Beasts and Spirits
When Genesis was separated from the Old World it was once a part of, it wasn’t only the thinking races that made their choice about where they would make their home. Many beings that would have otherwise faded into legend still live on within Genesis’s borders, drawn to the natural magic that is an integral part of the land and their own makeup.
The following is a list of creatures that exist as a species or can be grouped under a collective name; for a list of more individual or unusual creatures, see Unique Beings .
rare
Though their formal name is ‘the Hidewalker’s Cursed’, these rare creatures are often just referred to as the Cursed. Originally the leaders of a tribe of humans cursed by the Hidewalker in ages past for hunting and eating shapeshifters in an attempt to gain their power, they are forced to shift from one nightmarish form to another forever and have become immortal. They hate all living things, and will obsessively stalk and kill humans and the other conscious races without provocation. Thankfully, there are only a handful that survive to the present day. The Cursed have an intense hatred towards their own kind and will viciously attack one another on sight if their paths cross; as a result, they’re always solitary. DARKHOUND
rare
Almost certainly the basis for countless ‘black dogs’ of Old World mythology, darkhounds are a strange and little-understood species that’s only rarely seen. They’re sleek, lean dogs so uniformly dark that it’s hard to make out any definition of features, giving them the uncomfortable appearance of being a shadow rather than a living creature, and seem to be solitary. Only ever encountered during twilight or under cover of night, it’s theorized that they might originate in the Worldshadow itself and cross back over into its darkness during the daytime hours. Despite the fact that most find their presence deeply unnerving, darkhounds don’t seem to be aggressive and haven’t been known to attack people. While they do seem to stalk a chosen target, being spotted at a distance repeatedly over the course of days or weeks, their purpose for doing so remains unclear. They’ve long been thought of as an omen of danger or misfortune to come. DEMON
uncommon
Common in their home of the Otherlands but relatively uncommon on the material plane, 'demon' is the colloquial name for any being originating in the Otherlands. There are a variety of common types of demon, ranging in strength from small creatures serving as familiars for Binder mages to terrifying creatures who can reach near-godlike power. Demons are magical parasites, and can present a major problem if they break free from the control and sustaining pact of the Binder who brought them to this reality. DUSTWALKER
uncommon
Dustwalkers are malicious creatures found only in the emptiest corners of Genesis and the Old World, where they thankfully have little occasion to cross paths with members of the magical races. Beings formed of shadow and dust, they form a hazy and ill-defined mass standing 12-15 feet tall with dully glowing orange eyes as their only discernable feature.
Though they rarely wander, dustwalkers seem to claim empty places as their chosen territory and viciously protect it against any perceived trespassers; those travelling through barren parts of the wilds should keep watch for their dark silhouettes against the horizon, where they’ll gather in silent observation before an attack. They’ll generally advance only when their intended prey is asleep in order to smother their victims. Terrifyingly, dustwalkers seem impervious to all but powerful magical attacks and attack in numbers; if they’re spotted, the best response is to not stop travelling until out of their claimed territory. FERAL SHIFTER
uncommon
Some shapeshifters, typically due to age or mental decline, can become lost within the mind of an animal during their change. Doing so drives them mad; they lose their ‘human’ consciousness and the ability to shift back. When trapped in a predatory or otherwise powerful form, they seem drawn to attack the reasoning races and can be quite dangerous; those who drive themselves to try and change shape while in this state can become trapped between in monstrous half-forms that are typically thought to be the origin of stories regarding lycanthropy.
Thankfully, it’s uncommon for a shifter to go feral. While the rest of their race don’t view this condition as inherently negative--some consider it to be fully embracing the animal side of their nature--they will kill these feral shifters if their behavior becomes too threatening. FIREBIRD
uncommon
Once fairly common across the far northern reaches of the world, firebirds are now confined to the arctic and subarctic shards like Iscalion, Fyrenstone, and various minor shards of similar climates. Great predatory birds with striking dark-and-red plumage, they’re known for their ability to breathe flame to a range of 15-20ft; hunting primarily at dusk or under the cover of darkness, their breath illuminates their entire body from within and makes for a brilliant and intimidating sight.
Firebirds are fairly intelligent, with good memory, a keen mind, and the capacity to form strong and lasting opinions on those who cross their path. While they can be raised to serve as guardians if hand-reared from hatching, they’re never truly ‘tame’ and must be treated with respect and a healthy amount of caution by any would-be handlers. FIRST BEAST
rare
Though the term ‘first’ is more based in myth than reality, there’s only so much that’s really known about the so-called First Beasts. Seeming to spontaneously arise in any species dwelling in an environment sufficiently rich in magic, they’re otherwise normal animals who have become blessed with long life, wisdom, and the ability to speak. Once found throughout the Old World in the time before the shattering, these days only a few holdouts remain outside of Genesis and its magic-saturated shards.
First Beasts are still at home in the wilds, and retain their bonds to their non-gifted wild brethren; those who come from social species often lead their respective herds, packs, or other communities for generations and grow to considerable size. While they have the ability to speak with the various magical races, that doesn’t mean they choose to. The shapeshifters are often the exception to this rule, and shapeshifters who live primarily in animal form often feel a close kinship with First Beasts due to the fact that both inhabit a world somewhere between animal and ‘human’. FREED SPIRIT
uncommon
Freed Spirits are unusually powerful ghosts that are sometimes formed via the death of a fate-dead individual who isn’t killed by a Reapers. They tend to take shape or purpose based on a strong desire or attachment to a certain location/person/object; no two Freed Spirits are the same, and they have abilities and tangibility far beyond all but the most powerful ghosts. Some are dangerous, some benign; though it takes a good deal of strength and will to become one at all, following death, their strength can range up to truly breathtaking levels. One of the Reaper’s primary purposes is to prevent the creation of Freed Spirits, as a malevolent one can be an enormous danger to anything that crosses their path.
Can be found anywhere inside or outside of Genesis, though the decline in ambient magic in the Old World makes them less likely to form there. A Freed Spirit will most often linger near a set location, but unlike a normal ghost they aren’t bound there and can travel at will. Those that prove dangerous to those around them are often fought and destroyed by the Reaper, but neutral and benevolent ones often survive and become well-known. GHOST
common
Ghosts vary in ‘intensity’ based on their strength and level of self-awareness; a powerful ghost has a sense of identity and awareness and reacts to its surroundings, while a weak ghost is a very faint echo of the person they once were and will often only retain single characteristics or actions. Though the ambient magic of Genesis seems to be a receptive environment for the creation of ghosts and makes minor ghosts relatively common, they can exist in the Old World as well. Most remained tied to the location of their death or remains, but some can range farther afield. The vast majority of ghosts cannot be seen all the time (or at all) by ordinary people.
It’s not known what exactly a ghost is, since the souls of the dead are taken to the afterlife, but it’s thought they’re the same sort of remnant that a Binder works with. Most people consider it merciful to destroy them if possible, letting the last memories of the people they echo finally rest. GIANT
uncommon
Pale humanoid beings who live in the places under the earth, giants are thankfully rare in most settled regions of Genesis. They stand between fifteen and thirty feet tall, and are gauntly naked and androgynous with no features that distinguish one from another. Their presence is shrouded in an unnatural hush that dampens all sound in their proximity, making them unsettlingly effective ambush predators; they don't appear to have any need for light, though it doesn't deter them. Giants seem violently opposed to all living things, and kill any intruders into their chosen domain without any apparent reason beyond hatred.
These strange beings are as mysterious as they are deadly, and seem to not be entirely of this world due to the fact that they've never been known to leave any signs of habitation or the natural life cycles of living beings. Thankfully, they never seem to venture out from below the ground, and when one is killed it's rare that another appears to take its place. Most long-inhabited regions of Genesis have exterminated any local giants. HELHEST
rare
Spirit-beings created by tying a horse’s living spirit to its dead body, helhests were created in the past as magical guardians for the dead in a practice that’s long since fallen out of favor. Though they still exist, they’re few and far between and are generally only found in truly ancient burial grounds. Helhests are possessed of human intelligence and have many of the abilities of powerful ghosts, including the ability to shift between corporeal and incorporeal states at will in order to defend the land they’re tied to. Normally they can’t move beyond the borders of their graveyard, and return to their graves in the light of day, though a helhest can form a bond with a willing human who carries a magical token from their grave.
Helhests only pose a danger to those who would disturb their graveyard or the dead who reside there. They’re hard to permanently destroy without a magical working being performed over their grave, but in more recent times they’re often destroyed in order to let their spirits rest. The process of creating a helhest is considered morally abhorrent and an affront to Siarus in the present day. LEAFLING
common
Sometimes called the Children of Aia, leaflings are small creatures made of living wood and leaves who live throughout the wilds of Genesis. Their presence seems to help rejuvenate the soil, and farmers actively encourage their presence if they spot them in the fields. Leaflings are shy and nonaggressive, and don’t appear to have any natural predators; they seem primarily interested in being left alone. MAMMOTH
uncommon
Though they’re long-since extinct in the Old World, some of the far northern shards of Genesis are still home to mammoths; they were actively raised as livestock during the days of the Dragon Empire, and the descendants of those herds have returned to a semi-wild state. A few of the northernmost settlements of Genesis still have mammoths domesticated as beasts of burden, but for the most part they’re considered too large and powerful to be worth the potential trouble they can cause. NIGHTMARE
uncommon
Rarely seen natural inhabitants of the Worldshadow, nightmares in their true form resemble a bat-winged horse with fangs, sharp heel spurs, and a horned skull-like plating that covers its head and upper neck. They have the unique ability to cross back and forth at will utilizing darkness and natural shadows. Carnivorous, but do not need to eat; they are sustained by the shadow that gave them life and need to return to the Shadow on a regular basis to ‘feed’.
Nightmares are rarely seen outside the company of the Reaper, who they traditionally accompany as a sort of familiar, and can take on the form of a pitch-black bird resembling a crow or raven. NIGHTSHADE
rare
Dangerous creatures of unknown origin, nightshades are psychic predators that move from one individual to another by possessing and driving their victims to suicide in order to feed on their body. Possession requires an unconscious or unresisting target, leading to most nightshades attacking their victims while they sleep. As their natural form is incorporeal and indistinct, nightshades aren’t solid enough to physically consume a body, but instead devour its dissipating energy; the untouched nature of the remains mean that the feeding habits of a nightshade are hard to recognize as anything but an outbreak of spontaneous suicides.
Nightshades strongly avoid sunlight and other bright light even while possessing someone; sunlight is thought to destroy them outright without the mitigating protection of their host’s body. This proves one of the most reliable ways to detect the presence of one inside a host, as there are otherwise few distinguishing signs other than someone unexpectedly sinking into a sudden deep depression or madness without any warning. PLACE SPIRIT
common
Genesis, and to a lesser extent the Old World, has many spots of natural power known as loci where magic is more abundant. These loci, in turn, often give rise to beings known as place spirits; though many don’t truly have a firm sense of self or even a defined physical form, they can often be felt and glimpsed by those who stumble across their chosen homes. They’re largely insubstantial, and in most cases are only noticed as a disturbance in the air, whispered voices, or a flash of color or motion only half-seen out of the corner of the eye.
Place spirits tend to be benign and curious by nature, though enough traumatic history in a place can cause them to become hostile over time. They feel protective of their home and can often coalesce into a more tangible guardian force if they perceive a threat; similarly, sometimes place spirits will chose to bind together to give themselves a stronger and more permanent ‘self’ capable of communicating and making their presence known. SHADE
uncommon
Shades are an unofficial ‘category’ of ghosts referring to those on the more powerful end of the spectrum. A shade is a ghost that is self-aware (though they may or may not retain their living identity and memories), can travel away from its place of origin, and can consciously make its presence known. Not all shades are malicious; those who seem to bear active malice towards the living are often referred to specifically as ‘haunts’. All haunts and some shades are capable of having a tangible effect on the living, though the degree can vary from draining their vitality to being capable of physical harm. SEA SHADOW
rare
Very little is known about the being or beings known as sea shadows; there’s speculation as to whether there are more than one, a single Freed Spirit, or whether they’re a myth altogether. Details of their existence come mostly from the Wave Walker elves, who describe pale, spectral whales whose bones show starkly through a ghostly body and who are accompanied by a host of ghostly creatures of the wind and waves. Sea shadows supposedly only appear in the Old World, far from land and only ever at night.
According to the Wave Walkers, sea shadows are the ancient beasts of the Old World’s oceans, resurrected by the ocean god Talosh as a condemnation of a world that did not offer them shelter when Genesis was formed. They’re though to be a dangerous sign of the god’s displeasure, and often precede ship-breaking storms. STORMCROW ROGUE
rare
Though by all rights they’re one of the reasoning races, unmated male stormcrows will occasionally turn rogue if driven out of the clan and are very rarely encountered in the North American shards or the Old World. These rogues are incapable of taking on human form and accordingly appear as passive birds, similar to a black eagle in appearance, who can generate lightning and cause storms. They prefer to stay far from civilization, but can be dangerous if encountered. UNICORN
rare
Rare to begin with, unicorns were hunted nearly to extinction by humans prior to the formation of Genesis. These days they’re treated as a precious symbol of the world’s magic, considered a symbol of good fortune to see and treated with great reverence when they appear, but unicorns will still actively avoid all races with the exception of the shapeshifters. Not dangerous unless threatened, they’re much more likely to flee than fight. VALRAVN
rare
Cursed creatures, valravns are rare monsters created when a crow or raven eats the heart of a noble man; they gain a nightmarish ‘feral’ form that’s a blend of wolf and bird, intellect without conscience, and a burning desire to become fully human. They’re most dangerous in this stage of their existence, when they have both the physical capability, intelligence, and motivation to attack humans; children are at particular risk, since a valravn has to consume a child’s heart in order to complete their transformation. WALKER
uncommon
Though they’re known by varying names in many places, ‘walker’ is the common name for the walking dead who rise spontaneously without the interference of a Binder. It’s not known exactly what causes walkers to rise, but they’re far more common in some areas than others. Though there are some subtypes, they’re most common in the traditional slow and shambling variety; as such, walkers are typically not a great threat unless they catch someone unawares or attack in great numbers. WARG
common
Wargs are giant wolves found throughout the shards of Genesis and very rarely in the Old World, and are thought to be descendants of the direwolves that once called the Old World home. Larger (typically four-five feet high at the shoulder, six-seven feet long) and more intelligent than normal wolves, they can run in packs but are also found individually due to being large enough to take down prey unassisted. Entire packs of wargs are rare, generally being hunted down and eliminated except in uninhabited shards, but single wargs aren’t uncommon throughout most of Genesis. Wargs kill for pleasure as well as for food and have been known to harry human/elven/shifter settlements as though targeting them specifically; they’re dangerous one-on-one, and a major hazard in packs. Pack leaders show near-human intelligence and should be treated as a significant threat. WOODLINGS
uncommon
Vaguely humanoid creatures who typically stand seven to ten feet tall, woodlings are the bogeymen of the deep forests; they live in small packs, intelligent enough to hunt cooperatively but not enough to have a recognized language or ability to communicate with other races, and are voraciously hungry. While they have a certain cautiousness about approaching groups of travelers, they'll happily stalk and attack people travelling the wilds solo or in pairs. Their bodies are long and thin, with well-muscled arms that stretch past their knees, and have pronounced bone structure that gives a gauntness in contradiction to their obvious strength; they have sunken, large dark eyes and faces that rarely show any expression even while on the attack. Woodlings are pale on the belly and inner arms and legs, with dark striations and mottling on the back and outer limps in such a way that helps them blend into their forest home. Though they're actively tracked down and killed in more well-settled areas due to the risk they pose, wild shards and even some remote areas of the Old World still deal with woodlings as a regular threat. Their presence is sometimes given away by whooping calls and guttural 'arguing' in the dark, but all too often a traveler will have no warning of an impending attack unless they catch a glimpse of their tall, disjointed-looking bodies moving between the trees. WYVERN
uncommon
Only found in mountainous shards, wyverns have animal intelligence and no ability to speak or cast magic; they only live in areas unoccupied or abandoned by the dragons, as dragons will hunt and kill them. It’s thought that the two species are distantly related, but the dragons’ strong dislike for their smaller cousins suggests they’re not fond of their shared ancestry. Though they’re not more intelligent than more mundane predators, wyverns are dangerous due to their size and natural ferocity, and aren’t afraid to prey on humans or elves. They’re territorial, and reproduce quickly via large clutches of eggs that make them a fairly common threat in areas they call home.
Creatures of Genesis and the Old World
THE CURSEDrare
Though their formal name is ‘the Hidewalker’s Cursed’, these rare creatures are often just referred to as the Cursed. Originally the leaders of a tribe of humans cursed by the Hidewalker in ages past for hunting and eating shapeshifters in an attempt to gain their power, they are forced to shift from one nightmarish form to another forever and have become immortal. They hate all living things, and will obsessively stalk and kill humans and the other conscious races without provocation. Thankfully, there are only a handful that survive to the present day. The Cursed have an intense hatred towards their own kind and will viciously attack one another on sight if their paths cross; as a result, they’re always solitary. DARKHOUND
rare
Almost certainly the basis for countless ‘black dogs’ of Old World mythology, darkhounds are a strange and little-understood species that’s only rarely seen. They’re sleek, lean dogs so uniformly dark that it’s hard to make out any definition of features, giving them the uncomfortable appearance of being a shadow rather than a living creature, and seem to be solitary. Only ever encountered during twilight or under cover of night, it’s theorized that they might originate in the Worldshadow itself and cross back over into its darkness during the daytime hours. Despite the fact that most find their presence deeply unnerving, darkhounds don’t seem to be aggressive and haven’t been known to attack people. While they do seem to stalk a chosen target, being spotted at a distance repeatedly over the course of days or weeks, their purpose for doing so remains unclear. They’ve long been thought of as an omen of danger or misfortune to come. DEMON
uncommon
Common in their home of the Otherlands but relatively uncommon on the material plane, 'demon' is the colloquial name for any being originating in the Otherlands. There are a variety of common types of demon, ranging in strength from small creatures serving as familiars for Binder mages to terrifying creatures who can reach near-godlike power. Demons are magical parasites, and can present a major problem if they break free from the control and sustaining pact of the Binder who brought them to this reality. DUSTWALKER
uncommon
Dustwalkers are malicious creatures found only in the emptiest corners of Genesis and the Old World, where they thankfully have little occasion to cross paths with members of the magical races. Beings formed of shadow and dust, they form a hazy and ill-defined mass standing 12-15 feet tall with dully glowing orange eyes as their only discernable feature.
Though they rarely wander, dustwalkers seem to claim empty places as their chosen territory and viciously protect it against any perceived trespassers; those travelling through barren parts of the wilds should keep watch for their dark silhouettes against the horizon, where they’ll gather in silent observation before an attack. They’ll generally advance only when their intended prey is asleep in order to smother their victims. Terrifyingly, dustwalkers seem impervious to all but powerful magical attacks and attack in numbers; if they’re spotted, the best response is to not stop travelling until out of their claimed territory. FERAL SHIFTER
uncommon
Some shapeshifters, typically due to age or mental decline, can become lost within the mind of an animal during their change. Doing so drives them mad; they lose their ‘human’ consciousness and the ability to shift back. When trapped in a predatory or otherwise powerful form, they seem drawn to attack the reasoning races and can be quite dangerous; those who drive themselves to try and change shape while in this state can become trapped between in monstrous half-forms that are typically thought to be the origin of stories regarding lycanthropy.
Thankfully, it’s uncommon for a shifter to go feral. While the rest of their race don’t view this condition as inherently negative--some consider it to be fully embracing the animal side of their nature--they will kill these feral shifters if their behavior becomes too threatening. FIREBIRD
uncommon
Once fairly common across the far northern reaches of the world, firebirds are now confined to the arctic and subarctic shards like Iscalion, Fyrenstone, and various minor shards of similar climates. Great predatory birds with striking dark-and-red plumage, they’re known for their ability to breathe flame to a range of 15-20ft; hunting primarily at dusk or under the cover of darkness, their breath illuminates their entire body from within and makes for a brilliant and intimidating sight.
Firebirds are fairly intelligent, with good memory, a keen mind, and the capacity to form strong and lasting opinions on those who cross their path. While they can be raised to serve as guardians if hand-reared from hatching, they’re never truly ‘tame’ and must be treated with respect and a healthy amount of caution by any would-be handlers. FIRST BEAST
rare
Though the term ‘first’ is more based in myth than reality, there’s only so much that’s really known about the so-called First Beasts. Seeming to spontaneously arise in any species dwelling in an environment sufficiently rich in magic, they’re otherwise normal animals who have become blessed with long life, wisdom, and the ability to speak. Once found throughout the Old World in the time before the shattering, these days only a few holdouts remain outside of Genesis and its magic-saturated shards.
First Beasts are still at home in the wilds, and retain their bonds to their non-gifted wild brethren; those who come from social species often lead their respective herds, packs, or other communities for generations and grow to considerable size. While they have the ability to speak with the various magical races, that doesn’t mean they choose to. The shapeshifters are often the exception to this rule, and shapeshifters who live primarily in animal form often feel a close kinship with First Beasts due to the fact that both inhabit a world somewhere between animal and ‘human’. FREED SPIRIT
uncommon
Freed Spirits are unusually powerful ghosts that are sometimes formed via the death of a fate-dead individual who isn’t killed by a Reapers. They tend to take shape or purpose based on a strong desire or attachment to a certain location/person/object; no two Freed Spirits are the same, and they have abilities and tangibility far beyond all but the most powerful ghosts. Some are dangerous, some benign; though it takes a good deal of strength and will to become one at all, following death, their strength can range up to truly breathtaking levels. One of the Reaper’s primary purposes is to prevent the creation of Freed Spirits, as a malevolent one can be an enormous danger to anything that crosses their path.
Can be found anywhere inside or outside of Genesis, though the decline in ambient magic in the Old World makes them less likely to form there. A Freed Spirit will most often linger near a set location, but unlike a normal ghost they aren’t bound there and can travel at will. Those that prove dangerous to those around them are often fought and destroyed by the Reaper, but neutral and benevolent ones often survive and become well-known. GHOST
common
Ghosts vary in ‘intensity’ based on their strength and level of self-awareness; a powerful ghost has a sense of identity and awareness and reacts to its surroundings, while a weak ghost is a very faint echo of the person they once were and will often only retain single characteristics or actions. Though the ambient magic of Genesis seems to be a receptive environment for the creation of ghosts and makes minor ghosts relatively common, they can exist in the Old World as well. Most remained tied to the location of their death or remains, but some can range farther afield. The vast majority of ghosts cannot be seen all the time (or at all) by ordinary people.
It’s not known what exactly a ghost is, since the souls of the dead are taken to the afterlife, but it’s thought they’re the same sort of remnant that a Binder works with. Most people consider it merciful to destroy them if possible, letting the last memories of the people they echo finally rest. GIANT
uncommon
Pale humanoid beings who live in the places under the earth, giants are thankfully rare in most settled regions of Genesis. They stand between fifteen and thirty feet tall, and are gauntly naked and androgynous with no features that distinguish one from another. Their presence is shrouded in an unnatural hush that dampens all sound in their proximity, making them unsettlingly effective ambush predators; they don't appear to have any need for light, though it doesn't deter them. Giants seem violently opposed to all living things, and kill any intruders into their chosen domain without any apparent reason beyond hatred.
These strange beings are as mysterious as they are deadly, and seem to not be entirely of this world due to the fact that they've never been known to leave any signs of habitation or the natural life cycles of living beings. Thankfully, they never seem to venture out from below the ground, and when one is killed it's rare that another appears to take its place. Most long-inhabited regions of Genesis have exterminated any local giants. HELHEST
rare
Spirit-beings created by tying a horse’s living spirit to its dead body, helhests were created in the past as magical guardians for the dead in a practice that’s long since fallen out of favor. Though they still exist, they’re few and far between and are generally only found in truly ancient burial grounds. Helhests are possessed of human intelligence and have many of the abilities of powerful ghosts, including the ability to shift between corporeal and incorporeal states at will in order to defend the land they’re tied to. Normally they can’t move beyond the borders of their graveyard, and return to their graves in the light of day, though a helhest can form a bond with a willing human who carries a magical token from their grave.
Helhests only pose a danger to those who would disturb their graveyard or the dead who reside there. They’re hard to permanently destroy without a magical working being performed over their grave, but in more recent times they’re often destroyed in order to let their spirits rest. The process of creating a helhest is considered morally abhorrent and an affront to Siarus in the present day. LEAFLING
common
Sometimes called the Children of Aia, leaflings are small creatures made of living wood and leaves who live throughout the wilds of Genesis. Their presence seems to help rejuvenate the soil, and farmers actively encourage their presence if they spot them in the fields. Leaflings are shy and nonaggressive, and don’t appear to have any natural predators; they seem primarily interested in being left alone. MAMMOTH
uncommon
Though they’re long-since extinct in the Old World, some of the far northern shards of Genesis are still home to mammoths; they were actively raised as livestock during the days of the Dragon Empire, and the descendants of those herds have returned to a semi-wild state. A few of the northernmost settlements of Genesis still have mammoths domesticated as beasts of burden, but for the most part they’re considered too large and powerful to be worth the potential trouble they can cause. NIGHTMARE
uncommon
Rarely seen natural inhabitants of the Worldshadow, nightmares in their true form resemble a bat-winged horse with fangs, sharp heel spurs, and a horned skull-like plating that covers its head and upper neck. They have the unique ability to cross back and forth at will utilizing darkness and natural shadows. Carnivorous, but do not need to eat; they are sustained by the shadow that gave them life and need to return to the Shadow on a regular basis to ‘feed’.
Nightmares are rarely seen outside the company of the Reaper, who they traditionally accompany as a sort of familiar, and can take on the form of a pitch-black bird resembling a crow or raven. NIGHTSHADE
rare
Dangerous creatures of unknown origin, nightshades are psychic predators that move from one individual to another by possessing and driving their victims to suicide in order to feed on their body. Possession requires an unconscious or unresisting target, leading to most nightshades attacking their victims while they sleep. As their natural form is incorporeal and indistinct, nightshades aren’t solid enough to physically consume a body, but instead devour its dissipating energy; the untouched nature of the remains mean that the feeding habits of a nightshade are hard to recognize as anything but an outbreak of spontaneous suicides.
Nightshades strongly avoid sunlight and other bright light even while possessing someone; sunlight is thought to destroy them outright without the mitigating protection of their host’s body. This proves one of the most reliable ways to detect the presence of one inside a host, as there are otherwise few distinguishing signs other than someone unexpectedly sinking into a sudden deep depression or madness without any warning. PLACE SPIRIT
common
Genesis, and to a lesser extent the Old World, has many spots of natural power known as loci where magic is more abundant. These loci, in turn, often give rise to beings known as place spirits; though many don’t truly have a firm sense of self or even a defined physical form, they can often be felt and glimpsed by those who stumble across their chosen homes. They’re largely insubstantial, and in most cases are only noticed as a disturbance in the air, whispered voices, or a flash of color or motion only half-seen out of the corner of the eye.
Place spirits tend to be benign and curious by nature, though enough traumatic history in a place can cause them to become hostile over time. They feel protective of their home and can often coalesce into a more tangible guardian force if they perceive a threat; similarly, sometimes place spirits will chose to bind together to give themselves a stronger and more permanent ‘self’ capable of communicating and making their presence known. SHADE
uncommon
Shades are an unofficial ‘category’ of ghosts referring to those on the more powerful end of the spectrum. A shade is a ghost that is self-aware (though they may or may not retain their living identity and memories), can travel away from its place of origin, and can consciously make its presence known. Not all shades are malicious; those who seem to bear active malice towards the living are often referred to specifically as ‘haunts’. All haunts and some shades are capable of having a tangible effect on the living, though the degree can vary from draining their vitality to being capable of physical harm. SEA SHADOW
rare
Very little is known about the being or beings known as sea shadows; there’s speculation as to whether there are more than one, a single Freed Spirit, or whether they’re a myth altogether. Details of their existence come mostly from the Wave Walker elves, who describe pale, spectral whales whose bones show starkly through a ghostly body and who are accompanied by a host of ghostly creatures of the wind and waves. Sea shadows supposedly only appear in the Old World, far from land and only ever at night.
According to the Wave Walkers, sea shadows are the ancient beasts of the Old World’s oceans, resurrected by the ocean god Talosh as a condemnation of a world that did not offer them shelter when Genesis was formed. They’re though to be a dangerous sign of the god’s displeasure, and often precede ship-breaking storms. STORMCROW ROGUE
rare
Though by all rights they’re one of the reasoning races, unmated male stormcrows will occasionally turn rogue if driven out of the clan and are very rarely encountered in the North American shards or the Old World. These rogues are incapable of taking on human form and accordingly appear as passive birds, similar to a black eagle in appearance, who can generate lightning and cause storms. They prefer to stay far from civilization, but can be dangerous if encountered. UNICORN
rare
Rare to begin with, unicorns were hunted nearly to extinction by humans prior to the formation of Genesis. These days they’re treated as a precious symbol of the world’s magic, considered a symbol of good fortune to see and treated with great reverence when they appear, but unicorns will still actively avoid all races with the exception of the shapeshifters. Not dangerous unless threatened, they’re much more likely to flee than fight. VALRAVN
rare
Cursed creatures, valravns are rare monsters created when a crow or raven eats the heart of a noble man; they gain a nightmarish ‘feral’ form that’s a blend of wolf and bird, intellect without conscience, and a burning desire to become fully human. They’re most dangerous in this stage of their existence, when they have both the physical capability, intelligence, and motivation to attack humans; children are at particular risk, since a valravn has to consume a child’s heart in order to complete their transformation. WALKER
uncommon
Though they’re known by varying names in many places, ‘walker’ is the common name for the walking dead who rise spontaneously without the interference of a Binder. It’s not known exactly what causes walkers to rise, but they’re far more common in some areas than others. Though there are some subtypes, they’re most common in the traditional slow and shambling variety; as such, walkers are typically not a great threat unless they catch someone unawares or attack in great numbers. WARG
common
Wargs are giant wolves found throughout the shards of Genesis and very rarely in the Old World, and are thought to be descendants of the direwolves that once called the Old World home. Larger (typically four-five feet high at the shoulder, six-seven feet long) and more intelligent than normal wolves, they can run in packs but are also found individually due to being large enough to take down prey unassisted. Entire packs of wargs are rare, generally being hunted down and eliminated except in uninhabited shards, but single wargs aren’t uncommon throughout most of Genesis. Wargs kill for pleasure as well as for food and have been known to harry human/elven/shifter settlements as though targeting them specifically; they’re dangerous one-on-one, and a major hazard in packs. Pack leaders show near-human intelligence and should be treated as a significant threat. WOODLINGS
uncommon
Vaguely humanoid creatures who typically stand seven to ten feet tall, woodlings are the bogeymen of the deep forests; they live in small packs, intelligent enough to hunt cooperatively but not enough to have a recognized language or ability to communicate with other races, and are voraciously hungry. While they have a certain cautiousness about approaching groups of travelers, they'll happily stalk and attack people travelling the wilds solo or in pairs. Their bodies are long and thin, with well-muscled arms that stretch past their knees, and have pronounced bone structure that gives a gauntness in contradiction to their obvious strength; they have sunken, large dark eyes and faces that rarely show any expression even while on the attack. Woodlings are pale on the belly and inner arms and legs, with dark striations and mottling on the back and outer limps in such a way that helps them blend into their forest home. Though they're actively tracked down and killed in more well-settled areas due to the risk they pose, wild shards and even some remote areas of the Old World still deal with woodlings as a regular threat. Their presence is sometimes given away by whooping calls and guttural 'arguing' in the dark, but all too often a traveler will have no warning of an impending attack unless they catch a glimpse of their tall, disjointed-looking bodies moving between the trees. WYVERN
uncommon
Only found in mountainous shards, wyverns have animal intelligence and no ability to speak or cast magic; they only live in areas unoccupied or abandoned by the dragons, as dragons will hunt and kill them. It’s thought that the two species are distantly related, but the dragons’ strong dislike for their smaller cousins suggests they’re not fond of their shared ancestry. Though they’re not more intelligent than more mundane predators, wyverns are dangerous due to their size and natural ferocity, and aren’t afraid to prey on humans or elves. They’re territorial, and reproduce quickly via large clutches of eggs that make them a fairly common threat in areas they call home.
PLEASE NOTE:
This article is a constant work in progress, and will continue to change and evolve alongside the world. Many of these species may merit their own seperate articles at some future date.
RARITY: The overall rarity of a given species, though local rarity may vary from shard to shard.
SUMMARY: A brief overview of the species, including some information on its distribution, unique qualities, and habits.
This article is a constant work in progress, and will continue to change and evolve alongside the world. Many of these species may merit their own seperate articles at some future date.
BASIC FORMAT
SPECIES: The common name for the species in question.RARITY: The overall rarity of a given species, though local rarity may vary from shard to shard.
SUMMARY: A brief overview of the species, including some information on its distribution, unique qualities, and habits.
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