Avanthal Bestiary If you are looking for animals that would be found in the Northern Reaches (South of Avanthal) please look at this Bestiary. The Avanthal Bestiary contains creatures that are primarily found in the Northern Wastes or specific locations around the city. Name: Talderan Snow Hare Common Locations: Northern Wastes Frequency: Medium Characteristics: Talderan snow hares are larger than your average hare, standing at three feet tall including their ears. These animals have thick, white fur that insulates them against the harsh climate. They have keen senses that help them find lichens and mosses in the snow as well as avoid predators. Talderan snow hares are very fast creatures and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph but cannot maintain this speed for very long. Snow hares eat moss, lichens, and whatever other plant life they can scavenge in the snow. Social Structure: In spring and summer Talderan snow hares burrow beneath the snow and live in large groups of 20 – 200 hares. In the fall, the hares pair up and spread out to establish mating territories. Male hares will often scuffle with each other to defend their territory but this tends to die down once the litters are born. Female hares give birth to litters of 5-9 babies in early winter and by the end of winter the babies are fully grown hares. At the end of the mating and growing season the hares will group together again and establish large burrows in the snow once more. Miscellaneous: Talderan snow hares are difficult to catch but many trappers hunt them exclusively. The hares’ pelts are very valuable both in Avanthal and in distant lands for their beautiful snowy color. Due to their high birth rate and low food sources Frostfawn Hold does not regulate the hunting of these creatures. Name: Waste Mammoth Common Locations: Northern Wastes Frequency: Low Characteristics: Waste mammoths are large land mammals that reside only in the frigid and desolate Northern Wastes. These creatures stand at 16 ft tall and are covered in shaggy silver fur. Both sexes of mammoths have tusks. These tusks are often used to gage the age of a mammoth as they grow around 2-4 inches each year of its life. The oldest mammoth that the Vantha have found was estimated to be 54 years old. Mammoths eat moss, lichens, and tree bark in large quantity. Social Structure: Waste mammoths are matriarchal herd creatures. Their herds are predominantly made up of females and young males. When males reach the age of sexual maturity, around ten years old, they leave their herd and live solitary lives, though some males have been known to band together in pairs or trios. These males will roam the landscape searching for food and willing females to copulate with. The large herds of females are more stationary and tend to stay near a particular food source. Mammoths do not have a particular mating season and females will come into estrous several times a season if they do not have a nursing calf. Roaming males will attempt to mate with any female in estrous that they come across and will fight other males in the area for this right, though death occurs very rarely from these fights. Gestation periods for these creatures are around 7 seasons. Miscellaneous: Due to their low numbers Frostfawn Hold highly regulates the hunting of this animal. Anyone who has been found to have hunted a mammoth without the explicit permission of Frostfawn Hold will be charged with poaching and punished by Icewatch. Many visitors to Avanthal attempt to hunt Waste Mammoths for their beautiful tusks and skulls as trophies but soon find themselves behind the icy walls of Svanhildur. Name: Frost Hawk Common Locations: Coasts and Port of Avanthal Frequency: Low Characteristics: Frost hawks are one of the largest birds of prey in Northern Taldera and the Northern Wastes with wingspans of up to 12 feet. Their feathers are completely white as well as their talons and beak. The diet of a frost hawk consists primarily of fish though they will eat land mammals if the opportunity presents itself. Frost hawks have incredibly keen eyesight that allows them to spy fish in the water as they circle high above and then swoop down to capture the fish in their large talons. Frost hawks kill their prey by using their powerful talons to crush what they’ve caught and then take home to their nest to eat. Frost hawks are long-lived birds and Vantha have recorded frost hawks in the wild living up to seventeen years. Social Structure: Frost hawks mate for life shortly after reaching sexual maturity at 2 years of age and leaving their parent’s nest. They make permanent nests along the coast in rocky cliffs and sturdy trees. Frost hawk couples lay two to four eggs in mid-fall that hatch in the early part of the winter season. Both parents will work to keep the eggs warm or provide food for hatched chicks. Parents will care for their chicks until they have reached sexual maturity at which time they chase them out of the nest and prepare for a new batch of eggs. Frost hawks pairs are willing to allow other pairs to live near them if the food source is plentiful enough. If the food source should become scarce them frost hawks will assert their territory and become aggressive to any other predatory birds in the area. Miscellaneous: Frost hawks are considered a pest by Avanthalians because the birds often prey on livestock and pets if ice becomes too thick in the sea to allow for fishing. Citizens are encouraged to shoot to kill any frost hawk seen flying too near Avanthal. When the ice is too thick for fishing it is not uncommon to see frost hawks dive into the middle of Avanthal to pick up dogs, cats, or even sheep wandering the area. Icewatch and Frostfawn hunters try to keep an eye on the skies when thick ice is reported. Name: Waste Walrus Common Locations: Northern Seas and Northern Waste Frequency: Medium Characteristics: Waste walruses are marine mammals with large fat deposits that keep them warm in the icy northern seas. These creatures are quite large with males reaching weights of up to three tons and females reaching weights of up to two tons. Both sexes of waste walruses grow tusks of up to four feet in length surrounded by thick, bristly whispers. Their bodies are sparsely covered in thin hair and most of their insulation is due to a seven inch layer of blubber beneath three inches of skin. Waste walruses prefer to reside on shallow sea shelves so that they may hunt mollusks, shrimp, and clams on the sea floor. They dislike diving into deeper waters though they are capable of staying submerged for almost half a bell. Waste walruses are capable of living up to thirty years in the wild. Social Structure: Waste walruses live in large groups of up to a couple hundred individuals. They breed in late summer and have a lengthy gestation period, giving birth the winter of the following year. Young waste walruses nurse their mothers for a full year before weaning and will typically stay near them until they reach sexual maturity around seven years of age. Due to this long child rearing period waste walruses tend to have very low birth rates. Miscellaneous: Waste walruses are very dangerous to approach and hunt although their tusks and blubber are highly sought after by both Avanthalians and visitors to the region. Tusks are usually carved in intricate ways by Snowsong Hold who organize occasional hunts with Frostfawn Hold. Their blubber is an excellent source of fat and oil and can be used in many different products including paint, cooking lard, and grease for tools. Name: Talderan Sabretooth Common Locations:Northern Wastes Frequency: Low Characteristics: The Talderan Sabretooth weighs anywhere from 400-800 lbs and ranges in height and length with a smaller Sabretooth being 8’ long (including tail) and 4’ high to larger specimens being, 12’ long and 6’ high. Females are larger than males of the species. The reader will take note that these measurements do not include the dire variety of Sabretooth, and while rare, they are extremely dangerous and capable of singlehandedly taking down a Waste Mammoth. Their fur color is usually a light grey or snow white, with slightly darker stripes or spots. The color of a Sabretooth’s tusks will show how old it is, with young specimens being a pale yellow, and aged Sabretooth’s having almost ebony tusks. The oldest reported Sabretooth ever killed was about 20 years old, though it is suspected the breed can survive for longer. Their most common food source is deer and caribou, though they have been known to take down wolves and Waste Walrus’s. Social Structure: The Talderan Sabretooth is a solitary species that prefers to live in what most would consider inhospitable terrain, far away from any vestiges of human society. Cubs are generally born in pairs and reach maturity after 2 years wherein they leave their mother’s care and make their way into the wintery world. Mating is a complex process that involves several male Sabretooth suitors bringing gifts of game to the female in order to impress her. Fatalities are common in the process of these mating rituals, but are usually caused by an enraged female, and not males fighting one another. Studies have shown that there are specific zones of Sabretooth ruled over by an Alpha female who takes the best hunting areas and dens for herself, while keeping appraised of the other Sabretooth in the area. Unless an Alpha has taken a grievous injury, they are usually not challenged for their role until they have begun to succumb to age, and many people suspect the only reason Dire Sabreteeth are rarely seen is because they do not have to leave their zone, being the Alpha of the area. Miscellaneous: While the Talderan Sabretooth is a fairly rare animal, its tusks worth 50 gm apiece and its pelt worth 40 gm, no special permission is required to hunt one, because no one would be stupid enough to try on their own, or even in a group. Generally the Icewatch organizes a bi-annual hunting party comprised of the most elite and well trained trackers and hunters to venture into Sabretooth territory, and even then the chance of fatality is still high. Credit to Sliver Name:Spring Diver Frequency: Medium Threat level: None Major features: Sleek body, Small Frame Abilities: To change colors fitting the environment Most common in: Only in the Makutsi Springs Physical characteristics: The Spring Diver is a miniscule creature. At the peak of maturity, the animal is no more than an inch in length and even less in width. If one were to be lucky enough to catch one of these creatures, they would find the skin extremely slippery, if not slimy. Though the skin color of the Spring Diver changes to fit its environment, the base coat is naturally a crystal blue with a white end. Males and females do not differentiate. Social Structure: To breed, a female Spring Diver will lay her eggs in the Makutsi Moss. A male will then fertilize the eggs. At one season old, the female Spring Diver will move the fertilized ovules to rest next to the hole at the bottom of the spring. It takes another season for the eggs to hatch. When they do, the offspring are sucked into the cavity and sent to a random spring. A Spring Diver is considered mature at three seasons. They have a lifespan of nearly sixteen seasons but stop reproducing after the ninth season. Miscellaneous: The Spring Diver should not be removed from the Makutsi Springs. The creature will die outside of their natural habitat within five bells. **Full credit to Capricious Name: Frostfawn Deer Frequency: Low Threat level: Medium Major features: Ice-like Fur, Camouflage, Gracefulness, Clear Horns Abilities: Piercing most objects with horns, given birth to iceblocks Most common in: Northern Taldera Physical characteristics: The Frostfawn Deer stands at nearly five feet in height and three feet in length. They can weigh over a thousand pounds. The body of the Frostfawn Deer blends perfectly into the Taldera environment. Along the body runs carved lines. When the deer moves, it is akin to watching a thousand layers of ice shift. The thing of color on the deer is the eyes, which range as much as the Vanthas', but tend to be brown. At the top of their head, each Frostfawn Deer has a set of horns. These can grow up to fourteen points per horn. The horns may become longer than the arm of a Vantha and lift over a thousand pounds. The amazing thing about the horns is that, unless the sun hits them at the right angle, an individual will have trouble viewing them because they are perfectly clear and see-through. The tips of the horns are dangerous weapons because they are sharp enough to pierce even the thickest material. The Frostfawn Deer does not truly bleed. When the Frostfawn Deer is injured, the drops of blood are icesicles. Social Structure: The Frostfawn Deer lives in herds of ten. The herd is not a male and all female, but instead five pairs of two. The deer will choose a mate and bond for life, or until the mate dies. The pair will not travel more than a mile without the other. Each fall, the pair will mate. The female will proceed to dig a hole in the snow and not move until Spring, when one or two Frostlings are born. The female survives this length of time by the thick layer of fat surrounding her flesh. To reach maturity takes three years. During this time, the Frostling will not move. Not because it does not wish to be near its parents, but because it is ice. When born, the Frostling will be only a chunk of ice with eyes. Each season, the Frostling will gain a new piece for its body. The first they gain are their horns. During this time, the Frostling is the most susceptible to outside predators. For this reason, the mother will try to choose a secluded spot in the wilderness, where she believes the young will not be found. The Frostfawn Deer never give birth in the same place twice. Miscellaneous: Please note, the Frostfawn Deer are protected by the Icewatch and anyone found killing a Frostfawn Deer will be dealt with properly. The Frostfawn Hold is only allowed to hunt five of the deer per season. When an Icewatch Member goes on their three day survival test, they have the option of taking a Frostfawn Deer hide. The Frostfawn Deer has never been caught, but individuals who have been lost in the Taldera Wilderness share magnificent tales about the creature helping them. The stories range wildly, from the deer helping them find civilization to fending off predators. The meat of the Frostfawn Deer is considered a delicacy. Chefs of Avanthal dream about being able to cook the meat one day, both because of how high of an honor this act is considered and because the meat cooks so well. The Frostfawn Deer tastes like something different to every person, but people generally agree it is like nothing else they have ever tasted. The horns and skin of the Frostfawn Deer are a rarity and the Frostfawn Hold grandly displays their medals. The inside of the hide is incredibly warm and keeps the cold out. The Frostfawn Hold takes their name from the Frostfawn Deer. Full credit to Capricious Name:Talderan Woollies Common Locations: Avanthal Frequency: Common Characteristics: The Woolly is a large bovine with a silver grey coat of thick fur that keeps the cow breed warm in the harshest of Talderan weather. They are a hardy breed that can survive off of eating practically any food, and in harsh times have gotten by on tree bark and paper products when food ran low. Both males and females of the species have horns, but the males sprout a small set of tusks upon reaching maturity that are used to dig under the ice, and female’s horns are usually burnt out as infants. The breed is extremely docile and easy mannered and herds reside along the edges of Avanthal. A full grown bull can reach around 1000 lbs, but the breed itself is not a large one, more stocky and muscled in build. Woollies usually only come to around 4 feet high and 6 feet long. The milk produced by Woollies has a bittersweet taste, but is highly loved by Vantha, while being more of an acquired taste for outsiders. Social Structure: Like most cows, Woollies prefer to stay in large groups. While males are larger in size and weight, usually a few presiding females, who have been found to have superior intelligence, take lead of a herd, and if the farmer or shepherd of the herd has befriended these females the rest of the herd will do everything he or she bids. Calves are usually born in the more moderate temperatures of winter, and generally come in pairs thought triplets and single calves are not uncommon. Special Information: A great famine hit the city of Avanthal shortly after the Vantha were just beginning to recover from the Valterrian. The children of the aurora begged their Queen and Goddess to deliver them something to aid their failing bodies and Morwen sought the advice and aid of Caiyha. While the Goddess of Nature may have preferred to dwell in warmer climbs, she never neglected her creations of the colder variety, and saw the hardships the Vantha had fallen upon and agreed to help. She warned Morwen, however, that her gift to the Vantha would come with a price, and though Morwen tried to get the Goddess to reveal the outlying condition of her help, Caiyha remained tight lipped. Seeing that she had no choice, Morwen accepted the deal, and the Vantha of Avanthal gained the Woollies, a hardy cow that could eat anything and still provide fur for clothing, milk, and meat. It wouldn’t be until nearly a solar year later that they would discover the price they had to pay for gaining such invaluable creatures. Misc: There are two major competing beef organizations within Avanthal between Winterflame and Frostfawn Hold. They have approximately the same head of cattle, but highly laud their own herds over their competitors, and this rivalry is well known throughout the Holds. Full credit to Sliver Name: Silver Wraith Commmon Locations: Primarily Northern Wastes, but scattered around Northern Taldera Frequency: Uncommon Characteristics: Silver Wraith’s are snakes. This may be counter intuitive to how one thinks of the reptilian species being cold blooded and unable to perpetuate in environments of such frigid cold, but despite a few key fundamental differences between the Silver Wraith and its other snake cousins, biologists from all across Mizahar have confirmed the biological classification of the beast as still belonging with snakes. Wraiths can grow in size from the length of an average corn snake to that of some of the large specimens of Anaconda found in Falyndar. Their coloration varies from snow white to varying shades of grays, but they all share the same silver pupil-less eyes. They are also warm blooded, but many biologists would disagree on this fact for it is not so much as the snake is warm blooded as the fact that it has warm blood. This may seem a very technical point to correct, but it is so discussed because of the Wraith’s ability to change its blood temperature, and thus body temperature at will. This ability allows the snake to melt thick ice and create elaborate burrows beneath the ground, as well as survive in harsh temperatures, and hibernate if it wishes by dropping its body temperature to mimic normal snakes. The snake is not poisonous, but it’s blood is highly acidic, and a potent poison when removed and kept sealed, their skin is also highly prized because of the toughness of the skin and internal systems to the dangerous blood that makes up most of the creature. Social Structure: Wraith’s have been known to form nests, but this seems to be in the harshest environments where less food and thus energy to manipulate blood temperature make it necessary to group together and stay warm. Usually Wratih’s are discovered alone, unless it is a female nesting. Female Wraiths can lay clutches of up to 100 eggs, but the survival rate of an infant is so low usually only 2-5 young snakes are born and survive the few key months it takes to adapt to the harsh environments. It is during this time that Wraith’s seek out heated homes to lay and hatch eggs, and where Vantha have to be cautious. Wraith’s can live anywhere from 10-50 years old, and are very intelligent creatures. Special Information: Caiyha is an entity very aware of the necessity for the world to have balance. Death and Life are two sides of the same coin, and no gift comes without a price. So when she agreed to aid Morwen and her Vantha by giving them the Woollies, she asked her daughter Siku, to aid her in creating a creature to balance out her gift. Together the two goddesses made the Wraiths, a snake able to survive the harsh climates of the North with aplomb. While not all Wraith’s grew to dangerous sizes, the larger one could strangulate Woollies, eat children, and at the very least infest homes. Killing them was difficult because of the mess and potential hazard that their acidic blood created, and thus Caiyha was satisfied that a good balance had been found. The Vantha would survive in their snowy palaces, yet would never be free of their new dangerous pests. Misc: Wraith skin can be sold for 30 gm a foot. The price is so high because even if you have found a snake the art of skinning one would most likely make you lose your hands. The easiest way to dispose of a Wraith is just to take it to the woods and release it, or trap it in the ice without a food source until it descends into hibernation. Frostfawn has made several attempts to tame the creatures and use them to their advantage, but the creatures are extremely vicious and almost always hungry because of the energy they expend on a constant basis. Full credit to Sliver |
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Bestiary and Botanical Taxonomy of Avanthal
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