Difference between revisions of "Fauna3"

Revision as of 03:50, 28 May 2011

The Felayan fauna is composed of many species from many worlds which makes it very varied and unpredictable. See also carnivorous plants and plant life. These pages feature mostly dangerous or remarkable creatures. There is many many others, from small animals to harmless herbivores, or unreported species that aren't listed here but exist and are part of the great Felarya food chain.

Jungle fauna

Jungle fauna2

Marsh fauna

Aquatic fauna

Rough terrain fauna

Dungeon fauna

Plains fauna

Ice terrain fauna

Dimensionally unstable terrain fauna

Threat Ranking:

Minimal: A totally harmless being such as a mouse or a rabbit.
Very Low: Mostly herbivores but who can still strike back if attacked.
Low: Various animals such as felines.
Moderate: A moderately dangerous Felaryan creature can still be very dangerous in another world. For example a great white shark would rank between Low and Moderate here...
Medium: A predatory, dangerous and often man-eating creature.
High: A great predator. Crisis is in this category.
Very High: A top predator. This creature could take on a small army.
Critical: In Felaryan scales, very few creatures reach this rank.
Extreme: A guardian or a mythical creature. Only a god can hope to survive a confrontation with one of these.

Note that threat ranking is based on the threat that the creature represents for a normal human. It's not necessarily linked to the strength of the creature. For example the dryad Cypress would rank very low because she is very friendly to humans, yet she is a powerful being.

Marsh fauna

In great marshes

Silver Scorpion

Size: 6 inches
Threat: Medium

Small but venomous scorpions who dig themselves into the mud. They live in huge swarms and are able to suddenly appear all at the same time, surround their prey, and overwhelm it with their numbers and paralyzing venom. These creatures are absolutely terrifying because the more numerous they are, the more clever they become. Large groups of them seem to acquire an elaborate sense of tactics involving hit-and-runs, ambushes, diversions, lures, sacrifices, encirclement and so on.

Giant Mud Slug

Size: 60 to 80 feet
Threat: Medium

Like the silver scorpion they lurk in the mud, but they dig a whole networks of tunnels in it. Their tunnels don't collapse behind them because of a substance they secrete which solidifies the mud for hours. They have very developed senses that allow them to emerge with great precision, swallow a prey, and go back in to hiding in an instant. Their monstrous size easily allow them to swallow a vehicle whole.

Korazon

Size: 30 feet
Threat: Very Low

A large lizard, resembling a sort of six-legged iguana. They possesses a dewlap, a row of spines running down their back to their long tail, and two sharp horns protruding from their forehead. Their scales are usually of a dark brown color. Korazons are often used by humans as a mount or as a means to transport goods. They are docile, sturdy and fast creatures, very agile in a swamp environment. Even better, Korazons are almost harmless to humans despite their great size, feeding largely on insects and insectoids instead. One interesting particularity of the Korazon is its tail. The meat is absolutely delicious once cooked, and the creature doesn't seem to mind at all if the passengers cut it, as it painlessly regrows in a matter of hours.

Saurotauran

Size: 10 feet
Threat: Low

A sort of scaled, spiked centaur with a crocodile head and lizard tail. They are amphibious creatures who lives in tribes. They use primitive weapons and tools like swords, bows, lances, and shields, and are known for their love of traps, such as holes in the ground, dead falls, and snares. Most of them are linked to dryads, whom they worship and to whom they offer prisoners as sacrifices.

Stormseeker

Size: 20 inches
Threat: Very Low - Medium for vehicles.

Strangely shaped red birds, able to attract lightning with their beaks during a storm, "store" it in them, and later blast it at targets with a great precision. They are quite rare in swamps but are one of the most potent threats to any vehicle. They are small, agile, attack in packs and their blast will cause great damage to machines. They don't destroy their targets but instead totally disable and immobilize them, which is obviously very dangerous in the swamps of Felarya. They are sometimes hunted for their beaks, which are made of a material with excellent conductive properties.

Fog Butterfly

Size: 40 feet
Threat: Very Low

A huge but harmless creatures as far as humans are concerned, as they feed only on birds. They are still quite scary if you have never encountered them before.

Liethins

Size: 8 feet head to tail
Threat: Low

Snake like creatures with large fangs and feathered wings. They hunt in packs and bite their victims to drain blood from them, sometimes completely draining smaller prey of all bodily fluids.

Giant Marsh Viper

Size: 40 feet long
Threat: Moderate

These giant snakes are common predators of the swamp. They are fast and voracious and will relentlessly chase after a prey. They are often tracked by inhabitants of the Jungle bowl though, and are the favorite food of the great dryad Cypress.

Water Leaper

Size: 15 feet
Threat: Low

A strange creature with the body of a large frog without hind legs, forelegs replaced with bat-like wings, and the tail of a lizard. It can fly and swim, using its wide wings like fins underwater and its rudder-like tail to propel itself much like a tadpole. Because the only real change to its body during its growth cycle is its size and wings, it grows very quickly, letting its species populate new areas with startling speed. The water leaper hunts both above and below marshes and swamps, feeding mostly on insects, birds, fish and mammals. It has adapted well to Felarya's food chain since its arrival over thirty years ago. The original specimen is rumored to be a colossal version of these lower-tier predators, and the only of its kind. Water leapers are dangerous and have been known to attack humans, although they cannot fly if carrying a human-sized load in their stomachs, and may become stranded on land. A water leaper will instantly regurgitate its prey to escape if it feel threatened. If nothing troubles the creature however, it will just sit there until it has finished digesting its meal.

Gorudan Behemoth

Size: 65 feet
Threat: High

Essentially an enormous frog with a shell, a long body and pedunculated (eyes on a stalk, like a slug or snail) eyes. With its large mouth, it can easily swallow a vehicle and it's occupants whole, and they have been known to hunt small nagas. Its long sticky tongue can be launched up to 140 feet with amazing accuracy and blinding speed. Although rare, gorudan behemoths are one of the most dangerous predators in the swamps. Though not very mobile, they are extremely hard to kill because of their shells, which are as hard as rock, and their very fast natural regeneration.

In Mycoria forest

Fungoïd

Size: 7 to 20 feet
Threat: Low

The Fungoïd are a race of sentient humanoid fungus. Their size varies depending on how much water they have absorbed, but generally they range from 7 to 20 feet tall. There appears to be no standard as to how many limbs they have, with some having the familiar 4 limbs, but others having any odd combination, such as 8 arms or 4 legs! Their head resembles a toadstool, on top of which there can be up to 30 "eyes". Their "mouth" is more or less just an opening in to their stomach. They prefer dead or rotting food in most cases, but they will be more than willing to ingest a living being if it suits them. Once inside, the victim is digested by an accelerated process of decomposition. As one can imagine, since they primarily eat rotting food, they usually emit a horrible stench, which is a sure-fire way to know if one is nearby.

At first glance, the Fungoïd society seems to be very primitive. They use basic tools to carve out homes in the stalks of the giant mushrooms growing in Mycoria forest. Their social structure seems poorly defined as well, and they communicate with each other by using spores or bioluminescent lights that are on their skin. They have no verbal language or any known form of communicative gestures. Thus, they are seen as little more than monsters and are possibly the most underestimated race of Felarya, which suits them perfectly.

Fungoïds are actually very wise and philosophical beings with an incredible understanding of their surrounding. They live in perfect harmony with mycodryads who love to inform them on what is going in the jungle and receive their thoughts in return. Some of them are powerful, but discrete, spellcasters as well. Many mages would be shocked to know how much they could learn from some Fungoïds shamans.

Ooze

Size: Varies
Threat: Moderate

Oozes are basically protoplasmic sacs of slime that, not surprisingly, ooze around the swamp in search of food. When food is found, they will engulf it completely. At this point it's very difficult for the victim to escape, as the gelatinous mass is extremely sticky. Once the prey has been completely surrounded, the ooze will stop moving and digest it. Soft, organic material go usually first followed by bones and finally rocks and metals. Travelers have reported seeing massive oozes with the skeletons of entire traveling groups still suspended within them.

Since the ooze is amorphous, trying to cut it or shoot it will usually have no effect. Freezing the ooze is often your safest bet. That won't kill the creature, but it will restrict its movement enough to allow you to escape. Adventurers should be aware that since the ooze is a shapeless mass, they can hide almost anywhere. Special attention should be paid to shallow water, because what look like a harmless swamp water could actually be an ooze waiting in ambush! Oozes are one the favorite prey of mud slugs, Gorudan behemoths, and slug girls.

Forgon

Size: Varies
Threat: Moderate

Forgon is the common name for the Jenkenite Petrifying Fungus (so named in honor of Professor Jenkin, the first person to document its existence, and ironically also its first documented victim). This rare fungus can be found growing on various rocks, which it feeds upon. It vaguely resembles an oceanic anemone, although its tentacles are usually hidden within its pod most of the time. When prey approaches it, it lashes out with its many tentacles, each one tipped with poison. If the prey is injected with the poison, they will immediately be petrified into a stone statue. The Forgon will then begin to grow upon them, feeding off of its new rock perch. Fortunately the victims don't die immediately, and the process can be reversed, but only through a powerful transmutation spell.

Moss Basilik

Size: 25 feet
Threat: Moderate

A large, bulky lizard entirely covered by thick moss and small plants. Their special skin is nutrient-rich and allows vegetation to grow on it, an efficient way to hide themselves completely from predator and to attract small herbivores that make up the majority of the basilik's diet. The lizard however, is very aggressive and won't hesitate to attack humans that come too close. Despite their heavy appearance, they are surprisingly fast and agile. Thus what looks like a harmless heap of moss and brush can suddenly turn into a ferocious beast that leaps at you, maw wide open. While their prey is stunned by the collision, the moss basilik will attempt to devour it in a succession of rapid swallows, holding it with its tremendously strong jaws.

Despite being called a "basilik" and looking a lot like a real basilisk, moss basiliks cannot actually petrify their victim with their stare. They were mistakenly named because of the numerous humanoid statues that are in the zone, statues that are actually made by the much more discrete forgons.

A Moss basilik . Picture by Blazbaros from his Deviantart gallery

In Sunken forest

Ringhorn

Size: 10 feet
Threat: Low

A strange gravity-defying creature. Ringhorn resemble a majestic goat with pupil-less teal eyes that seem to pierce your soul. They can scale vertical surfaces with ease, with their strange gravity-based magic. They make their home within the Sunken forest, scaling up and down the ever-growing sides of the gigantic trees above the bottomless pit, searching for patches of moss to graze on. The Antlers of Ringhorns curve and connect to make a ring shape, hence their names. The horn possesses magical properties and can be framed around, say, a mirror. These Antlers are capable of sending out Magic Waves when the ringhorn feel threatened, that alter and modify the gravity of their target for a short instant.

Colmotele

Size: 15 feet
Threat: Moderate

This odd creature resembles a large bird with green messy feathers seemingly made of leaves, a long, retractable neck, and a large beak with barky texture. It usually waits in ambush on the branches of one of the huge tree of the pit, standing still, and blending perfectly with the surrounding foliage. If something even remotely edible comes too close, it will leap to snatch it and attempt to gobble it down. Colmoteles are no fussy eaters and will sometimes even swallow unsuspecting adventurers.

In Malyra fen

Titan Hawk

Size: 50 to 80 feet
Threat: Low

Titan Hawks are rare, but breathtakingly impressive creatures. They are a massive bird that appears to be made of gleaming metals, chiseled marble and beauteous feathers. They are said to have been creatures of the ancient Titans, being designed by Alcazath himself to be defenders of Felarya. Most of them were killed during the Titan uprising, but, for whatever reason, they still exist in some of the Malyra plateaux. They soar majestically in seemingly meaningless routes, as if waiting for a command that will never arrive. While fearsome looking, they are fairly harmless. They would barely notice a human and seem not to mind predators as long as they don't get too close.

Mutourk

Size: 15 feet
Threat: Medium

Malyran Snake-Ape

Size: 5 to 6 feet
Threat: Low

A most curious creature, apparently being a cross between reptile and mammal! Its upper half is similar to that of a chimps, though with lighter hair. Its lower half is similar to that of a large, powerful snake. These tree dweller creatures are omnivorous, eating fruits and nuts but not impartial to eating meat if they can; they tend to swallow their prey whole with their remarkable detaching jaws. They are a cunning species, even able to use primitive tools. Some scientists propose some sort of connection to the large nagas found elsewhere in Felarya, though so far there has been few reports of Giant Malyran Snake Apes. Some scientists also postulate that some of these creatures may still exist elsewhere in Felarya and that these remnants have given rise to the popular "Bigtail" legend, though equally as many declare this to be a rather far-fetched idea.

Credits to Veeshan123 for the Forgon, to Wowandwas for the liethins and Giant Marsh Viper, to Fish for the Water Leaper, to Jaette-troll for the Titan hawk and Malyran Snake-Ape, to ProjectHazoid for the ringhorn, and to Oldman40k2003 for his great help at editing ^_^

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 The Felayan fauna is composed of many species from many worlds which makes it very varied and unpredictable. See also [[carnivorous plants]] and [[plant life]]. These pages feature mostly dangerous or remarkable creatures. There is many many others, from small animals to harmless herbivores, or unreported species that aren't listed here but exist and are part of the great Felarya food chain.