Our Lovely Contestants-
@Aley @haredrier @TheSilverFox
Round Two-Bestiary Entry
I was torn as to what to choose for this topic-- At first, I was going to simply name it "Ecology", but I felt that doesn't really line up with the competition's goal. I want to see your worlds through the scope of a single interesting feature of it. To that end--
A Bestiary Entry! Make your fantastic beast and tell me where to find it. Where does it thrive, why? It's appearance, lifespan, interesting features. Maybe it's evolved luminous feathers to attract insects, maybe it can lull it's prey into trances. Is it hunted, worshiped, utilized by humanity?
I'm looking for interesting creatures. I want to, through them get a glimpse into other features of the world. Maybe the creature is adapted to a certain terrain, or perhaps the locals have a phrase surrounding it. It doesn't necessarily have to be a majestic four-winged fire-breathing lizard bird. It could be a horrific eel that haunts the shores, a creeping living shadow.
At any rate, I'm excited to see what you all come up with!
Deadline (Extensions permitted if required); The 30th of January.
Throw your entry or any questions below.
The Compendium Competition- Round Two
16 posts in this topic.
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can you keep reminding me about this DX I saw the notification for this and skimmed it, but I was doing something else at the time and I JUST remembered to come and read it for realzies.
If you could like, poke me every 2 days or so, until the 30th, I would GREATLY appreciate it! If that's too hand holding I understand, I'm going to write it on my white board, but I'd love you forever? -
Can they be sentient creatures?
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Aley;
I will poke good.
Also, feather, no. They can have some intelligence, but should typically be beasts.
(Also, Feather, if you didn't see the last post, you've been knocked out of the competition I'm afraid). -
what if we don't really have any unique, non-sentient creatures in our world that haven't been done before?
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Oh lol I didn't see that. I didn't see the second page XD. Alrighty then
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Hm... fair enough, I'll allow sentience in that case. I just feel like there's a fine line between Races and the kinds of things that would actually be in Bestiaries, but go ahead.
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These are texts found within the personal journals and information of the head researcher in an expedition established by the Royal Library of The Pillar of the West. This expedition, thanks to the civil war in Azarelf that divided it into two nations, was the last conducted by the Royal Library, who was forced to abandon its researchers and most of their information in the Selkht Feit, or Spider Forest. These particular pieces were among the few that were sent by messenger before the outbreak of war.
Spoiler
The few weeks I have spent here thus far have been among the worst of my life. This place is disturbing, as the trees blot out the sun only a short ways into the forest, and the locals and creatures therein are equally strange and eerie. Here is where the facsimiles of human civilization fall apart in favor of a hunter-and-gatherer lifestyle, where the locals fervently despise any intrusion on their lives and cultures, and have thus far not let us probe too deeply into either. That there should be something that even scares the inhuman residents of this land could have been the sole motivator behind our quick exit. However, we were curious to see if such rumors were true, and if this creature in question could be feared...
...It is hard to describe. The creature is tiny, being only as tall as a man's boot. Spherical, it exhibits basic anatomical features, particularly a wide mouth, long arms, and sensory organs that, while not visible, must exist, as it seems to watch us when we move past it, and tries to imitate our sounds with its own cries. While it would be otherwise completely unremarkable, as this is what we have seen among almost all animal life here, the fact that it is entirely made of thorny plant material is infinitely intriguing, and we are at work investigating the imprisoned creature to learn more about it and its behavior.
...its sentience was left to doubt, as it did nothing more than watch us and gravitated towards light and water sources, but it showed extreme aggression when provoked. In our attempts to open it, it was able to break free from its cage and run into the forest, whereupon it began to grab the nearby tendrils and vines and consume them, growing in size. It lasted out at three of our men, and only the efforts of a few torches was able to drive it back into the woods, from which it has not since returned. All three men are currently being treated, but none appear to have significant injuries. More were injured by the creature's high-pitched screams and tenacity to break off parts of itself to use as projectiles. We hope to capture other specimens, but now have plans to be far warier about their usage.
...We were able to coerce a nearby tribe of locals into informing us on the origins of such creatures when we presented them one within a cage. They refer to it as a name that I cannot easily spell or pronounce, but effectively means "spider killer" in their language. All else they discussed fell into the grounds of fairytales, as they called such creatures the servants of something called The Queen of Thorns. Eternally driven by insatiable curiosity and knowledge, The Queen, too unintentionally destructive in person, had apparently sent out these creatures to scour the landscape in search of something that she may use to serve her purposes, particularly scrolls and books. These creatures inherit her ability to manipulate plants and the earth, and are known to have a love for travelers or anyone who has what they consider new and fascinating. If they like what they see, they will do anything in their power to get it; hence, given a few bad experiences they have had with the tribe, their name.
I am...incredibly doubtful of this, as I remember the story of the Queen of Thorns is described as mythological in nature, and had been written by an old scholar in a tongue-in-cheek fashion to deride the anti-intellectual positions of his lord. It had apparently distorted the original oral stories upon which it was based, and was then distorted into yet other stories that say the Queen of the Thorns was the best creation of her master, until she was manipulated and extorted by The Corruption into killing this master and becoming The Corruption's agent. Or, perhaps the stories of the Corruption's involvement predate the tale's being written down. Regardless, it is all patently absurd, and I dispute the more extreme claim of the locals, such as the idea that the Queen of Thorns can see through all of these creatures, and manipulate them as necessary to suit her ends. Were she to even exist, as the old stories say, she would have the temperament and knowledge of a child, and could not muster the strength to have control over so many creatures.
...Our coercion is not going unpunished. The locals will not speak to us, and have threatened to attack us on sight if we near them again with one of those beasts. Not that we have them anymore. The three in our possession, after attempts to determine the existence of different genders and learn of their ability to reproduce, exited in a similar fashion to the first one. Two men died and were buried unceremoniously in a nearby marsh, while several others were heavily injured and are being treated by our few healers and even more sparse supplies.
We can hear the screams of the creatures in the night now, and must place a circle of torches around our camp at all times. It has become so bad that almost none of us are brave enough to go outside in daytime, myself included. As was specified by my superiors, I will soon take this journal entry, and many of its predecessors, and send them back to Xyalta. I can only hope that they may send reinforcements. After all, those creatures are learning not to fear fire either, and word is spreading that the local tribes are now scared of our presence and what it is causing, and are perhaps encircling us while planning to remove us.
...I pray that we may live the coming days, or weeks, or however long it will be until we are saved. -
Welp, that'll be a hard act to follow. Thanks Silver, and good luck to everyone else!
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Right, as @Aley has withdrawn from the competition, I'll allow @haredrier a two day extension (Aley, if you're reading this, feel free to hop back in if you feel you can enter in two days.
Get krackin! -
Thanks! I was planning on writing it today but I'm swamped and exhausted right now. I should be able to write it tomorrow though, if all goes well.
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Right, as @Aley has withdrawn from the competition, I'll allow @haredrier a two day extension (Aley, if you're reading this, feel free to hop back in if you feel you can enter in two days.
Get krackin! -
Not sure why that message got resent... At any rate, no problem Hare!
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I am reading this, but unless I don't have to go in for work tomorrow, I still won't be able to do much XD
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Ever since the wild and chaotic birth of all life in the world, There have been awe-inspiring and terrible creatures roaming the planet. Humans and other sentient races could barely survive the primordial madness until the appearance of a race of creatures- the Guardians. While small in number, their power was incredible. Said to have been created by the gods themselves, these nine beings destroyed most of the wild things, bringing peace to the world. These allies of humanity normally had the head of an animal and the body of a giant, holy and fearsome.
Some traces of the old monsters are still around, however- the mountain range in the Dark Isle is said to have been the bones of a great serpent, and the river that brings life to the surrounding jungle is his blood. Similarly, the Desert Viper of Ashk's bones are said to have been forged into a mountain range to protect the fruitful lands from the desert. The mother of all frost giants, Yllgrid, is said to be immortal, and will always live on. While her offspring are sometimes found roaming the northern wastes and the tundra, she is said to have been shattered by Caan and reborn into an eternal storm raging in the cold desolation of the north. The modern day frost giant is little more than a large golem of ice, functioning on instinct and a dislike for humans that seems to have been ingrained into them when they are formed.
During the time of the guardians, not all dangerous races were eliminated. Ambra, for example, banished the race of Fire monkeys to a remote island where they could live in peace. These small creatures would terrorize other nearby animals as well as humans, swarming together and infesting their cities. These creatures now are free to live in peace, seperated from humanity on an island with everything they could need.
Not all creatures in the lands are from the time of the guardians. For example, during the orc-human war, the human mages banded together and crafted an enourmous and terrible golem to siege the orc capital of Daghorim. They were unable to decommision it after the battle was won, and settled for severing its arms and letting it roam free. It still lives to this day, trees and moss growing from the massive, ever-moving monolith of stone and earth. Another example of man-made creatures would be the shades that inhabit the Forgotten Lands. Once the location of a castle of evil and the source of necromancy and the order of the lich, the place now stands desolate and destroyed. There is no life there, and the sun's light never lands on the barren soil. Past the decrepit and crumbled walls, within its borders wander the spirits of all living things that once lived there. Trapped between life and death, these semi-corporeal things are seen drifting around in an almost trance-like state. While they are certainly not alive in a traditional sense of the word, they are also definetely not dead, some even exhibiting traits of their former lives. These are not to be confused with phantoms or ghosts, who typically have clear purposes and at the very least remeber their former lives well.
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