Creature Classification

Broad Categories

Living things are firstly divided into two groups: plants (non-magical and non-ambulatory), and everything else, which is then defined as a "creature."
"Creature" is then broken up into broad-strokes categories.
1. The first is arcane creatures, which include any creature that requires mana to live and/or can use arcana by itself. Under the 'arcane creature' umbrella are chimeryx, dragons, and most kinvari.
2. The second is animals, which broadly includes any non-arcane creature that is not a bug or fish. Mammals, marsupials, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are all considered animals.
3. The third is fish, which includes any water-breathing creature with fins or flippers.
4. The fourth is insects, which includes most many-legged bugs and spiders.
5. The fifth is shellids, which is a word that describes most non-insect arthropods like scorpions, crabs, and lobsters. Mollusks are often considered shellids as well, despite their lack of legs.
For most kinvari, what category a creature falls into is determined by four key traits:

blood (cold or warm)

number and type of limbs

outer covering (fur/hair, skin, scales, feathers)

birthing method (live birth or egg-laying)

For example, the difference between reptiles and dragons is cold/warm blood, and the difference between "false dragons" (armored mammals) and dragons is number of limbs (4 vs 6). Draconids are the only major terrestrial clade to have six limbs as a standard. (The others are insects, fish, and shellids.)

This article presents how current Ysireth science classifies and categorizes living creatures. It is not the same as our modern understanding and will contain inaccuracies compared to our taxonomy. This is intentional.
Kinvari haven't sequenced DNA nor widely shared fossil records between locations and races. Most clade groupings are based on superficial and visual similarities, rather than internal structural differences.
On the plus side, speciation and evolution are generally understood.

Ga'adhíass - Animal Clades

While the relationships between different clades are poorly-understood and usually inconsistent between organizations and peoples, there are certain clades whose commonalities are generally agreed-upon.

Special mention to a few words that are not actual clades, but are very commonly used in grouping lifeforms:

nasga (water-breathing animal)

adísíga (flying animal)

adítaga (terrestrial animal)

elothaga (arcane animal)

húga (egg-laying animal)

ísénnlílí (marsupial animal)

uroga (milk-producing animal; mammal)

síalga (warm-blooded animal)

arúavhéga (cold-blooded animal)

Fíng (Tiny Exoskeletal Creatures)

Fíng - Insects

Fíng - Insects

exoskeletal

"water-blooded"

chitinous

eggs

6+ legs, often winged (powered flight)

known for:

includes: flies, bees, beetles, ants

Epamga (Scaled, Air-Breathing Animals)

Thielní - Lizards

Thielní - Lizards

endoskeletal

cold-blooded

scaled

eggs

quadrupedal

known for:

includes: lizards, komodo dragons, crocodiles, alligators, caimans

Sashú - Serpents

Sashú - Serpents

endoskeletal

cold-blooded

scaled

mostly egg-laying

limbless

known for:

includes: snakes, eels, legless lizards

Gatialdenn - "dragon animals" - Draconids

Gatialdenn - "dragon animals" - Draconids

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

scaled

six-limbed (2-6 legs and/or 0-4 wings)

eggs

known for: being elementally attuned

includes:

Síthga (Feathered, Warm-Blooded Animals)

Niathí - Birds

Niathí - Birds

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

feathered

two wings, two legs (powered flight)

known for: hollow bones and beaked faces

includes: songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, flightless birds

Lúnniathí - "toothed bird" - Theraptors

Lúnniathí - "toothed bird" - Theraptors

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

feathered (partially or fully)

bipedal, no wings

eggs

known for:

includes: Scalehunter

Etiadhéga - "hybrid animal" - Chimeryx

Etiadhéga - "hybrid animal" - Chimeryx

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

feathered or proto-feathered

quadrupedal

usually live births

known for:

includes: Griff, Garouph, Awlan

Líanalga (Form-Changing Animals)

Núthelíldariel - "deceiving shape" - Animids

Núthelíldariel - "deceiving shape" - Animids

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

variable fur/feathers/scales

usually quadrupedal

live births

known for:

includes: Anima Leech

Ivataga (Armored, Endoskeletal, Warm-Blooded Animals)

Ivataga - "armor animal" - Armadillos

Ivataga - "armor animal" - Armadillos

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

scaled ("armored")

quadrupedal

live births

known for:

includes: pangolins, armadillos

ípoga (Shelled, Exoskeletal Animals)

Latalqúiath - "hard skin" - Arthropods

Latalqúiath - "hard skin" - Arthropods

exoskeletal

cold-blooded

carapace

eggs

6+ legs

known for: usually having 'forelimbs' bearing claws or pincers, having tails

includes: scorpions, crabs, lobsters

Eldúdhíga (Water-Breathing, Finned Animals)

Eldúdhínas - "finned fish" - Fishes

Eldúdhínas - "finned fish" - Fishes

endoskeletal

cold-blooded

scaled

2+ fins with vertical tail fin

eggs

known for:

includes: carps, trout, bass, salmon

Ithiedhú - Sharks

Ithiedhú - Sharks

includes: sharks

Qúíathga (Aquatic or Semi-Aquatic, Hairless/Scaleless Animals)

Edhúqúiath - "water skins" - Amphibians

Edhúqúiath - "water skins" - Amphibians

endoskeletal

cold-blooded

glandular skin

eggs

quadrupedal

known for: transitioning from aquatic neonate to terrestrial adult

includes: frogs, salamanders, newts

Sialnas - "warm fish" - Cetaceans

Sialnas - "warm fish" - Cetaceans

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

blubbery skin

live births

two flippers with horizontal tail fin

known for: breathing air while being wholly aquatic

includes: dolphins, whales, narwhals, belugas, rorquals, orcas, porpoises, dugongs, manatees

Ríandríethínas - "gliding fish" - Rays

Ríandríethínas - "gliding fish" - Rays

includes: manta rays, stingrays

Éleníd - "rope limb" - Cephalopods

Éleníd - "rope limb" - Cephalopods

includes: squid, octopus, jellyfish

Tíemacad - Turtles

Tíemacad - Turtles

includes: turtles, tortoises

Lienga (Furred, Warm-Blooded Animals)

Mammals, Marsupials, and Malarex
Liencieniadhí - "furry hands" - Primates

Liencieniadhí - "furry hands" - Primates

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

hirsute

live births

omnipedal, often arboreal

known for: grabby hands

includes: monkeys, apes, macaques, mandrills, baboons, colobuses, langurs, mangabeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gibbons, sloths

noteworthy subgrouping:

tanvari - "false people" - gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans

Kiel - "gnaw tooth" - Rodents

Kiel - "gnaw tooth" - Rodents

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

hirsute

live births

quadrupedal

known for: always-growing teeth specialized to chew through anything

includes: rats, squirrels, shrews, moles, gymnures, solenodons, hyraxes, pikas, sengis, bandicoots, gophers, beavers, gundis, guinea pigs, cavies, pacas, agoutis, acouchis, chinchillas, viscachas, pacaranas, hutias, nutria, mole-rats, jerboas, mice, hamsters, gerbils, voles, lemmings, muskrat, jirds, dormice, zokors, spalaxes, prairie dogs, marmots, treeshrews, groundhogs, hedgehogs, porcupines, echidnas

noteworthy subgroupings:

kielélní - "digging rats" - moles, gophers, groundhogs, prairie dogs

míerkiel - "tree rats" - squirrels, treeshrews, chipmunks

edhúkiel - "water rats" - beavers, cavies, nutria

mârkiel - "sharp rats" - hedgehogs, porcupines, echidnas

Qúiathítho - "skin wings" - Pterons

Qúiathítho - "skin wings" - Pterons

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

hirsute

live births

two wings, two legs, no tail

known for: flying while mammalian

includes: bats, flying lemurs, sugar gliders, flying squirrels, flying foxes, gliders, ____

noteworthy subgrouping:

ríandríethíga - "gliding animals" - flying lemurs, sugar gliders, flying squirrels, gliders

Lilmeseré - "hoof leg" - Ungulates

Lilmeseré - "hoof leg" - Ungulates

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

hirsute

live births

quadrupedal

known for: having hooves, being herbivores, and being food animals

includes: horses, zebras, deer, donkeys, cattle, giraffes, antelopes, gazelles, pronghorns, moose, caribou, musk deer, saola, buffalos, bison, goats, impalas, duikers, chevrotains (mouse-deer), muntjacs, springbucks, gerenuks, sheep, tahrs, takins, ibexes, chamois, muskox, serows, gorals, hartebeests, wildebeests, addaxes, oryxes, camels

noteworthy subgroupings:

ithíalladríel - "hungry tusk" - pigs, wild boar, peccaries, warthogs, tapirs, hippos

úldrellothun - "earthquake foot" - rhinos, elephants

Lídhaóíal - Carnivora

Lídhaóíal - Carnivora

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

hirsute

quadrupedal

live births

known for:

includes: dogs, cats, bears, weasels, badgers, malarex

noteworthy subgroupings:

élíethlú - cats, leopards, jaguars, lions, tigers, cheetahs, lynxes, bobcats, cougars, jaguarundi

rotídhíen - dogs, wolves, jackals, coyotes, dholes, dingos, aardwolves, hyenas

hanga - bears, pandas, badgers, wolverines, (Tasmanian) devils, wombats, koalas

ilémeolé - "long spine" - foxes, weasels, ferrets, martens, minks, fishers, tayra, civets, fossa, jaguarundi, linsangs, genets, oyans, binturongs, mongooses, meerkats, vontsira, polecats, red pandas, skunks, falanoucs, otters

kúkiel - "monkey rats" - raccoons, lemurs, coatimundi, kinkajou, olingos, opossums, cuscus, aye-ayes, bushbabies, tamarins, marmosets, tarsiers, galagos, lorises, pottos

meolélas - "long nose" - anteaters, aardvarks

níemíerélíen - "furry lizard" - malarex (therapsids)

Eldúdhírathían - "fin foot" - Pinnipeds

Eldúdhírathían - "fin foot" - Pinnipeds

endoskeletal

warm-blooded

includes: seals, sea lions, walruses

Rathíanelíal - "big foot" - Macropods

Rathíanelíal - "big foot" - Macropods

known for: a bipedal hopping gait and a frequently tripodal stance when still

includes: kangaroos, wallabies, quokkas, rabbits, hares, bilbies

• Creature

  • Arthropod

    mollusks
    arachnids
    crustaceans

  • Insect

    insects
    worms
    myriapods

  • Fish

    fish
    sharks
    rays
    cephalopods

  • Arcane

    chimeryx
    draconids
    animids

  • Animal

    mammals
    birds
    saurs
    reptiles
    amphibians

• Hirsute

  • Primates

  • Ungulates

  • Carnivora

    felines
    canines
    malarex

  • Rodents

  • Pterons

    bats
    broadwings

• Skin

  • Amphibians

  • Cetacean

• Carapace

  • Arthropods

  • Insects

• Scaled

  • Draconids

  • Reptiles

    lizards
    serpents
    turtles

  • Fishes

• Feathered

  • Avians

  • Saurs

  • Chimeryx