“… And the veiled phantoms with their whispered riddles were intriguing….”
- Chapter 16, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Quaestio Mortuus
Habitat: Potentially anywhere
Diet: Mystrovore
Average (Un)Lifespan: [UNKNOWN] (Indefinite?)
Species Density: Uncommon
Range: Throughout Paralex
Known to some as (un)living puzzles, phantoms are believed to form when a person dies clinging to a powerful piece of information or with unfinished business. Dying in such a way is not guaranteed to produce a phantom, but does appear to be the common thread.
Similarly to spectres, they are comprised of multiple soul fragments, potentially from different members of the Eight Great Races. However whilst spectres are tied together by a powerful emotion, it is the information of only one soul which forms the heart of the phantom, with the other soul fragments surrounding it. This is reflected in their appearance. Where a given phantom's dying secret might have belonged to a vampire male, their post-mortem body could quite possibly have the slender tentacles of a brachionite xehale. Furthermore whatever 'outline' the phantom presents is yet more muddied by their choice of spectral clothing, always appearing shrouded in billowing robes, with their faces variously covered by veils, masks, or bandages. Their bodies always appear a deep navy blue.
Phantoms have been observed to remain upon Paralex for as long as it takes to uncover / resolve the information / desires that form their heart. Their spectral bodies are sustained through the absorption of magical energy. As such, a phantom can (though with great difficulty) be forcibly unformed by being starved of such, or otherwise by being attacked with azrael silver. Unlike other remnants, they are unaffected by poppy essence.
A phantom always desires to have its dying knowledge become known / their unfinished business resolved. When such is completed their bodies are engulfed in golden light, shedding their previous appearance, shrouds, and coverings, to reveal the image of the person who formed the phantom’s heart, before fading away.
However, for whatever reason phantoms are unable to directly reveal their desires - it must be uncovered by someone else. For example, a phantom who’s secret is - they knew precisely who murdered them and said person got away with it - would not simply trail after the murderer pointing at them. Instead, phantoms always speak in riddles and act in ways that often make little sense to an outside observer. They can commonly form many leagues from where they may have died and are difficult to shepherd any great distance, thus making their issues yet more difficult to determine. Other problems can arise in solving a phantom’s desires, depending on the length of time between their death and reformation as a remnant.
While phantoms support their form through the absorption of magic, they do so via an automatic process. In this way it is unfortunately feasible that a phantom can remain upon Paralex for an indefinite period of unlife. Tragic tales speak of phantoms whose desires are rendered impossible to solve because people or places pertinent to them no longer exist.
Phantoms are capable of exerting brief physical force upon the world, like spectres, however this only appears to be the case when their desires are close to being fulfilled. Such can be a good indicator that an inquisitor is on the right track.
… Sam at first took them for bears, but then he saw their gruesome heads. Their matted brown fur ended abruptly at the neckline, their faces not only hairless but completely skinless, all bloody red muscle and bone. Without eyelids, their eyeballs seemed to swivel madly in their sockets, and their long tongues continually lashed about, occasionally darting up to moisten the exposed flesh of their faces.
- Chapter 21, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Caput Cruentum
Habitat: Plains and grasslands
Diet: Carnivore
Average Lifespan: 20-25 years
Species Density: Uncommon
Range: Central and southern Dalloran
A terror to night-time travellers across much of Dalloran, the rettamilne makes for a fearsome sight. Their large, furry bodies are powerfully built with vicious claws and speed not suggested by their dense frame. Most striking of all is the rettamilne’s head - devoid of fur or indeed skin of any kind, leaving only muscle and bone to be seen.
A common question is how rettamilnes - with such exposed flesh - avoid infection or the attention of insects. The answer is in their remarkable saliva, which is extremely adept at fighting bacteria. For centuries physicians have prized this hard to obtain substance in their medicines, so powerful are its effects. Using their extremely long tongue - which folds down their throat when not in use - the rettamilne spreads their saliva all over their head and eyes, creating a thin yet protective film.
Yet still the head may appear to be a vulnerable area on the rettamilne’s body and this is true, up to a point. Whilst most assaults against the head will inflict significant harm to the rettamilne, they retain a dangerous counter-move. When a sufficient amount of the rettamilne’s blood mixes with their saliva, the two combine in a fiery chemical reaction, sending streamers of flame bursting from various points across the dying rettamilne's head.
Nocturnal by nature, rettamilnes travel in packs, hunting across open plains and fields in search of prey which they will descend upon without mercy. The tenacious monsters have even been known to hunt lone travellers on the empty roads or else lay waste to the flocks of unwary farmers.
“These portals are a little rougher than the official ones. That, and the rhinoceros tend to congregate around them. So if you see a rhinoceros try not to rile it or you might get flattened.”
“Well, what do they look like?” Sam panicked.
“Big grey thing, bit like a cow but thicker and with a horn on its nose. They live in the space in and around the portals and sometimes charge at people. As long as you keep still and don’t scream, they’ll ignore you. You do at least know what it’s like travelling in a portal, right?”
“No.”
“Ah. Well good luck then.”
- Chapter 9, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Ceratotherium Ianuae
Habitat: Void between portals
Diet: Mystrovore
Average Lifespan: 50-60 years
Species Density: Common
Range: Exclusive to the void between portals
Rhinoceros have been known since the first portals were created Before History and are the only known inhabitants of the void through which portals pass.
Due to the rapid and turbulent nature of portal-travel, detailed observations of rhinoceros have always proven difficult. This is exacerbated by the fact that rhinoceros appear to be easily riled and will charge at portals which pass too closely to them. However advances in Journurgy and Visurgy during the last century have allowed for modified portals offering better examination.
The void between portals has no natural surfaces, so when not stood atop portals, the rhinoceros ‘swim’ through the vacant space. Oddly their bodies are not naturally adapted to such, being very bulky with stumpy flat feet. Yet they are able to propel themselves with surprising speed and power, with some frenzied specimens proving able to penetrate the membrane of portals.
Being that they are the only known biological life within the void between portals, it has been determined that rhinoceros are mystrovores. This is further evidenced by the fact that dead specimens decompose very slowly, suggesting that magic is the only degenerative force present. Rhinoceros possess bioluminescent golden bands around their feet and neck, to aid in their journeys through their habitat. Males typically have an addition band around their centre whilst hales have a glowing horn.
The top of the Trisworn’s bald head bobbed around the garden, chasing some small blue creature, brown robes flapping in his wake. The seedug did indeed look like a bright blue puppy, but with a tail nearly twice as long as its whole body.
- Chapter 2, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Canis Animadverto
Habitat: Warm or urban environments
Diet: Multivore (Carnivore + Herbivore)
Average Lifespan: 18-23 years
Species Density: Uncommon
Range: West and Northern Dalloran. Throughout Reot.
Standing apart from other canines, the seedug is distinct with its blue coat and long, prehensile tail - but most notable of all for its prowess as a messenger. Once a seedug comes into contact with water, they project their memories in visual form, within the liquid.
With the mass exodus of magicians during the Age of War, seedugs were imported from Reot - where they had been in use for centuries - and became the main form of sending messages across the various war zones. Even to this day, in some places where magicians are less common, seedug messenger services continue to thrive.
The clarity and complexity of the viewable memories depends upon how well the seedug has been trained. For example, a seedug pup may only be able to show still images within water, with little clear indication as to the order or importance of their memories. However, a well-trained adult seedug can project seamless moving images, picking and choosing precisely which memories they have been trained to divulge. In either case, the seedug cannot avoid projecting when they come into contact with water. For this reason they cannot always be relied upon to carry secret messages. A well-trained seedug may be able to resist revealing a given memory, but it will be physically impossible to not project something. A seedug trudging through deep snow will leave images behind in its paw-prints. Likewise, one caught out in the rain will unintentionally send up streamers of memory all around them.
Whilst male and female seedugs show no discernible difference in their projecting abilities, hale seedugs are born completely colour-blind and likewise project their memories in shades of grey.
She cocked her head at the treeline. “A blood ape or a skinnster could come out of there any minute….” -
Chapter 22, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Esurientem Pellem
Habitat: Jungle floor
Diet: Carnivore
Average Lifespan: 5-8 years
Species Density: Rare
Range: Exclusive to the Stratigent Jep
Once considered merely a bedtime story the tengu of the Stratigent Jep told their children to keep them safely amongst the trees, skinnsters are now recognised as all too real.
Resembling a large sheet of flat, pale skin, tipped at their edges with jagged spines, these masters of camouflage hide beneath the foliage of the jungle floor. When suitable prey then steps upon the surface of the skinnster, the monster snaps itself around them, moulding to fit their shape. Where a moment before there might have been a man, now there would be only a fleshy silhouette. Naturally, the prey swiftly dies of suffocation and from here the skinnster proceeds to feast upon the body across days or weeks, dissolving it with acidic compounds lining its underside.
The hide of the skinnster is remarkably durable, making dead specimens much-prized by leather-workers. However this too means that once a skinnster has attached itself to someone, nothing short of fire or magical intervention can remove them.
The skinnster reproduces asexually, once they have eaten sufficient food, leaving a patchwork of babies - each one approximately 4x4 inches across - upon their last corpse once they move on. The juvenile skinnsters are far more active and swift than their elder counterparts, with most zoologists concluding that as skinnsters age their muscles become weaker at a rapid rate. With their increased mobility the younger skinnsters have no need to lie in wait, instead being content to spring out of bushes or from the sides of trees. Their smaller size means an attack from one is less likely to be fatal (unless they wrap across their prey’s head / chest) but any that moulds itself around an arm or leg would almost certainly lead to the loss of said limb without timely intervention.
“Well, Your Majesty,” Grim said, “in the interests of openness and honesty on all sides, I’d greatly appreciate it if your tengu friends would join us. I don’t like people who skulk.”
The Queen motioned with one hand and from the darkness on her left and right there came a pair of humanoid crows. Both stood a little taller than the average man and whilst they were covered all over by smooth black feathers, their bodies were lithe and slender, with hooked talons in place of fingers and toes. The tengu, as Grim had called them, both had long curved yellow beaks and small dark eyes that glinted in the lamplight.
- Chapter 9, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Avis Sapiens
Habitat: Jungles
Diet: Multivore (Carnivore + Herbivore)
Average Lifespan: 80-100 years
Species Density: Rare
Range: East and Northern Dalloran. Southern Reot
From atop the seclusion of the highest trees, the tengu have ruled the jungles of Paralex for as long as anyone can remember. Whilst featuring parts commonly seen with avian creatures - beak, feathers, talons - the tengu are flightless. Their ancient legends attest that they once had wings and warred with a fellow cloud-bound race known as the quilians, to determine who would rule the skies. When the tengu lost this great war, their wings were taken and they made their homes in Paralex’s jungles instead. Winged or not, the tengu are swift and athletic hunters, capable of great leaps between the mighty jungle trees where they build their hanging villages. Well-honed talons allow them to climb the towering trees without issue and deal savage sharp blows to any foe.
Sometimes called the ‘Ninth Great Race’, the tengu were, as with the other founders of the Great Races, an instrumental part of King Newton Magnovalis’ force which united Paralex and ended the Age of War. However when it came time to formally declare the legendary alliance and rebuild the world, the tengu declined the invitation to join and instead returned to their jungles. Whilst they assent to their lands falling within the laws and protections of the Great Races, the tengu otherwise take no part in the politics of the world. Common understanding is that the tengu are fiercely territorial, even amongst their own kind, with villages in the same jungle often meeting in open conflict for reasons and customs difficult to discern by other races. Over the centuries envoys and invitations have been sent again, but each time either too few tengu wish to take up the offer, or it is declined outright.
Seldom do they leave their jungles to treat with the rest of Paralex with as much as a century between such appearances. When tengu do arrive, it is usually in search of some resource not found in their jungles, or as outcasts. Whatever the cause, wandering tengu frequently find themselves brought into the highest courts and circles of nobility, if not for their notable stamina and agility, then simply as a curiosity.
“What’s a werren?” Sam asked. “I don’t think I’ve met one before.”
“You never will. They were one of the first races; their entire people lived and died Before History. Each werren was a natural-born genius, capable of building mechanical wonders that rivalled even the Lost Arts. Whilst you humans were discovering fire, they built machines and devices powerful enough to control time itself.”
- Chapter 11, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Lupus Sapiens
Habitat: [UNKNOWN]
Diet: [UNKNOWN]
Average Lifespan: [UNKNOWN]
Species Density: EXTINCT
Range: (Reputedly, formerly) Throughout Paralex
The enigmatic werren remain one of the most enduring mysteries from Before History. Countless legends speak of flying cities and a people who could create wondrous miracles from devices that could fit in a man’s hand. The most fanciful stories paint the werren as masters of time, working seconds and centuries as easily as a builder does clay and mortar.
This too was their downfall, for it is said that once the Creators took the Lost Arts from the magicians, they commanded the werren put aside their most miraculous machines as well. Yet the werren refused and we’re wiped from Paralex. So complete was their destruction, that few believed they existed at all, until the first of their mighty - and often unknowable - machines was found. Even the legendary Malogen the Wise, reputedly the only werren to be spared, can give no answers. No records of his appearance exist but by unknown means, he survived into the dawn of the Imperial Era and when he died his remains were interred in the Final Hollows of Giin. Yet of course Giin was sacked and the Final Hollows razed to the ground during the Turncoat War.
All to the point that practically nothing is known of the physical makeup of the werren. Even legends cannot agree as to their precise appearance. Some say they could stand amongst magicians and humans, indistinguishable from either. Others call them more bestial, with a shaggy coat, jagged claws, and a canine head. The only plausible biological suggestion is that their brains may have been formed in a more complex manner than others seen in the world. This is to account for the natural genius they patently possessed when it came to building their mysterious devices and machines.
With an animalistic scream the witch lunged into view. A warped caricature of a woman, her face was equipped with a grotesquely long, hooked nose and sharp teeth. Dirty, matted hair was plastered to her taut skin. Small, dark eyes bulged in their sunken sockets. Her body, covered in ragged scraps of black material, seemed distorted. The bottom half was swollen, bloated, and dumpy, whilst the upper was rake-thin and brittle.
- Chapter 15, Spirit Rider: The Royal Problem
~~~
Zoological Name: Striga Sapiens
Habitat: Anywhere with dense magical energies
Diet: Multivore (Carnivore + Mystrovore)
Average Lifespan: 50-70 years
Species Density: Uncommon
Range: Throughout Paralex
An old saying goes: One magician is fun, two cure all sorrow, but at three best run, for a witch is bound to follow. Not an unfounded claim, for as rotting food draws maggots, so too overactive magic appears to spawn witches. Despite the outdated and frankly offensive claims of some old stories, witches are in no way related to female-presenting magicians. Modern zoological studies have shown they are a monogendered species who reproduce asexually.
Witches possess a feral, pre-civilised intellect. Using witch-silk they spin from bulbs beneath their arms, they fashion crude garments to cover themselves. When amongst their own kind they chitter, growl, and point, but show no evidence of any language, written, spoken, or otherwise. Two or more witches may form a ‘coven’ sharing resources or forming plans to catch food - but may just as likely battle one another for territory. On occasion witches can be bargained with, showing at least a passing understanding of communication and certain specimens have even been known to offer their services as guards and the like, in exchange for goods or food.
They mainly function as mystrovores, converting magical energy into nutrients, but do have an affinity for flesh as well. Witches are particularly drawn to eating magicians, likely due to their own magical resonance. That witches spend so much of their lives channelling - but obviously never using - magic, they have an extremely high resistance to all but the most powerful spells, curses, and such. In most all cases the only way to harm a witch is with conventional weapons. This can be difficult for any magicians they face, which can be often seeing as witches are drawn to areas of high magical energy, caused by the presence of magicians.
Besides their magical resistance, witches are famous for having a throat lined with numerous venom-sacks. Using organic jets inside their mouths, witches are able to spew a bile tempered by their venoms, with a myriad of reactions. Some are to incapacitate their prey, causing paralysis or extreme pain. Others provide more direct harm, burning the flesh or freezing surfaces to sub-zero temperatures. One rarer seen bile is reputed to be one of only a few ways to produce a wraith, following the death of their prey.
At least one bile hardens into a solid metal commonly called hag-iron. Using this they build cauldrons into which they dump their unfortunate prey - dead or alive - to be cooked into some form of stew. Witches seem incapable of eating flesh unless it has been reduced to a semi-liquid state. Wilder stories posit that through a combination of their bile and fire, they can propel their cauldrons through the air, with themselves inside, to reach more far-flung destinations.