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Description

A. Ossiuada mons

There are few in continental Tarrun who would name any beast as being more grim looking than the Greigyx. It bears the visage of its own rotting corpse, complete with an exposed skull and blood-tinted fur. Its morbid appearance is a form of camouflage used in conjunction with a convincing death act and awful smelling musk. Predators who happen across it think they've encountered a spoiling carcass. To further the illusion, some Greigyx even go as far as to pick up the bones of other animals and scatter them around their bedding sites. If caught whilst still on their feet, Greigyxes will drool and thrash about excessively to give the impression of being fatally diseased.

When not playing dead, they're quiet and lonesome creatures. They make very few vocalizations and only tolerate others of their species during the breeding season. After mating males and females separate and disassociate, treating one another as territorial rivals if they ever cross paths again. Only the female takes responsibility for raising their calves, and in instances of danger she will lay on top of them to protect them.

There are three varieties of Greigyx: the Red (O. mons), the Pallid (O. frigus), and the Dry (O. siccum). Traditionally the Red has been the most common and well known, but their numbers have been dwindling in recent years. They live in southern and western Tarrun, and in the latter especially are becoming rare because of the influx of Wretchers caused by the Vulgrithe's extinction. Wretchers are hardy, unwary of disease, and prone to scavenging, so the Greigyx's tactics are all but useless against them. The Pallid Greigyx of the Wilds has fared even worse, but the dusty gray Dry Greigyx of the southeast retains a healthy population as it has no territorial overlap with Wretchers.

B. Patalpa timentes

The Slegg is a stocky, long bodied mammal kept in captivity at many of Tarrun's farms. It's raised primarily as a food source, having notably dense, juicy meat which makes for an excellent roast. Slegg meat is called "slog" and also commonly features in stews, meat pies, and kebabs. More elaborate meals like Plodslog and Slogfest also incorporate the animal's boiled dorsal plates as serving dishes.

Captive Sleggs live peacefully in shallow pens, usually muddy and clear of vegetation, and have minimal security needs. They are not dangerous, fast, nor prone to fleeing and are even allowed to roam freely in some areas; the main need for their pens is protection. Pet Sleggs are unorthodox, but not unheard of. Not all settlements allow them to be kept indoors, though.

Wild Sleggs are somewhat uncommon in modern times, but still exist in parts of North Boreal and the Wilds. They have a strong preference for areas with loose soil and will tolerate nearly any conditions so long as they have ample dirt to root through. Their plated heads are used like trowels, disturbing soft topsoil so they can sift through it with their sensitive whiskers and find tasty morsels like worms, mushrooms, and tubers. They shy away from humans and are quieter than their captive counterparts.

Perhaps the most curious thing about Sleggs is their fear of the sky. No matter how or where they're raised, Sleggs are afraid of flying objects and passing shadows- seeing so much as a kite will cause them to throw themselves to the ground, flatten out, and hyperventilate. The prevailing theory among biologists is that this behavior (and their dorsal armor) is an evolutionary leftover from a time when they were hunted by large aerial predators. Whatever the Slegg were so afraid of, it no longer seems to exist in Tarrun and made no impact on the fossil record.

C. Caeremita hirsutae

The common Kaboolt is the poster child for a clade called Panoplocephalians, or "armor heads". They are a group of mostly herbivorous ungulates recognized for their hard external skull-plates and lack of external ears. Many are also equipped with a set of defensive bone spurs located on the hind legs. The Kaboolt exemplifies all these features and has thus become the go to example for studying the group, showing up in more research papers and textbooks than its cousins the Greigyx, Aelope, and Slegg.

The genus is identified by its thick blue-gray coat, long tail, and four horned skull-plate. The hind horns are sharp and used for self defense while the fore horns are short and wedge-shaped, used in conjunction with the animal's long tongue and flexible lower lip to grasp food. A typical meal consists of leafy greens, grasses, or ripe dropped fruit, and in a single day an adult can consume as much as eight pounds of plant matter.

The range of the Kaboolt is mostly northern. It can be found in great numbers in the Wilds, but also in the lower reaches of the Halcion with territories stretching as far from Ebikia to Iridan. Small herds sometimes stray into the western wastes and North Boreal, but not for long. Liath Duin also has a population of Kaboolt, though researchers are unsure if it is native or was introduced by ancient humans.

D. Celerina detarru

Aelope are the smallest of the long-legged Panoplocephalians, but also the fastest. They can spring from a resting position to a full gallop in the blink of an eye, aided by powerful hind legs and a double set of leg spurs used to grip the ground, and can sprint at a top speed of 70 mph. They have impressive stamina and can outrun Wretchers with ease, having nothing to fear from predators unless ambushed.

Because they rely so heavily on speed the Aelope have greatly reduced spurs and horns, making them (generally) less dangerous as a species. Early humans saw this as a desirable trait and attempted to domesticate them roughly three to four thousand years ago. Murals and scrolls found scattered across the continent tell the story of indigenous people herding and fencing in Aelope, attempting to break them in as messengers and pack animals, and failing miserably.

Aelope live in wide, open areas all across the continent and have adapted to temperatures ranging from the mild and cool to the swelteringly tropical. They're absent only from the Halcion, innermost Gyrik, and offshore islands, making them a staple food for any predators wily enough to catch them. Humans also hunt them from time to time and describe their meat as "incredibly gamey, but nutritious". Their light, teardrop shaped skull-plates can be fashioned into simple ocarinas and are a popular instrument in the south.

E. Fortipolus goliath

The Great Wrontuu is a massive, herbivorous mammal found in the sparse forest and savannah biomes of the south. Most common in the southeast and southwest specifically, its numbers have thinned over the years in central southern Tarrun due to the expansion of San Veruda and its neighbors. Direct conflict between it and man is rarely violent, but accidental damage is a daily occurrence anywhere the two species intersect. The Wrontuu is peaceful, but certainly more calm than it is considerate; most know it as a blissfully unaware nuisance that tramples crops and dents up vehicles.

In the heart of Tarrun's wilderness where it thrives, however, it's an integral part of the ecosystem. The enormous Wrontuu keeps ground cover in check with its constant feeding and stamping, in turn affecting the feeding habits and movement paths of other animals, the spread potential of local wildfires, and even the ambient carbon level of the whole savannah. It is considered a species of utmost importance and enjoys legal protection in almost every region it inhabits. Some cave paintings even indicate that prehistoric tribes worshipped it!

Being a protected species, the Wrontuu has little else to worry about once fully grown. Its only predators in the modern age are Banded Wretchers, and even the slightest female outweighs one of those by several tons. Wretchers present a threat only to newborn calves and are woefully outmatched against adults, even in great numbers. Besides its tremendous size, the Wrontuu's main advantage is its thick, callous-like skin, which overlaps in heavy folds to create pliable armor. Not much short of a kaiju can pierce it without struggling.

That being said, the beast's most spectacular feature is of course its long cranial adornment. Despite its appearance it is not an extension of the Wrontuu's skull, but rather a pair of thin, chambered horns fused and covered in skin. It weighs far less than most people think and is not particularly useful for fighting off enemies. Instead it serves its purpose in gender recognition and display, with males having much longer and more colorful crests. Both sexes have the same thin sail of tissue connecting their horns to their backs and use it to expel excess heat.

F. Vilsimia album

There is an old fable about a young man traveling through the north woods alone. On his way to his destination, he crossed paths with a pedlar who warned him of a road ahead that was guarded by two beasts, the evil Hool and the kindly Shug. One stood at each side of the path ahead, and if he were to have any of hope passing alive he would have to guess which was which and hug its side of the road. The boy asked the pedlar how he could tell the Hool from the Shug, so he told him: look deep into each of their eyes and you will know.

So the boy went on, and true to the pedlar's word there was a wide road ahead with two shaggy beasts. One was skinny and white and the other big black and burly, but they were each quite man-like and calm. The boy wondered which was more evil and looked them both in the eyes.

What he saw were two faces. The white one was regal, well quaffed and clean with a fetching mustache. He seemed like a monkey, but he had the countenance of a very wise old man. The black one was more ghastly, warty and tusked with blank eyes that glowed in the dark. Of the two he stood more human, but was definitely a beast. The boy chose him as the dangerous Hool and hugged the other's side of the road, never to be seen again.

---

The White Hool is a short-haired primate who's domain is sandwiched neatly between the Halcion and Bloody Acres. It isn't quite as dangerous as the old fable might lead you to believe, but the point still stands that it's a wild animal and shouldn't be judged by appearances alone. In its defense, the Hool is a very fastidious and clever animal, but that doesn't make it friendly. It's used to sharing its woods with hungry Wretchers and territorial rivals and doesn't like to be approached. If threatened it will not hesitate to attack, and the blade-like set of lower canines hidden inside its mouth can split flesh and cause dangerous infections.

G. Infelisimiae ater

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Black Shug, an upright primate many would describe as uncanny. It too is a wild animal and should of course be given its space, but of the pair it's certainly the more amiable one. Living in the forests and milder jungles of the northeast, it doesn't actually coexist with the Hool in much of its range. It also only shares the western-most reach of its domain with the Wretcher, so historically it's had more to worry about from the Yategon than any predators.

It's less defensive as a result, and while no one but professionals should ever go seek a Shug out on purpose, it can be met fairly up close if treated with the appropriate amount of caution. Its great strength and menacing-looking tusks are actually used for shucking open heavy palm fruits and won't be brought to bear against a person unless it's first provoked.

H. Mandralaetus crassus

The swamps and lakes of southern Tarrun are home to a giant amphibian called the Narquin. Longer than a man and many times heavier, it has a formidable bulk and a tail strong enough to snap a kayak in two. Every now and then it's known to cause a minor boating accident, and it has scared its fair share of night fishermen, especially when alcohol was involved, but it's not a fearsome creature. The Narquin's size is the only intimidating thing about it.

Inside that blubbery behemoth of a body is a very small and innocent brain that in many ways is no different than that of the average garden variety salamander. A Narquin is neither malicious nor smart. It feeds on the abundant algae and water plants of its domain, has nothing to worry about from predators, and does not nurture its swarming larval young. In general it simply doesn't have much to think about besides breathing and floating around.

Being so placid, the Narquin is naturally popular with humans. Animal lovers pay good money to see and dive with Narquins in the central south, and every conceivable type of merchandise exists to capitalize on this adoration. Tourist traps in San Veruda, Jagydi, and Amu make a decent living off of Narquin plushies and hats. Wide-eyed children and joking adults often bring up getting a pet Narquin to bring home, but this is neither legal nor a good idea. Thankfully most people don't have a small crane on hand to try and smuggle them with.

I1. Mortupisces inanis

Wraithfish. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. Their eyes are so incredibly sensitive that they can't see in broad daylight. They spend their days socializing in caverns and come out to forage only at night. Even then their vision is impaired, forcing them to rely on their strong senses of smell and touch.

I2. Cylindrulla cyclopes

Accordion Shrimp. Saltwater, legal to net, best suited as bait. People call them shrimp but they're not even remotely related. The segments of their bodies rhythmically separate and contract as they move, pumping out water to jet propel them. Their range and acuity of vision is some of the best in the ocean.

I3. Sanguiforma planus

Red Karish. Saltwater, protected, inedible. Some of the oldest and most primitive creatures in the sea. They use their thin, flat bodies to pass through dense fields of coral and kelp as they chase down minnows. They don't become red until they're mature, so nymphs are colorless and transparent.

I4. Durubeccus opacus

Banded Smasher. Saltwater, protected in the wild, edible but not delectable. Deepwater fish that use their powerful beaks to crush coral, oysters, and crabs. The armor on their backs stops predators from taking them by surprise, but also makes them awkward and slow to turn. They're very stress prone and tend do better in captivity than in the wild.

I5. Palupisces salaqua

Glynche. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. These popular game fish are tasty and easy to find- just about every swamp, river, and lake in Tarrun has some. Most of them don't grow very big, but since they technically never stop growing fishermen love to tell tales about how there are secretly ultra-giant ones out there just waiting to be caught.

I6. Granthetys puga

Tethyan. Saltwater, legal to net, edible but not delectable. Large and mobile sea salps that filter feed near the surface. Their transparent bodies make them hard to spot, slow to overheat, and ideal for marine biology research. They are technically edible, and very nutritious, but take a lot of kitchen prep.

I7. Rugaos rubeus

Red Smoocher. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Hefty tropical fish with bright colors, sharp spines, and mouths like vacuum cleaners. They suck giant snails straight out of their shells and gobble them up in droves. Their meat is a very expensive delicacy usually served with, you guessed it, escargot.

I8. Tecteuthis reynoldi

Q'thuill. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Stalk-eyed cephalopods related to squid. Only their head plates grow in naturally, so to protect themselves they gather stones and other pieces of seafloor debris to stick to themselves as armor. Females also do the same for their egg-cases. The rear tentacles are the ones that do the building, the front ones are for catching fish.

I9. Finflumus unicrum

Lovely Needlehead. Freshwater, extinct in the wild, edible but not delectable. Eastern relatives of the goldfish that were bred in ancient times for their regal appearance. Also called Pink Rapiers. The males have long, thin horns for fighting over mates. The females have shorter horns but wider tail fins. Long time aquarium favorites, they come in many different morphs.

I10. Cornufax sarcinatus

Head Lamp. Saltwater, protected, inedible. Deep sea fish with heavy bodies and glowing green warts. The bioluminescent bacteria inside them is dangerously toxic, so any predator that ruptures them isn't long for this world. When not under attack, they use the warts to communicate with each other, signaling rapid flashes like flashlight code. Boaters can see it from the surface late at night.

I11. Citrugitta lautus

Sunstripe. Saltwater, protected in the wild, edible. Tropical fish that live in reefs. Their tall, laterally compressed bodies are built for rapid turns and hiding in crevices. They're almost comically delicate eaters and suck up the very tiniest bits of food with their narrow, straw-like mouths. Another species popular in saltwater aquariums.

I12. Claramacula vetus

Fumanchu. Saltwater, protected in the wild, inedible. Colorful little gobies named for their choice in mustaches. They live at the bottom of tropical seas and use their dangling feelers to find hidden food. The females grow the largest, but males have swollen bulbs at the ends of their feelers to attract mates. Both are darlings of the aquarium world.

I13. Asperotura passim

Heather Gnarl. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Ancient looking fish that sift through silt looking for food. The thick osteoderms on their backs grow sporadically and continuously throughout their whole lives, so the more armored one is, the longer it's been around. Despite the rocky appearance they're actually good eating and are well worth catching. Cleaning them isn't as hard as most people think, but reeling them in is a different story.

I14. Piscicurvus luteus

Merkyth. Freshwater and saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Funny little fish with bent spines and big mouths. They have an unusual way of swimming that makes them very easy to identify. They're small and somewhat bony, but very plentiful and full of flavor. Fried Merkyth is a staple food in some parts of the world.

I15. Estuarex spinosis

Eusepter. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. Also called Green Emperors and River Kings. They can grow to truly impressive sizes and are most common in deep water. They eat smaller fish, snakes, turtles, water birds, immature Narquin and Yantao, small pets, water toys, and (allegedly) children. The defensive spines on their heads are there to stop larger Eusepters from swallowing them whole.

I16. Cenapisces barbiger

Bearded Sylphie. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Common, large-bodied fish that are found in warm waters around the world. Both genders have a long, flexible tendril that wriggles and glows to attract attention. The red bulb at the end detaches and explodes when touched, releasing a toxic glue-like substance. The rest of the fish is safe to eat, though.

I17. Ferrunavem caeles

Armored Carp. Freshwater and saltwater, legal to catch, edible. Another misleading name- their lineage actually predates the carp by a few million years. They're incredibly sturdy fish and can even survive getting thrashed around by a Yantao. Cleaning just one up for supper is an all day affair...

J. Anguitinea inroro

The Frill Snake is a dainty pink reptile with a feathery display. Its scales are small and tightly packed like the constrictors it's related to, giving it a uniquely smooth feeling compared to most other snakes. The similarity in appearance between it and certain types of gilled salamanders is no coincidence, as in fact it's a specialized hunter of aquatic and immature amphibians. Other adaptations that help it in this endeavor are a high immunity to toxins, compressible ribs for slipping into burrows and caves, and thin, double-pointed teeth for seizing extra-slippery prey. They are neither venomous nor quick to bite and pose no threat to swimmers.

K1. Laminergus solis

Jom Beetle. Iridescent insects that live in hot climates. They raise their elytra to catch the sun, glimmering at one another to attract the opposite sex. They can fly, but only for short distances, so most people see them on the ground. They're a favorite among collectors and their polished shells can even be made into jewelry.

K2. Silvaforo brunus

Wikket . Little brown bugs that feed on rotting wood. They're a common sight in and under old logs, but if they show up in your home it's a bad sign. Wikkets don't sting or bite and make for easy, reliable fishing bait.

K3. Lataprinceps imitor

Arkaida. Gigantic stalk-eyed bugs that superficially resemble a cicada. They're surprisingly nimble on the wing and hunt small birds and bats, grabbing prey mid-air from above with their long, hook-tipped legs and sucking their bodily fluids through a piercing proboscis. They don't sing like cicadas, but they do emit a foul-smelling liquid when handled.

K4. Ningapis lutei

Winter Wisp. Large, heavy insects with four wings and fuzzy, water-resistant coats. They live in cold climates where competition from other insects is scarce and feed mostly on the berries of evergreen trees. If they catch wind of a nearby bird they'll drop from the sky in an instant and hide in the snow.

K5. Verteconus leviathan

Rot Mite. Neither a mite nor a true insect, but a proturan. They're so much larger than their cousins that entymologists jokingly call them the kaiju of the hexapod world. Dedicated scavengers, they clean up rotting plant and animal matter and are a common sight on the forest floor. Their sharpened forelegs are for digging and can't jab with enough force to break skin, but if pestered they will defend themselves by spraying a chemical irritant from their tails.

K6. Sallyre laetus

Red Banded Cricket. Tropical insects that are ground into a zesty dark sauce. The practice originally began with tribal peoples who did it to create red dye, but over time it was discovered that the substance had applications in the kitchen as well. Most people believe it's only used in a handful of southwest towns, but the truth is it's everywhere and companies just don't like to advertise the "mushed cricket goo" in their food.

K7. Hyaloptera occasus

Cathedral Wasp. Eusocial pollinators with elaborate veined wings that were once described as "sunset viewed through stained glass". It was also once said that buildings with their nests in them were blessed by the Gods. Nowadays, though, not everyone agrees that's such a good thing...

K8. Pultacoda hydra

Splint Lobber. Despite their nymph-like appearance, these long-bodied insects are actually in the mature phase of their life cycle. A fairly common sight around downed trees, they prey on wood-eating insects like ants, termites, and wikkets. If threatened by larger predators they quickly scoot back and arc up their tails, catapulting wood chips into their attackers' eyes.

K9. Malumalu improbus

Evil Weevil. A timid little fruit-eater slandered for the sake of a cheap pun. Truly, man is the greatest of all monsters.

L. Tapeboscis turrim

The closest living relative of the Wrontuu is the Mahkra, a scarcer but even larger mammal that towers above all others. Found only in the jungles of the west bordering the Bloody Acres, it has a limited range and breeds quite slowly. In decades past it was almost mythically rare, but the Mahkra's numbers are now on the rise. The Wretchers that took over for its former predator, the Vulgrithe, are no match for it and can only take very young and unprotected calves.

Compared to the Wrontuu, the Mahkra has a greatly reduced horn but longer and better developed tusks. It uses them mostly to tip over trees, clearing paths for itself as it walks through the thick vegetation and feeds. Males also use them in inter-species combat, locking tusks and getting into tumultuous shoving matches to determine who's the strongest. Once upon a time they were able to aid in defense as well, but since Wretchers are too low for them to reach they simply stamp them flat instead.

Regarding humans, the Mahkra is neither friendly nor hostile. It has no instinctive fear of people and generally ignores them when they cross paths, knowing full well they're too small to hurt it. Still, its patience should not be tested. The ruckus caused by logging operations in the upper south, for instance, has lead to fatal encounters before.

M. Varimendax bellus

Found in most temperate zones south of the Wilds, Fibits are personable little critters with a penchant for exploration and adaptation. Generalist feeders and natural jacks-of-all-trades, they can be observed displaying various behaviors depending on their surroundings. In dense wooded areas, for instance, they climb large trees and hide in knot-holes. If their surroundings are more open they seek out the burrows of smaller rodents and take them over as their dens. Near water they'll dig into muddy embankments and swim for short distances, and in urban environments they take to nesting under patios and raiding trashcans.

Small size and keen rodent intellect are the main reason for the species' success, but also aiding in their adaptability is the gift of mimicry. Fibits have some of the most sophisticated vocal organs in the mammal world and can recreate a surprising variety of sounds to fool their more dangerous neighbors. They've been heard imitating everything from snake hisses and Wretcher barks to alarm sirens, car engines, chainsaws, human laughter and kaiju footfalls. Individual Fibits are thought to have a vocabulary of roughly 10-30 distinct sounds at any given time and may change or share them over their lifetime.

As with anything fuzzy and cute, of course, Fibits have been a target for domestication foryears. The effort to breed them into pets is still ongoing, though, so for right now there is no such thing as a tame Fibit. Many settlements even have specific laws against keeping one, due in no small part to wealthy collectors and pet enthusiasts who just couldn't take "no" for an answer. Fibits aren't usually dangerous, at least, but they are habitual chewers and lack any concept of "potty training" and an "indoor voice".

N. Papilioavis virga

The Alurja, also called a Butterfly Bird, is vividly colored and elaborately plumed, so much so that many zoo-goers seeing it for the first time assume that it's a tropical species. In reality it hails not from the rainforest, but from North Boreal. It can disappear there with surprising ease and uses its dangling tail-feathers to simulate pieces of foliage swaying in the wind. The brighter "eyebrows" are held aloft and are thought to be mimicking pine branches in a sunbeam.

As emblematic as that vivid coat is, it isn't permanent. The Alurja goes through a molt twice a year, and when it does it changes color. In the warmer months of spring and summer it has the rich forest green plumage most are familiar with, but in fall and winter those feathers fall out and are replaced by a much paler, almost white, tea-green set. Some can even be dusty gray.

A genetic mutation called the False Piebald is a rarely seen variation of this that's fervently sought after by bird watchers. It has mottled patterns of both colorations regardless of the time of year, looking as if it were caught in-between molts. It's a striking look, but unfortunately that's why it's rare- Piebalds don't camouflage very well and tend to get picked off early in life by predators.

O. Vineafacem nebulos

Fog Frogs, also called Waving Mist Frogs and Fog Feelers, are unusual but common amphibians seen throughout the southeast swamps and Moorscape. Thought to be descended from subterranean or deep water ancestors, they have only the slightest vestiges of eyes and cannot see. They sense the world around them with a pair of flexible tendrils that act like antennae, swaying above the frogs' heads to detect changes in electrical current, air pressure, and temperature. Their main function is to detect predators and prey, but they can also alert them to a host of other phenomenon like weather changes and natural disasters.

Being the natural born prophets that they are, the frogs have a long history of being sought out, much the same way Kroptyn were. Ancient sailors in the east used to carry them in hanging glass "frog lanterns" to stay ahead of storm fronts, for example.

Fog Frogs even circulated in the pet trade once, but irresponsible owners and overly adaptable escapees put an end to that. The feral populations that popped up in the west and south were ruinous for local species and unfortunately had to be dealt with. No Fog Frogs have been sighted any farther west than the ruins of Bulou since, but that doesn't exclude the possibility that a few small populations may still be in hiding.

Luckily for the environment public interest in spreading these frogs has died down since the advent of genetic engineering; people looking for hyper-sensitive storm watching pets can now just put in custom orders at Kymaera. They created a weather-sensitive Toku strain ages ago by splicing in the genes of this very species, and it's every bit as capable and much less dangerous.

P. Aurumiles kharnak

Most beetles are larger as grubs than they are as adults, but the opposite is true for members of the family Novauctinae. The largest and most impressive of these "backwards growers" are undoubtedly the Kharnak Beetles- uniquely immense insects that were purportedly first tamed some 7,000 years ago by the ancient (and probably fictitious) Sarudian Empire. Their name, it is said, came from the civilization's then-current ruler, King Kharnak Anuun III.

Stretching over ten feet long from mandibles to abdomen, Kharnaks are not only the world's largest beetles, but the largest non-kaiju arthropods in general. They can be easily recognized from a distance by that alone, but other telltale hallmarks of their species include a vividly striped carapace, jaws like pinking shears, and an enormous cranial horn. The latter is most prominent on males, who's horns sweep backwards above their thoraxes and fade to a tapered yellow point. The horns on females are stouter and more forward facing, without the yellow tip.

Wild Kharnaks were once a great danger in the Gyrik. Males in particular had a reputation for blocking and attacking trade caravans because of their inability to differentiate between vehicles and rivals. Merchants traveling by foot had to be wary of them too, as the giant invertebrates are surprisingly easy to take by surprise. Their long mandibles and sideways facing eyes prevent them from seeing directly in front of themselves, and like other beetles they have no sense of hearing. Sleeping Kharnaks buried in the sand are even easier to sneak up on, but the results of waking them up aren't pretty.

Nowadays, though, wild Kharnaks are considered functionally extinct. Their decline was a direct result of human intervention, specifically by the practice of excessive capturing. Kharnak Beetles were uniquely susceptible compared to other megafauna because they, as insects, must go through an immobile and vulnerable pupae phase before reaching adulthood. Thousands were thought to have been taken from the wild and sold on the black market annually.

Captive Kharnaks, for better or worse, are a different story. They pop up sporadically in the illegal pet trade, most often in the seedy underbelly of Zenghui, but sometimes also Raja'din, Alserah, Rantai and Caelae. The vast majority of them are housed within the walls of Kulma, though- as much as 98% of the global population, it's thought. Kulma is the only major settlement where Kharnaks are still legal to own, and it's taken full advantage by utilizing them as their main beasts of burden (and war). Kulmarian Kharnaks are raised from grubs in lowland mud farms and trained into strict obedience, but their status as a "domesticated" species is contested. Without muzzles they're quick to bite, and males with uncut horns can gore their riders straight through the chest.

Ginkura thinks they're tasty.

Q. Qucitro impiger

Some of the animals hit hardest by the passing of the Vulgrithe were the Screeching Nitpicker Birds. Dedicated specialists, they used their sturdy lower beaks to comb through the fur of large mammals in search of ticks, mites, lice, and other parasites with which they could satiate their incredible hunger. Ornithologists aren't sure precisely how old they or their lineage are due to scant remains in the fossil record, but it's widely believed that Nitpickers evolved some time in the last 30-50 million years, probably in direct conjunction with the Vulgrithe.

After their main source of food disappeared the Nitpickers saw cataclysmic drops in numbers that rendered them extinct in most of their range. Only a small population remains in the wild today, now spread out thinly across the southwest where they make a living cleaning the sparse hairy bits of Wrontuu. They are considered an endangered species and are protected by law.

R. Fundagiga mammuthus

The largest bird in Tarrun is the Sentintel Penguin, but if anything comes close to beating it it's the domestic Mammut Bird. Standing at a full eight feet high when fully grown, it's shorter than the Sentintel both in height and length but often outweighs it. This is because it carries a tremendous amount of bulk around its neck, core, and thighs- a direct result of being bred for consumption.

The domestication process for this gigantic flightless passerine started 5,000 years ago and was actually spearheaded by a mistake. Originally found all over the southern hemisphere, its wild ancestor was suggested by some to be on the verge of extinction. Local settlers who saw the potential of the bird as a resource rushed in to "save its species" and actually rendered it extinct themselves by taking so many from the wild. The rumor was thought to have originated from some misguided farmers in the southeast, which is the only region where the Mammut was ever in any danger of anything at all.

Nowadays the Mammut is a barnyard staple with a healthy captive population and many uses. Its downy feathers are a popular stuffing option for pillows, plushies, and coats, and the oversized eggs it lays are a bounty in and of themselves. Mammut meat is dry and lean but tasty, rich in vitamins and, obviously, quite high in quantity. A single drumstick can constitute an entire meal for most people. Also useful is the Mammut's towering height and keen eyesight. It can make for a good lookout when housed with other animals.

Getting a Mammut to that point, however- healthy, fully grown, and cooperative- is no easy feat. It's not an animal renowned for its intelligence or ease of training, and the cost of upkeep for it is immense. The amount of food needed to raise even one into a nine-hundred pound adult is enough to put most people into bankruptcy, so nine times out of ten if a farmer owns one it's because they bought it from a government funded nursery. Since so few can afford to raise one by themselves the Mammut has become subject to some more unscrupulous actions, like birdnapping. Mammut rustlers are the greatest scourge of any farm and are known to steal birds under cover of night or hold handlers at gunpoint. The problem's at its worst in the west where traveling bandit gangs come down from the Wilds to raid stock.

S. Pennasphera strido

Isolated on the islands of the Moorscape are some fuzzy little birds called Mib-mib. Named for the sound they make when excited, they waddle around on two short, stocky legs and have a nubby pair of arms to match. They are curious, fearless, and utterly harmless, willing to walk up to passing humans without any invitation and hop directly into their laps. Their friendly but ultimately very nosy demeanor has made them a bit of a nuisance for the local people, but tourists come in droves to see them on nature walks and guided tours. The conflict between them has been stoked for years by the travel agency who, in a bid to ensure the birds' public visibility, began the ill-advised practice of hand feeding them.

T. Alasequax occultus

The Wallhugger is quite the oddity: legless, snub nosed and stubby tailed, it climbs without hands and glides on what looks like flattened arms. Nothing about it really seems to make much sense, and yet somehow it exists. The early settlers who first encountered it thought it was such a conundrum that they weren't even sure it was an animal! As Sir Sylvaine Faux once famously said:

"What else but a kaiju could defy the laws of nature so? There is no doubt in my mind that this is the offspring of one of those god-hating giants, not a part of our natural world."

It's certainly easy to see why Sir Faux thought this, but unfortunately for him he was wrong. So were his colleagues, who for almost fifteen years suggested every possible explanation from a misidentified bird to a late-surviving pterosaur. Eventually the answer would come with the completion of Allinos, which allowed for faster, safer access to the area. Field researchers were able to procure a body only two short months later and came to a definite conclusion: the Wallhugger is a snake.

Jumping forward into the present, herpetologists now call it Alasequax occultus. It's the sole genus in an odd little subfamily called Latasinguia (the ray-finned snakes), joined only by a rare subspecies that lives exclusively in highland caves. DNA analysis places it close to dipsadinae, a group that includes other flat-bodied serpents like the Balman Vine Snake and Brownings Hognose.

Bearing that in mind, modern scholars have learned that the Wallhugger's ventral protrusions aren't limbs, but rather a set of very long rib-bones tipped with cartilage extensions. The pointed bits at the end of them are a set of enlarged scales, not claws, and are believed to be used in courtship. Scales are also the secret to its mysterious ability to cling to things, and it has millions of them- tiny, sharp, and backwards pointed- lining the undersides of its wings. They act like the hooks on a mat of velcro, digging into rough surfaces like rock and locking the Wallhugger in place. If it wishes to move it has only to inch forward and flex its long ribs, breaking the grip and allowing it to glide elsewhere.

U. Eurusmus nunc

Everybody knows about Herbils, but a lot of folks outside the Gyrik have never seen their wilder counterparts the Teevem. Closely related but adapted to an even drier habitat, they're one of the desert's most successfully mammal species and can be found all over the region. Their most notable adaptations are pale reflective fur, large heat displacing ears, and a streamlined body that helps them leap through the air. The extra long stride and accompanying small feet minimize their time spent on hot sand.

As their defenses against harsh sunlight might suggest, Teveem are actually diurnal, not nocturnal like Herbils. This gives them earlier access to all their favorite foods, like flowering succulents and sleeping beetles, but it also puts them at risk of becoming prey for bigger beasts. They're gobbled up on the regular by venomous snakes, falcons, and sleeping Sandsnatchers, but nimble feet and a fast rate of reproduction keeps their population healthy.

V. Subopes signum

Shore-Edge Clams are a common sight anywhere the Halcion meets the Polar North. The largest of all clams, they can stand taller than a person and weigh several hundred pounds. The world record holder, a specimen currently on display at the Mariner Museum in Nalassa, weighed in at a whopping half ton when it was still alive; it had to be delivered on the back of a quarry worker's dumptruck.

Long walls of these behemoth bivalves can be seen anywhere on the Halcion's shore at low tide. The receding waters leave them practically on display, closed shut and standing perfectly upright with their spiky back ends lodged into the ground. The exposure is of little cause for concern for them since their large size and super thick shells make them all but invulnerable against Wretchers and storms. Their only enemies are the Sentinels, who with enough patience can crack even their armor wide open.

For human beings the Shore-Edgers are less appealing- not because of taste (their meat is a prized delicacy) but because obtaining them is so difficult. The Polar North is not a welcoming place for anyone, and the equipment needed to dislodge and haul the giant clams is both expensive and susceptible to weather damage. Worse still, setting anchor anywhere close to shore is suicidal, as the ragged rocks of the Halcion and even the clams themselves can easily pierce a fisherman's hull.

W. Altirusaurus saxum

Like the Screeching Nitpickers of the west, High-Sloped Rock Lizards once fed on the backs of Vulgrithe and nearly went extinct alongside them. As a whole they're less specialized than the birds, having much slower metabolisms and being able to live off the same flying insects that're attracted to nearly everything, but the Vulgrithe's presence was a double benefit to them. Not only were the giant carnivores too large to consider them prey, but their intimidating presence kept many of the lizard's own would-be predators at a safe presence. Once the Vulgrithe disappeared the Rock Lizards were suddenly left at their mercy with no appropriate response.

After their numbers in the west, Wilds, and northern forests plummeted, a small remnant population managed to persist in the northeast. Living in regions with cooler temperatures and fewer predators, they're still seen along the outskirts of North Boreal and the northern territories above Iridan. Their main "feeding ground" now is the Kaboolt, which they camouflage quite nicely against.

X. Ambulodiscus longus

Most people vacationing in San Veruda have seen these giant arthropods before. They're hard to miss and very distinct, but beachgoers tend to run into confusion identifying them because of how many different names there are for them: Surfstriders, Tidewalkers, Red Wavers, Tazz Crabs, Stilt Crabs, etcetera. Every village on the southern coast seems to have its own local name for them, which has given rise to the misconception that each name refers to a different creature. The truth, thankfully, is a lot simpler than that: they're all the exact same thing, Ambulodiscus longus.

Ambulodiscus are long legged sand crabs, deep red in color with bodies held high off the ground. Their classification as decapods is tenuous, as they only have six limbs in total (compared to the usual ten of any true crab), but DNA analysis has consistently placed them in or near that group. The prevailing theory is that they must have evolved from smaller, more traditional looking ancestors who fused two pairs of limbs in order to create the sturdy weight-bearing legs they have today.

Ecologically, the main reason for their long, bulky legs is wading in the ebb and flow of the surf. They're most active when the tides are coming in and out and they station themselves in shallow, moving water to catch small animals and ocean nutrients. They use their specialized forelimbs to do the job, sieving through the top layer of water with dense, sticky filaments that snare organic matter. When the feathery little extremities have caught their limit limit they become visibly "gunked up", prompting the crabs to stuff them into their mouths and delicately nibble them clean.

Despite their impressive size they pose no real threat to human beachgoers. Ambulodiscus move slowly, lack pincers, and have very weak mouthparts. They're patient and unflappable by nature and don't act aggressively to much of anything. Even rival males in the breeding season won't normally resort to violence... they settle their disputes by ritualistically waving and clapping forelimbs together, a dominance-asserting behavior that's affectionately been dubbed "patty-caking".

Like most crustaceans, Ambulodiscus are also perfectly safe to eat and considered prime seafood. They're one of the prized jewels of the industry, harvested both from the wild and from farms and protected from overhunting by strict legislation. Their meat is thick and soft, bright white, and slightly briny. Because of their tremendous size they have a much better meat-to-shell ratio than other crabs, so even a single individual is enough to feed a small family. Kymaera is reported working on an even more succulent "jumbo breed", but none have yet been raised to adulthood.

Y. Laevucatus gelu

The Halcion Seal is a big, blubbery sea mammal that sounds like a horn. Its the largest of Tarrun's seals, with males reaching about 12 feet long and 800 pounds on average. Females are smaller, usually no more than 430 pounds when fully grown. They're one of the most common sights of the Halcion's shoreline, congregating in loud, rowdy colonies of 10-50. Their ranks are made up almost exclusively of females and pups, with only a single mature bull staying as their guardian. He'll eagerly attack any other male that grows to reach maturity, even his own offspring, because otherwise he could be run off from the colony himself. Lone seals have a much tougher time making it in the Halcion and tend to end up as Sentinel food.

Distinguishing features of their genus include a speckled hide, tusks, and ossicones. Males can also be told apart from females by the droopy, nose-like protrusions on their snouts. These organs are inflatable displays and used mostly to signify dominance and good health. Both sexes subsist on an exclusive diet of shellfish, shucking open oysters, mussels, and clams with their teeth before sucking out their gooey insides. The only bivalves they normally spare are immature Shore-Edgers, probably because they rely on their adults for cover. Slipping between a cluster of the thousand pound mollusks can be a good way to trip of predators long enough to make it to the water.

Z. Suavispica arcanum

Living deep in the inland wastes of the Halcion is a truly mysterious thing called a Burrbeast. Catalogued only by a handful of badly deteriorated body hairs and bony spines, it's known mostly from eyewitness accounts and exists in a uniquely quasi-cryptid status. Almost nothing is known about it in any true biological sense and experts have been dying to get their hands on one for years- literally.

The first person who ever reported seeing one was the arctic explorer Cole J. King. He called the creature he encountered a "moving snowdrift", with a back "littered with sticks and rocks with which to disguise itself". According to King's account he was hiking through low rolling hills when he saw it, and only took notice because it scared a flock of birds as it was getting up. He said it left a deep, singular track in the snow, which he attempted to follow before being turned back by bad weather.

The hundred and twenty years that followed provided a slew of other sightings and mysterious details. Arthur Denham stated that the creature had beady black eyes and descended steep slopes by rolling down them. Joy Lentwiel specified it to have a back covered in long barbed quills, not sticks, and coined the term "Burrbeast" accordingly. Others suggested it could puff itself up or dive into the water to imitate an iceberg. An especially famous story from Lionel Phirseph described a run in a pack of Spotted Wretchers, which the Burrbeast allegedly "left to die a slow and miserable death, their muzzles nailed shut by its enormous spikes".

The genetic heritage of this strange, elusive beast has been argued over ever since its first description. King believed it was a mammal, four legged and herbivorous, possibly related to the Wrontuu, and attributed its lack of tracks to long fur brushing against the snow (Kaboolts use a similar tactic to avoid predators). Other witnesses would later claim that the Burrbeast had no footprints because it had no feet, and others that it had so many feet that the footprints all became blended together. The idea of it being an invertebrate was most likely started by Lentwiel, who described her Burrbeast as being like "a tremendous caterpillar, woolly and segmented with more legs than I could count". Other subscribers to the invertebrate theory have suggested it might be the larval state of a Halcion counterpart to the Kharnak Beetle, or even a land-based type of nudibranch.

A concrete ID for the creature was thought to have been in grasp just seven years ago, when a group of Ebikan monks donated three mysterious bone spurs said to have been taken from the stomach of a Sentinel. The spurs are believed to be genuine Burrbeast quills, but unfortunately are in such an advanced state of decay that almost nothing can be ascertained about their composition. Researchers were also hopeful that Caitlyn Thorne and her kaiju escorts might be able to delve deep enough into the Halcion to obtain more information, but sadly she and her team have had no sightings.

Artwork © Chris Eye, 2019.

Description

A. Ossiuada mons

There are few in continental Tarrun who would name any beast as being more grim looking than the Greigyx. It bears the visage of its own rotting corpse, complete with an exposed skull and blood-tinted fur. Its morbid appearance is a form of camouflage used in conjunction with a convincing death act and awful smelling musk. Predators who happen across it think they've encountered a spoiling carcass. To further the illusion, some Greigyx even go as far as to pick up the bones of other animals and scatter them around their bedding sites. If caught whilst still on their feet, Greigyxes will drool and thrash about excessively to give the impression of being fatally diseased.

When not playing dead, they're quiet and lonesome creatures. They make very few vocalizations and only tolerate others of their species during the breeding season. After mating males and females separate and disassociate, treating one another as territorial rivals if they ever cross paths again. Only the female takes responsibility for raising their calves, and in instances of danger she will lay on top of them to protect them.

There are three varieties of Greigyx: the Red (O. mons), the Pallid (O. frigus), and the Dry (O. siccum). Traditionally the Red has been the most common and well known, but their numbers have been dwindling in recent years. They live in southern and western Tarrun, and in the latter especially are becoming rare because of the influx of Wretchers caused by the Vulgrithe's extinction. Wretchers are hardy, unwary of disease, and prone to scavenging, so the Greigyx's tactics are all but useless against them. The Pallid Greigyx of the Wilds has fared even worse, but the dusty gray Dry Greigyx of the southeast retains a healthy population as it has no territorial overlap with Wretchers.

B. Patalpa timentes

The Slegg is a stocky, long bodied mammal kept in captivity at many of Tarrun's farms. It's raised primarily as a food source, having notably dense, juicy meat which makes for an excellent roast. Slegg meat is called "slog" and also commonly features in stews, meat pies, and kebabs. More elaborate meals like Plodslog and Slogfest also incorporate the animal's boiled dorsal plates as serving dishes.

Captive Sleggs live peacefully in shallow pens, usually muddy and clear of vegetation, and have minimal security needs. They are not dangerous, fast, nor prone to fleeing and are even allowed to roam freely in some areas; the main need for their pens is protection. Pet Sleggs are unorthodox, but not unheard of. Not all settlements allow them to be kept indoors, though.

Wild Sleggs are somewhat uncommon in modern times, but still exist in parts of North Boreal and the Wilds. They have a strong preference for areas with loose soil and will tolerate nearly any conditions so long as they have ample dirt to root through. Their plated heads are used like trowels, disturbing soft topsoil so they can sift through it with their sensitive whiskers and find tasty morsels like worms, mushrooms, and tubers. They shy away from humans and are quieter than their captive counterparts.

Perhaps the most curious thing about Sleggs is their fear of the sky. No matter how or where they're raised, Sleggs are afraid of flying objects and passing shadows- seeing so much as a kite will cause them to throw themselves to the ground, flatten out, and hyperventilate. The prevailing theory among biologists is that this behavior (and their dorsal armor) is an evolutionary leftover from a time when they were hunted by large aerial predators. Whatever the Slegg were so afraid of, it no longer seems to exist in Tarrun and made no impact on the fossil record.

C. Caeremita hirsutae

The common Kaboolt is the poster child for a clade called Panoplocephalians, or "armor heads". They are a group of mostly herbivorous ungulates recognized for their hard external skull-plates and lack of external ears. Many are also equipped with a set of defensive bone spurs located on the hind legs. The Kaboolt exemplifies all these features and has thus become the go to example for studying the group, showing up in more research papers and textbooks than its cousins the Greigyx, Aelope, and Slegg.

The genus is identified by its thick blue-gray coat, long tail, and four horned skull-plate. The hind horns are sharp and used for self defense while the fore horns are short and wedge-shaped, used in conjunction with the animal's long tongue and flexible lower lip to grasp food. A typical meal consists of leafy greens, grasses, or ripe dropped fruit, and in a single day an adult can consume as much as eight pounds of plant matter.

The range of the Kaboolt is mostly northern. It can be found in great numbers in the Wilds, but also in the lower reaches of the Halcion with territories stretching as far from Ebikia to Iridan. Small herds sometimes stray into the western wastes and North Boreal, but not for long. Liath Duin also has a population of Kaboolt, though researchers are unsure if it is native or was introduced by ancient humans.

D. Celerina detarru

Aelope are the smallest of the long-legged Panoplocephalians, but also the fastest. They can spring from a resting position to a full gallop in the blink of an eye, aided by powerful hind legs and a double set of leg spurs used to grip the ground, and can sprint at a top speed of 70 mph. They have impressive stamina and can outrun Wretchers with ease, having nothing to fear from predators unless ambushed.

Because they rely so heavily on speed the Aelope have greatly reduced spurs and horns, making them (generally) less dangerous as a species. Early humans saw this as a desirable trait and attempted to domesticate them roughly three to four thousand years ago. Murals and scrolls found scattered across the continent tell the story of indigenous people herding and fencing in Aelope, attempting to break them in as messengers and pack animals, and failing miserably.

Aelope live in wide, open areas all across the continent and have adapted to temperatures ranging from the mild and cool to the swelteringly tropical. They're absent only from the Halcion, innermost Gyrik, and offshore islands, making them a staple food for any predators wily enough to catch them. Humans also hunt them from time to time and describe their meat as "incredibly gamey, but nutritious". Their light, teardrop shaped skull-plates can be fashioned into simple ocarinas and are a popular instrument in the south.

E. Fortipolus goliath

The Great Wrontuu is a massive, herbivorous mammal found in the sparse forest and savannah biomes of the south. Most common in the southeast and southwest specifically, its numbers have thinned over the years in central southern Tarrun due to the expansion of San Veruda and its neighbors. Direct conflict between it and man is rarely violent, but accidental damage is a daily occurrence anywhere the two species intersect. The Wrontuu is peaceful, but certainly more calm than it is considerate; most know it as a blissfully unaware nuisance that tramples crops and dents up vehicles.

In the heart of Tarrun's wilderness where it thrives, however, it's an integral part of the ecosystem. The enormous Wrontuu keeps ground cover in check with its constant feeding and stamping, in turn affecting the feeding habits and movement paths of other animals, the spread potential of local wildfires, and even the ambient carbon level of the whole savannah. It is considered a species of utmost importance and enjoys legal protection in almost every region it inhabits. Some cave paintings even indicate that prehistoric tribes worshipped it!

Being a protected species, the Wrontuu has little else to worry about once fully grown. Its only predators in the modern age are Banded Wretchers, and even the slightest female outweighs one of those by several tons. Wretchers present a threat only to newborn calves and are woefully outmatched against adults, even in great numbers. Besides its tremendous size, the Wrontuu's main advantage is its thick, callous-like skin, which overlaps in heavy folds to create pliable armor. Not much short of a kaiju can pierce it without struggling.

That being said, the beast's most spectacular feature is of course its long cranial adornment. Despite its appearance it is not an extension of the Wrontuu's skull, but rather a pair of thin, chambered horns fused and covered in skin. It weighs far less than most people think and is not particularly useful for fighting off enemies. Instead it serves its purpose in gender recognition and display, with males having much longer and more colorful crests. Both sexes have the same thin sail of tissue connecting their horns to their backs and use it to expel excess heat.

F. Vilsimia album

There is an old fable about a young man traveling through the north woods alone. On his way to his destination, he crossed paths with a pedlar who warned him of a road ahead that was guarded by two beasts, the evil Hool and the kindly Shug. One stood at each side of the path ahead, and if he were to have any of hope passing alive he would have to guess which was which and hug its side of the road. The boy asked the pedlar how he could tell the Hool from the Shug, so he told him: look deep into each of their eyes and you will know.

So the boy went on, and true to the pedlar's word there was a wide road ahead with two shaggy beasts. One was skinny and white and the other big black and burly, but they were each quite man-like and calm. The boy wondered which was more evil and looked them both in the eyes.

What he saw were two faces. The white one was regal, well quaffed and clean with a fetching mustache. He seemed like a monkey, but he had the countenance of a very wise old man. The black one was more ghastly, warty and tusked with blank eyes that glowed in the dark. Of the two he stood more human, but was definitely a beast. The boy chose him as the dangerous Hool and hugged the other's side of the road, never to be seen again.

---

The White Hool is a short-haired primate who's domain is sandwiched neatly between the Halcion and Bloody Acres. It isn't quite as dangerous as the old fable might lead you to believe, but the point still stands that it's a wild animal and shouldn't be judged by appearances alone. In its defense, the Hool is a very fastidious and clever animal, but that doesn't make it friendly. It's used to sharing its woods with hungry Wretchers and territorial rivals and doesn't like to be approached. If threatened it will not hesitate to attack, and the blade-like set of lower canines hidden inside its mouth can split flesh and cause dangerous infections.

G. Infelisimiae ater

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Black Shug, an upright primate many would describe as uncanny. It too is a wild animal and should of course be given its space, but of the pair it's certainly the more amiable one. Living in the forests and milder jungles of the northeast, it doesn't actually coexist with the Hool in much of its range. It also only shares the western-most reach of its domain with the Wretcher, so historically it's had more to worry about from the Yategon than any predators.

It's less defensive as a result, and while no one but professionals should ever go seek a Shug out on purpose, it can be met fairly up close if treated with the appropriate amount of caution. Its great strength and menacing-looking tusks are actually used for shucking open heavy palm fruits and won't be brought to bear against a person unless it's first provoked.

H. Mandralaetus crassus

The swamps and lakes of southern Tarrun are home to a giant amphibian called the Narquin. Longer than a man and many times heavier, it has a formidable bulk and a tail strong enough to snap a kayak in two. Every now and then it's known to cause a minor boating accident, and it has scared its fair share of night fishermen, especially when alcohol was involved, but it's not a fearsome creature. The Narquin's size is the only intimidating thing about it.

Inside that blubbery behemoth of a body is a very small and innocent brain that in many ways is no different than that of the average garden variety salamander. A Narquin is neither malicious nor smart. It feeds on the abundant algae and water plants of its domain, has nothing to worry about from predators, and does not nurture its swarming larval young. In general it simply doesn't have much to think about besides breathing and floating around.

Being so placid, the Narquin is naturally popular with humans. Animal lovers pay good money to see and dive with Narquins in the central south, and every conceivable type of merchandise exists to capitalize on this adoration. Tourist traps in San Veruda, Jagydi, and Amu make a decent living off of Narquin plushies and hats. Wide-eyed children and joking adults often bring up getting a pet Narquin to bring home, but this is neither legal nor a good idea. Thankfully most people don't have a small crane on hand to try and smuggle them with.

I1. Mortupisces inanis

Wraithfish. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. Their eyes are so incredibly sensitive that they can't see in broad daylight. They spend their days socializing in caverns and come out to forage only at night. Even then their vision is impaired, forcing them to rely on their strong senses of smell and touch.

I2. Cylindrulla cyclopes

Accordion Shrimp. Saltwater, legal to net, best suited as bait. People call them shrimp but they're not even remotely related. The segments of their bodies rhythmically separate and contract as they move, pumping out water to jet propel them. Their range and acuity of vision is some of the best in the ocean.

I3. Sanguiforma planus

Red Karish. Saltwater, protected, inedible. Some of the oldest and most primitive creatures in the sea. They use their thin, flat bodies to pass through dense fields of coral and kelp as they chase down minnows. They don't become red until they're mature, so nymphs are colorless and transparent.

I4. Durubeccus opacus

Banded Smasher. Saltwater, protected in the wild, edible but not delectable. Deepwater fish that use their powerful beaks to crush coral, oysters, and crabs. The armor on their backs stops predators from taking them by surprise, but also makes them awkward and slow to turn. They're very stress prone and tend do better in captivity than in the wild.

I5. Palupisces salaqua

Glynche. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. These popular game fish are tasty and easy to find- just about every swamp, river, and lake in Tarrun has some. Most of them don't grow very big, but since they technically never stop growing fishermen love to tell tales about how there are secretly ultra-giant ones out there just waiting to be caught.

I6. Granthetys puga

Tethyan. Saltwater, legal to net, edible but not delectable. Large and mobile sea salps that filter feed near the surface. Their transparent bodies make them hard to spot, slow to overheat, and ideal for marine biology research. They are technically edible, and very nutritious, but take a lot of kitchen prep.

I7. Rugaos rubeus

Red Smoocher. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Hefty tropical fish with bright colors, sharp spines, and mouths like vacuum cleaners. They suck giant snails straight out of their shells and gobble them up in droves. Their meat is a very expensive delicacy usually served with, you guessed it, escargot.

I8. Tecteuthis reynoldi

Q'thuill. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Stalk-eyed cephalopods related to squid. Only their head plates grow in naturally, so to protect themselves they gather stones and other pieces of seafloor debris to stick to themselves as armor. Females also do the same for their egg-cases. The rear tentacles are the ones that do the building, the front ones are for catching fish.

I9. Finflumus unicrum

Lovely Needlehead. Freshwater, extinct in the wild, edible but not delectable. Eastern relatives of the goldfish that were bred in ancient times for their regal appearance. Also called Pink Rapiers. The males have long, thin horns for fighting over mates. The females have shorter horns but wider tail fins. Long time aquarium favorites, they come in many different morphs.

I10. Cornufax sarcinatus

Head Lamp. Saltwater, protected, inedible. Deep sea fish with heavy bodies and glowing green warts. The bioluminescent bacteria inside them is dangerously toxic, so any predator that ruptures them isn't long for this world. When not under attack, they use the warts to communicate with each other, signaling rapid flashes like flashlight code. Boaters can see it from the surface late at night.

I11. Citrugitta lautus

Sunstripe. Saltwater, protected in the wild, edible. Tropical fish that live in reefs. Their tall, laterally compressed bodies are built for rapid turns and hiding in crevices. They're almost comically delicate eaters and suck up the very tiniest bits of food with their narrow, straw-like mouths. Another species popular in saltwater aquariums.

I12. Claramacula vetus

Fumanchu. Saltwater, protected in the wild, inedible. Colorful little gobies named for their choice in mustaches. They live at the bottom of tropical seas and use their dangling feelers to find hidden food. The females grow the largest, but males have swollen bulbs at the ends of their feelers to attract mates. Both are darlings of the aquarium world.

I13. Asperotura passim

Heather Gnarl. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Ancient looking fish that sift through silt looking for food. The thick osteoderms on their backs grow sporadically and continuously throughout their whole lives, so the more armored one is, the longer it's been around. Despite the rocky appearance they're actually good eating and are well worth catching. Cleaning them isn't as hard as most people think, but reeling them in is a different story.

I14. Piscicurvus luteus

Merkyth. Freshwater and saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Funny little fish with bent spines and big mouths. They have an unusual way of swimming that makes them very easy to identify. They're small and somewhat bony, but very plentiful and full of flavor. Fried Merkyth is a staple food in some parts of the world.

I15. Estuarex spinosis

Eusepter. Freshwater, legal to fish, edible. Also called Green Emperors and River Kings. They can grow to truly impressive sizes and are most common in deep water. They eat smaller fish, snakes, turtles, water birds, immature Narquin and Yantao, small pets, water toys, and (allegedly) children. The defensive spines on their heads are there to stop larger Eusepters from swallowing them whole.

I16. Cenapisces barbiger

Bearded Sylphie. Saltwater, legal to fish, edible. Common, large-bodied fish that are found in warm waters around the world. Both genders have a long, flexible tendril that wriggles and glows to attract attention. The red bulb at the end detaches and explodes when touched, releasing a toxic glue-like substance. The rest of the fish is safe to eat, though.

I17. Ferrunavem caeles

Armored Carp. Freshwater and saltwater, legal to catch, edible. Another misleading name- their lineage actually predates the carp by a few million years. They're incredibly sturdy fish and can even survive getting thrashed around by a Yantao. Cleaning just one up for supper is an all day affair...

J. Anguitinea inroro

The Frill Snake is a dainty pink reptile with a feathery display. Its scales are small and tightly packed like the constrictors it's related to, giving it a uniquely smooth feeling compared to most other snakes. The similarity in appearance between it and certain types of gilled salamanders is no coincidence, as in fact it's a specialized hunter of aquatic and immature amphibians. Other adaptations that help it in this endeavor are a high immunity to toxins, compressible ribs for slipping into burrows and caves, and thin, double-pointed teeth for seizing extra-slippery prey. They are neither venomous nor quick to bite and pose no threat to swimmers.

K1. Laminergus solis

Jom Beetle. Iridescent insects that live in hot climates. They raise their elytra to catch the sun, glimmering at one another to attract the opposite sex. They can fly, but only for short distances, so most people see them on the ground. They're a favorite among collectors and their polished shells can even be made into jewelry.

K2. Silvaforo brunus

Wikket . Little brown bugs that feed on rotting wood. They're a common sight in and under old logs, but if they show up in your home it's a bad sign. Wikkets don't sting or bite and make for easy, reliable fishing bait.

K3. Lataprinceps imitor

Arkaida. Gigantic stalk-eyed bugs that superficially resemble a cicada. They're surprisingly nimble on the wing and hunt small birds and bats, grabbing prey mid-air from above with their long, hook-tipped legs and sucking their bodily fluids through a piercing proboscis. They don't sing like cicadas, but they do emit a foul-smelling liquid when handled.

K4. Ningapis lutei

Winter Wisp. Large, heavy insects with four wings and fuzzy, water-resistant coats. They live in cold climates where competition from other insects is scarce and feed mostly on the berries of evergreen trees. If they catch wind of a nearby bird they'll drop from the sky in an instant and hide in the snow.

K5. Verteconus leviathan

Rot Mite. Neither a mite nor a true insect, but a proturan. They're so much larger than their cousins that entymologists jokingly call them the kaiju of the hexapod world. Dedicated scavengers, they clean up rotting plant and animal matter and are a common sight on the forest floor. Their sharpened forelegs are for digging and can't jab with enough force to break skin, but if pestered they will defend themselves by spraying a chemical irritant from their tails.

K6. Sallyre laetus

Red Banded Cricket. Tropical insects that are ground into a zesty dark sauce. The practice originally began with tribal peoples who did it to create red dye, but over time it was discovered that the substance had applications in the kitchen as well. Most people believe it's only used in a handful of southwest towns, but the truth is it's everywhere and companies just don't like to advertise the "mushed cricket goo" in their food.

K7. Hyaloptera occasus

Cathedral Wasp. Eusocial pollinators with elaborate veined wings that were once described as "sunset viewed through stained glass". It was also once said that buildings with their nests in them were blessed by the Gods. Nowadays, though, not everyone agrees that's such a good thing...

K8. Pultacoda hydra

Splint Lobber. Despite their nymph-like appearance, these long-bodied insects are actually in the mature phase of their life cycle. A fairly common sight around downed trees, they prey on wood-eating insects like ants, termites, and wikkets. If threatened by larger predators they quickly scoot back and arc up their tails, catapulting wood chips into their attackers' eyes.

K9. Malumalu improbus

Evil Weevil. A timid little fruit-eater slandered for the sake of a cheap pun. Truly, man is the greatest of all monsters.

L. Tapeboscis turrim

The closest living relative of the Wrontuu is the Mahkra, a scarcer but even larger mammal that towers above all others. Found only in the jungles of the west bordering the Bloody Acres, it has a limited range and breeds quite slowly. In decades past it was almost mythically rare, but the Mahkra's numbers are now on the rise. The Wretchers that took over for its former predator, the Vulgrithe, are no match for it and can only take very young and unprotected calves.

Compared to the Wrontuu, the Mahkra has a greatly reduced horn but longer and better developed tusks. It uses them mostly to tip over trees, clearing paths for itself as it walks through the thick vegetation and feeds. Males also use them in inter-species combat, locking tusks and getting into tumultuous shoving matches to determine who's the strongest. Once upon a time they were able to aid in defense as well, but since Wretchers are too low for them to reach they simply stamp them flat instead.

Regarding humans, the Mahkra is neither friendly nor hostile. It has no instinctive fear of people and generally ignores them when they cross paths, knowing full well they're too small to hurt it. Still, its patience should not be tested. The ruckus caused by logging operations in the upper south, for instance, has lead to fatal encounters before.

M. Varimendax bellus

Found in most temperate zones south of the Wilds, Fibits are personable little critters with a penchant for exploration and adaptation. Generalist feeders and natural jacks-of-all-trades, they can be observed displaying various behaviors depending on their surroundings. In dense wooded areas, for instance, they climb large trees and hide in knot-holes. If their surroundings are more open they seek out the burrows of smaller rodents and take them over as their dens. Near water they'll dig into muddy embankments and swim for short distances, and in urban environments they take to nesting under patios and raiding trashcans.

Small size and keen rodent intellect are the main reason for the species' success, but also aiding in their adaptability is the gift of mimicry. Fibits have some of the most sophisticated vocal organs in the mammal world and can recreate a surprising variety of sounds to fool their more dangerous neighbors. They've been heard imitating everything from snake hisses and Wretcher barks to alarm sirens, car engines, chainsaws, human laughter and kaiju footfalls. Individual Fibits are thought to have a vocabulary of roughly 10-30 distinct sounds at any given time and may change or share them over their lifetime.

As with anything fuzzy and cute, of course, Fibits have been a target for domestication foryears. The effort to breed them into pets is still ongoing, though, so for right now there is no such thing as a tame Fibit. Many settlements even have specific laws against keeping one, due in no small part to wealthy collectors and pet enthusiasts who just couldn't take "no" for an answer. Fibits aren't usually dangerous, at least, but they are habitual chewers and lack any concept of "potty training" and an "indoor voice".

N. Papilioavis virga

The Alurja, also called a Butterfly Bird, is vividly colored and elaborately plumed, so much so that many zoo-goers seeing it for the first time assume that it's a tropical species. In reality it hails not from the rainforest, but from North Boreal. It can disappear there with surprising ease and uses its dangling tail-feathers to simulate pieces of foliage swaying in the wind. The brighter "eyebrows" are held aloft and are thought to be mimicking pine branches in a sunbeam.

As emblematic as that vivid coat is, it isn't permanent. The Alurja goes through a molt twice a year, and when it does it changes color. In the warmer months of spring and summer it has the rich forest green plumage most are familiar with, but in fall and winter those feathers fall out and are replaced by a much paler, almost white, tea-green set. Some can even be dusty gray.

A genetic mutation called the False Piebald is a rarely seen variation of this that's fervently sought after by bird watchers. It has mottled patterns of both colorations regardless of the time of year, looking as if it were caught in-between molts. It's a striking look, but unfortunately that's why it's rare- Piebalds don't camouflage very well and tend to get picked off early in life by predators.

O. Vineafacem nebulos

Fog Frogs, also called Waving Mist Frogs and Fog Feelers, are unusual but common amphibians seen throughout the southeast swamps and Moorscape. Thought to be descended from subterranean or deep water ancestors, they have only the slightest vestiges of eyes and cannot see. They sense the world around them with a pair of flexible tendrils that act like antennae, swaying above the frogs' heads to detect changes in electrical current, air pressure, and temperature. Their main function is to detect predators and prey, but they can also alert them to a host of other phenomenon like weather changes and natural disasters.

Being the natural born prophets that they are, the frogs have a long history of being sought out, much the same way Kroptyn were. Ancient sailors in the east used to carry them in hanging glass "frog lanterns" to stay ahead of storm fronts, for example.

Fog Frogs even circulated in the pet trade once, but irresponsible owners and overly adaptable escapees put an end to that. The feral populations that popped up in the west and south were ruinous for local species and unfortunately had to be dealt with. No Fog Frogs have been sighted any farther west than the ruins of Bulou since, but that doesn't exclude the possibility that a few small populations may still be in hiding.

Luckily for the environment public interest in spreading these frogs has died down since the advent of genetic engineering; people looking for hyper-sensitive storm watching pets can now just put in custom orders at Kymaera. They created a weather-sensitive Toku strain ages ago by splicing in the genes of this very species, and it's every bit as capable and much less dangerous.

P. Aurumiles kharnak

Most beetles are larger as grubs than they are as adults, but the opposite is true for members of the family Novauctinae. The largest and most impressive of these "backwards growers" are undoubtedly the Kharnak Beetles- uniquely immense insects that were purportedly first tamed some 7,000 years ago by the ancient (and probably fictitious) Sarudian Empire. Their name, it is said, came from the civilization's then-current ruler, King Kharnak Anuun III.

Stretching over ten feet long from mandibles to abdomen, Kharnaks are not only the world's largest beetles, but the largest non-kaiju arthropods in general. They can be easily recognized from a distance by that alone, but other telltale hallmarks of their species include a vividly striped carapace, jaws like pinking shears, and an enormous cranial horn. The latter is most prominent on males, who's horns sweep backwards above their thoraxes and fade to a tapered yellow point. The horns on females are stouter and more forward facing, without the yellow tip.

Wild Kharnaks were once a great danger in the Gyrik. Males in particular had a reputation for blocking and attacking trade caravans because of their inability to differentiate between vehicles and rivals. Merchants traveling by foot had to be wary of them too, as the giant invertebrates are surprisingly easy to take by surprise. Their long mandibles and sideways facing eyes prevent them from seeing directly in front of themselves, and like other beetles they have no sense of hearing. Sleeping Kharnaks buried in the sand are even easier to sneak up on, but the results of waking them up aren't pretty.

Nowadays, though, wild Kharnaks are considered functionally extinct. Their decline was a direct result of human intervention, specifically by the practice of excessive capturing. Kharnak Beetles were uniquely susceptible compared to other megafauna because they, as insects, must go through an immobile and vulnerable pupae phase before reaching adulthood. Thousands were thought to have been taken from the wild and sold on the black market annually.

Captive Kharnaks, for better or worse, are a different story. They pop up sporadically in the illegal pet trade, most often in the seedy underbelly of Zenghui, but sometimes also Raja'din, Alserah, Rantai and Caelae. The vast majority of them are housed within the walls of Kulma, though- as much as 98% of the global population, it's thought. Kulma is the only major settlement where Kharnaks are still legal to own, and it's taken full advantage by utilizing them as their main beasts of burden (and war). Kulmarian Kharnaks are raised from grubs in lowland mud farms and trained into strict obedience, but their status as a "domesticated" species is contested. Without muzzles they're quick to bite, and males with uncut horns can gore their riders straight through the chest.

Ginkura thinks they're tasty.

Q. Qucitro impiger

Some of the animals hit hardest by the passing of the Vulgrithe were the Screeching Nitpicker Birds. Dedicated specialists, they used their sturdy lower beaks to comb through the fur of large mammals in search of ticks, mites, lice, and other parasites with which they could satiate their incredible hunger. Ornithologists aren't sure precisely how old they or their lineage are due to scant remains in the fossil record, but it's widely believed that Nitpickers evolved some time in the last 30-50 million years, probably in direct conjunction with the Vulgrithe.

After their main source of food disappeared the Nitpickers saw cataclysmic drops in numbers that rendered them extinct in most of their range. Only a small population remains in the wild today, now spread out thinly across the southwest where they make a living cleaning the sparse hairy bits of Wrontuu. They are considered an endangered species and are protected by law.

R. Fundagiga mammuthus

The largest bird in Tarrun is the Sentintel Penguin, but if anything comes close to beating it it's the domestic Mammut Bird. Standing at a full eight feet high when fully grown, it's shorter than the Sentintel both in height and length but often outweighs it. This is because it carries a tremendous amount of bulk around its neck, core, and thighs- a direct result of being bred for consumption.

The domestication process for this gigantic flightless passerine started 5,000 years ago and was actually spearheaded by a mistake. Originally found all over the southern hemisphere, its wild ancestor was suggested by some to be on the verge of extinction. Local settlers who saw the potential of the bird as a resource rushed in to "save its species" and actually rendered it extinct themselves by taking so many from the wild. The rumor was thought to have originated from some misguided farmers in the southeast, which is the only region where the Mammut was ever in any danger of anything at all.

Nowadays the Mammut is a barnyard staple with a healthy captive population and many uses. Its downy feathers are a popular stuffing option for pillows, plushies, and coats, and the oversized eggs it lays are a bounty in and of themselves. Mammut meat is dry and lean but tasty, rich in vitamins and, obviously, quite high in quantity. A single drumstick can constitute an entire meal for most people. Also useful is the Mammut's towering height and keen eyesight. It can make for a good lookout when housed with other animals.

Getting a Mammut to that point, however- healthy, fully grown, and cooperative- is no easy feat. It's not an animal renowned for its intelligence or ease of training, and the cost of upkeep for it is immense. The amount of food needed to raise even one into a nine-hundred pound adult is enough to put most people into bankruptcy, so nine times out of ten if a farmer owns one it's because they bought it from a government funded nursery. Since so few can afford to raise one by themselves the Mammut has become subject to some more unscrupulous actions, like birdnapping. Mammut rustlers are the greatest scourge of any farm and are known to steal birds under cover of night or hold handlers at gunpoint. The problem's at its worst in the west where traveling bandit gangs come down from the Wilds to raid stock.

S. Pennasphera strido

Isolated on the islands of the Moorscape are some fuzzy little birds called Mib-mib. Named for the sound they make when excited, they waddle around on two short, stocky legs and have a nubby pair of arms to match. They are curious, fearless, and utterly harmless, willing to walk up to passing humans without any invitation and hop directly into their laps. Their friendly but ultimately very nosy demeanor has made them a bit of a nuisance for the local people, but tourists come in droves to see them on nature walks and guided tours. The conflict between them has been stoked for years by the travel agency who, in a bid to ensure the birds' public visibility, began the ill-advised practice of hand feeding them.

T. Alasequax occultus

The Wallhugger is quite the oddity: legless, snub nosed and stubby tailed, it climbs without hands and glides on what looks like flattened arms. Nothing about it really seems to make much sense, and yet somehow it exists. The early settlers who first encountered it thought it was such a conundrum that they weren't even sure it was an animal! As Sir Sylvaine Faux once famously said:

"What else but a kaiju could defy the laws of nature so? There is no doubt in my mind that this is the offspring of one of those god-hating giants, not a part of our natural world."

It's certainly easy to see why Sir Faux thought this, but unfortunately for him he was wrong. So were his colleagues, who for almost fifteen years suggested every possible explanation from a misidentified bird to a late-surviving pterosaur. Eventually the answer would come with the completion of Allinos, which allowed for faster, safer access to the area. Field researchers were able to procure a body only two short months later and came to a definite conclusion: the Wallhugger is a snake.

Jumping forward into the present, herpetologists now call it Alasequax occultus. It's the sole genus in an odd little subfamily called Latasinguia (the ray-finned snakes), joined only by a rare subspecies that lives exclusively in highland caves. DNA analysis places it close to dipsadinae, a group that includes other flat-bodied serpents like the Balman Vine Snake and Brownings Hognose.

Bearing that in mind, modern scholars have learned that the Wallhugger's ventral protrusions aren't limbs, but rather a set of very long rib-bones tipped with cartilage extensions. The pointed bits at the end of them are a set of enlarged scales, not claws, and are believed to be used in courtship. Scales are also the secret to its mysterious ability to cling to things, and it has millions of them- tiny, sharp, and backwards pointed- lining the undersides of its wings. They act like the hooks on a mat of velcro, digging into rough surfaces like rock and locking the Wallhugger in place. If it wishes to move it has only to inch forward and flex its long ribs, breaking the grip and allowing it to glide elsewhere.

U. Eurusmus nunc

Everybody knows about Herbils, but a lot of folks outside the Gyrik have never seen their wilder counterparts the Teevem. Closely related but adapted to an even drier habitat, they're one of the desert's most successfully mammal species and can be found all over the region. Their most notable adaptations are pale reflective fur, large heat displacing ears, and a streamlined body that helps them leap through the air. The extra long stride and accompanying small feet minimize their time spent on hot sand.

As their defenses against harsh sunlight might suggest, Teveem are actually diurnal, not nocturnal like Herbils. This gives them earlier access to all their favorite foods, like flowering succulents and sleeping beetles, but it also puts them at risk of becoming prey for bigger beasts. They're gobbled up on the regular by venomous snakes, falcons, and sleeping Sandsnatchers, but nimble feet and a fast rate of reproduction keeps their population healthy.

V. Subopes signum

Shore-Edge Clams are a common sight anywhere the Halcion meets the Polar North. The largest of all clams, they can stand taller than a person and weigh several hundred pounds. The world record holder, a specimen currently on display at the Mariner Museum in Nalassa, weighed in at a whopping half ton when it was still alive; it had to be delivered on the back of a quarry worker's dumptruck.

Long walls of these behemoth bivalves can be seen anywhere on the Halcion's shore at low tide. The receding waters leave them practically on display, closed shut and standing perfectly upright with their spiky back ends lodged into the ground. The exposure is of little cause for concern for them since their large size and super thick shells make them all but invulnerable against Wretchers and storms. Their only enemies are the Sentinels, who with enough patience can crack even their armor wide open.

For human beings the Shore-Edgers are less appealing- not because of taste (their meat is a prized delicacy) but because obtaining them is so difficult. The Polar North is not a welcoming place for anyone, and the equipment needed to dislodge and haul the giant clams is both expensive and susceptible to weather damage. Worse still, setting anchor anywhere close to shore is suicidal, as the ragged rocks of the Halcion and even the clams themselves can easily pierce a fisherman's hull.

W. Altirusaurus saxum

Like the Screeching Nitpickers of the west, High-Sloped Rock Lizards once fed on the backs of Vulgrithe and nearly went extinct alongside them. As a whole they're less specialized than the birds, having much slower metabolisms and being able to live off the same flying insects that're attracted to nearly everything, but the Vulgrithe's presence was a double benefit to them. Not only were the giant carnivores too large to consider them prey, but their intimidating presence kept many of the lizard's own would-be predators at a safe presence. Once the Vulgrithe disappeared the Rock Lizards were suddenly left at their mercy with no appropriate response.

After their numbers in the west, Wilds, and northern forests plummeted, a small remnant population managed to persist in the northeast. Living in regions with cooler temperatures and fewer predators, they're still seen along the outskirts of North Boreal and the northern territories above Iridan. Their main "feeding ground" now is the Kaboolt, which they camouflage quite nicely against.

X. Ambulodiscus longus

Most people vacationing in San Veruda have seen these giant arthropods before. They're hard to miss and very distinct, but beachgoers tend to run into confusion identifying them because of how many different names there are for them: Surfstriders, Tidewalkers, Red Wavers, Tazz Crabs, Stilt Crabs, etcetera. Every village on the southern coast seems to have its own local name for them, which has given rise to the misconception that each name refers to a different creature. The truth, thankfully, is a lot simpler than that: they're all the exact same thing, Ambulodiscus longus.

Ambulodiscus are long legged sand crabs, deep red in color with bodies held high off the ground. Their classification as decapods is tenuous, as they only have six limbs in total (compared to the usual ten of any true crab), but DNA analysis has consistently placed them in or near that group. The prevailing theory is that they must have evolved from smaller, more traditional looking ancestors who fused two pairs of limbs in order to create the sturdy weight-bearing legs they have today.

Ecologically, the main reason for their long, bulky legs is wading in the ebb and flow of the surf. They're most active when the tides are coming in and out and they station themselves in shallow, moving water to catch small animals and ocean nutrients. They use their specialized forelimbs to do the job, sieving through the top layer of water with dense, sticky filaments that snare organic matter. When the feathery little extremities have caught their limit limit they become visibly "gunked up", prompting the crabs to stuff them into their mouths and delicately nibble them clean.

Despite their impressive size they pose no real threat to human beachgoers. Ambulodiscus move slowly, lack pincers, and have very weak mouthparts. They're patient and unflappable by nature and don't act aggressively to much of anything. Even rival males in the breeding season won't normally resort to violence... they settle their disputes by ritualistically waving and clapping forelimbs together, a dominance-asserting behavior that's affectionately been dubbed "patty-caking".

Like most crustaceans, Ambulodiscus are also perfectly safe to eat and considered prime seafood. They're one of the prized jewels of the industry, harvested both from the wild and from farms and protected from overhunting by strict legislation. Their meat is thick and soft, bright white, and slightly briny. Because of their tremendous size they have a much better meat-to-shell ratio than other crabs, so even a single individual is enough to feed a small family. Kymaera is reported working on an even more succulent "jumbo breed", but none have yet been raised to adulthood.

Y. Laevucatus gelu

The Halcion Seal is a big, blubbery sea mammal that sounds like a horn. Its the largest of Tarrun's seals, with males reaching about 12 feet long and 800 pounds on average. Females are smaller, usually no more than 430 pounds when fully grown. They're one of the most common sights of the Halcion's shoreline, congregating in loud, rowdy colonies of 10-50. Their ranks are made up almost exclusively of females and pups, with only a single mature bull staying as their guardian. He'll eagerly attack any other male that grows to reach maturity, even his own offspring, because otherwise he could be run off from the colony himself. Lone seals have a much tougher time making it in the Halcion and tend to end up as Sentinel food.

Distinguishing features of their genus include a speckled hide, tusks, and ossicones. Males can also be told apart from females by the droopy, nose-like protrusions on their snouts. These organs are inflatable displays and used mostly to signify dominance and good health. Both sexes subsist on an exclusive diet of shellfish, shucking open oysters, mussels, and clams with their teeth before sucking out their gooey insides. The only bivalves they normally spare are immature Shore-Edgers, probably because they rely on their adults for cover. Slipping between a cluster of the thousand pound mollusks can be a good way to trip of predators long enough to make it to the water.

Z. Suavispica arcanum

Living deep in the inland wastes of the Halcion is a truly mysterious thing called a Burrbeast. Catalogued only by a handful of badly deteriorated body hairs and bony spines, it's known mostly from eyewitness accounts and exists in a uniquely quasi-cryptid status. Almost nothing is known about it in any true biological sense and experts have been dying to get their hands on one for years- literally.

The first person who ever reported seeing one was the arctic explorer Cole J. King. He called the creature he encountered a "moving snowdrift", with a back "littered with sticks and rocks with which to disguise itself". According to King's account he was hiking through low rolling hills when he saw it, and only took notice because it scared a flock of birds as it was getting up. He said it left a deep, singular track in the snow, which he attempted to follow before being turned back by bad weather.

The hundred and twenty years that followed provided a slew of other sightings and mysterious details. Arthur Denham stated that the creature had beady black eyes and descended steep slopes by rolling down them. Joy Lentwiel specified it to have a back covered in long barbed quills, not sticks, and coined the term "Burrbeast" accordingly. Others suggested it could puff itself up or dive into the water to imitate an iceberg. An especially famous story from Lionel Phirseph described a run in a pack of Spotted Wretchers, which the Burrbeast allegedly "left to die a slow and miserable death, their muzzles nailed shut by its enormous spikes".

The genetic heritage of this strange, elusive beast has been argued over ever since its first description. King believed it was a mammal, four legged and herbivorous, possibly related to the Wrontuu, and attributed its lack of tracks to long fur brushing against the snow (Kaboolts use a similar tactic to avoid predators). Other witnesses would later claim that the Burrbeast had no footprints because it had no feet, and others that it had so many feet that the footprints all became blended together. The idea of it being an invertebrate was most likely started by Lentwiel, who described her Burrbeast as being like "a tremendous caterpillar, woolly and segmented with more legs than I could count". Other subscribers to the invertebrate theory have suggested it might be the larval state of a Halcion counterpart to the Kharnak Beetle, or even a land-based type of nudibranch.

A concrete ID for the creature was thought to have been in grasp just seven years ago, when a group of Ebikan monks donated three mysterious bone spurs said to have been taken from the stomach of a Sentinel. The spurs are believed to be genuine Burrbeast quills, but unfortunately are in such an advanced state of decay that almost nothing can be ascertained about their composition. Researchers were also hopeful that Caitlyn Thorne and her kaiju escorts might be able to delve deep enough into the Halcion to obtain more information, but sadly she and her team have had no sightings.

Artwork © Chris Eye, 2019.