Difference between revisions of "Bestiary"

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During the pre-history of the world the elder dragons a complete ecosystem not dissimilar to that of old Earth, full of plants, animals, insects, and all the myriad creatures that make an ecosystem sustainable. Then the dragons created the Ilthura to shepherd the world and retired.
During the pre-history of the world the elder dragons created a complete ecosystem not dissimilar to that of old Earth full of plants, animals, insects, and all the myriad creatures that make an ecosystem sustainable. Then the dragons created the Ilthura to shepherd the world. Finally the dragons retired to a perpetual sleep in the middle of the Tempest Sea.


In time the Ilthura became lonely and lazy and created many races of creatures to serve them. Primary among these are the elves and dwarves, the first creations of the Ilthura, but there are many more. Some of these were creative and clever, some were slow and dumb. These thrall races were each created to serve a specific purpose and their physiology reflects that.
In time the Ilthura became ambitious and lazy and created many races of creatures to serve them. Primary among these are the elves and dwarves, the greatest creations of the Ilthura, but there are many more. Some of these were creative and clever, some were slow and dumb. These thrall races were each created to serve a specific purpose and their physiology reflects that.


When the Ilthura split into factions and conflict erupted between them they began creating more monstrous creatures designed for war. Many of these monsters still exist, left behind and abandoned by the Ilthura.
When the Ilthura split into factions and conflict erupted between them they began creating more monstrous creatures designed for war. Many of these monsters still exist, left behind and abandoned by the Ilthura. These monsters also have physiology that reflects their purpose; many are designed to seek out and destroy magic.


More recently advances in magical techniques have allowed the creation of elementals, golems, and undead creatures. These magical constructs are created by humans, dwarves, and orcs as servants, guards, and warriors bound (at least initially) to the control of the creator.
More recent advances in magical techniques have allowed the creation of elementals, golems, and undead. These magical constructs are created by humans, dwarves, and orcs as servants, guards, and warriors bound (at least initially) to the control of the creator.


Only a small sample of these creatures are described here below.
Only a small sample of these creatures are described here below.

Revision as of 12:27, 21 January 2022

During the pre-history of the world the elder dragons created a complete ecosystem not dissimilar to that of old Earth full of plants, animals, insects, and all the myriad creatures that make an ecosystem sustainable. Then the dragons created the Ilthura to shepherd the world. Finally the dragons retired to a perpetual sleep in the middle of the Tempest Sea.

In time the Ilthura became ambitious and lazy and created many races of creatures to serve them. Primary among these are the elves and dwarves, the greatest creations of the Ilthura, but there are many more. Some of these were creative and clever, some were slow and dumb. These thrall races were each created to serve a specific purpose and their physiology reflects that.

When the Ilthura split into factions and conflict erupted between them they began creating more monstrous creatures designed for war. Many of these monsters still exist, left behind and abandoned by the Ilthura. These monsters also have physiology that reflects their purpose; many are designed to seek out and destroy magic.

More recent advances in magical techniques have allowed the creation of elementals, golems, and undead. These magical constructs are created by humans, dwarves, and orcs as servants, guards, and warriors bound (at least initially) to the control of the creator.

Only a small sample of these creatures are described here below.

Servitor Races

Servitor races were created to serve the Ilthura as craftsmen and domestic servants. They tend to be creative and clever and small.

  • Elves were the primary domestic servants for the Ilthura. They are small and nimble and very clever.
  • Dwarves were the craftsmen for the Ilthura. They are short and sturdy and very creative.
  • Imps are tiny creatures that serve as couriers and spies.

Thrall Races

Thrall races were created as laborers and beasts of burden. They tend to be very strong and not very intelligent.

  • Trolls were created as beasts of burden and hard labor. They are large and strong and dumb and regenerate from damage very quickly.
  • Ettercap are humanoid spiders able to create strong cables and webs. Although the purpose of their creation is uncertain they are often known to lay traps and capture creatures in their webs, leaving them unmolested until they die of natural causes.
  • Slimes are amorphous creatures apparently designed as garbage collectors. They come in many varieties specific to an environment and "eat" everything they come across. Once an area is clear of debris they will hibernate or move on to a new area.
  • Morlocks are subterranean troglodytes who collect and hoard valuables. They are about the size of elves but adapted to the underdark. They are incredibly stealthy and are able to take a shiny sword out of an adventurer's scabbard without anyone noticing.
  • Nymphs are to the overworld as Morlocks are to the underdark. They are able to blend it to their environment, making them nearly undetectable even in broad daylight.

Monsters

Monsters were created in many varieties, each designed to attack and destroy rival Ilthura or their servitors.

  • Wyverns are the greatest of the monsters, designed to hunt out and destroy all magical energy.
  • Basilisk are horse sized beasts with tough skin and deadly venom that they can project with great accuracy. A flying basilisk is called a cockatrice.
  • Hydra are large and voracious snakes which can split themselves into multiple hydra. A single hydra can quickly overrun and consume a population.
  • Dopplegangers are able to change their shape and color to mimic almost any other medium sized creature in order to infiltrate and assassinate. They have no true shape, always taking on the appearance of something else.
  • Kraken is a massive beast of the sea. Although rare they are powerful enough to destroy a fleet of ships.
  • Manticore are ferocious winged lion-like reptiles that fly in small packs, attacking and destroying any groups of creatures they find.
  • Sphinx is a beautiful creature usually described as a winged lion with an elven face and features of ineffable beauty. Any creature that sees it or hears it is overcome with calm and peace and loses all desire to cause harm, even in its own defense.
  • Tarrasque lives in the vast deserts of Babalar. It is a huge creature that destroys everything in it's path; none who have seen it nearby have lived and none that have seen it from afar are able to describe it. Nothing can stop it.

Constructs

Magical constructs are created by summoning and binding elemental energy into inanimate objects. Only Ilthura magic can create such creatures and requires immense skill and power.

  • Golems are constructs of stone and metal that that have been bound with and animated by an elemental entity. These are the easiest constructs to create and the dwarves are masters of this craft.
  • Undead are dead plants and animals that have been bound to and animated by an elemental entity. Most undead continue to decompose normally, although some elementals are able to preserve the host they occupy. The creation of undead was discovered by humans and nearly led to the downfall of the Armada empire.
  • Elementals are creatures of magical energy bound to a living creature. These creatures can not be created by skill but can self-create in the presence of extreme magical activity. Elementals are always very powerful and may also be called "demons", "devils", or "angels" depending on the nature of the elemental.