Creatures of the Land
Begou-noz - (Night Mouths) - Will o'the Wisps. Small flames that repeat words and phrases carried on the wind.
Chapalu Bog Cat - A jet black great cat, often found in marshes and bogs.
Hopper-Noz - Night-Criers. Creatures of oure shadow who can mimic sounds as they near their prey. They are warded off by rosehips
Jaculus - AKA Lancer-Lizard. Not a true dragon, but rather a small winged lizard native to Southern Kornôgel. Standing on two legs, this creature lives in the trees and hunts by throwing itself at great speeds like a javelin, snatching small prey out of the air and burrowing quickly into the ground to protect from reprisals or predators. When it strikes a larger animal, it will often impale its target. The Jaculus typically seek out smaller prey, but can prove fatal along the hedgerows and forest paths of Kornôgel.
Onchú - Water-Dog A chimera of the Fortunate Isles with the head of a fox, the talons of an eagle and the hindquarters and tail of a wolf. It is poisonous and semi-aquatic, living near lakes and brooks. Rare in nature, it is more commonly associated with its use as a heraldrc device.
Creatures of the Sea
Bregdi - A ray-like creature with large claws tipping its wings and a tooth-filled, crocodilian snout. It gives chase to boats and other prey, wrapping its wings around it and dragging it underwater. Native to Orkney.
Caspilly - AKA Piercerfish - A large, horse-sized fish native to the waters around between the Maelstrom of Ubar and Pharos. It has sharklike skin, covered in barbs. It's forehead sports a long spine, which it uses to charge and impale it prey, ranging from small fish to whales, which it kills and then eats at leisure. The Caspilly's bite is venomous. Caspilly meat is edible, and its horn is prized for its medicinal properties. Caspilly's are hunted along the Via Maris, drawn in by hooks baited with camel meat, then shot by arrows and bludgeoned.
Marool - A malevolent creature found in the seas near around the Orkney Isles in the Mor Marv, this creature's maw is filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth and the top of its head is covered with glowing yellow-green eyes. A dorsal crest of bio-luminescent fins resembles flame. The creature is active after the Coming of the Storms and can be heard "singing" joyfully as ships capsize and it moves in to hunt its prey.
Motherfish - A potentially legendary concept with spotty veracity, these are massive versions of local fish (Halibut, Salmon, Trout, etc.) that protect schools of their lesser "children", cutting nets, destroying traps and disrupting fishing. Catching one such fish, often the size of a small fishing boat, is considered bad luck and often leads to a collapse of the mundane fish population.
Physeter - A large creature (about 90 meters) with a gaping maw resembling a lamprey's, that uses waterspouts to hunt its prey. It is often active during Wyldstorms.
Ro - Residing in the seaside caves near Karregennig the beast of Ro was a powerful dragon that, after ravaging the countryside, was blinded, deafened and cast into a pit, where it remains, lashing out at the surrounding waters with its powerful magic.
Rosualt - AKA Threeplague Wyrm - A fearsome sea monster in the Mor Ailhenn between Albia and Emain Ablach. It is dormant for 10 cycles, then active for 3. The first year it attacks ships and coastal settlements, generating great waves. The second, it expels a noxious cloud into the air, killing all creatures above it. The final year it spews toxic bile onto the land, spreading plague. While devastating, the cyclical nature of the Rosualt's attacks allow for its worst effects to be mitigated.
Saratan - A massive crab found in the waters off Slaver's coast. It's shell is often mistaken for a phantom-island, complete with ponds and rivers forming on the cracks of its shell. Less prone to sudden dives than the Troual, it is still a dangerous encounter for any unlucky enough to be on its shell during these periods of submersion. Still, fishermen will often risk building small temporary settlements on its back, cutting their ships away before the creature submerges.
Serra - AKA Sawfish - A winged fish with a serrated ridge on its back, capable of cutting through a ship's hull. Growing up to 90 meters in length, the fish represents a major danger to oceangoing vessels, as it will give chase to ships that pass near it. When it spots a ship, it will unfold its fan-like fins and glide along the top of the water towards its prey, cutting through the hull and devouring any sailors unlucky enough to fall into the water. When it is not hunting, it flattens its fins and dives deep into the sea. Contrary to some accounts, it does not actually fly, but glides on the water's surface.
Soleil de la Mer - A brightly coloured carnivorous sea-star with sharp barbs over its body. Its core glows with light and anything caught by it will be cooked and liquified. The Marie-Morgane and Fin-Folk both use the Soleil de la Mer to light their homes.
Steypireyður - The Blue Whales - Massive whales and the natural enemy to the Illhveli (See Below), they will seek out and fight any illhveli they encounter, a benevolent counter to the evil creatures. Very little is known about them, and killing them will bring bad fortune, usually directly in the form of increased illhveli attacks.
Trochus - A large flounder-like creature that is found in the shallow waters of the Mor Kreizdouar, notable for the spine-like fin protruding upwards from their body, sometimes out of the water. They travel in schools, but do not interact with humans.
Troual - AKA Mountain-Whale - A massive whale found in the Mor Bras. Largely passive creatures, they will remain floating idly on the surface for days or weeks at a time. With their rough, barnacle-encrusted skin and the algae-like vegetation that grows on their back, they are often mistaken for phantom-islands. Sailors will often embark on the island to explore only to have the whale suddenly dive back into the water, drowning all on its back. These sudden and violent dives can cause large waves, swamping smaller craft in the area. The bones of Troual are used throughout Fjallkonan and the Lost Peninsula as building materials, with ribs being especially prized for framing. Lyngbakur is the largest Troual, eating once every three years and usually found around Fjallkonan. It is said that Lyngbakur is as older than the Tear and will live until Armageddon.
Ziphius - AKA, Owlfish whale-like monster native to Gandvik and the Mor Marv, but seen as far south as Asturias. It's face terminates in a whale like beak and its milky-white eyes seem to glow. Its neck is covered in a mane-like bristle, and it has two paw-like flippers, allowing it to crawl onto shallow shores and onto the decks of ships. Ziphius are typically green, with yellow horizontal stripes leading from its neck to its whale-like flukes. They are carnivorous, feasting on seals and fish, but have been known to attack foundering ships.
The illhveli
- A subgroup of whales found around Fjallkonan, known for their overtly malevolent natures. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but they appear to share a deep connection to the Tear. None of the illhveli are fit for eating, and their consumption is banned across the North. The illhveli are never referred to by their
Fis, as their utterance will enact a powerful ere-hud to track down and destroy any who speak it. Euphemistic names are frequently changed to avoid association, leading to confusion around the numbers and circumstances around these creatures. The creatures have an apparent fear and hatred of
Mag Mell, the semi-legendary home of the Sidhe, and they will avoid heading along the path of sun-glitter, providing one avenue of escape for those it hunts.
Hrosshvalur - AKA Horse-Whale - A toothed whale with a long-horselike muzzle with a single cyclopean eye, a red dorsal crest on its back and red flukes. They reach between 15 to 40 meters long. Like many of the illhveli, they delight in overturning ships, charging at them with their red crests flowing above the water. They are often associated with the dark arts, and frequently respond to summons of their Fis, and can be redirected elsewhere, unlike their brethren.
Katthveli - Sea Cat - The smallest of the illhveli, only 8 meters long at their largest, named for its long whiskers on its sea-lion like head and purring sound it makes. It has claw-tipped flippers and sharp tusks. It travels low in the water surfacing underneath small craft to flip them, or launching itself onto the deck to attack their prey. They are quite small when young, but their deep-hunger makes them all but impossible to truly tame.
Múshveli - AKA Mousewhale, a malevolent, but ultimately harmless whale-like creature near Fjallkonan, with a long, mouselike snout and whiskers, giving it its name. It will ram ships, but rarely has the speed or mass to cause any real damage to anything larger than a launch.
Nauthveli, Ox-Whale. This bi-coloured toothed whale has a long, snake-like tail without fins, and its bull-like call unleashes a powerful sonic attack, shaking decks and disorienting its prey. The call can be heard for kilometers and most harbourmasters will ban ships from leaving once this call is heard. The Nauthveli particularly enjoys beef, and will hunt down ships transporting cattle with unique determination. Its call is particularly hypnotic to cattle, forcing them to run off cliffs into the sea, where it waits to feast. The effect of this sound remains for several days, during which restrained cattle will often try to break free to react to the roar of the siren's call.
Raudkembingur Red-Crest - The most tenacious of the illhevli, named for the mane-like red growths on its back. It is relentless and single minded in its pursuit, directing its efforts at a single target, passing up easier prey until the first is destroyed. It will dedicate months to this pursuit, beaching themselves, traveling up-river and using storm surges to attack inland prey.
Skeljúngur The Shell Whale - The only edible illhveli, and the least malevolent of the creatures, adopting a neutral stance compared to its aggressive cousins. It ranges from 20 to 45 meters long, with short flippers. It is covered with shells and barnacles, passing through the sea with a loud rattling sound. It will not chase down ships, but instead will position itself in their path suddenly, forcing ships to break their hulls on the back of the creature in their path, devouring the sailors who fall into the water.
Stokkull, AKA Leaper-Whale, Whale of 1000 names. A Large, sperm-whale like creature originally found near Fjallkonan with thick folds of skin over its eyes. Between 8 and 20 meters long, it will leap out of the water to great height, smashing down on prey, including ships and other whales.
Sverðhvalur - AKA Sword-Whale, named for its massive dorsal fin, 2 meters tall. The Sverðhvalur hunts down Blue Whales, its primary prey. It has a beaklike snout full of sharp teeth and brown skin. The Sverðhvalur will swim under other whales, slicing them apart with its fin and feasting on their innards, leaving most of the carcass to rot. As such, they are typically followed by sharks and flocks of gulls. to clean up the remainders. While this attack is effective against small craft, the fin is not capable of destroying larger vessels. When frustrated, the whale will write back and forth, beating its dorsal fin on the water.
Taumafiskur - Bridlefish - Named for the distinctive white stripes around its mouth and eyes resembling a horse's bridle, the creature is known to hold grudges, chasing down those who have previously escaped its wrath, appearing suddenly in distant waters and vanishing again. It typically guards particular fjords for unknown reasons.
The Unquiet Dead and restless spirits
Bosch - First recorded in the Penn-ar-Bed, Bosch are corrupted genius-loci, possibly Boudics, which come into being with the commission of on-board theft, warping the atmosphere and community of a ship into one of suspicion and grudges. These blob-like manifestations bring bad luck and decay with them, befouling the catch, spoiling provisions, entangling and breaking sail-ropes and other acts of malice. With lifespans in measured in months or years, the lingering curse of the Bosch escalates and can endanger the ship itself. The Bosch can be driven out by the burning of humid straw, combined with ritualistically beating parts of the ship, forcing the creature, if unable to hide elsewhere, to dive into the sea. The creature can also be transferred by stealing from another ship, a tactic used to disadvantage rivals and settle grudges. Transferring a Bosch is viewed as an executable offense by the Jetin Kriores, who often hire Hoseguéannets to enact justice.
Mourioche - The Mourioche is a shapeshifter from the Ar Mor Breizh, specifically near Havre-Kast and Kab-Frehel rumored to be created by an alchemist in a failed attempt to recreate the powers unleashed by Conomor the Cursed. Feeding on the Foyson of fear, this malicious and sadistic creature will stretch out its torment to ultimately feast. It will appear on the road-side as a horse, but can appear in other forms. When mounted or approached, a pair of arms will seize the victim(s), typically riding into a lake, or, if feeling magnanimous, merely toss the victim into muddy ditches. The Mourioche will sometimes force a victim to carry it on their back, in what its views as a cruel irony and joke. Mourioche will stalk victims, taking a different form each time viewed, emitting a sound like tearing canvas. Other times, the creature will engage in drawn out sadistic pranks, replacing each of a farmer's livestock in turn and slaughtering the "original" before ultimately targeting the family, leaving behind a golden necklace as "payment" for its feast. Drawing its power from fear, it is stymied when a victim has no fear of it. Sieur Guyon, the first lord of Kab Frehel, is said to have carried the Mourioche the length of the Barony of Ar Mor Emrodez, casually conversing with it the entire time, much to its chagrin, and inviting it for tea. The creature eventually relented, giving the lord the golden necklace that funded the construction of Roc'h Goueon.
Night Callers - The C’hwiteller-noz (night whistler), the beker-noz (night beater) and the biniou-noz (night bagpipes) are disembodied sounds traveling on the Gaoithe Sidhe. Responding to their calls invites calamity. The Pilour-lann (moor crusher) spends their time in the days preceding a storm hammering on the side of homes with a mallet to warn of the approaching dangers.
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