The Glass Wizard world harbours various creatures, from the smallest of peculiar insects to deadly sea serpents, from mystical dragons to overpowering behemoths, from vengeful sprites to ethereal lights.
This compendium encapsulates the myriad beings that appear in the narration. The section on Ethereal Beings comprises all creatures with metaphysical appearances or magical abilities.
Click on the respective beast’s name to see its description.
EXCEPTIONAL VARIETIES OF SPECIES
MIDNIGHT STALKERS
Midnight Stalkers are beings endowed with the extraordinary ability to conceal their presence within the depths of the night. Mastery of this ability allows a beast to vanish into the shadows and move undetected by both humanoid peoples and other beasts.
Origin
Existing in diverse forms, midnight stalkers have silently roamed the world's shadows for centuries, coveted by wizards for their unparalleled capabilities that make them invaluable companions in the exploration of the mysterious and uncharted.
Legends shroud the origins of their extraordinary powers. Some speak of a divine gift from the elusive Moon Goddess Seyfara. Whispers suggest that midnight stalkers emerge on the darkest of nights to seek out wizard children born under the next full moon. Contrary tales portray them as offspring ofย ๐จ๐๐ฌ [Myr], the Goddess of Night, destined to wander the world and capture moonlight, creating the darkest and most magic-infused of nights. Yet, the true genesis of these creatures remains veiled in ambiguity, with some dismissing the existence of mythological Goddesses entirely.
Appearance โ From Black to Silver
Distinguishing features of midnight stalkers are apparent at first sight. They are imbued with potent Rothar from birth. Regardless of the common colours of their original species, their fur, scales, or feathers adopt a deep midnight black; a matte coal black that does not shine or show structure, but instead absorbs ambient light. Their eyes, akin to those of wizards who use second sight, gleam silver like the moon.
With age and experience, the strands of silver become more pronounced and expand from a midnight stalker's eyes over their fur and feathers. The most powerful eventually turn completely silver. This silvery adornment is not merely aesthetic; it is an integral part and representation of a midnight stalker's magical prowess. The strands act as conduits for Adhar, naturally channelling and integrating raw energy into the midnight stalker's body, which in turn manifests in their ability to merge seamlessly with her dark surroundings.
Abilities โ A Bond With the Darkness
Whether avian or terrestrial, midnight stalkers move with an uncanny silence โ wings making no sound, land-bound steps exceeding the natural stealth of their common species. Beyond that, all midnight stalkers develop the ability to hide their presence within the darkness.
In general, it cannot be forseen when or if a wizard's familiar will develop distinct magical abilities. However, given their potent Rothar, midnight stalkers often develop additional abilities. Some show initial competence at 15, others at 150 years. Both the race and age of the familiar, as well as the spectral disposition and advances of their wizard influence this.
While they have unique abilities and can sustain themselves through Adhar, midnight stalkers are not invincible. They are sensitive to sunlight, and exposure to fire can cause them great pain and even blindness. They are also vulnerable to certain types of magic, particularly those that disrupt their ability to harness energyย or blend into the shadows.
Sey โ Drawing Energy from the Mother Moon
As Sey emerges, it grants midnight stalkers a comforting yet exhilarating rush of energy which their bodies โ through the silver elements of their fur, feathers, scales or skin โ naturally conveys to Rothar.
Sayra โ Sound Shadow
Beasts which appear to merge seamlessly into the shadows can still betray their existence through their Sayra, a phenomenon known as sound shadow. Sayra appear not as audible occurrences, but as the opposite โ areas of muted ambient noise. Sayra can only be spotted through sound. They are imperfections where incoming sound shifts in volume or, with inexperienced midnight stalkers, meet an abrupt hush. Where disturbances reverberate, and echoes betray their own discordance, beasts hide within the shadows.
Midnight is skilled in discerning these auditory subtleties in the same way that she has learned to reduce the anomalies caused by her own Sayra.
SHADOWBOUND
Those who tread and live darkness.
Creatures that are, by nature or through individual fates, deeply intertwined with the darkness.
BEASTS THAT LIVE IN DARKNESS
Dawnings
"Midnight recognised these beings by an ancient name, a whisper through the annals of time โ Dฮฯขฮ ฮฮ ฦฯ. They were the living contrast of shadows."ย [B1.C10]
Shadows consume and obscure where light falters, while Dฮฯขฮ ฮฮ ฦฯ arise from the abyss of utter darkness, taking shape where light dares not tread.
As Midnight encountered them in [B1.C10], they slithered along the cavern walls of the Albweiss Mountains, their fluid, amorphous shapes momentarily coalescing into grotesque visages. Elongated limbs reached out with cold feelers that brushed against her form. Their touch, though not invasive, probed and caressed, silently beseeching her for a response. They had come to imprint the laws of the dark realms onto her.
In [B1.C10], they take essence from Midnight and infuse a fragment of darkness essence into her, eventually leaving her with the impression they were Gods amongst the Darkness.
"Suddenly, the presence of the dawnings intensified, inundating Midnight's senses with a maelstrom of emotions, complex and contradicting amalgamations of indifference, amusement and desire merged into alien sensations beyond her grasp. It was as if the creatures shared a collective consciousness, an intricate network that transcended her understanding." [B1.C10]ย
First appearance: [B1.C10] Midnight encounters Dฮฯขฮ ฮฮ ฦฯ in the Albweiss Mountain tunnels.
Shadebeast [B1.C10]
"He had the discernible form of a beast on four legs. Twice the size of Midnight, he towered over her, his silhouette a cascade of ripples within the darkness, his hunger palpable in the air."ย [B1.C10]
The shadebeast proved himself as a skilled hunter and fighter. As an embodiment of darkness, he was not limited through matter and not restricted by gravity. Chasing Midnight through the Albweiss as rippling darkness, he seamlessly traversed in and out of the walls. He was able to devour Midnight's Rothar and rip her natural essence by surging through and biting into her pathera form. Once Midnight transformed, his powerful strikes wrenched fragments away from the darkness that was her. In contrast to Midnight, he never extended his darkness beyong his form.
In [B1.C10], Midnight noticed that he had no tangible energy signature, which is, no discernible Rothar.
The sprites' mountain song as well as the messenger string and beast-wizard sigil ring to which he directed Midnight hint at the shadebeast's true identity.
First appearance: [B1.C10] Midnight encounters the shadebeast in the Albweiss Mountain tunnels.
BEASTS OF THE LAND
From the towering giants that roam the mountains to the elusive creatures that inhabit dense forests, this compendium encapsulates the myriad beings that tread upon the continent.
NORTHLANDS
The Northlands are characterised by rocky surfaces and excessively saline grounds, dotted with treacherous fissures and hosting only poisonous fungi that defy the odds of survival. In this desolate wilderness, myriad beasts stir and scatter, concealed beneath the surface or blending seamlessly into the rugged rock formations. Adapted to extremes, these resilient creatures endure the torrential storms of the coastal regions and survive the scorching heat that dominates the distant inlands of the untamed nothingness that is the Northlands.
Behemoth, Lighthouse Cliff
"A monstrosity covered with roots, rotten mosses and foul mushrooms, and littered with gnashing mouths that opened into seemingly endless abysses. Yves had faced giants, but they could not compare. This abomination was theย land itself." [B1.C5]
This colossal subterranean behemot had lurked deep beneath the surface of the Northlands cliffs, possibly dormant, its tendrils or maws perhaps occasionally emerging to seize sustenance. It had sculpted the entire coastline, it had been the very terrain Yves had traversed for three years. He assumed itย existed for centuries or even millennia, shaping the cliff region long before it had turned into the desolate landscape of today.ย
Yves could not define vital centres or organs akin to a brain or heart. The swelling mouthsย exhaled a discord of multi-layered, soul-chilling drones. With a cascade of acid-filled tendrils, it captured stray beasts, even ripping Wyrren from the sky and swallowing them whole.
When Yves severedย parts of the bulgous body in [B1.C6], the severed appendages displayed autonomous activity, their maws and tendrils thrashing with undiminished fury. Simultaneously, the remnants still being devoured by the Vicha retained their energy signature, suggesting both parts harboured an uncanny semblance of life. Failing to recognise acts of higher intelligence, Yves speculated on a self-sustained existence driven by base instincts.
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First appearance: [B1.C6] The cliff behemoth is overtaken and devoured by the Vicha that hunts Yves. Entire ledges of the lighthouse cliff area collapsed as the creature pulled itself inland, rending and smashing all that had once been coastline.
Size: A living mountain.
Bicaan, Grand and Lesser (Bicaneer)
The grand bicaan stands at 4-6 meters tall, its robust frame camouflaged by rocky outcrops. Its hide, in structure and toughness like weathered stone, boasts patterns resembling grey rock crevasses, providing exceptional camouflage in the storm-laden terrain of the Northlands plateau. While the grand bicaan possesses massive, curving horns and a sinuous, ashen-colored mane, the lesser bicaan evolved to lose their horns, outcrops and much of their thick hide.
The lesser bicaan, also called bicaneer, evolved a coat covering its massive body and a longer mane than its conspecific, gaining insulation against the biting winds and abrasive sands of the north-eastern lands. Its fur shimmers with hues of ochre and bronze, blending seamlessly with the desert landscape.ย
When hunting, the bicaan resorts to ambush techniques.
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First mentioned: [B1.C9] The grand bicaan traversing the Northlands plateau avoid the Vicha presence.
Size: 4 - 6 meters.
Desert Dwellers
Fungus-eating insects whose bites are poisonous and, since that is not enough to spoil the rest of your life, usually cause serious illnesses in those who survive the first feaver-ridden nights after an encounter.
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Funners
"Tria released all of them into the habitat. The creatures wreaked havoc, their brutal attacks indiscriminate. They slaughtered adults and children alike."ย [B1.C15]
A large, highly adaptable predator native to the borderlands where the northern desert meets the icy mountain range, the Funner is an apex carnivore with a distinctive physiology suited for extreme environments. It stands between 2 to 2.5 metres at the shoulder, with a lean but heavily muscled frame built for endurance and sudden bursts of speed.
Its hide is composed of overlapping, scale-like plates that mimic fur from a distance, providing both flexibility and protection against blades and frostbite. The coloration varies seasonally, shifting from a dull sand-gray in warmer months to a muted alabaster in winter. Beneath the thick, segmented hide, a dense layer of heat-retaining muscle fibers allows the creature to remain active in subzero temperatures.
The funnerโs head is elongated, featuring a reinforced cranial plate that enables it to ram prey or obstacles with significant force. Its four forward-facing eyes possess a dual-layered lens system, granting exceptional vision in both glaring daylight and near-total darkness. The jaws are lined with interlocking, barbed teeth that curve inward, preventing prey from escaping once bitten.
It possesses six limbs: two primary forelimbs with elongated, retractable claws used for climbing and disemboweling prey, and a secondary set of smaller, vestigial arms closer to the ribcage, likely used for stabilisation during high-speed pursuits. The hind legs are digitigrade, built for leaping and sudden directional shifts on unstable terrain.
The funner is also notable for its segmented, prehensile tail, which is lined with keratinous ridges capable of delivering blunt force trauma. This adaptation aids in balance, communication, and subduing prey. Despite its size, the funner moves with calculated efficiency, using its terrain-colored hide and low-profile movement to ambush efficiently.
While solitary by nature, recorded encounters suggest temporary pack behavior during prolonged hunts or in response to environmental stress. Studies of recovered remains indicate an advanced vascular system, allowing rapid blood flow regulation for temperature control. Given its highly specialised physiology and extreme aggression when confined, the funner remains one of the most difficult creatures to tame in controlled conditions.
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First mentioned: [B1.C15] Yu notes how Tria had released three funners into the Barnstream Human Habitat.
Size: 2.5 metres on average.
Paigen
"The first two remained frozen, exhibiting a stillness that betrayed predatory intent, while the latter had already inflated and coiled into a defensive posture that was all spikes and no mercy."ย [B1.C9]
These grotesque desert-dwellers are twisted manifestations of the land's malevolence. Their elongated, sinuous bodies are held upright by over a thousand needle-thin appendages. Reaching heights of up to three meters, these aberrations are covered in a chaotic array of spikes, indistinguishable from their limbs, all writhing in unsettling disarray.
Their harsh and twisted nature reflects the barren landscape they traverse. Unlike other Northlands creatures, paigen neither burrow nor hide in rock crevasses; they freely roam the desolate expanse. They are incredibly fast and agile desert runners. When confronted by larger predators, they coil into an impenetrable ball of spikes. For protection and hunting, they manipulate their spikes, moving them flexibly or hardening individual spikes at will. Prey smaller than them is ensnared and pierced to death.
Instead of consuming their prey directly, paigen impale and then carry it on their spikes. Through corrosive secretions, the prey dissolves, and both the acidic discharges and the liquefied prey are consumed by cannamophs, a type of anthropod living symbiotically with paigen. These cannamophs reside on the paigen's bodies, nestled between spikes and legs like ever-hungry pearls. They consum the decomposed prey and then secret nutrients directly into the host paigenโs body.
Paigen spikes, acid, and cannamophs find versatile uses in potion-making and crafting high-quality jewellery. The spikes, when processed with expertise, can create exceptionally flexible yet robust armour. Properly melded and merged, this armour flexes but autonomously hardens under pressure, offering protection against strong impacts. Respectively, these components are highly valuable. Numerous north-eastern settlements have met their demise attempting to breed paigen for economic gain.
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First mentioned: [B1.C9] When traversing the Zwischenland, Yves encounters three paigen hidden amongst Tairan ruins.
Size: 3 meters on average.
MOUNTAINLANDS
The Albweiss Mountains separate the Northlands from the Midlands. The sountern face of the mountain is covered in steep cliffs of rock and ice โ here, only a sparse number of creatures survive.
Silling
A formidable bird of prey that dominates the storm-lashed peaks of the Albweiss.
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The silling is both feared and highly sought after. With a wingspan of up to four meters, its dense, seasonally shifting plumage provides insulation and camouflage, making it a near-invisible predator amid the howling blizzards. Unlike lesser raptors, it thrives in perpetual storms, using powerful updrafts and swirling winds to glide effortlessly through the chaos. Its razor-sharp talons and hooked beak allow it to ambush wapa calves, mountain hasias and even lone travellers struggling through the snow.
The silling hunts not by sight or sound โ both unreliable in the Albweissโs relentless storms โbut by tracking the movement of heat. Its keen vision can detect subtle temperature shifts against the frozen landscape, allowing it to pick out warm-blooded prey even through layers of snow. This ability enables it to lock onto its target with precision, striking with speed before vanishing back into the storm.
Hunting the silling is an ordeal that demands skill and preparation. The mountain-dwelling Haraak orks track the birds by studying their hunting routes and nesting sites, often setting lures that mimic the distress cries of wounded prey. During nesting season, when the silling is more territorial and aggressive, teh orks set up hidden blinds near favored perches, using spears or weighted bolas to bring the bird down mid-flight. For those daring enough, the most honoured method is the cliff ambush: waiting near a sillingโs roost to strike as it returns from the hunt, hoping to land a lethal blow before the storm-wind carries it away.
Every part of the silling is valuable. Its dense down lines winter cloaks, its talons serve as ceremonial daggers, and its bones are hollowed into wind flutes that mimic its haunting cry. Consuming its heart is believed to grant heightened senses and storm-born instincts.
First mentioned: [B1.C15] Deltington jokingly compares Yu to a silling.
Size: Standing about 2.2 meters tall and measuring a wingspan of 3.5 meters.
Wapa
Resilient herbivore bred by the Haraak ork horde for its meat and fur.
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The wapa is a resilient herbivore that roams the snow-covered mountains of the Albweiss. Under selective breeding, the Wapa has evolved to survive in such harsh environment. Its thick coat of fur, ranging from pale white to silvery gray, allows it to blend effortlessly with the frozen landscape, while its broad, muscular frame and insulating fat layers protect it from the cold. Its spiraled Corotashell Horn, a long, robust growth of keratin emerging from the back of its head, is a defining feature, used primarily for long-distance communication and mating rutuals through deep, resonant calls.
In the fleeting summer months, when the harsh winds subside and the ground softens, the Wapa takes advantage of the sparse vegetation that emerges from beneath the snow. It feeds primarily on resilient plants such as fern, snow moss, and tundra grass. These plants are tough and fibrous, offering little nutrition, but the Wapaโs robust digestive system can extract enough sustenance to survive the summerโs brief warmth. However, as the colder months approach, food becomes even scarcer. The wapaโs diet dwindles to a few hardy plant species, and it must dig through deep snow to find lichen that clings to rocks. Despite the limited food supply, the wapa is capable of surviving thanks to its slow metabolism and energy-efficient body. In the coldest winter months, when food is inaccessible and temperatures drop to extreme lows, the wapa enters a form of hibernation. Seeking shelter in isolated mountain crevices, it significantly reduces its activity levels to conserve energy. During this time, the wapa relies on stored body fat and the little moisture it can extract from snow to stay alive. Its metabolism slows dramatically, allowing it to endure the long, foodless months until spring arrives and the cycle begins anew.
In the Albweiss regions, the wapa is herded by the Haraak ork horde, a semi-nomadic people who have learned to domesticate and breed these beasts over centuries. The orks are hardy and skilled in navigating the treacherous mountain passes, often using the wapa's herding instincts to their advantage. They guide the animals to areas offerring traces of plant life, where the wapa can replenish their strength for the colder months ahead. During wintertime, the orks are known to sustain their wapa with raided or traded food.
The beasts are driven by the orks using a combination of loud calls, rhythmic drumming, and low, vibrating tones produced through smaller horns crafted from the corotashell horn of older wapa. These signals mimic the deep calls of the Wapa, and when the herd hears these tones, they respond by gathering together, following the orks in deliberate procession.
The Orks herd the wapa not only for their meat and fur, which are vital for survival in the harsh environment, but also for the corotashell horns they harvest. The horns are used for crafting tools, ceremonial objects, and, most notably, as communication instruments. The deep, resonating call from a corotashell horn can be heard across the snow cliffs, a sound that resonates over great distances. The orks have also developed a method of "tuning" these horns, adjusting their shape to produce a variety of tones used for ceremonial and communication purposes.
First mentioned: [B1.C13] Notion of the corotashell horn.
Size: Standing about 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder and measuring around 2 meters in length from head to tail, with a compact, stocky frame.
MIDLANDS
The Midlands are a realm of contrasts, where the rugged grandeur of the mountains gives way to the lush embrace of vibrant jungles, creating an ecosystem that pulses with life. The richness in biodiversity mirrors the variety of beasts that established their territories in these realms. Each corner of the Midlands contains a unique ecosystem, teeming with as much beauty as they harbour danger โ here,ย elusive predators and venomous creatures navigate the dense foliage and steep cliffs with lethal grace.
Alderban
Winged but flightless domestic animal, bred for meat.
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Barthar
A muscular four-legged beast with strong paws and jaws. The colour of its thick fur appears in various shades of brown. In appearance similar to a bear.
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Hoggars
In the dense Midland forests, the daring wanderer encounters guardians and dwellers of the emerald canopies. Amongst the most numerous are Hoggars, tiny creatures with multiple arms and legs that tend to the trees they inhabit.
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Umnits
The weirdest thing in every forest.
ย ย ย "What the fuck is that?"
ย ย ย โ "Umm ... it's ...".
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Lumilume
A diminutive creature of pure radiance.
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Lumilumes are elusive beings, preferring the gentle embrace of twilight. As the moonlight weaves through the branches, these ethereal creatures emerge from their hidden abodes within the lower canopies of trees.
With a body no larger than a dewdrop, this insect is a living kaleidoscope. Its translucent wings, resembling opalescent petals, bundle and refract the sunlight into a dazzling spectrum of colours that dance upon the forest floor. They are said to guide lost travellers.
Marrel
Small critters that live on poison berries. What they eat, you better not touch.
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Marrels live in large numbers within poisonous thickets, using it as both home and sustenance. They tend to these bushes diligently, keeping them free from insects and parasitic plants. Masterful climbers, Marrels navigate thorny vines of their nesting grounds with acrobatic finesse.
The Marrel has large, expressive eyes and boasts a sleek frame and nimble paws. Its fur, a medley of deep purples and rich blues, mimics the vibrant hues of the toxic berries they eat. A delicate, bushy tail adorned with luminescent stripes enhance the warning his prominent colours convey to any predator.
Their venomous secretions are meticulously harvested by witches for crafting potent antidotes.
Orken
A large herbivorous animal domesticated and bred to haul wagons. Also used for food.
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As the story progresses, information on these beasts will be added.
Olderken
A smaller breed of Orken. Olderken have longer and thicker layers of fur than the wild Orken and can thus survive colder climates. Used for pulling sleds and farmwork.
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As the story progresses, information on these beasts will be added.
Pathera, Patherren
Pathera like Midnight are carnivorous hunting animals. As swift runners and skilled climbers they occupy large hunting areas in mountain and forest habitats. They live solitary or in small groups.
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Cubs: Patherren.
Size: Up to 170 cm in height (on four legs).
Weight: 230 - 300 kg when fully grown; males heavier than females.
Sep
Wild predatory beast, similar to wolves.
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As the story progresses, information on these beasts will be added.
Voltera
"The source of their terror became clear seconds after. Just ahead, Midnight encountered the scene of their downfall โ a voltera, a massive predator not unlike a pathera but much grander in size, was gruesomely tearing through the remnants of another ork party; his rampage the realisation of raw carnage."ย ย [B1.C13]
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Size: Up to 310 cm in height (on four legs).
Weight: 550 - 700 kg when fully grown; males heavier than females.
First appearance: [B1.C13] When traversing the snowtrail leading across the southern face of the Albweiss, Midnight encounters the voltera Ahrasik, a wizard and a scorchborn slaughtering a pack of orks.
SEA CREATURES
The ocean breeds the unknown.
The seas surrounding the continent are tumultuous and treacherous, both a siren’s call and an gamble with Death to the overly adventurous. They harbour elusive creatures, from the intricate dance of diverse fish to colossal sea beasts whose mere presence can shatter the bravest seafarer’s resolve.
The oceans are seldom explored due to their relentless storms and the inherent inaccessibility of their depths. Beneath the surface lies a realm shrouded in danger. Perilous sea creatures hold dominion over these uncharted waters, from schools of radiant fish that glitter like living gemstones to immense leviathans capable of reducing any ship to mere debris. Adding to the danger, the beasts of the sea are highly attuned to foreign energies, especially magic. Magic users casting even the subtlest spells risk stirring the inhabitants of the deep, their enchantments inviting swift and lethal retaliation.
The yearning traveller’s imagination, fuelled by whispers from fragments of lore, spins tales of mysterious underwater kingdoms. Legends hint at realms in the blackest reaches of the ocean, rumours of cavernous abysses where luminescent beings rule in silent grandeur.
NORTHLANDIC OCEAN
The Northlandic Ocean, with its storm-laden temperament and unforgiving expanses, remains one of the least explored domains of the continent. The tumultuous waters, incessantly whipped by tempestuous storms, render this ocean inaccessible to all but the most skilled and most foolhardy sailors.
Crustaceans
"Crustacean beasts emerged, each several meters tall. Their grotesque forms were amalgamations of the morbid, all claws, rows of feet, and layers of impenetrable carapace." [B1.C5]
Their bodies turned armour are capable of surprising speed; when they scuttle, they do it in a frenzy. When they rampage, their massive claws turn into hammers and blades.
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First appearance: [B1.C5] An increasing amount of crustaceans attack when Yves and Midnight cross the shard bridge between their lighthouse hideout and the mainland.
Size: Depending on how you dare measure their elongated bodies, you find them between 10 and 25 metres tall.
Abilities: They appear unaffected by Yves' illusions [B1.C5].
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Galebiters
"The Galebiters kept coming in ever greater masses, breaching his projectiles, assaulting the bridge, crashing into the structure and breaking the shard fragments with their beaks mid-flight."
No-one ever asks for them, yet these frantic creatures are amongst the first to notice even the faintest traces of foreign energies. This makes them ominous heralds โ harbingers of greater, more formidable beasts that wait to be stirred by unleashed magic.
Galebiters are ferocious sea creatures with grotesque avian features. Their elongated fins double as wings for gliding long distances, and their hard beaks tear through stone and shards. The dwell and attack in vast swarms of up to one thousand individuals, overwhelming their prey by sheer numbers and agility.
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First appearance: [B1.C5] Galebiters attack when Yves and Midnight cross the shard bridge between their lighthouse hideout and the mainland.
Size: Up to 3 metres.
Sea Serpents
"Serrated fins of colossal creatures sliced through the water, as a twisted menagerie of grotesque sea beasts burst from the churning waves." [B1.C5]
A serpentine beast, its form distorted by arcane turbulence. Ebony obsidian scales glint with a sickly luminescence, and cruel, blade-like spines adorn its back.
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First appearance: [B1.C5] Sea serpents attack when Yves and Midnight cross the shard bridge between their lighthouse hideout and the mainland.
Size: Way too big.
RIVERS
Beings and beasts living in the rivers of the eastern Northlands and Midlands.
Garanger
The garanger is a hardy, nutrient-rich fish bred to thrive in the controlled waterways of the Barnstream Human Habitat.
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First mentioned: [B1.C15] In connection to the Barnstream Habitat utilising humans as fishermen.
Size: 30 to 40 centimeters.
Sylquins [River Nimbles]
Sylquins are lithe, amphibious beings that dwell in rivers, streams, and flooded meadows. Their elongated, sinuous bodies are smooth and reflective, often blending seamlessly with the waterโs surface. They feed on drifting algae, small aquatic larvae, and the occasional bloom of riverweed, capturing it with precise, fluid movements. Sylquins rarely leave the water, though they can leap briefly between pools during seasonal floods. They communicate through subtle ripples and vibrations in the water, coordinating in small groups that glide together with remarkable synchronicity. As they mature, they grow shells and settle along the river bottom.
Their presence is considered a sign of healthy waterways, as they tend to maintain the balance of microfauna and plant life within their habitats.
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First mentioned: [In relation to makingย Numa Salve.]
Size: But a few centimeters in lenght.
AVIAN BEASTS
Avian beasts, true to their soaring nature, establish territories that extend across vast expanses of sky. Migration becomes a spectacle as flocks paint the air with vibrant hues, charting courses that span all areas of the continents and seasons.
In some regions, the avian realm becomes a battleground, where winged predators engage in an aerial ballet of survival. The competition for prey is fierce, and the skies are witness to a relentless pursuit where only the strongest prevail. Yet, in contrast, there are corners of the world where a complex harmony has evolved. Diverse avian species, from the majestic raptors to the smallest songbirds, share territories with an intricately woven understanding. Each species preys on different land creatures, avoiding direct competition and harm, creating a balance that is nothing short of remarkable.
In certain cultures, avian creatures are revered, captured, and tamed for their hunting prowess or kept as captivating companions.
Binty
A small kind of songbird, brilliant at imitating various noises that should never come out of a bird.
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Fiator
"A tremor ran through the flock, a collective flutter of wings, sudden, frantic, flaring fear โ the male far above her bolted, launching himself into the air with an impulsive burst of energy."ย ย [B1.C13]
Despite his small size, the fiator is a marvel of speed and skill. As a mountain glider, he is perfectly adapted to the harsh environment shaping the southern Albweiss, able to race through the treacherous terrain with a grace that belies the brutality of the elements. Darting through spontaneous and constantly shifting wind currents, weaving through fog, snow, hail, and rain, he navigates the jagged contours of the mountain with remarkable agility.
When hunting a fiator in [B1.C13], Midnight experiences that "The fiatorโs evasive manoeuvres, his sudden dives and rapid ascents, were all observed, calculated, and countered. Repeatedly, he attempted to break away from the mountain face, to soar into the open sky, but the relentless winds and swirling snowstorms always forced him back, confining him to the narrow corridors of safety along the jagged cliffs."
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First appearance: [B1.C13] Emerging from the confines of the southern face of the Albweiss in her darkness form, Midnight encounters and hunts a flock of fiator.
Size: Up to 0,4 metres with a wingspan of 0,7 metres.
Jabarrah
The jabarrah is a striking bird of prey that is renowned for its magical potential, and it only ever approaches wizards when establishing itself as a familiar. Its feathers appear in rich shades of blue and green, complemented by deep blue eyes and a long, sand-coloured beak with a distinctive hook-like curve.ย
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As the story progresses, information on these creatures will be added.
Norlak
"Giant claws shot out of the storm above, spear-like appendages that slashed through the air, tearing just above the ruins, accompanied by a high, bestial screeching"ย [B1.C9]
With its slim body and rather short wing-to-body ratio, the Norlak adapted to the storms and torrents characterising the harsh Northlands. This grand avian beast is the natural predator of paigen. It kills paigen with brutal efficiency, slashing them dead mid-flight or thrashing them against rock formations. Its long claws provide formidable defence against the paigens' spikes.
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First (indirect) appearance: [B1.C9] Yves conjures the illusion of a Norlak shooting out of the storm to scare off three paigen which threatened him in the Zwischenland ruins.
Size: Up to 5,5 metres with a wingspan of 110 metres.
Wyrren
Winged aberrations frequenting the Northlands' coastal regions.
They possess extensive, hooked beaks. Their screeches are painfully high-pitched.
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First appearance: [B1.C5] Wyrren soar down from the skies to capture the crustaceans that are attacking Yves and Midnight at the lighthouse cliff.
Size: Up to 9 metres with a wingspan of 20 - 25 metres.
UNDERGROUND DWELLERS
Various creatures navigate the vast subterranean networks below the continent.
ALBWEISS MOUNTAINS
“The Shaira had spoken of it โ how creatures born within the Albweiss were often defined by cohesion and distinguished as a collective, bound more by shared awareness than by self. Not only beasts, but even orks, to some extent. Their minds were not separate, their thoughts not singular. And sometimes, not even linear.”ย ย [B1.C16]
This expansive mountain range separates the Northlands from the Midlands, stretching for hundreds of kilometers from west to east. It is riddled with vast tunnel systems.
Fersis
"Still, bloodshot, golden eyes unwaveringly focused on Midnight, following her every step as she moved past. It did not plead, but it watched her. It was very young, and yet, at the threshold of death, its eyes beheld a wise understanding โ Midnight could act if she wanted to, but there was no reason for her to do so." [B1.C10]ย
A fersis is a creature of solitude and refined beauty, perfectly adapted to the subterranean realm it inhabits.
Standing at a modest 35 centimetres, the fersis presents a compact yet graceful frame with slender proportions, Its body is adorned with a plush fur, dense and lustrous, with a colour palette that mirrors the hues of the subterranean environment โ a seamless blend of shadowy greys and earthy browns, contributing to the fersis' ability to meld into rocky surroundings. Its nimble limbs, imbued with unmatched agility, navigate labyrinthine tunnels with ethereal grace.
The fersis plays a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of the subterranean ecosystem by controlling the growth of poisonous fungi. It feeds on such fungi and digs for fungi root systems, using its refined snout for foraging.
Seldom surfacing to the world above, this creature masterfully employs its agility and speed when threatened. The long, graceful tail acts as both balance and subtle indicator of a fersis' emotions, its movements conveying the creature's mood and disposition.
The most captivating feature lies in its expressive golden eyes, large and deep-set. They gleam with intelligence and curiosity. Proportionally significant for its small face, these eyes are finely attuned to the faintest traces of light, serving as both sentinel and sensor, capable of detecting the slightest vibrations or disturbances in the air, Those fortunate enough to encounter the Fersis's golden gaze are said to be bestowed with visions of profound revelations.
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First appearance: [B1.C10] Midnight encounters a young fersis captured by arachnid trappers in the underground realms of the Albweiss Mountains.
Size: 30 - 40 cm.
Nylvarn [Cavern Drifters]
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ABOUT
Nylvarn are small, winged denizens of deep stone hollows, their membranes patterned with natural striations that aid in sensing vibrations. They cling to jagged rock surfaces, moving with silent, precise motions to navigate even the most labyrinthine caverns. Hardy and self-sufficient, they endure months without light or surface nourishment. Folklore says that a roost of cavern drifters often marks places where hidden veins of rare minerals can be found.
USE IN ALCHEMY
Alchemists prize their wing filaments and claw tips, which, when ground into powders or tinctures, are said to bolster resilience. They are used as compound of many potions and remedies such as numa salve.ย
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First mentioned: [In relation to makingย Numa Salve.]
Size: The average drifter has a body lenght between 10 to 20 centimetres.
Rockshade Weaver [and Weaver King]
"Midnight, a being that could merge with darkness, understood that the predator awaiting her lived within darkness." [B1.C8]
ABOUT
The Rockshade Weaver, an arachnomorph of formidable stature, boasts a flexible body surpassing the size of a pathera. With grand mandibles, legs nullifying vibrations, and a light-absorbing carapace, this elusive creature, indigenous to subterranean realms, has adapted to traverse profound darkness. Operating in silence, it exhibits sinuous, shadow-like movements, demonstrating a sensory acuity rivaling even Midnight's keen instincts.
Proficient in stone mimicry, the Rockshade Weaver seamlessly blends with tunnel surfaces, its exoskeleton mirroring surrounding rocks for impeccable camouflage. It creates extensive web structures to capture prey. These nearly imperceptible constructions weave multi-layered traps, as Midnight experience firsthand [B1.C8]. Strategically designed to beckon even attentive prey with the illusion of navigable passages, they tempt the weaver's prey to believe it could traverse unhindered. Mastering the art of uncanny stillness, weavers are known to hunt in packs, waiting motionless until the opportune moment to strike their prey, utilising a paralysing venomous bite as their primary method of attack.
VENOM
"Rockshade weavers did not devour their dead. They could not. Their venoms were not safe to their own kind. Each weaver crafted its own poison from within; precise, personal, and volatile compositions tailored before each strike, each blend with its own purpose โ to paralyse, to torment, to soften flesh, to hasten decay, to mend wounds, to hollow a still-living host for the planting of eggs. They even weaponised it against each other. Intention made the difference. But once a weaver fell, once its body tore and its mind unravelled, that intention was lost. Withing the faltering body, the various venoms no longer held their boundaries. They broke down and bled into one another. They collapsed into a compost of every cruelty and hunger the creature had ever borne โ an unstable deathblend with no purpose. Lethal, even to its kin."ย ย [B1.C16]
SHARED AWARENESS
As with many beasts of the Albweiss,
"Their awareness was not singular, but shared, diffused across the clutch like a living net of instinct and intent. Their minds were netted together; a current of thought flowing across invisible strands that were their innate nature. They moved not with the wild reflexes of beasts, but with structure that came from this shared awareness โ strange, evolving patterns born of synchrony. They learned from the unknown. They remembered disturbances. They mapped motions, recognised rhythms, and catalogued presences that passed through their dark. And they stitched those revelations into each otherโs memories. Like that, a clutch of weavers could tell when something foreign passed among them, something that did not belong, even if only one had made the actual physical observation. Only one of them might see or sense, but all of them would know."ย ย [B1.C16]
APPEARANCE WITHIN THE STORY
[B1.C16] mentioned that the Shaira worked with weavers. Bred them. Taught them. Harvested silk and venom, and studied both.
[B1.C16] also revealed the grand Weaver King and his domain within the Albweiss. He possesses a body of chitin and produces powerful venom.
After he is killed by Barbarthara, his swarm appears:
"She heard them first. Not one singular sound โ but a texture, layered and converging. Skittering limbs rasping stone, friction gathering into cadence. A dry hairline rustle filled the air, like a ripple of claws combing the cavern floor. It was a sweeping, swelling gust scratching and searching the surface, a sound sharp and constant. A low, skimming, soaring storm; the movement of masses in motion. She felt them. Legs brushing against the corpse above her. Fast bodies flittering past, across, around; friction without discernible form. The air turned thick with stale vibration, hissing with their pace. Pressure without weight. Whispers without voices. The cave began to breathe to their rhythm as the swarm filled it."ย ย [B1.C16]
Barbarthara experiences the swarm's attack as methodical and purposeful:
"They were not hunting, not preying upon her. They were identifying. Sorting her. Parsing. Stripping. Extracting. They knew the dark, their dark, the weave and rhythm of its depth, and when they sensed what did not belong, they dismembered it. They purified."ย ย [B1.C16]
In [B1.C18], the shaman of the Albweiss Mountain Guild reveals to Yu that she has "known those who infest the bodies of others, albeit not with sickness, but with their young. Their captives carry them until the hatching.โ
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First appearance: [B1.C8] Midnight finds herself ensnared in the depths of the Albweiss tunnels, caught between two formidable types of predator: the Rockshade Weavers and the Stygian Serpent.
Size: The common weaver has a body lenght of 1,5-2 metres. However, much larger individuals have been reported. There is no known limit to their size.
Stygian Serpent
"Something significant approached from the intersection, something so dangerous that any arachnids, if present, had retreated. Midnight sensed its lethal intent."ย [B1.C8]
The Stygian Serpent, an amphibious creature, possesses scales that absorb light. A master of sensory perception, it discerns ground vibrations and subtle heat shifts with remarkable precision. Its sinuous movements eclipse even the fluidity of shadow, embodying a lethal blend of silence and intent. Armed with sharp, venomous fangs, it strikes with deadly accuracy, injecting a paralysing toxin into its prey.
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First appearance: [B1.C8] Midnight finds herself ensnared in the depths of the Albweiss Mountain tunnels, caught between two formidable types of predators: the Rockshade Weavers and the Stygian Serpent. The serpent, a creature living in utter darkness, had awaited her in one of the mountain tunnels that is his hunting ground. After Midnight underwent her transformation into a being of darkness, the serpent did not regard her as prey anymore [B1.C8].
Vourae [and Vourae King]
The Vourae have not yet appeared.
MOUNTAIN KING
Though, in [B1.C17], Yu hears the silence of the Mountain King who seems tied to the shaman of the Albweiss Mountain Guild:
"Something immense had stirred โ not with the shifting of earth or the cry of wind, but with a saturation of presence, ancient and terribly patient. Yu heard it, the slow, inexorable turning of a will vast beyond reckoning. Something vast and sentient had turned its attention toward them, not with movement but in a silence that was so profound it roared in his head. This entity had never arrived. It had always been here, bound to the shaman, wound around her like a veil of breathless shadow just beyond the edge of perception. Something ancient was now aware, and it had offered to listen."
The more Yu listened, the more the Mountain King's hunger took shape:
"There was cruelty. Cold control. Precise, procedural command โ not personal, not vindictive, just structural, like a fundamental law. But there was also commitment, yes, and even โฆ compassion. Not kindness, but a kind of obedience to care. A reverence so old it no longer resembled care.
Within that reverence, a whisper of urgency. Within urgency, desire. And beneath desire, underneath all of it, again โ HUNGER. So. Much. More."ย ย [B1.C17]
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First mentioned: Yu hears the Mountain King in [B1.C17]ย
Size: Unknown.
ETHEREAL BEINGS
This section will comprise beings that wield magic and/or are ethereal in appearance. In general, they possess comparatively high Rothar, just like familiars.
As the story progresses, information on these beings will be added.
Dragons
I do not need to tell you about dragons, because you know. Everyone knows about the undisputed rulers of the skies, and the altitude you never cross.
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"The altitude was immense, so much so that she sensed the looming presence of dragons above, their ancient energies thrumming like a distant heartbeat."ย ย [B1.C13]
The Raja Siena โ the circular seal rumorend to encircle the world like a coat of spells โ divides earth from sky and separates lesser beings from dragons; though three exceptions remain: ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ต๐๐๐๐, and ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, who roam below.
Keina [Frostwings, Whisping Haze]
Keina are small, ethereal quadrupeds that thrive in frozen wastelands and snow-laden valleys. Their bodies are invisible to most, and semi-translucent to those with attuned senses, with a surface like crystallised frost. They drift almost silently over icy terrain.
They take from the material world, feeding on the mineral-rich frost blooms and tiny ice-root fungi that grow beneath the snowpack. Keina travel in loose, shifting packs, their movements guided by subtle changes in the wind and temperature. They are known to leave faint frost trails in their wake, which sometimes confound travellers but also serve as natural markers for other keina. Despite their fragility, they possess remarkable endurance against cold, and their presence is said to stabilise microclimates in harsh winter regions.
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First mentioned: [In relation to makingย Numa Salve.]
Size: Small, subtle presences.
Sprites
"Most sprites were malevolent, but some merely observed and mocked unless provoked. All sprites were dangerous."ย [B1.C10]
Respective to the elements and places they inhabit, sprites exist in various (ethereal) forms. Generally, they possess the ability to fly. They may be friendly and communicative. However, most are mischievous and dangerously hostile.
"Instead of outright killing, they posed conditions and demands to exert their influence. They bound Midnightโs actions to arbitrary demands, before then attempting to trick her into failure." [B1.C10]ย
The two sprites Midnight encounters in [B1.C10] had the power to stop her from shifting into the darkness, demanding her to solve an unfair riddle and threatening to eat her if she failed. After she transformed into a creature of darkness, they spoke to her "in the language of darkness itself" [B1.C13].
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First appearance: [B1.C10] Midnight encounters two malevolent sprites in the underground realms of the Albweiss Mountains.