Intro:
Blightbeasts are a class of phenomena distinct from natural life. These creatures exhibit different behavior from creatures that do not possess 'blightseeds', the peculiar anatomical regularity present in every blightbeast. Blightbeasts materialize in certain locations, designated as 'festerfonts' by the Blightbane Guild. Before the founding of the Guild, there were only rumors of creatures that dispersed after death, leaving behind only peculiar cores of colored flesh. Many cultures associated them with the work of the gods.
As the sapient races of known world spread out and sought to dominate the wilderness, establishing trade routes with distant territories, the threat of the blightbeast became a noticeable thorn in the side of the developing world. They weren't only dangerous, they were also an unrewarding foe, leaving behind nothing but the strange seeds after death. No meat, and no other materials worth trading.
General:
All blightbeasts are spawned based on creatures that currently exist or have existed in the past on the world the Blight has been installed in. Blightbeast studies are hindered by their dissolution upon death. Instead, they are scanned, observed, and dissected while living by Guild Battlescribes. These employees work in the Intelligence Division, but they must also undergo combat training before entering active duty. Additionally, blightbeasts will die if removed from the location of the festerfont in which they spawned. However, this restriction is eventually removed with the evolution of the Blight.
Blightbeast Taxonomy:
The classification of a Blightbeast is not related to species taxonomy. Blightbeasts do not undergo 'traditional' evolution as living organisms do. Instead, it is based on appearance and other traits. Additionally, 'Malevolution' is sometimes considered when assigning a classification, while other times, it is left out entirely. This complicates categorization structures. To make matters worse, blightbeast classification can differ from region to region, giving rise to competing systems of categorization. In theses cases, region-specific themes and cultural perceptions shape systems. This database aims to use The Shrouded Theocracy's loosely organized standard as an example of such taxonomies.
Appearance:
The classifications based on appearance are called "root classifications".
When naming a Blightbeast, the root classification is modified by other classifications, often replaced by a more specific and descriptive base classification.
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