Artificial
Talus
This is a 24’ tall, human-shaped automaton, which includes armor, helmet, and wings mounted on his back. He has bronze skin, can generate melting heat, and his non-functional wings have a 36’ wingspan. Once programmed, he walks a guard path perpetually, usually around an island’s shore. His preferred method of turning aside interlopers is to throw massive boulders at ships, sinking them outright. He has a rudimentary intelligence, but he is mute, and he cannot be bargained with. His internal clockworks have one vein that runs from neck to ankle, and the ichthor within is boiling lead. The vein is capped at the ankle, but if it is pulled out, the Talus will die of exsanguination. Different versions of this automaton have been made for other purposes, but the secrets of its creation are long lost to history.
Nature Spirits
Dryad
Also referred to as hamadryads, these appear as beautiful young ladies. They are wood spirits, and each is the avatar of a specific tree. If the tree is killed, so is the dryad, or vice versa. They are peaceful souls, preferring to frolic with each other in the woods and bath in secret pools.
Kentauroi/Centaur
Also called a hippocentaur or sagitarry, this nature spirits have a human upper torso extending from a horse’s neck and body. Kentauroi are very swift, and they fight with clubs, spears, and longbows. Some of them are well-educated and scholarly spirits, but most are brutal, barbaric, greedy, arrogant, and given to excessive drinking. They are very lusty, and enjoy nothing more than chasing down and raping nymphs. They live in caves. Variations include the Bucentaur with the hind parts of an ox, and the Onocentaur which has the back end of an ass or onager. Onocentaurs have beards, its equine belly is white, and it is a ravenous flesh-eater.
Pegasus
This nature spirit presents itself as a winged horse, both beautiful and gentle. They are pure white, with golden wings, silky manes, and the scent of wildflowers. They are very maneuverable in flight, and they cannot be tamed, but they will gladly carry people with noble hearts and heroes. How it perceives and judges moral purity is unknown, but its senses guide it.
Satyr
Also called fauns, these are nature spirits with furry, human bodies; goat's legs, cloven hoofs and tails; and human heads with goat horns. Their human features are those of handsome youths. Noted for their musical skill with pan-pipes and their lusty nature, they are also malicious, greedy, lazy, and carelessly cruel. They drink excessively and are motivated by their overactive libidos. They usually target nymphs, dryads, and other female nature spirits for their amorous exploits. Serini are a variation on satyrs, but with horse legs and hoofs, and long, horselike faces and ears.
Siren
These sea creatures appear to be beautiful human women, but they are carnivorous and will happily drown and devour sailors. They have intensely seductive voices, and their songs can lead sailors to leap into the sea to their deaths, and their words alone can charm men into helplessness. The siren’s beautiful face and mouth hides needle-sharp teeth. If separated from the sea, the siren will soon die.
Sphinx
She appears as a woman’s head on a lion's body with bird wings. She speaks in riddles and devours anyone unable to answer her puzzles. If someone successfully answers her question, she will go into a series of fits, but she will not attack the winner.
Demon
Cerberus
This type of demon manifests as a 12’ tall, three-headed dog. It is fire-breathing, and its long, dragon-like tail is formidable. These are often used for their loyalty to guard important gates, especially those to and from hell or the Nhether Realms. They excel at this, because the heads can take turns standing guard while the others sleep. They are rarely seen on Aarthus. An orthrus hound is a variant breed, different in that they have two heads, not three.
Chimaera
This demon has three heads, that of a lion on its neck, a goat from the middle of its back, and a dragon's head on its tail. It has the body of a goat, the legs and claws of a lion, and all three heads breath dragon fire. It is as large as a pony, is carnivorous, and sailors see them as harbingers of imminent doom.
Erinyes
These vengeance demons are hag-like, but with dog heads, snakes for hair, and bat wings. They are usually armed with scourges, and they are able flyers. They sometimes are sent to Aarthus to harry specific sinners that have displeased the gods.
Gorgon
This demon’s glare turns all who meet its eyes to stone. In appearance, the gorgon is a horrible woman from the waist up, with an enormous head, flat nose, and protruding eyes. It has serrated teeth, protruding yellow tusks, and a lolling purple tongue. For hair, it has writhing, hissing venomous snakes. There are powerful wings mounted to their shoulder blades, although they rarely fly and are not very good at it. They are serpents from the waist down, and they have long talons on their hands. Their bodies are covered overall with bronze scales. Gorgons can be killed by seeing their own reflection. They are immortal, never aging, and if beheaded, their disembodied heads live on and still may turn victims to stone. Their hissing "hair" gives them away, and their voices are thick, draconic, and very unappealing.
Harpy
These demons are agents of punishment, and they appear as large vultures with the heads and breasts of emaciated women. Their wings and claws are bronze, and they exude a foul, overpowering odor. Harpies fly at incredible speeds, and they carry off law-breakers to the hell, and because of their hateful, sadistic natures, torture their victims en route. They also enjoy snatching food from victims. These demons are sometimes considered to be personified evil windstorms, and they are always ravenous.
Lamia
This is a demon with a woman's head and breasts mounted on the torso of a dragon-scaled, dog-like creature. It has clawed, catlike feet on the front, and hooved feet on the back legs. It is very swift, has a long, flowing tail, and it delights in devouring children and handsome young men. Lamia are shape changers, often using more comely guises to attract their next victims. They have the unusual ability of being able to remove and replace their eyes at will.
Nhether Crows
Much like monstrous, human-sized crows in appearance, these horrid detrivores fly in tight formation and can fire iron-tipped feathers from their wings like hails of arrows. These creatures are man-eaters, with cruel bronze beaks, and their dung is poisonous.
Giants
Cyclops
These are rude, tactless, and savage one-eyed giants. Their single eye is large and centered on their foreheads. They are sometimes used as the disgruntled workmen of the gods, for they are skilled blacksmiths, stoneworkers, and iron-makers. Cyclops happily eat humans, honor no law, and rustle sheep and cattle as desired. Some are also known to herd sheep, and make homes in caves in small family groups. Immense walls are often accredited to them.
Gigantes
Giants in this part of the world are 20’ to 30’ tall, with scaly hides, huge beards, and lizard tails. As long as they remain in contact with Aarthus, they regenerate damage, draw strength from the planet beneath, and cannot die. They are very long lived, and most are evil and disagreeable. Despite this, they have a long history of serving as mercenaries in Aarchonia and are paid in whole cows.
Minotaur
Averaging about 12’ tall, minotaurs have the bodies of muscular men, but with bull heads surmounted with long, broad horns, blood-red and angry eyes. These creatures have the short, brown fur of bulls, as well as hooves for feet and bull tails. They are carnivorous, have anger issues, and will slip into fits of rage at the drop of a pin. Minotaurs are always male, and they are believed to be the offspring of bulls and human women, although this is unconfirmed.
Dragons
Hydra
These are dragons with seven serpent heads each and necks, all growing from scaled, doglike bodies. They have webbed feet and long, curled, serpentine tails to help them balance out their overabundance of heads. One of the seven heads is immortal, living forever even if severed from its body. If the immortal head is chopped off, the hydra’s body dies. From snout (s) to tail tip they are about 30’ long. Since their legs are underneath their torsos, and not splayed like those of a standard dragon, hydras are quick on their feet. Their breath is pestilential, their blood is poisonous, and they are powerful swimmers and semi-aquatic by nature.
Hydra variation I
These conform to standard hydra descriptions, except that it has nine heads. If any of its heads are cut off, two grow in its place, and the only way to stop this is to cauterize the neck stump. These are sometimes used as guardians for magic gates.
Hydra Variation II
This type of hydra, like the standard breed in most ways, has twelve legs and six dog heads mounted on snake necks. These are attached to a human female torso, but one covered in scales like the rest of her body. They have wielded weapons with their two hands.
Other
Catoblepus
This heavily scaled monster, the size and rough shape of a rhinoceros, but with a disproportionately enormous head that nods all the time because of its substantial weight. The gaze of its bloodshot eyes kills victims outright, and its breath is poisonous. When it grows frustrated, the catoblepus gnaws on its own front legs. It is sluggish and subsists on poisonous plants with no ill-effect to itself. Its meat is said to be delicious, if prepared correctly, and deadly if not. Because of its gaze, poison, size, and armor, it is rarely hunted.
Phoenix
This immortal bird resembles an oversized eagle. It has a golden head, and its plumage is chromatic, iridescently gleaming with all colors, but especially fire-like colors (red, blue, etc). Their long, slender beaks have many orifices, allowing them to play enchanting, flute-like melodies thereupon. All phoenix are male, and their diet comprises frankincense and rare, aromatic gums. They are noteworthy because when they die, they will spontaneously combust and be consumed in fire. It rises young again and rejuvenated from its ashes three days hence.
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