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dduane · 23 days

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I love your young wizards books! There’s an article in the NYTs about “plumes of steam” floating up from the belly of Manhattan and thanks to YW, I know it’s just dragons. ❤️

Thank you!

...And yeah, dragons, absolutely. :) (...Well, these guys, anyway.)

Via the Errantry Concordance: the Fireworm (Lanthanodrax speleotraxis)1

(Also the occasionally occuring “sport” or hypotrophic subspecies, L. speleotraxis ignigastris.) The colloquial name is identical with that used for the marine bristleworm Hermodice carunculata, but the two species otherwise have nothing to do with one another.

The wizardly fireworm is a serious competitor for the title of “North American fauna species that has had its evolution most seriously interfered with by wizardry.”

The original species — just another small reptile, to start with, a member of the suborder Lacertilla and a distant relative of the geckos — was repeatedly mutated by the wizards caught up in the events surrounding the final fate of Afallonë. The most comprehensive change to their structure happened as a side effect of the great aphthonic intervention, the wizardry intended to save as much as possible of the unique Atlantean flora and fauna from the impending destruction of the First Continent. The rafting wizardry which was meant to simply transport a number of species to the newer continents went wrong during the final crisis in many important ways, and rampant wizardry leakage contaminated and disrupted the genetic structures of many of the creatures involved. The fireworm, already susceptible to such disruption because of previous genetic manipulation, suffered far more of it during the transport to the early versions of North America and Europe than any other creature involved in the ancient rafting project.

In Europe and Asia, the fireworm had fewer natural enemies, and grew and changed in ways which would otherwise have been impossible. Further mutations due to the accumulation of wizardly overlays in the more populated parts of Europe led to the rise of the offshoot species Draco, the “true dragons” which became famous in Europe’s medieval period for being killed by knights. (It should be made clear that most of these casualties were members of the species Draco ectenis, the lindworm or wingless dragon, an omnivore by habit and cave-dweller by preference. Even the most heavily armored knights had a terrible batting average against Draco draco europaeis, the cliff-dwelling, strictly carnivorous winged dragon, which regarded knights merely as a somewhat-seasonal comestible delicacy with a crunchy outside and a yummy inside.)

But in North America, where many “rafted” species with wizardly components survived for the next few millennia after the fall of Atlantis, the fireworm kept for some time its original Atlantean form — that of a small carnivorous reptile with a tendency to burp flammable gas as a defense mechanism when frightened or upset. (No carbon-based dragon, true or false, breathes fire: but even the smallest ones can ignite it on exhalation in one of a number of ways, usually involving chemical or enzymatic reactions.)

However, unfortunately for the fireworm, its main Atlantean natural enemy the “king-weasel” (Macrogulo gulo, long extinct and survived only by its far less assertive “family” relative Gulo gulo, the wolverine) succeeded in establishing itself in North America as it had not been able to do in Europe because of the presence of the great crested cockatrice (Cerastus baseliensis) or northern cockatrice (Cerastus scotodasos). The king-weasel nearly succeeded in exterminating the fireworm. Only the smallest members of the family survived by changing their normal above-ground habitats for an underground lifestyle into which the king-weasels would not follow them.

They are some of the most exothermic of all Earth-based life forms, when well-fed, and the very biggest ones can prosper down in the tunnels in even the coldest weather. When exposed to further wizardry leakage, as sometimes happens in the neighborhood of worldgate complexes, the oldest and most experienced fireworms can over time acquire some telepathic and empathic abilities.2 This enables them to force the smaller fireworms, and even members of some other species, to do their will — shepherding food into their ambit, or otherwise serving their needs. For this reason, smart wizards stay out of places where the older and larger fireworms can be found, unless the needs of errantry drive them there.

Fireworms are also the ultimate source of all the stories about “alligators in the sewers.” There is a certain ironic humor to this, as wizards know there wouldn’t be nearly so many stories if the things in the sewers were only alligators.

(See also: Eldest, the: Twelve, Song of the.) (SYWTBAW)

1The taxonomy of the western European fireworm is somewhat confused. The Bestiarium Ignotum classified the fireworm as Lanthanotrops micrognotus, but this did not take into account the internal differences between the Lanthanotrops and Lanthanodrax families — possibly understandable, since Linnaeus was unable to find a dead specimen to dissect, and trapping a live one was at that point out of the question. The Acta Parabiologica‘s revised classification group places the fireworm among the various members of family Hemerothalcus, with the “true dragons” of the Draco species.

2 Because of the already-fragile state of their DNA, such exposure over prolonged periods can also result in memory loss and other neurological problems, as seems to have been the case with the Eldest in SYWTBAW.

#Young Wizards meta #fireworms #Lanthanodrax speleotraxis #Young Wizards #So You Want To be A Wizard #unnatural history

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uncharismatic-fauna · 11 months

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Going Batty for the Little Brown Bat

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is a species of mouse-eared bat that lives throughout North America, from northern Canada to the southern United States. They are most commonly found in deciduous forests, but they also roost in man-made structures or caves; anywhere warm and dark.

M. lucifugus is aptly named, as it’s a relatively small bat. At most, individuals weigh 12.5 g (0.44 oz) and have a wingspan of 27 cm (10.6 in). Females are typically larger than males. The color of their fur can range from tan or red to dark brown, though the fur on their stomachs is lighter than the rest of their body. In addition to their large ears, which gives them a great hearing boost, the little brown bat has exceptional eyesight and is sensitive to ultraviolet light. However, they lack a Jacobson’s organ, which in other animals is used to detect moisture-borne odor particles.

Like other bats, the little brown bat is primarily nocturnal, emerging at dusk and feeding intermittently throughout the night. Individuals emit about 20 calls per second while in flight, and use the corresponding information to avoid obstacles and detect prey. They feed exclusively on insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, and flies, and in a single night an individual may consume over 2/3 of its body weight in food. Because their source of food is generally seasonal, little brown bats are only active in the warmer months of the year. When the temperature drops to 0 °C (32 °F), individuals will enter a state of torpor, in which their heart rate may drop as slow as 8 beats per minute.

Mating takes place in the fall, just before the hibernation season. Males and females gather together in large groups to roost, in a behavior known as swarming. During this period, colonies average around 9,000 individuals; the largest recorded had over 180,000. Both sexes mate with multiple partners, and homosexual pairings are relatively common. This behavior continue throughout the hibernation period, and individuals will pair indiscriminately with active and torpid bats. Once mated, female bats store their sperm for the following spring; they then carry their pregnancies for 50-60 days. Each female gives birth to only one pup, which weighs about 30% of her body weight.

Pups grow rapidly, opening their eyes and ears within a few hours of being born and becoming completely weaned at 26 days old. After this, young transition to feeding solely on insects, though they may receive help from their mothers while learning the best techniques for catching prey. Females are sexually mature at only one year old, and males mature at two years old. Once they reach maturity individuals will leave to form their own roosting groups. In the wild, a little brown bat can live up to 34 years; however, many bats are predated upon by owls during the active season, and by raccoons while hibernating.

Conservation status: The IUCN has rated M. lucifugus as Endangered. Their primary threat is a fungus-caused disease known as white-nose syndrome; this disease is particularly harmful to the little brown bat due to their large congregations during the mating and hibernation period.

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Jason Corbett

Joseph Johnson

Rick Reynolds

#little brown bat #Chiroptera #Vespertilionidae #mouse-eared bats #microbats #bats #mammals #deciduous forests #deciduous forest mammals #urban fauna #urban mammals #caves #cave mammals #North America #queer animals #queer fauna

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oneatlatime · 9 months

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The Waterbending Master

Finally! Only took the whole season to find one.

This one apparently also has commentary. I'll leave it off for now.

After countless episodes without, we finally have another hybrid animal. Behold:

A koala Sea-otter? That makes noises like a Raven. Alright.

Sokka saying "I'm not one to complain" is a) pretty damning evidence of his amount of self-awareness b) self-deprecating sarcasm c) a funny line that I'm reading too deeply into

Why is Appa flying so low anyway?

Subtle signs that these guys are way too used to relying on bending: -no railings -no alternate propulsion source (seriously, not even an oar?) -no emergency supplies in case a trip runs long (I don't even see an emergency sandwich, and come on guys, it's not like waterbending controls the weather)

Random pinball bumper style ice stabbies does seem like a good defense though.

Not so subtle exposition dump from Zhao the asshole. Avatar writers are usually better at integrating catch-up dialogue. Looks like Aang will be arriving just in time to defend the Water tribe from the invasion that, ironically, he summoned. Talk about self-inflicted problems. Do you think if Aang had found a waterbending teacher somewhere else, the Fire Nation would have left the water tribe alone for another hundred years? Aang's been learning on the run; they could have picked up a single waterbender and hightailed it back to some cave in the earth kingdom to learn there. Or the water tribe could have sent a waterbender out to find the gaang as soon as rumours of the avatar reached them. See? This was avoidable.

Always love me some sea-bison.

They have bending doors like Omashu. Actually is this a door or a lock? I think the water level is changing.

Is this a hybrid animal? The yak thing, not the two legger.

Last time you got a hero's welcome, Suki's village burnt down. Foreshadowing?

How often does this lady see sea-bisons? She just passed by one and didn't even bat an eye. Is there a secret sea-bison colony that's spent the last 100 years hiding from the fire nation in the north pole?

Music Night! Need a better lyricist.

What's going on here? Did they roast a giant turtle thing and now they're cooling it to serve by dunking it in water? Did they feel the need for a steam effect for the guy's speech so they heated up a giant thingy and dunked it in water? Is it a weird boat thing? It looks like it has a face. I bet it's a ritual object.

Are these pot stacks the water tribe version of Totem Poles?

Oh nuh uh. Nope. 16 is way too young to marry.

This girl is so into him I can feel it through the screen, the dvd player, and the 15+ years since this aired.

Even the head guy's like "yeah, he's an asshole, What can you do?" Let's put this asshole and Zhao the asshole in a room together. They can out-asshole each other. Should be fun.

Remember back in episode three when I said that Zuko needed to learn how to lie? This is why.

Nevermind, we don't need to put Zhao and Paku in a room together to out-asshole each other. Paku wins. As far as I've seen, bending is not gender specific, either in who gets it or how it's taught/used. What kind of idiot would tell someone born with the ability to wield an incredible weapon that, actually, they aren't allowed to? How did this attitude get instilled in the first place? Why didn't the first guy who ever said this get slashed to death by ice stabbies thrown by the ten nearest female benders? Are these northern water tribe people so unbothered by the war that they can afford to sideline 50% of their forces? More than sideline, render incapable of defending themselves or others? Obviously this tribe is far too privileged if they can afford this attitude. And also far too bored. I guess hiding behind that giant ice wall for 100 years left them so understimulated that they turned on themselves.

Bad attitude? Fucking bad attitude!?! There's only one guy in this episode with a bad attitude and it isn't Katara. Zhao looks downright pleasant compared to this Paku guy.

Question for Paku: why would the Northern Water Tribe's rules apply to a Southern Water Tribe member?

My god these two are so cute. Sokka could propose they disembowel whale carcasses for their activity and the princess would say yes.

So the parrot lizard did survive the fall over the waterfall.

They're little tiny children. Katara, who has spent her whole life wanting to learn to bend to fight, has literally been shoved back into the igloo with a bunch of babies to learn lady-bending (no offence to the babies). How how HOW is she so calm right now? If I were in her situation, I think I'd be so angry I'd be ugly crying. And also plotting how to murder that Paku guy.

WHAT.

Paku the asshole is apparently a proponent of the tell don't show philosophy of teaching. The Tell-while-doing-unspeakable-things-to-my-lunch don't show philosophy.

Unexpected backstory. This lady must have been pretty close to Gran Gran if she recognises a carving she presumably wore for maybe a few months about 50 years ago or more. Also this lady is shockingly dumb if she can't see why Gran Gran left this misogynistic hellhole, but I guess it can be hard to see it while you're in it.

Nitpick time: How does the teacher recognise this? Isn't this just the water tribe symbol? Probably the most common symbol in the whole north pole?

Nosferatu Zuko. Nosferzuko. Zukoratu? Iroh's pause here was so long that I checked in case I had muted by accident. And how does your crew being taken by Zhao the asshole make your crew traitors Zuko? Orders are orders.

So we're adding asassinating royals to our list of reasons Zhao is an asshole. I think he's won the title back from Paku.

Fuck this port I guess.

Zuko's dead. Huh. Bye then. Gotta say I don't get why he's so big in the fandom.

This princess sure does send some mixed messages. At least she didn't ghost him.

"Master Poophead." My God. It's perfect. Why didn't I think of that?

Aang passing on what he learns to Katara. Why didn't I think of that either? My plan was to get Katara to launch unprovoked attacks on Paku's students and study how they defend themselves until she can copy / surpass them. Mostly so I could watch Katara beat the crap out of sexists.

Die mad about it you troglodyte. Disrespect? How nice it must be to have enough of your culture left that it can be disrespected. And you're going to deny the avatar training, thus dooming the whole world to death via fire nation, because you're butthurt? Freakin manbaby.

YES! YES! BEAT HIS ASS! PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!!!!!!

"I know. I don't care." + "I'm not doing it for you." = I'm officially in love with Katara. I took a while to warm up to her, I admit the first few episodes were a little rough, but this seals the deal.

This screenshot sparks joy. Last episode Aang bitchslapped a fire nation guy with air. This episode it's Katara's turn with water. The Firelord Uber-Bitchslapped Zuko with fire a few years ago. All I need is an earth bitchslap and my collection will be complete. Avatar: master of all four bitchslaps. Also this wouldn't have worked to goad Paku into fighting if he was half as mature as he thinks he is. Although he gets points for being harder to goad than Zhao in the Deserter.

In an episode where the A plot is Katara, the B plot is Aang, the C plot is Zuko, and the D plot is Sokka's love life, the writers still manage to fulfill the Beat up Sokka quota. Good job guys.

If only she'd aimed a couple of inches to the left. This show already includes a kid getting his face burned off. Surely a Poophead being separated from his nose is ok?

That's twice now she's lost her necklace. If the carving has lasted 50+ years, surely it's earned a metal chain rather than a hair ribbon?

Gran Gran! Bullet dodged! Excellent call!

That's a lot less beat up than I was expecting. And Iroh has never once given the impression that he isn't quietly ride or die for Zuko, so why would Zuko not expect Iroh to help him? Because Zuko isn't terribly perceptive? Because the writers needed a way to deliver yet more exposition?

I did notice that the healing lady specified that Gran gran was in an arranged marriage but Poophead was talking about love. Again, why was Gran Gran leaving a mystery?

Underrated moment of wisdom from Aang here. He gets why the princess is upset and he's twelve! But I'd bet good money that the idiot on the right has no clue what's going on.

Princess ran so far away that it's night time now. This episode is not subtle anywhere, so I figured that the princess being engaged was the cause of this whole blowing hot and cold thing. Despite being 16 and fictional, Sokka handles mixed signals and rejection with 10000% more maturity and kindness than many unfortunately non-fictional grown men I've met. Kudos to Sokka for being honest and respectful.

Even redeemed, Poophead is still an asshole.

Well that's a problem.

Fire Nation ships would be a lot more intimidating if they didn't look like shoes.

Final Thoughts

This episode was a lot of exposition, a lot of set up, and even some catch up. And it was not done as gracefully as this show usually does it. More than once the dialogue between characters felt like two actors lecturing the audience rather than the characters we know.

This episode also had twice the concentration of assholes. A Zhao episode I can deal with. An episode with a one shot asshole where Zhao doesn't appear? I could also deal with. But TWO grade A assholes in ONE episode? No. Too much.

My whole-hearted congratulations to Gran Gran for seeing Poophead for what he was, and refusing to put up with it. Leaving his ass didn't make him get the message. 50+ years alone didn't make him get the message. The granddaughter that ought to have been his being so disgusted by his conduct that she attempts to cut his face off didn't make him get the message. There was no way that this idiot was going to change. So congrats to Gran Gran for making an excellent call, leaving his ass to freeze, and getting two most excellent grandchildren instead.

I also have to applaud Sokka and Katara for not being bitter about the Northern Water Tribe. I can't help but notice the spectacular architecture, complete with embellishments and unnecessary non-structural doodads. Let's do a quick comparison (ignore the ship):

Left has one waterbender. Right has all the waterbenders. We know that Northerners can travel south thanks to Gran Gran. The North couldn't have sent one sneaky waterbender to at least make the south a ship-proof wall? That chief guy has some audacity calling Katara and Sokka their brother and sister or whatever when they've evidently left the south to rot for a century. And I know the Fire Nation, the War, bla bla, but you guys are so bored behind your walls that you're cannibalising your own capabilities based on gender just for fun.

RANT INCOMING

Since I'm on the topic, can we talk about how STOOOPID it is to separate your combatants from your medics? Here's a secret about combat medics: they're both. They learn the basics of combat, and they learn the basics of emergency medicine (And a LOT of other stuff besides). Basic training includes basic first aid for EVERYONE.

Because here's the thing. People who get hurt beating the shit out of other people are usually hurt in an environment where beating the shit out of people occurs. If they are injured enough that they can't get themselves out of the 'beating the shit out of other people' zone, then unless they can treat themselves on the spot or their fellow soldiers can administer first aid or get them out, they die.

Alternatively, if they can't get themselves out of the 'beating the shit out of other people' zone, then medics have to be sent in. A medic who doesn't know how to fight who gets sent into the zone will - guess what? - get the shit beaten out of them. Now you're two men down at present, and who knows how many more you're going to lose over the next few days because you're down a medic. So unless every single waterbending fighter in the Northern water tribe is going to go into combat with a waterbending healer literally attached to them, there will be mountains of unnecessary losses and avoidable injuries.

Now let's look at this from the other angle. What happens if the enemy breaches your defences (because all your defenders are merrily bleeding out from wounds their bending could heal if only they'd learned how) and then makes their way to your combat hospitals? Which are full of soldiers who are too injured to fight and healers who don't know how to defend themselves? Apart from the whole living surrounded by their element thing, waterbenders' greatest advantage in a fight appears (to me) be to be their miraculous healing powers. Katara completely healed her burnt hands to the point where there wasn't even scar tissue and she had no training at all. A skill that can erase burns (the thing firebenders give you) negates the fire nation's greatest weapon - their fire. Any fire nation general who's not an idiot would therefore target waterbending healers, maybe even over waterbending fighters. So any fire nation commander would absolutely put 'capture field hospitals' as one of their top priorities. This is a kids' cartoon, so let's ignore historical precedent as to what happens to nurses caught in field hospitals behind enemy lines and say that the fire nation would defeat the waterbending healers.

Let's paint a quick picture here: in the background, a field full of waterbending fighters sidelined by treatable injury. In the middle ground, an inexorably advancing wall of firebenders. In the foreground, a field hospital full of defenseless waterbending healers. Just peachy isn't it?

How fucking UNSTOPPABLE would a bender able to shrug off a fireball to the face then turn around and take out a firebending platoon be? Get one hundred - no fifty - benders who can both heal and fight, have them advance in two rows: Front row fights, switches with back row when they're injured, gets healed up, rotates back up to front row as a replacement. Functionally unstoppable barring the need to eat and sleep (so long as they bring their own water). The Northern Water Tribe had decades to develop that. Unlike the south, they had the time, the resources, and apparently so little going on that they took up sexism to pass the time. The wasted opportunity here burns. See kids? Sexism hurts the sexists too.

This northern attitude is just dumb. It's illogical. It's stupid. I'd call it a ham-fisted unsubtle after school special of a plotline if it weren't a fictionalised version of something that's literally baked into to many cultures worldwide, past and present.

RANT CONCLUDED

What else can I say about this episode? Aang and Sokka had like three lines each, but they were very in character. Sokka and the princess are cute together. Zuko and Iroh had a good dynamic when they weren't acting in service to exposition. This whole episode really feels like part one of a two parter.

I think something might have been off with the narrative weighting of this episode. There was an honest to god assassination attempt and I forgot.

While the shot of Paku looking put out that the ice disk landed so close to his face was funny, I would have preferred it if Katara had gotten in one hit beyond her bitchslap. Just one. His ego needed the beating which it got via the necklace thing, but I would have liked to see actual beating too.

If I had seen this episode as a child I absolutely would have lost my mind over Katara getting to beat up a sexist. I'd bet good money that this episode did lots of good for the self-esteem of little girls who saw it.

Katara's plot line is like the plot of the Waterbending Scroll episode, but in a positive light. In that episode her selfishness regarding bending got them in trouble; in this one it helped. Seen in that light, the fact that it's the necklace rather than Katara's skill that gets through to Paku is a bit undermining, but if "magical girl has such impressive skills that the sexist dinosaur throws away decades of sexism for the chance to be her teacher" had been the plot instead, I'd probably be complaining about cliches instead.

All in all, a bit clunky, a lot of set up, and too many assholes and frustrating idiocy for it to go on my rewatch list. Feminist beat downs are good for the soul, but I'm not sure they outweigh Poopheads.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #the waterbending master #avatar the last airbender

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honourablejester · 9 days

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I’m reading back over my subterranean fantasy/D&D setting of Osh Derrinalina, the Land of the Lightless Sea, and you know what? It still makes me really happy. It’s a whole bunch of city states, island nations and fungal hinterlands focused around an 80 mile long, 40 mile wide abyssal sea 6 miles down under the surface of the world, and it makes me happy.

Some highlights:

The oldest people to call the sea home are a race of midnight black translucent bioluminescent abyssal merfolk that were inspired rather strongly by black dragonfish (Idiacanthus atlanticus), because I just really wanted some terrifying abyssal mermaids who are actually quite friendly. Also the image of a subterranean pitch black sea where bioluminescent mermaids live and trade.

The second oldest people are a race of pale bioluminescent spider people who powerfully believe in community, because if I’m making a subterranean setting, by god I’m getting all the mileage I can out of bioluminescence.

There’s also a tribe of pale goblins from the island of death that tattoo themselves with phosphorescent fungal ink from a vast, possibly sentient pit into the realm of the dead. They’re also pretty chill guys.

Half the sea is fed from a vast fungal forest on a shelf around the cavern, at the center of which stands a vast and sacred mound of bat poop that provides 90% of the fertiliser and protein for the nations of the Lightless Sea, and the price for killing one of the sacred bats is death in half the cavern. This is because I watched a David Attenborough documentary one time about cave ecology that featured something similar, and it’s the sort of image that sticks with you.

The main cities of the sea are Ysea, the city of black stone and bioluminescent spider silk that is the primary home of the spider people and the main trade hub of the region, Durgenrath, a clifftop dwarven trade port further down the sea, Muarra, the unfathomably ancient merfolk capital that covers 50 square miles of the sea floor near Ysea, and Tchorit, the glowing crystal stalactite city on the ceiling.

Ysea and Muarra started trading thousands of years ago when the abyssal mermaids came to the black stone shore to trade, and the spider people went underwater in return in diving bells made of their luminescent silk, because I was inspired by the diving bell spider, and it’s such a fantastic fucking image. Pale spider people being towed into the black depths in webs of luminescent silk by translucent abyssal mermaids. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad.

Tchorit is an industrial hub city and was made by ceiling gnomes who call themselves Starbuilders and who are currently in what is essentially a religious cold war with the merfolk over bringing light, in the form of crystal luminescence, to the sacred darkness of the Lightless Sea.

They are also in a cold war with the ancient shadow dragon of the northern wilderness of the sea over the same issue.

The gnomes have made a lot of enemies and are basically the most contentious inhabitants here, in other words.

They are allied with the dwarves. And with the crystal elementals who taught them how to grow luminous crystal cities in the first place. So there’s that.

There’s a secret path somewhere above the cavern roof that leads back to the crystal home caverns of said elementals, and it is ferociously defended. If you haven’t seen pictures of real life crystal caves, you’re in for such a treat. No subterranean fantasy setting would be complete without whole caverns full of vast white crystals, so I made them glowing crystals, because yes, we’re still getting all possible mileage out of subterranean luminescence.

The dwarves have a much less secret, though no less defended, passage from Durgenrath through the stone to Durgendelf, a dwarven city in its own cave that is famous for its artificial suns, because I really, really, really liked that element of Blackreach in Skyrim. Durgendelf has six massive artificial suns, and Durgendelf dwarves are famous farmers and gardeners as much as miners and tunnellers. So they also have a happy friendship with the mushroom people of Derrinalina’s fungal shelf.

The above-mentioned shadow dragon has a very friendly relationship with the above-mentioned cheerful death island goblins, and regularly goes on religious pilgrimages to the island’s temple town to pay his respects to the impossibly deep dry well into death at the centre of the island.

This pit into death is one of two in the Lightless Sea, though the other is underwater. The merfolk commend their dead to the Fathomless Delve, a gaping underwater chasm with an upcurrent that only allows the merfolk dead to actually sink. The merfolk believe that this upcurrent is where all the waters of the sea originate.

The gnomes, on the other hand, believe that the waters of the sea come from the massive fucking waterfall that pours from the ceiling above the northern half of the Lightless Sea, all the way down from the seas on the surface miles above. This titanic waterfall is slowly but surely tearing through the ceiling on that half of the cavern, and has eaten a massive pit in the sea floor below it as well.

It is also possibly the origin of Zarathea, the Lightless Sea’s legendary albino (or possibly undead) dragon turtle that drifts around the wild, black, uninhabited northern half of the Lightless Sea, occasionally pretending to be a rocky island to fatally surprise sailors. One of the theories is that Zarathea fell through the waterfall from the surface seas as a baby dragon turtle. Or, given how weird it is, possibly it’s a native of the Lightless Sea. Nobody knows, and the shadow dragon at the very least would very much like to.

The massive waterfall, if it does finally collapse the ceiling on the northern half of the sea and dump the entire contents of its higher reservoir into the sea at once, could well cause a massive tidal wave that would destroy everything closer to the sea’s surface than Durgenrath. The gnomes, despite living on the ceiling, are extremely worried about this. The spider people and death goblins, despite living directly on the shore, are not. Whether that’s blind optimism or they know something the gnomes don’t is anyone’s guess.

I said the Lightless Sea is 80 miles long, but the northernmost reaches of it haven’t actually been discovered yet by anyone from the southern end of the cavern, so the exact extent of the northern shore isn’t actually known. And the sea floor on that end of the cavern goes deep, and stays going deep, a vast sloping descent to the north. There could be just about anything down there.

I had so much fun with this setting. Also, worldbuilders note: watch nature documentaries. And history documentaries. Just history and nature and geology and science and archaeology in general. There’s some really cool and inspiring shit in them. Our world is really weird and really cool, and I promise you that a lot of fantasy worlds are nearly boring by comparison. Pick one really weird little thing, bat dung, or spider diving bells, or bioluminescence, and build some funky societies around them, it’s so much fun.

I am still so proud of this setting. I love it.

#fantasy #worldbuilding #osh derrinalina #homebrew setting #subterranean #i love this place #underground settings are so much fun #i do blame nature documentaries for a lot of it #also i really really like bioluminescence as a concept

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dougdimmadodo · 1 year

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Ghost Bat (Macroderma gigas)

Family: False Vampire Bat family (Megadermatidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Most bat species feed either on small, flying insects or on the fruits of trees, but this relatively large microbat, named for its pale coloration, is unusual in that it feeds largely on vertebrates (mainly birds, lizards, frogs and small mammals, including smaller bats.) Found in scattered populations across northern Australia, Ghost Bats spend the day roosting in small colonies within caves, mines and cavities in rocks, and emerge at night to hunt (typically in wooded areas, ranging from arid woodlands to rainforests.) They hunt in a manner more akin to an owl than to a typical predatory bat: after arriving at a suitable hunting site they position themselves on an elevated tree branch and wait for signs of prey, which they detect using echolocation, an acute sense of hearing and sensitive eyes. They subdue their prey with their teeth; airborne prey (which may be as large as Bar-Shouldered Doves, which are only slightly smaller than a Feral Pigeon) is brought to the ground by a series of powerful bites to the head and neck, while terrestrial animals are pinned to the ground by a specialized claw on the bat’s thumb and then torn apart by its jaws. As they typically breed deep in caves almost nothing is known about the reproduction of this species except for the fact that they typically produce only a single pup at a time, and that said pup clings to its mother constantly until it is mature enough to hunt on its own - when its mother flies, the pup is able to ride on her belly by clinging onto her fur as well as one of a pair of non-functional “false nipples” that seem to serve the sole purpose of allowing the pup to maintain its grip. The Ghost Bat is threatened by the destruction of roosting sites used by colonies, and by the abandoning of otherwise suitable roosting sites following disturbances by human activity (it has been reported that after being scared away from a roosting site members of this species may not return for months or even years, and without a safe roosting site they are vulnerable to predation during that day.) One of the largest and most important colonies of Ghost Bats is found in the Mount Etna Caves National Park in eastern Queensland.

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Image Source:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/41326-Macroderma-gigas

Happy Halloween!

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lizardsaredinosaurs · 4 months

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Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail of Myotis Lucifugus. Kindly note that if you are trying to reach Satan, you have the wrong number and you should recheck your Latin. Thank you.

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Canada and northern USA

Status: Endangered

Threats: white nose syndrome

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Lucifugus, meaning shunner of light, is very fond of their dark caves and is surprisingly too polite to correct anyone’s theology.

#bat #chiroptera #bat art #animal art #conservation #mammal #usa #canada #north america

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statecryptids · 1 year

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OZARK HOWLER- ARKANSAS

The Ozarks are a range of low mountains found primarily in Northern Arkansas and southern Missouri with portions extending into Oklahoma and Kansas. Their origins lie in the late Paleozoic when sand, silt, coral, and shells built up as layers of sludge on the bottom of a sea that covered what would eventually become the American South. Over time these sediments hardened into rock- sand became sandstone, silt became slate, and the shells and coral became limestone- and the movement of tectonic plates pushed them upwards into a low dome-like plateau. Over the next 485 million years rivers and rain gradually eroded the soft rocks into canyons, cliffs, and caves that have provided habitat for bears, bobcats, otters and other Southern wildlife along with more unusual creatures like blind cave fish, collared lizards and endangered grey bats. And perhaps a cryptid or two.

According to legend, the people of the Ozarks have been haunted for decades by the unearthly screams of a beast dubbed the Black Howler. Those who have caught a glimpse of the monster describe it as a dark-furred cat nearly the size of a bear. Other reports claim it has glowing red eyes and demonic horns sprouting from its head.

Explanations for the beast range from a normal, though unknown, species of large cat to something more supernatural. A few people have even compared the beast to English and Welsh legends of black dogs, cŵn annwn, hellhounds, and other supernatural beasts that bring misfortune to those who see them.

More skeptical people have speculated that the Howler is simply a misidentified cougar. Though these big cats are believed to be extinct in this region, it’s possible that a small population has survived. Or perhaps a few lone individuals have wandered in from other areas. This theory is bolstered by photos from trail cams showing creatures that strongly resemble these animals, and by similar cases of “phantom big cats” occurring in areas of the US where they are not normally found.

Though some claim that legends of the Howler go back generations, cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has found that the first reports of the beast originated from posts on online forums in the late 1990s. His investigations indicate that the “folklore” about the beast was a deliberate hoax to mock the widespread reports of chupacabras and bigfoots that were becoming increasingly widespread at the time thanks to the advent of the internet. Hoax it may be, but the Howler has since become a popular piece of Ozark folklore and sightings are still regularly reported.

The Howler is especially significant as one of the first urban legend monsters to be created online, laying the groundwork for later, more famous internet creatures like Slenderman, The Rake, Momo, and Trevor Henderson’s Siren Head.

RESOURCES

#cryptids #monster #ozark #ozark howler

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vivsemporium · 6 months

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The Australian Ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is the country's largest microbat and the second largest globally. These bats are the only carnivorous bats in Australia, hence one of their common names the False Vampire. However, they do not drink blood, instead, they specialise in consuming insects, frogs, birds, lizards, and small mammals such as other bat species (such as the Bentwing, Horseshoe, Leafnosed, Little Cave Bat, and many species of the Sheath-tailed bats)

SIZE: The Ghost bat is 10 – 13cm long, has a wingspan of 500 mm, and weighs 130 – 170 grams.

LOCATION: They are found in tropical northern Australia, primarily in the Northern Pilbara and Kimberly regions in Western Australia. Northernmost areas of Northern Territory, and from Cairnes to Mount Etna in Queensland.

THREATS: Man-made: barbed wire fences, tree clearings, loss of old mines and caves, climate change, and tourism

Natural: wildfires, quolls, dingoes, and pythons

DEVELOPMENT: Once mating is complete, the sexes will separate themselves into gender-specific colonies. The females will form maternity groups of up to 1000 bats during the winter months to maintain body temperature as they naturally run quite low. A mother will birth one pup per year, taking three months to gestate. The pup will suckle milk for four weeks from the armpit and once they reach seven weeks, they will start learning how to fly and hunt. Weaning ends at 3 months, where the pups are now able to fly independently and they will reach sexual maturity for females at a year, whereas males will reach it at two years of age. The lifespan of wild Ghost bats is unknown, however, in captivity, they will live for approx. 8 – 13 years, the oldest being 20 years.

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loveisinthebat · 4 months

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Lil' Baby Man Redux

#Northern cave bat #bats of Australia #bat of the day #daily bat #bat #bats #batposting #Cute bats #Cute animals #I actually love this oen #one*

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brinefathomcaves · 2 months

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Brinefathom Caves Level 1, Week 8

1.71: The Emptied Pit: Tiled floor, many missing. Large hole in floor where something came up from below, surrounded by loose dirt and stone. Lower level 8’ down, about 20’ in diameter. Old bones, stained shrouds, smell of decay. Empty. 1.72: The Del Marra Family Crypt 1.73: The Sunny Stage: Southern half of room 4’ higher than northern. Broad stairs down. Murals of sunny sky on southern walls; stone debris on northern floor. Empty. 1.74: The "Golden" Statue: 12’ tall statue of a crouched, chain-wrapped man in center of room. Appears gold, actually gold foil over stone. Empty. 1.75: The Dragon's Stairs 1.76: The Animal Crypt: Stone jars contain preserved remains of small birds, rodents, and monkeys. Empty. 1.77: The Desecrated Temple 1.78: The Stone Cells: Natural stone pillars form “cell bars” separating two corners from the rest of the room. Small and smaller creatures can squeeze through. Empty. 1.79: The Precarious Chamber: Obvious cracks in sloped northern wall and ceiling above it; loose stones on floor. Wall will remain stable unless tampered with; then it will collapse, blocking passage to 1.80. Empty. 1.80: The Spider Nest 1.81: The Hall of Faceless Statues 1.82: The Dead Explorers: Three bodies on the ground—two humans and a halfling—beaten to death by zombies but not yet risen themselves. All three are wearing leather armor and carrying short swords, shortbows, and basic mundane adventurer’s gear. Empty. 1.83: The Giant Bat Roost

#brinefathom caves #brinefathom caves level 1 #megadungeon #dungeon23 #dungeon24 #dungeons and dragons

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rodrigobera04 · 25 days

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Third round, this time with dragon type.

Here it is:

DRAGON pure

Small dragons lined up, forming a larger dragon,like wishwash does.

Dragon playing hide and seek, blending in with the landscape.

Kaiju turtle with a draconic skull for its shell.

Imp with huge ears like wings, drinks the blood of other dragons.

Draconic two-headed dog, used as security.

Beast with a long neck that goes around its body.

Tarasque with armored hull articulated like an armadillo.

Robust underground dragon with echolocation, with a bat-like face.

Feathered wyvern followed by her eggshell-helmeted chicks.

DRAGON/GRASS

Cactus lizard, carrying a cactus full of water on its back like a hump.

Nocturnal creature with an intimidating bat-flower face.

Dragon parasite strangler fig, wrapped around trees for steal their essence.

Small pollinating wyvern like a hummingbird carrying seeds and pollen.

Leafy sea dragon orchid, floating through the treetops.

Nudibranch covered in vegetation capturing energy from the sun.

Literal dragonfly with Venus flytraps for claws to catch prey.

Parasaurolophus with a wooden trumpet to whistle.

Vegetable drake blowing fragrant smoke of flowers and herbs.

DRAGON/ROCK

Dragon with rocky skin, pretending to be a cave and swallowing prey.

Beast with rock skin and chipped stone claw that sharpens on its body.

Cave lizard men use pieces of fossils as their weapons.

Comet in the shape of a dragon's head and with its trail of light as a body.

Avian gargoyle that rests during the day, like a pooto.

Devilish-looking monster resembling a stone idol.

Mythical beast with gemstone scales that reflect flaming light.

Hybrid of a triceratops and nurikabe with chameleon camouflage.

Winged beast with dragon wings shaped like a drill to open the ground.

DRAGON/ICE

Polychaete worm opening the ice with its jaws.

Female dragon born from an egg exposed to low temperatures.

Crocodile sleeping on an iceberg, with only its mouth and paws sticking out.

Hairy beast with large tusks, remotely reminiscent of a mammoth or yak.

Monster with a flat body, hidden in the snow and sliding in avalanches.

Polar sea monster, its sounds can be heard from the bottom, for kilometers.

Oni-like creature, blowing blizzards from its inflatable throat.

Polar reptile capable of changing its colors to those of the northern lights/southern lights.

Beast with icy blood that, when injured, freezes the attacker on contact.

DRAGON/FIRE

Pig-nosed drake who shoots like fire like a pistol.

Little dragon running and exploding with its lit fuse tail.

Bird of paradise dragon doing mating dances setting fire to its scales.

Wolf beast blowing fire into houses and stealing cattle, like in fairy tales.

Hybrid between a stingray and a bat that lives in lava, it burns its prey by covering it.

Turtle with soup-smelling breath, which attracts prey.

Pangolin with healing scales, its meat can cure diseases according to some.

Rocket dragon, has holes in its back used as turbines.

Male dragon hatched from an egg exposed to high temperatures.

DRAGON/GROUND

Terrestrial catfish that causes earthquakes.

Draconian vicuña with membranes that blow clouds of sand.

Flat crocodile that hides in the dunes.

Huge sandworm with a converging body of a whale.

Hydra eel, emerging from a mud puddle behind its prey.

Serpent like elephant trunk that blows sand, based on grootslang.

Camouflaged predator imitating a tree, as if it were a stick insect.

Snake with reliefs of footprints on the body, rotating and leaving deceptive tracks.

Lizard sticking out its tongue that is actually its real head.

DRAGON/GHOST

Dragon that has been decapitated but can separate its head from its body.

Parchment with a drawing of a dragon on it, which gives it life.

Diaphonized seahorse, with transparent skin and colorful skeleton.

Crocodilian boogeyman, based on the cuca monster,sings a dreamy song.

Dragon skin bag, gaining characteristics of his living "self", like a mouth.

Ancient monster described in a book, with the haunted ink giving it life.

Giant Dracula vampire bat, haunting abandoned castles.

Dragon hunter wearing the skin of a slain dragon as armor.

Undead kaiju that breathes will-o'-the-wisp.

DRAGON/FAIRY

Griffin laying eggs in other dragons' nests, like a cuckoo.

Chinese parade dancing lion, doing acrobatics,fight evil spirits.

Ruby sea dragon, blows pearls from its mouth like a cannon.

Lamia disguised as a maiden or nymph, swallowing approaching prey.

Carp purifying the polluted rivers and lakes by their magical scales.

Small dragon but can transform into a huge beast in defense, like a spriggan.

Unicorn dragon with magical and healing horn, but very fierce.

Lunar fairy based on vespertilio homo, with bat characteristics.

Shinchu immune to poison, predator of poisonous Pokémon.

DRAGON/BUG

Prehistoric cockroach with features of a dinosaur.

Titan beetle cutting down trees with one bite.

Giant mutant ant, like those from a B movie.

Giant tarantula hidden by its foliage camouflage, considered a cryptid.

Thorny katydid with wings looking like a dragon's eyes.

Huge mosquito stealing cattle to drink blood.

Horde of worms imitating a huge dragon.

Wingless parasitic fly that lives in the caves of noibat and noivern

Mandarin wasp causing destruction in bug-type creations.

DRAGON/DARK

Alien eldritch dragon with tentacles on its face and wings.

Yakuza lizards with scales resembling tattoos.

Dinosaur cryptid with dark skin to camouflage itself at night.

Serpent swallowing solrock and lunatone, alluding to bakunawa, apofis, etc.

Gecko with a false head on its tail to prevent decapitation.

Monster like a peanutbug with a hideous fake face on its wings.

Oviraptor preying on other dragons' nests, stealing eggs.

Two-headed beast, one head sings a hypnotic song and the other attacks.

Dragon in "sheep's clothing", uses its jaws to imitate horns.

DRAGON/STEEL

Heraldic animalistic monster with metallic fur.

Folklore monster who faced heroes, swords are stuck in his body.

Dragon covered in molten metal, using its heat.

Dragon with a chain with a metal ball, pinning him to the ground.

Diabolical creature deceiving the greedy with illusions of coins in its mouth.

Metallic wyrm with a metallic head and body, cuts everything like a knife.

Carnifex screaming and creating sound waves heard from far.

Precious mineral-eating cave creature.

Winged dragon closing its wings like a shield.

DRAGON/ELECTRIC

Albatross/iguana chimera, creates electrical storms.

Alligator with electric bite.

Fast raptor, kills prey with a surprise electric shock.

Sachihoko covering herself with her tail, like a mohawk that attracts lightning.

Duck-billed dinosaur, its beak has bio-electric organs.

Dragons like bats, flying in clouds to catch electricity, personify thunder.

Bichir can electrocute like an eel, with fins in the form of lightning.

Dragon with bioluminescent tail like firefly abdomen.

Ouroboros creating infinite energy by biting its tail.

DRAGON/FIGHTING

Iridescent python twitched and whipped its body.

Monster with mutated arms that form a second jaw.

Dragon knight with scales forming swords.

Massive bullfrog sumo wrestler, crushing the opponent.

Hydra that instead of heads, has extra arms.

Bird of terror with strong legs for crushing and kicking.

Anfisbena fighting among themselves to see who takes over the direction.

Wuxia themed tiger and dragon hybrid predator.

Demon with sharp claws and slashing wings based on devilman.

DRAGON/NORMAL

Monster with three pairs of jaws, looking like a strange dog.

Immense dragon looking like a huge mattress, almost always sleeping.

Little dinosaur with a bait-shaped tail for catching fish.

Small lizard but with a huge roar.

Reptile shedding its skin, which takes the form of colorful and stylish clothing.

Angelic-looking beast with sonic abilities.

Rubber dinosaur capable of inflating itself.

Dragon with a beard of colorful scales, used for display.

Long tatzelwurm coiled over its victim.

DRAGON/FLYING

Flock of birds that form an immense winged creature.

Roc launching its tough eggs onto its prey.

Colorful kite pterodactyl creating tornado winds.

Dragon without wings,but it swallows air to blow and also levitate.

Dinosaur turning into a bird when it evolves.

Amphitera with colorful wings and a body that makes a rattling noise.

Flying turtle, its head is hidden in the shell and comes out like a cuckoo clock.

Symbiotic dragon with butterflies, letting them drink his tears.

Wyvern goose used as a guard dog, very fierce and with a serrated beak.

DRAGON/WATER

Kaiju lobster making water turn to steam.

Kraken sea serpent, covered in tentacles and a beak that cuts metal.

Oriental dragon made of water, always dripping raindrops.

Soft-shelled turtle, its shell is shaped like wings for gliding.

Tiny, seemingly dull fish with the mouth of a sarcastic fringhead.

Monitor lizard abandoning the land and becoming a mosasaur-like monster.

Sea monster in the form of a waterspout.

Gar turning amphibian and looking like a spinosaurus.

Supernatural aquatic horse that runs on water, covered in wet, sticky mucus.

FINAL MYTHICAL:

Pixie dragon dragon/fairy, created from children's imagination of fairy tales.

Wait for more.

#fakemon #pokemon #dragon type #dragon pokemon

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dduane · 2 years

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From So You Want To Be A Wizard: the Fireworm (Lanthanodrax speleotraxis).1

The wizardly fireworm is a serious competitor for the title of “North American fauna species that has had its evolution most seriously interfered with by wizardry.”

In Europe and Asia, the fireworm had fewer natural enemies, and grew and changed in ways which would otherwise have been impossible. Further mutations due to the accumulation of wizardly overlays in the more populated parts of Europe led to the rise of the offshoot species Draco, the “true dragons” which became famous in Europe’s medieval period for being killed by knights. (It should be made clear that most of these casualties were members of the species Draco ectenis, the “lindworm” or wingless dragon, an omnivore by habit and cave-dweller by preference. Even the most heavily armored knights had a terrible batting average against Draco draco Europaeis, the cliff-dwelling, strictly carnivorous winged dragon, which regarded knights merely as something with a crunchy outside and a yummy inside.)

But in North America, where many “rafted” species with wizardly components survived for the next few millenia after the fall of Atlantis, the fireworm kept for some time its original Atlantean form — that of a small carnivorous reptile with a tendency to burp flammable gas as a defense mechanism when frightened or upset. (No dragon, true or false, breathes fire: but even the smallest ones can ignite it on exhalation in one of a number of ways, usually involving chemical or enzymatic reactions.) However, unfortunately for the fireworm, its main Atlantean natural enemy the “king-weasel” (Macrogulo gulo, long extinct and survived only by its far less assertive “family” relative Gulo gulo, the wolverine) succeeded in establishing itself in North America as it had not been able to do in Europe because of the presence of the great crested cockatrice (Cerastus baseliensis) or northern cockatrice (Cerastus scotodasos). The king-weasel nearly succeeded in exterminating the fireworm: only the smallest members of the family survived by changing their normal above-ground habit for an underground lifestyle into which the king weasels would not follow them.

After some millennia spent living and rebuilding their gene pools in the natural caves of the East, the fireworms moved into the manufactured caves and underground spaces of the great East Coast and Midwest cities. (No fireworm species live west of the Rockies: possibly due to uncomfortable memories secondary to the fall of Afallonë, they will not stay in earthquake-active zones.) Regardless of what ConEd tells you, fireworms are the proximate cause of the steam New Yorkers see coming up from under the streets in all weathers — the more steam, the larger the fireworm. They are some of the most exothermic of all Earth-based life forms, when well-fed, and the very biggest ones can prosper down in the tunnels in even the coldest weather. When exposed to further wizardry leakage, as sometimes happens in the neighborhood of worldgate complexes, the oldest and most experienced fireworms can over time acquire some telepathic and empathic abilities.2 This enables them to force the smaller fireworms, and even members of some other species, to do their will — shepherding food into their ambit, or otherwise serving their needs. For this reason, smart wizards stay out of places where the older and larger fireworms can be found, unless the needs of errantry drive them there.

(See also: Eldest, the: Twelve, Song of the.) (SYWTBAW)

#Young Wizards meta #YWiztober #YWiztober 7 #Fireworm #Wizardly fauna #So You Want To Be A Wizard

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exhausted-archivist · 1 year

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Bestiary of Thedas

From bird to insect, fish to land animal. Every creature mentioned in Dragon Age, blighted and non-blighted, spirits and demon, created and possessed creatures alike are listed along with their breeds, subspecies, or variations.

If you want a more specific list, check out the post for Real World Animals in Thedas

Updated: 2023/11

Amphibian

Frog

Salamander

Toad

Horned Toad

Poison Toad

Birds

Albatross

Black-capped Songbird

Bluebird

Budgerigar

Bunting

Buzzard

Canary

Crow

Dove

Duck

Mallard Duck

Eagle

Falcon

Finch

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Kingfisher

Lark

Magpie

Merlin

Mockingbird

Nightingale

Owl

Parakeet

Parrot

Partridge

Peafowl

Pheasant

Pigeon

Ptarmigan

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rock Darter - Native to the Anderfels, an insect eating bird.

Seagull

Simir - A bird hunted in Tevinter for the magical properties in their feathers.

Sparrow

Swan

Swift

Turkey

Vulture

Bald-necked Vulture

Fish and Marine Creatures

Blind Tetrava

Bluefin

Carp

Cetus

Cod

Eel

Lamprey Eel

Jellyfish

Krone

Mackerel

Octopus

Raytooth

River Herring

Shark

Squid

Giant Squid

Trout

Whale

Bony Whale-Shark

Pilot Whale

Whitebait

Crustaceans and Shellfish

Clam

Crab

Giant Swamp Crab

Crayfish

Cuttlefish

Lobster

Mussel

Oyster

Prawns

Shrimp

Insects

Bee

Bumblebee

Honeybee

Beetle

Cave Beetle

Death Watch Beetle

Dung Beetle

Glow Worm

Roof Beetle

Wood-burrowing Beetle

Butterfly

Cricket

Dragonfly

Firefly

Flea

Fly

Blue Flies

Giant Spider

Giant Poisonous Spider

Giant Spiderling

Poison Spider

Gnat

Hornet

Ladybug

Leeches

Locust

Maggot

Scorpion

Silkworms

Slugs

Snail

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Earthworm

Poison Worm

Tapeworm

Mammals

Badger

Honey Badger

Bat

Giant Bats

Bear

Black Bear

Brown Bear

Cavern Bear

Great Bear

Large Bear

Boar

Bogfisher

Bronto

Cat

Cattle

Bull

Cow

Qalab

Chicken

Cockerel

Cretahl

Dathrasi

Deer

Red Deer

Stag

Dog

Coursing Hound

Ferelden Shepard

Hunting Dog

Mabari

Pug

Rat Terrier

Sheepdog

Wild Dog

Wofun Hound

Donkey

Druffalo

Elephant

Elk

Ermine

Fennec

Ferret

Fox

Gazelle

Ghast

Giant

Goat

Ayesleigh gulabi goats

Mountain Goat

Griffon

Gurn

Halla

Hamster

Hare

Hart

Bercilian Sure-Foot

Greater Frostback Elk

Pride of Arlathan

Red Hart

Royal Sixteen

Tirashan Swiftwind

White Hart

Wild Hart

Horse

Amaranthine Charger

Anderfel

Anderfel Courser

Asaarash

Avvar Mixed Draft

Dalish All-Bred

Fereldan Forder

Free Marches Ranger

Frostback Mountain Horse

Green Dales Feral

Imperial Warmblood

Inquisition Barded Charger

Oath-Bound Steed

Orlesian Courser

Taslin Strider

Hyena

Jackal

Jackrabbit

Lion

Great Lion

Red Lion

Lynx

Marmot

Marten

Mole

Monkey

Moose

Mountain Lion

Mouse

Chip Mouse

Mule

Nug

Nuggalope

Avvar War Nug

Battle Nug

Greater Nuggalope

Greater Mountain Nuggalope

Gwaren Land-Hammer

Knuckled Thunderer

Tiddles Majoris

Otter

Pig

Rabbit

Raccoon

Ram

August Ram

Rat

Giant Rat

Sheep

Snoufleur

Spotted Cat

Spotted Hunting Cat

Squirrel

Tiger

Tusket

Voles

Weasel

Wolf

Black Wolf

Crag Wolf

Great Wolf

Wolverine

Reptiles

Adder

Death Adder

Basilisks

Cobra

Crocodile

Deepstalker

Deepstalker Matriarch - largest deepstalker

Deepstalker Leader - always male, second largest deepstalker

Deepstalker Runner

Dracolisk

Abyssal Hang-Tooth

Basking Longma

Blue River Bane

Desert Lightning

Hunter Shade Dracolisk

Mountain Dracolisk

Primal-Trained Longma

Sharp-Tail

Dragon

Abyssal High Dragon

Fereldan Frostback

Gamordan

Stormrider

Greater Minstral

Guardian of Mythal

Highland Ravager

Hivernal

Hunterhorn Shrikes

Kaltenzahn

Northern Hunter

Sandy Howler

Stonejaw

Vinsomer

Dragonling

Drake

Great Dragon

Guardian Serpent

Gurgut

Lurker

Phoenix

Quillback

Sand Stalker - a small vermin-like creature similar to deepstalkers

Sand Stalker Spitter

Sand Stalker Leader - larger than common sand stalkers

Varghest

Viper

Wyvern

Snowy Wyvern

Created Creatures

Golem

Varterral

Blighted Creatures

Bereskarn

Blight Owl

Blight Wolf

Blighted Werewolf

Bloodcrow

Corrupted Spider

Corrupted Spider Queen

Darkspawn

Archdemon

Broodmothers

Children

Emissary

Genlock

Hurlock

Ogre

Shriek

Darkspawn Magisters (Named and known)

The Architect

Corypheus

Dragon Thrall

Ghoul

Created Creatures

Golem

Varterral

Demons and Spirits

Spirits

Choice

Command

Compassion

Faith

Hope

Justice

Knowledge

Perseverance

Valor

Wisdom

Memory

Wisp

Wraith

Demons

Desire

Despair

Envy

Fear

Hunger

Pride

Rage

Remorse

Shade

Sloth

Terror

Vengeance

Possessed/Magical Creatures

Abomination

Arcane Horror

Ash Wraith

Corpse

Devouring Corpse

Devouring Skeleton

Enraged Corpse

Fanged Skeleton

Shambling Corpse

Shambling Skeleton

Skeleton

Skeleton Archer

Skeleton Mage

Walking Corpse

Dryads

Harvester

Revenant

Rock Wraith

Ancient Rock Wraith

Sylvans

Vampire

Werewolf

Wood Nymphs

Undefined

Glowing Slime

Firesprite

Wandering Hills

Sources

Dragon Age Origins + DLCs Dragon Age Awakening Dragon Age 2 + DLC Dragon Age Inquisition + DLC Dragon Age Inquisition Multiplayer Dragon Age: Last Court Dragon Age: Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas Dragon Age Tabletop Core Rulebook Dragon Age Tabletop Blood of Ferelden World of Thedas Vol 1 World of Thedas Vol 2 Dragon Age: Asunder Dragon Age: Masked Empire Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: The Riddle of Truth Short Story: Varric Dragon Age Origins Armor: Clamshell Armor Armor: Dalish Gloves Codex: The Bow of the Golden Sun Codex: Bronto Codex: Deepstalker Codex: The Frostback Mountains Codex: Meditations and Odes to Bees Codex: Nug Codex: Rat Codex: The Vaterral Item: Fox's Pendant Item: Golden Mirror Item: Lamb Bone Item: Micah/s Lucky Deer Foot Item: Ox Bone Item: Rat Poison Item: Uncrushable Pigeon Weapon: Cat Lady's Hobble-Stick Dragon Age 2 Armor: Rat-Nibbled Gloves Codex: Broken Dowsing Rods - No Refunds Codex: Carta Bronto Codex: Pride and Rider Junk: Stuffed Parrot Quest: Redblossom Special Weapon: The Tiger's Tail Last Court The Acerbic Dowager The Applewoods The Arrival of the Divine The Boastful Neighbor The Cheery Baron Choose your quarry The Dowager Steps Forward Enlightenment Glass Glassblowers' Anger Graffiti A Life of Toil A Meeting with the Outlaw A Plea for Sanctuary River Herring The Sealed Chantry A Swift Stream Sylvian Raid An Unofficial Meeting The Well-Read Pig-Farmer You have cornered the bear You have the hind in view Dragon Age Inquisition Items and Codex Codex: August Ram Codex: Andruil's Messenger Codex: Bear (Inquisition) Codex: Constellation Tenebrium Codex: Correspondence Interruptus Codex: Crate of the Live Death Watch Beetles Codex: Cretahl Codex: Dirthamen: Keeper of Secrets Codex: The Folly of General Not-Shertan Codex: Ghilan'nain: Mother of the Halla Codex: Hard in Hightown Chapter 15 Codex: A Horsemaster's Notes on Mounts Codex: The Hunt of the Fell Wolf Codex: Journal of Gurd Harofsen Codex: The Lion of Orlais Codex: Moldy Journal Codex: A Nutty Affair Codex: On Avvar Cuisine Codex: The Perendale War Codex: Ram Codex: Scout Lace Harding Codex: Surviving the Western Approach Landmark: Crestwood: The Guide of Falon'Din Note: Charred Note Note: Sera's Cabinet of Wonder Whose it Was Valuable: Carved Cricket Charm Valuable: Cut Crystal Lion Valuable: Eagle Feather Charm Valuable: Falcon Crest Valuable: Glass Fox Valuable: Golden Ladybug Charm Valuable: Grouse Feather Charm Valuable: Raven Totem Valuable: Silver Dragonfly Charm Valuable: Vulture Feather Charm Valuable: Wooden Mabari Figurine Wartable Mission: A Present for Bianca Wartable Mission: Smash

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#dragon age #fauns of thedas #da ttrpg #lore reference #writing reference #da writing reference #da worldbuilding #dragon age reference #fauna fridays #long post #creature: birds #creature: insect #creature: spider #creature: fish #creature: horse #creature: dragon #creature: hart #creature: nug

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