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Elementum

A fantasy roleplay based around an original idea.
 
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 Bestiary of Elementum

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Razgriz
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Join date : 2013-09-27
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Bestiary of Elementum Empty
PostSubject: Bestiary of Elementum   Bestiary of Elementum EmptyTue Oct 08, 2013 1:09 am

Now in addition to normal, dangerous animals such as wolves, bears, big cats, sharks (the latter obviously being in aquatic environments) etc, this is a list of all beasts/monsters that pose a more significant threat than other animals.

Ghosts: While rarely encountered, ghosts are the spirits of the dead. Depending on the circumstances of ones death, limited not only to how one died, but what they felt, the emotions during it, and even the manner of their life before death, it is possible to leave a ghost. A ghost however, is not the true soul of a person; Ghosts are echoes of the person they're born of, almost like the grime wiped off the soul as it passes from the world of the living to the dead. Once 'born,' ghosts tend to be bound to the location of their death. Other times they remain with their old body. Some ghosts tend to be harmless, either remaining unseen or repeating events from their life. Others though, can be very malicious, spirits that died in violence, or were consumed in some manner of dark emotions. These ghosts will attack the living, should the living ever enter the haunting grounds of a ghost, and the manner they attack tends to vary. Sometimes the ghosts will form weapons out of their hands, fingers elongating into claws to stab or slash at victims. Despite being able to interact with the physical world, it is actually difficult to defend against ghosts; as they can pass through objects, blocking them can seem impossible. However, there are weaknesses to ghosts. Fire for example burns even spirits, hurting them or even outright destroying them (though most prefer to call it purifying or cleansing the spirit). Cold iron (regular iron really) can also ward them off, and while not hurting them on contact, can disperse their forms. However, while magic fire does of course work against them, magic cannot bind them, in this instance gaining a measure of control over them. Wards of course can keep them out, or imprison them but no wizard has ever managed to gain mastery over dead spirits, only dead flesh. To complicate matters, when a mage dies and leaves a ghost, a portion of their magic carries over to the shade. This means the ghost will be able to use spells, though as it is a shadow of the mage, so to shall its spells be a shadow of whatever havoc the true mage could wreak.

Spirits: Spirits are not truly ghosts, as many might believe. A ghost is simply the echo of a soul, where as a Spirit is in fact alive, just not in the sense many others expect. They go by many names, and take many forms. From Spirits, Will-o'-wisps, Nymphs, and other lesser known names, they are in every world, yet rarely encountered.

Bathory: Shapeshifters that prey on sentient races, Bathory are considered demons by Humans, Lupine, and Basilisks, and abominations by the Sidhe and Merfolk. What makes them rather terrifying, is what they feed on other races for: their blood. They don't drink it, but bathe in it. Bathing in the blood of sentient races extends their lives and keeps them looking young (though as to what a young Bathory truly looks like is unknown). Their powers include greater strength and speed, along with a power that is considered a form of psychomancy: they cause their prey to feel fear. It isn't very strong though, more like feeling uneasy or anxious.  Despite their reputation, Bathory can be beaten by conventional means; cutting a major artery and letting them bleed out is just as effective as beheading them or setting them aflame. Despite their ability to look like other races, they do have some signs: they tend to smell faintly of blood, though it isn't very strong. Another sign is the constant feeling of uneasiness around them. They don't control the power, it's simply a natural thing about them

Giant Insects: Populating most of Elemtorum, Aeris, and Terra, there are certain breeds of insects that have grown to extreme sizes. on average, they can be around four to five feet in height. Typically, they tend to be predatory insects, like mantids, dragonflies, and even certain beeteles. And while not insects, there are also large variants of spiders. However, despite their size they are not a widespread threat. Fewer than several hundred of each species are alive at a time, and they do not reproduce in such large numbers as their smaller cousins.

Sea Serpents: Essentially giant aquatic snakes, sea serpents are oddly more of a menace to sea faring vessels in Aqua and the oceans of Elementorum than a Leviathan, mainly because there are more of them and they tend to inhabit the shallower regions of these worlds. Reaching anywhere between a hundred to a hundred and fifty feet in length, sea serpents look very different from a normal snake, having a row of spines run down the length of their back, from the top of their head to the tip of their tail, all connected by skin to form a sail, allowing them to swim through the oceans easily. They posses no venom, relying solely on their teeth and size for killing prey.

Wyverns: Roughly larger in size than the Griffons by ten feet, Wyverns are considered smaller cousins of Dragons, though in reality they are a completely different species. Unlike a dragon, a Wyverns only has four limbs, its front arms forming wings which, when on the ground, fold up to allow it to walk and serve as the forelegs. Slimmer than a dragon, they are much more adept at flying than their bulkier rivals, though they lack the ability to breathe fire. Generally, they can be found in Aeris, Terra, Elementorum, and Ignis.

Minotaurs: Standing as tall as warrior golems, Minotaurs are among the more brutish beasts in the world, though to call them beasts is rather unfair. Intelligent enough for their species to have a form of speech and even use of tools and weapons, they are generally located within three of the five worlds. Living in tribes, they tend to move around between the worlds, though they generally remain in Terra, Elementorum, and Aeris. Extremely aggressive, they tend to be raiders, attacking towns and wandering travelers and caravans. While they do not trade with towns or buy supplies, they do have a fondness for gold and treasure, tending to horde it when they find it. They are also carnivorous, which is why they attack towns, travelers, and caravans: food. Only a few of them in any given generation are capable of using magic, and they are treated as the Shamans of each tribe. As a shaman, they become tasked with benefiting the whole tribe, everything from aiding warriors in battle, to providing care for tribe members. Minotaurs used to be greater though, having a society and greater numbers. Some of the ruins within Terra, Aeris, and Elementorum are relics of old stone forts or underground temples devoted to their gods. But then they clashed with Humans and even the Lupine who, for a brief moment in history, stood united against a common foe. Crippling them as a society, they cast the Minotaurs out and reduced them to wandering raiders. Oddly, the eldest of their kind do not hate being defeated as much as they hate being left in this state by their enemies. To them, it would have been better to die as a proud race than to continue on as a shadow of their former glory, though not all members of their kind share this sentiment.

Spriggans: Spriggans come in many shapes and sizes, but they all share the common trait of being made out of wood. Often they are simply forest spirits who animate pieces of wood and twist them into bodies, defending the forest itself. For this type they are normally found deep within forests, where the trees are thickest. Sometimes they can be the size of humans, other times they can be as large and thick as small trees. While they do not get along with any race, they are known to be less hostile to the Lupine than they would be to other races. It is believed by some that among all others, the Spriggans view the Lupine with a certain amount of respect because of the Lupine's own respect for the natural world, and thus leave their packs alone, though if any wander into Spriggan territory they're fair game.

Homunculus: Unique in that they are not naturally occurring, a homunculus, or automaton in most situations, is essentially a golem or a spriggan that lacks the free will of the originals. They are constructs made by wizards or sorcerers, the materials for the body varying between users. However, there are strict requirements on just what an homunculus can be made of. Much like a potion, the main requirement is a base, or a body. In this case, it must be a solid material, such as earth, rock, or even a suit of armor packed full of hay like a scarecrow. Ley lines must be carved into the "body," to serve as channels for the magic that is required to make the body move. Normally, the lines are carved along the surface, all leading to the final piece, the "heart." The heart of a homunculus, is always a crystal of some sort that has had magic poured into it. Essentially a magical battery, the amount of energy poured into the crystal determines how long the body can actually stay moving (the size of the crystal must be around the size of a human heart). Despite being magical constructs, homunculi are not invincible. Destroying the body is one of the most obvious ways of stopping them, as they do not regenerate. Another method is to cut off their limbs and sever the ley lines. The third and final method, is to stab the crystal heart and cut off the source. Finally, while there is no size limit to how large a homunculus can actually be, wizards tend to keep them around the same size and shape as a human, because the larger and more complex the body (complexity involving extra limbs) the more magic must be poured into the body and the crystal.

Trolls: Big, stupid, and violent, trolls can be found in Terra, Elementorum, and the ground level of Aeris. Standing roughly fifteen feet tall, on average (sixteen for the big ones) trolls are incapable of using magic. Even if by chance they somehow had the capacity to use magic, they wouldn't know the first thing on how to start manipulating the magic. They are that stupid. Which is why they're attacks are limited to purely physical attacks. A troll is bipedal, with a thick neck, broad shoulders of two and a half feet and a heavily muscled body. Each of its legs are a foot in thickness, and its arms half that, each hand tipped with large nails that have been fashioned into claws. Stomping with their large heavy legs, swinging their big heavy arms, throwing small boulders, and even picking up saplings for use as clubs, these encompass its standard attacks. Anything that requires cutting, they use their claws to do it, or their teeth. Their skulls are the thickest part of their skeleton, so nothing short of a well placed arrow or blade through the eye (provided the latter gets close enough without the holder getting dead) will really bring it down in terms of head shots. For added offense and defense and offense purpose a troll, like an ogre, has a pair of horns curling from its head, spouting from the sides in front of the ears and curling forward, the points resting over the forehead. The skin of a troll is tough and thick in most places, but vulnerable under the arms. General skin coloration tends to be brown, brown-green. As a species they are very anti-social, even amongst themselves and thus they tend to live alone in caves or fallen, hollowed out trees, socializing only during mating season.

Ogres: Smaller than Trolls by ten feet when standing upright, and slightly smarter, ogres tend to live in small packs, like wolves. Covered in fur unlike trolls and sporting a pair of horns atop their head, ogres are in most ways a bigger threat than a troll. Trolls are slow and stupid; all it takes to lose them is to be faster and they'll forget about you. With Ogres, they can switch to all fours and run after their prey in a manner similar to a gorilla. Very much like wolves, they'll surround the prey and wear it down, and then kill it. Ogres can also be found in Terra, Ignis, the ground level of Aeris, and Elementorum, and Basilisks have even been known to catch several and tame them for use in warfare. Their build tends to be a thick body with arms slightly longer than their legs, with black or reddish fur. The arms are heavily muscled, fingers tipped with black talons.

Salamanders: Large four legged lizards, Salamanders are indigenous to the world of Ignis. Growing to sizes of seven meters in length and standing (on all four legs) at two and a half feet (three feet when the head is raised) they are predatory animals, and very unique because they are capable of surviving in lava. They have extremely thick, heat resistant skin, and can spit acid at medium range. Because of their skin, they are sometimes hunted and skinned to create incredibly strong leather armor, however such armor is expensive because of the risk involved with catching a Salamander.

Leviathans: Within the realm of Aqua, in the deepest parts of the ocean, the Leviathans are king. The biggest creatures on the ocean, their gaping maws and ferocious appetites have sunk many ships. Not even the Merfolk with all their power can truly tame and control them. Unlike the Dragons, leviathans have no magic, no intelligence, and can be killed though instances of such deaths are rare. In terms of size, Leviathan average (in terms of adulthood) anywhere between 400 to 600 feet in length, with a width that is normally a quarter of their length. When they are seen, they tend to appear as a cross between a crocodile and a fish, four legs with webbed feet, a long snout filled with massive teeth, and a tail that bears large fins on both top and bottom, the top side going all the way to its head, much like the sea serpents.

Griffons: Found mostly within Aeris, and the more mountainous regions of Terra and Elementorum, griffons resemble a cross a between a lion and an eagle, and are around twelve feet in length, with a height of six feet. The head, wings, and front claws of an eagle, the body and hind legs of a lion. Fiercely territorial, a griffon can lay claim to miles of hunting ground, however they do show a degree of intelligence, recognizing the danger posed to them by villages. That's not to say they fear them, they've just learned that bothering them is more trouble than its worth. However they will still attack travelers along the road, considering them fair game.

Dragons: Without doubt, dragons are the most powerful creatures in all the five worlds. Unlike trolls, ogres, and griffons, Dragons do posses magic. It is how they can all breathe fire, and the oldest among their kind are fully capable of using complex spells. They are also resistant, if not outright immune, to the taming abilities of both the Merfolk and the Lupine. While not as numerous as other animals, they have spread to every world, and in the world of Ignis they are considered gods by the Basilisk. Each world has one, dominant dragon, the five largest, oldest, and most powerful of their kind known simply as the Elder Dragons. The appearance of dragons as a whole, resembles the classical look (in this case the standard four legs and a set of wing look) Their size varies by age; When hatched from their egg, a young dragon will be as large as a Great Dane. Over the next few years, it will grow in size. At five years old, it will grow to fifteen feet, from head to tail, and with a wingspan double that size. At ten years old, it will grow to be forty feet in length and double the wingspan. After they reach the age of fifty, with a hundred foot length and twenty foot height, they stop growing. But they keep getting older, and have the longest life span of any creature. As they grow older, their power grows. However, the Elder Dragons are far larger, at a total size of three hundred feet in length and over forty feet in height.
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