into a ravenous adult,would be advised to make a quick escape,lest it end up in the belly of it's elder. The only time you can find them in large numbers is during a feeding frenzy,when all of them are too busy filling their bellies with shipwrecked sailors or the inhabitants of a fishing village. Even then,wounded Zaben end up becoming part of the meal. But there are times when the Zaben break from this pattern to surprise their quarries. When attacking a well defended fishing village,the Zaben bring their blood lust under control and actually work together to take down any warriors or fighters guarding the village,sometimes even wielding primitive weapons made of the bones of their victims. Sadly,this spirit of intelligent cooperation lasts only as long as it takes to dispatch the guardians. After that the usual feeding frenzy takes place. A race with the potential to become sentient is held back by it's shark heritage.

25. Order Dragons - Drakonus Legitus

    #25

    Transfered
    Drakonus Legitus is commonly know as Order Dragons or (rarely) as Companion Dragons. They are known as Order Dragon for several reasons, the most obvious was that they were used as Dragon Mounts for the Dragon Knights of the Order of Eternal Flame... a mythic order from an earlier time. There numbers in the wild are quite small and there are no captive ones known... at this time. Most of them died with the Order.
    
    Order Dragons are good sized beasts, ranging from eight to fourteen strides from nose to tail (4 to 7 meters) (with 30-40% being tail), and a wing span half again that. Order Dragons have only two wings and two legs, rather than the four with two wings of other dragons. Their weight is light, four to seven men can carry one. They are a variety of colors, all natural earthtones and greens upon their reptile like scales. There is normally two or three related colors on each beast.
    
    They can run at horses trotting pace. They can fly twice as fast as a horse can run, more so if they can catch a wind. Even when burdened with a rider.
    
    Their endurance is nearly magical. They can carry 100Kgs of additional mass for hours of flight. If there is a wing they can catch, this time can be extended.
    
    Order Dragons can generate a variety of firey blasts from their mouth, from a simple belch (fireball) to a firey stream, and even an arc of flame. Some are said to be able to generate a fireball that exploded and cascaded. A dragon can shoot fire almost unlimtedly, if they pace themselves. Too much fire in a short time and they will be unable to flame and their flight speed will be halved.
    
    They are manlike in their intelligence, but they have little motivation beyond the occasional need for food.
    
    They are the mounts of the Order of Eternal Flame. They are the most obvious symbol of the order, though FireGems are their identifiers
    
    Reference
    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=29739#29739
    and the items of
    Fire Gems and Wells of Fire Gems
    http://www.strolen.com/items/viewitem.php?item_id=471
    http://www.strolen.com/items/viewitem.php?item_id=472

26. Karnan

    #26

    Karnan are large semi-aquatic creatures that favor river deltas, but can be found in swamps and rivers.
    
    The Body covered by its "shell" (which is actually a thick hide rather than a hard shell) is usually a meter to a meter and a half in length (three to five feet), with the width being two thirds the length. Its long flexible neck is normally about a meter long. Its four long flexible legs, ending in strong webbed claws, are normally half a meter in length. The weight averages around 200kgs (450 lbs).
    
    Because it looks something like a turtle, people expect it to be slow. On land, it can "sprint" for short distances faster than a buck or other forest herd creature. It is faster as than alligator or hippo in the water in the sprint. Its general speed is a bit slow in comparison to its prey or other animals (but still faster than a human). They are known for suprise strikes with their long necks from under the water.
    
    The long neck and row of teeth make a Karnan bite quite dangerous. It's flexible neck allows it to hold its prey in its strong claws, and take bites out of it. Its dietary habits are much like a bears, meat when it can get it, plants when it can't.
    
    The shell of dense hide, rather than a thin bonelike shell, is a good thumb length in thickness. It is used as armor for some native peoples who do not use metal, and cookwear by others (waterproof and such).
    
    A good use for Karnan is eating them before they eat you, your horse, or your dog.
    http://www.strolen.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=30372#30372

27. Great Swans

    #27

    A Great Swan is very much like a normal swan in many ways. It can be up to twice the size, however, and there are teeth within the beak.The beak also repels mind control spells and has a small chance (up to 10%) of repeling other spells as well.
    
    Great Swans eat what normal swans eat, plus small fish.They mate for life and have up to three children.There are many creatures who consider Great Swan cygnets a tasty treat, but the Great Swans will attack anything that tries to eat them or their cygnets or eggs.Most creatures therefore leave them alone.If a human kills a cygnet both Great Swans will fly into the sky and then swoop down and attack.If they think a frontal assualt would be suicidal they will bomb with smelly poop and call upon other Great Swans for help.And a whole squadron of Great Swans is dangerous even to a swordsman.
    
    There is a myth that Great Swans can curse humans.

28. Gar-Monkeys

    #28

    This "species" was created when a wizard (one Sherizan by name) attempted to create Gargoyle like creatures to be his minion. The Gar-Monkeys were the natural creature that became stepping stone of Sherizan's GarGronds (Huge Flying Stone Gorillas)
    
    During an "unfortunate event" at his lair, a few breeding pairs of Gar-Monkeys were released. A few centuries later, they had flourished and spread across the Lands. In some areas, the replace crows and pigons as the nuisance fly creatures.
    
    Gar-Monkey look like small chimpanzees with long (nearly prehensile) tails and two feathery wings. They are nearly as strong and durable as a human male, though they are a little more than 1/3 the size. Gar-Monkeys are as smart as chimps as well, so they will occasionally use things they pick up. They are also "trainable", so they are used to carry messages and as entertainment.
    
    note: Many people have captured large numbers of Gar-Monkeys to experiment on them, all in an attempt to make GarGronds of their own.

29. Swan Drake

    #29

    Not dragons proper, these beasts are often beheld in the respect that is commonly reserved for other beatific wildlife such as unicorn and pegasi. The Swan Drake weighs on average 500 to 550 kg, and has a body roughly the size of a medium sized horse. Their tails are long, tapering to a whip like point, and they have long necks, often twice the proportionate length of a normal occidental dragon. Their wings and legs are slender and graceful, and the toes are held together in a tight group, rather than splaying out in a heavy reptile fashion.
    
    The Swan Drake has a narrow head, but a deep jawline. This gives it a small, but a very strong bite. It primarily feeds on freshwater fish, and wading birds. Not surprisingly, this creature is most commonly found in water areas such as freshwater swamps and areas of glacial lakes. they are also meticulously clean animals, grooming themselves constantly in the manner of a feline. They come in a variety of colors, but females are invariably muted in color, drab greys, and greens being the most common. Males, on the other hand can be vivid red, sky blue, or even a semi-metallic yellow. Sages and druids recognize these different colors as different species, but it is of little concern.
    
    The drake has the intelligence of a pre-adolescent child, and will cultivate attractive plants around it's preferred feeding area and den. They will stalk PCs, but more out of curiosity than malice. Surprisingly, the drake abhors unnatural magic and its creations. They will attack the undead with claw and narrow streams of scarlet and green flame. They can also be compelled to protect areas from poachers, or from magical creations such as golems, or other synthetic creations.

30. Fey Hound Full page Transfered

    #30

    A fey hound is a majestic animal, blending feline and wolf aspects to form a complete graceful animal.
    
    Appearance
    A fey hound is rather large, with it’s shoulders sitting at about 5 ½’ and it’s very intelligent eyes that glimmer in total darkness. It looks like a wolf, however it has the speed and the grace of a great feline similar to a panther. It's coat is very soft and dark. dark browns and blacks are very common, with shades of grey spotted throughout.
    
    When actually seen, it is viewed as a good omen or good luck. Their coats are coveted by poachers and collectors and a live young hound is worth a king's ransom in some places. Softer than silk and more durable than common leather and fur, the rich and wealthy pay a fortune to own such a unique and rarely found item.
    
    Society
    Fey Hounds live in small family pacts. Usually a male is head of the family and the rest follow his lead. On average a family pact will be anywhere from two to five hounds living together, roaming the countryside. The females nurture their young until they are old enough to fend on their own. The young usually only stay a few years after their birth, then move on to make family pacts of their own.
    
    They are very close knit and will protect one of their own kind as often as one of their own pact.
    
    Personality
    They are very shy and skittish of outside people, mostly humans and other bipeds. They learned long ago that not all of the bipeds are the same. While some respect them other covet them. They tend to stay away from populated areas and will usually hide when people approach.
    
    They are very good natured however, and if the trust of one can be garnered then it is a trust and respect for the life of the family pact. They let others of their kind know who they trust and who they don't. Their communication is very broad and swift.
    
    They are helpers of those who call the wilderness their home. They will come to the aid of someone who calls their home the same as the hounds. As long as they have gained the respect of the male of the pact, then they will be viewed as a friend. Stories of harsh winters where pacts of hounds hunted for trapped weary frontiersmen filter through the wilderness towns and villages. Gathering food and branches for fire to keep them warm.
    
    They have a hatred toward all things unnatural and will often join the fight when dealing with any creature fitting that quality. They have a special dislike toward worgs. Where they will often fight to the death just to remove one from their natural order. They travel in small packs and are rarely seen alone.

31. Sun Hawks

    #31

    Sun Hawks are the largest of the Hawks (just short of Eagle sized). Though its size is excessive, the rest of its features fit that of Hawks rather than Eagles. Its native environments is that of the vast river canyons and the surrounding semi-arrid regions. It is highly intelligent (even for a raptor). They tend to live in loose communities, of 3 to 5 bonded pairs (plus 1 or 2 "unattacheds") in a given region. The wing will sometimes hunt together and will feed the occasional injured member. Its strident vocalization can be heard for quite a distance and seems to be used for coordination between members of the wing.
    
    Its hunting behavior as well as its plumage express its name. Sun Hawks are high flyers with very sharp eyes. They will dive out of the sun to either strike, rake, or drive a prey towards other members of the Wing. Together, a wing can take down animals nearly as large as an Elk.
    
    Sun Hawks have distinctive plumage. It is a redish, blond brown that nearly glistens. It shines like gold if the sunlight is right. This coloration (and the size of the feathers) make the feathers highly sought after.
    
    Sun Hawks are used as symbols of faith for the sun worshipers of the region. Their intelligence, ability to fly higher than most animals, and great power, makes them obvious symbolic choices for spirit messengers.

32. Omen Birds

    #32

    Omen Birds are the harbringers of death and bad things to come. They accompany war/ battle, monsters, pestilance, and disaster. They follow the bringers of such as well as selecting their victims.
    
    They are a large black bird with blood red hooked beak, sharp claws, feather crest, and wingtips. Their eyes are red and black. Omen Birds are their own unique Orders, somewhere between Passeriformes (crows/ ravens) and Accipitriformes (Eagles/ Hawks/ Raptors). They exhibit traits of both. They travel in "plagues" of 20 to 100. While they are effective hunters, they prefer to scavange meals from the kills of others. (Their raptor-esk advantages allowing them to defend their meals from other scavengers). They are quite perceptive and highly intelligent. A Plague will roughly follow an army or militia unit, large carnivores (monsters), and groups of hunters (human or animals). They seem to know these things will provide them carrion. If their scouts find a "food source" for the given group or creature they are following, such as another army/ bands, villages, or food animals, they will often circle or roost near them, as if they were staking out the future kill. They also seem to be quite aware of the world below them, as they will flock towards areas with less water and food, waiting for the weak to die. Their cunning in this regard is quite marked. It show a level of intelligence that makes most people uncomfortable.
    
    When pressed for food, or when under a certain madness (perhaps signals that only they can sense), a Plague will actually descend on a target or area, attacking and killing for food. Normally they will attack a group of people or animals, but then stop and eat the first kill. Sometimes they will hunt a single individual, and not give up for weeks. (There are tales of people who have hidden indoors for weeks waiting for a Plauge to leave, only to leave months later and be attacked). There are abandoned small villages that were killed off by an Omen Bird Attack.
    
    Note: These animals are strong carriers of mammal disease. Their feces is often so germ filled, that it can infect water source or even cities/ villages/ camps. So the presence of Omen Birds can start diseases and even plagues.
    
    Note: Kinslayer, this is a Midian animal.

33. From Poe to Hitchcock

    #33

    Why, thank you, sir.
    
    Would these be any kin to the harbinger birds?

    Some who live in the northeast of the Byzant Empire feel that a harbinger bird that finds its way into someone's home and sings its sad dirge, foretells the death of an inhabitant within a few days. Interestingly, these birds are not harmed—they are seen as messengers rather than causes of death—and the belief is that killing the bird means the death of everyone in the house. Besides, if two harbinger birds get into the house and sing, then they bring good luck and prosperity.

    This is pretty much how I envisioned the harbingers, lacking only the large-flock aggressive behaviour.

34. Animals

    #34

    Since this is a animals/ creatures thread I had a question. Not to swing it off topic.
    
    I have noticed a few creatures who seem overly large. Possibly even an average animal or insect that is large or a giant compared to it's usual kind. That being said. How strong do you determine them to be. Not number wise, because number and stats can be confusing for gamers.
    
    For instance, a giant spider... how strong could it be? How heavy an object could it lift with it's front legs? That is the question I am confronted with. So a spider that is 8' tall for instance or larger?

35. Animals

    #35

    I know that there are inherent physics problems with doing things as said in this post, but since we're all suspending our sense of disbelief when considering extra-large creatures anyways, lets let our simplistic imaginations do the work for us.
    
    Well, assuming that such a thing is even possible (which it isn't without magic or illusion), one would probably be able to take the strength that an animal or insect might normally have and multiply it by how large it grew.
    
    A normal ant is said to be able to pick up 50x it's body weight. So if an ant were able to grow to ten times the size of normal, it's strength would be ten times as great as normal, making it able to pick up 500x it's own weight. So, if you wished to know how much a spider could pick up at 8', simply figure out what the size difference is, how much it can normally lift, then multiply the two together for your result.
    
    Simplistic? Yes, but will it work in a fantasy setting without too many problems? Most likely.

36. Animals

    #36

    Tried attempting to find out the strength of a spider... al lI get is web strength... I need Moonhunters google foo right now.
    
    Thanks Choas. I figured pretty much the same thing... but was hoping someone had already done the work :)

37. Animals

    #37

    Indeed. Moonhunter's google-foo would be helpful as of now, for mine powers are not strong...*cries*

38. Animals

    #38

    
    A normal ant is said to be able to pick up 50x it's body weight. So if an ant were able to grow to ten times the size of normal, it's strength would be ten times as great as normal, making it able to pick up 500x it's own weight. So, if you wished to know how much a spider could pick up at 8', simply figure out what the size difference is, how much it can normally lift, then multiply the two together for your result.
    
    Simplistic? Yes, but will it work in a fantasy setting without too many problems? Most likely.

    
    
    Ack. No. The reason an ant can pick up 50x its own bodyweight has to do with the fact that muscular power becomes exponentially greater the smaller the creature. That's also the reason that a human being may be able to pick up his own body weight, but an elephant would find the same task impossible.
    
    If you really want to figure out how strong an 8' long spider would be, compare it to a real life animal. Say, a tiger. An 8 foot tiger could physically drag or push about 800 pounds of sliding material with its entire body. With some logical reasoning, you could assume that the legs of an 8' long spider could push/pull about 100 pounds max.

39. Animals

    #39

    Why is 100 lbs seem a little on the unusually low side?

40. Animals

    #40

    Ack. No. The reason an ant can pick up 50x its own bodyweight has to do with the fact that muscular power becomes exponentially greater the smaller the creature. That's also the reason that a human being may be able to pick up his own body weight, but an elephant would find the same task impossible.

    
    
    Well thank the Light above I put a disclaimer saying I knew there were physics problems, otherwise I'd feel like a fool. Anywho, thankies for that lovely fact, now we know.
    
    On a side note, might Moonhunter be able to help us if he finds this? Perhaps back up the 100lbs claim?

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