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Island Flora & Fauna

Eliel · 7565

Offline Eliel

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on: April 09, 2015, 10:54:30 PM
The following are wild plants and animals found by region.  Planted crops and herbs as well as kept livestock can be found here.

Northern Mountains/Forests (click or scroll down)

Swamps & Marshes

Coast

Plants
Sea oats [edible]
Smooth cordgrass
Coastal wattle [edible flowers, seeds, dye]
White correa [tea]
Seaside ragwort
Yellow pimelea
Westringia
Native spinach [edible]
Dotted horse mint [edible, tea, medicinal, incense, fragrant oil]
Saint John's wort [tea, medicinal]

Animals
Sandpiper
Ibis

Saltwater
Blue crabs, Lobster, Shrimp, Oysters, Clams, Sturgeon, Spotted sea trout, Red bass, Tuna,
Dolphins

Central and Southern Etla

Trees
Pencil cedar [fruit, tea, medicinal, incense, insecticide]
Red maple [syrup, seeds, medicinal, dye, basketry]
Tulip poplar [medicinal, dye]
White hickory
Sycamore [edible leaves, seedpods, medicinal]
Pecan [nuts, medicinal]
Magnolia [edible flowers, medicinal, fragrant oil]
Live oak [seeds, coffee substitute, medicinal, tannin]
Apple [fruit, pectin, cyanide, medicinal]

Shrubs/Plants/Flowers
Yellow jasmine [tea, medicinal]
Flowering quince [fruit, medicinal, cyanide]
Trumpet vine [medicinal]
Bay [herb, medicinal, fragrant oil]
Holly [medicinal]
Ferns [miscellaneous]
Blackberry [edible, dye, medicinal, fiber]
Osmanthus
Morning glory [medicinal]
Wood lily
Thistle [edible, medicinal, paper]
Wild Rose [fruit, seeds, medicinal, tannin, dye]
Trumpet vine [medicinal]
Clematis [medicinal, fiber],
White fringed campion [soap]
Trillium [edible, medicinal]
Gandelion [greens, wine, coffee substitute, dye, cosmetic]
Lily of the valley [dye, medicinal, poison, fragrant oil]
Red clover [edible, tea, medicinal, dye]
Red and white onions [edible, medicinal, dye]
Common speedwell [medicinal, tea]

Animals
White tailed deer, Cottontail rabbit, Raccoon, Squirrel, Boar, Mink, Fox, Wolf, Toad, Tortoise, Wren, Woodpecker, Sparrow, Wood stork, Wild horse [southwest]


The following are imaginary species unique to Etla. I would like to extend thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and assisted me in brainstorming and editing to make this list possible. You know who you are.

Newald's Cat- Discovered by the uninventive explorer Rolph Newald, these miniature monsters are not, despite appearance to the contrary, members of the feline family at all but related far more closely to the similarly ill-named "fisher cat", of the weasel family. Singularly vicious, for being a mere three inches from nose to rump, a newald [six or more] of these animals is capable of taking down a full grown stag, and will happily do so. Though it is possible to tame them if a litter may be found before the infant cats' eyes open, aptly nicknamed "Hell Kittens" usually attack on sight and are more often found in civilized society as coats made of their luxurious, mink-like fur, instead of as pets.

Frayer- Small long-clawed insectivore lizards, the frayers get their name from their purported ability to 'fray' reality. A favorite quarry of young boys, these creatures are nearly impossible to catch, simply popping out of existence to avoid hunters of all kinds. In actuality, the lizard creates a tiny pocket dimension of its own to hide in until such time as it feels it is safe to return to the prime material plane. [Any and all relation to Anne McCaffrey's fire lizard is purely in the mind of the reader. These do not even have wings, much less chew firestone and eat thread.

Squamatele- Resembling the furless hybrid of a spider monkey and a lizard, the tailless creatures grow to be a foot in hight at most. They have a scruff of stiff yellowed fur and what appear to be porcumpine-like quills ringing neck, wrists, and ankles. These creatures exude a noxious ooze that is meant to protect them by appearing unpalatable to any hunters. Long fingers and toes allow them to swing, leap from, or climb, trees to retrieve insects, bird eggs, pupae of flutterbyes, and other such delicacies as their Draegir partners are too large and clumsy to get themselves. They rely on the protection of the tribes to keep the predators away in return for their usefulness.

Chicaj Herb- Not actually  a plant at all but a hybrid susbspecies of weeping willow. The shrublike creature can actually move of its own accord to seek more fertile ground on spidery root-feet, though at a speed no greater than a meter an hour. The thorny-laden viny branches, which it uses to suck moisture and nutrients from the ground in lieu of its ineffective 'feet', have proven useful as a gooey, purple, memory enhancing syrup when boiled together with ground Lern horn. If it feels threatened, however, the plant will attack with its vines and harvesting has become the purview of either the very brave, the heavily armored, or the very craftiest of herbalists who often keep a pet Chicaj to harvest as needed.

Spiderweed- A small footnote amongst the flora of the grasslands is the spiderweed. With its tiny eight-petaled orchid-like flowers, and long teardrop-shaped leaves covered in cobwebby hairs, it is easy to identify, but difficult to spot low among the roots of the long grasses on which the wild horses of the Southwest graze.

Goldenpearl Rushes- This plant grows along the shores of lakes and streams, bearing long round 'leaves' typical of rushes, tiny pale flowers and yellow 'fruit' the size of a finger or thumbnail around a single tiny seed texturally reminiscent of water chestnuts and tasting of almonds. Given the annoyance of harvesting these from the depths of the swamp, they are considered quite a delicacy.

Charnel Bloom- a scarlet flower of unprecedented loveliness, the charnel bloom grows only where fires have burned, primarily in the wake of wildfires but also frequently in the ashes of a pyre, hence its name. As no one is going to go about setting wildfires on the off chance one will bloom, they are obscenely hard to find, and similarly expensive. The gifting of one is considered the utmost sign of devotion. To date, none have bloomed when grown out of their natural habitat.

Angerbode Root- Difficult to locate, despite being relatively common, the angerbode presents itself as a cluster of thick black roots with a tiny cluster of green leaves all that's visible above the soil. A paste made of the root serves like woad, dying skin vivid purplish blue and if processed correctly, dark colorfast ink and dye is also possible. It's primary use however? Angerbode root is, simply put, delicious. Eaten raw, cooked, turned into chewy jerky, or powdered and sprinkled over dishes, it imparts a magnificent flavor, much sought after by spice merchants.

Goldfeather- So lovely for something so deadly. Large feathery-petaled lilies grow here and there on hillsides where the wind may scatter the silk-tufted products of their seedpods, elegant indeed, but hardly prized by florist shops. The long petals can be squeezed to produce a golden juice or dried and powdered to create a deadly poison. Ingested, it leaves an odd flavor on the tongue, harbinger of death by paralysis that gives way to a sleep from which one never wakes. Injected, it has the same results. But for it's beauty, the only benefit of the plant is the euphoric high gotten by inhaling the brilliant orange pollen, sometimes harvested specifically for this purpose.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 10:23:10 PM by Eliel »

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Offline Eliel

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Reply #1 on: November 10, 2018, 07:44:50 PM
Northern Mountains/Forests

Trees
Red oak [acorns, tannin, dye]
Sweet chestnut [chestnuts, tannin, oil, medicinal]
White-bark pine [pine nuts, rosin, turpentine, tar]
Yellow birch [sap for winemaking and beer]
White ash [medicinal, dye, repellant]
Sugar maple [syrup, seeds, medicinal, perservative, potash]
Sumac [berries, roots, shoots, medicinal, dye, mordant, oil, tannin]


Shrubs/Plants/Flowers (Flora)
Mountain laurel [poison, medicinal, dye]
Blueberry [edible, dye, medicinal]
Blackberry [edible, dye, medicinal, fiber]
Raspberry [edible, medicinal, dye]
Huckleberry [edible, medicinal]
Rhododendron [incense]
Honeysuckle azalea
Fern [miscellaneous]
Lichen [edible, dye]
Nettle [tea, medicinal, dye, fiber, oil]
Yarrow [tea, medicinal, dye, skin cleanser]
Monkshood [poison, medicinal]
Cornflower [edible, medicinal, ink]
Red valerian [edible, medicinal]
Bleeding heart
Yellow corydalis

Tears of the Moon- similar to snowdrops, these drooping white flowers bloom, one to a plant, in tiny niche-like cups of fertile soil along the highest slopes of the northern mountains shortly after the winter solstice. As myth would have it, the moon wept when it saw how were-creatures were enslaved to its waxing and waning, and where each tear fell a flower bloomed. Though to harvest them involves risking frostbite and death by avalanche, they are worth considerably more than their weight in gold and highly sought after. When dried and powdered, the petals can be made into a medicine of sorts that will prevent a were from transforming during the full moon and it is rumored that there is a way to cure lycanthropy completely with them, though it has not yet been discovered.

Waterfall Holly- This denizen of the mountain slopes and general foresty undergrowth sports round five or six-spiked leaves [similar to mahonia bealei] and long draping groups of tendrils covered in pale blue-white berries that are sweet to taste... and sadly given to inflicting miserable stomach cramps and accompanying nausea on anyone foolish enough to go eating them.


Animals (Fauna)
Common: Bear (Brown), Bobcat, Cougar, Deer, Elk, Fox, Goat, Hawk, Owl (various), Pheasant, Big Horn Sheep, Squirrel, Wood Mouse
Insects: Ants, Bees, Cicadas, Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Spiders (various - poisonous and non), Wasps

Unique:
Blood Beetle - Blood beetles are so-named for their habit of attaching to large mammals and drinking to their hearts' content. These insects typically grow to 17 centimeters in length. Their larval stage is considered odd due to its possession of an armored carapace almost from the moment it hatches. The plates grow along with the grub rather than having to be molted. Blood beetles typically lay their eggs in the open wounds of various mammals, as their young feed on raw flesh. Blood beetles are quite green despite their name, though one might see hints of red peeking through their abdominal plates after a large enough feed.

Frost Moth - These not-so-tiny creatures greatly resemble the animal that would one day be known as the poodle moth, but they are considerably larger; with a wingspan comparable to a dinner plate when full grown. The frost moth is a rarity in that it can bite - its mandibles are quite strong, even capable of painfully biting the average person. These mandibles are intended for gnawing one's way into plants for access to their nourishing sap. This same feeding behavior is exhibited by the insect's caterpillar stage as well.

Markhor - The markhor is a breed of mountain goat characterized both by its unusual size and a-typical horn shape--corkscrews. The animal's height typically ranges anywhere from 65 to 115 centimeters, its length between 132 and 186 centimeters, and its weight ranging from 32 kilograms all the way up to 110 kilograms. The markhor is commonly seen both high up in the mountains and down in the surrounding lowlands. A few may occasionally even wander further South. These goats are strict herbivores.

Lesser Gryphon - These gryphons strongly resemble vultures in their more bird-like areas. They lack the gripping strength of their fully predatory cousins, but their beaks are more than strong enough to crush bone. The feathering and fur on these animals is black with red highlights along the wings and a white collar around the neck. They've no feathers to speak of on their heads. Lesser vultures are generally comparable to bobcats in size--a fitting truth given that their feline anatomy far more closely resembles those than any sort of lion. Height, weight, and length are all comparable to those of a bobcat. This animal feeds chiefly on carrion, but it may occasionally opt to prey upon a small or severely weakened animal. Locals sometimes refer to them as greppons.

Mountain Bison  - Larger and sturdier than more common breeds of bison, the mountain bison--also known as wood bison--is well suited to higher altitudes and cooler climates. Its thick coat of fur serves as both insulation against the elements and a sort of armor against many would-be predators, up to and including young wyverns. Males typically grow to upwards of six feet in height at the shoulders, a whopping ten feet in length, and well over 900 kg in weight. The females, while smaller, are typically within three-quarters of the male's figures. The bison are strictly herbivorous.

Mountain Wyvern - The mountain wyvern strongly resembles the increasingly rare white dragon, though its wings are anchored to its arms rather than growing from the back. With a common length of twenty feet (counting the tail) and weight approaching roughly 2721 kg, these wyverns are the apex predators of their region. They do not possess a breath weapon of any sort, but a large stinger at the end of their thick, sinewy tails partially compensates; it injects a potent neurotoxin capable of paralyzing even the snowy gryphon in mere moments. Its preferred prey items are the aforementioned snowy gryphon and mountain bison, although they will pick off smaller animals such as the markhor or an unfortunate traveler if provided with the opportunity. These wyverns are strictly carnivorous.

Pigmy Snowy Gryphon - Surprisingly only distantly related to its larger counterpart further down in this list. The pigmy snowy gryphon typically grows only to the size of a large cougar, and its feline traits are often more pronounced than those of more common gryphon variants. It possesses cougar-like ears growing from its owl's head, a properly feathered tail, and talons more closely resembling those of its avian cousins than the feline. Its fluffier look, "puppy dog" eyes, and overall softer features tend to onlookers feel more at ease. ..... Right before they die. The pigmy snowy gryphon is quite voracious, exceeding even the local wyvern population in both prey drive and outright viciousness. One might liken them to a domesticated cat in that they will sometimes hunt simply for their own amusement rather than a need for food.

Polar Owlbear - These creatures are unlike standard owlbears in that they're adapted primarily to colder environments, though they can handle periods of relative warmth if they remain relatively inactive. These massive creatures strongly resemble the average owlbear in build but not in sheer size or coloration; stark white with occasional hints of tan dominate the pelts of these monstrosities. Males can reach heights of 167 centimeters at the shoulder while on all fours, and well in excess of 304 centimeters if standing upright. Females are almost as large. The animals may reach weights exceeding one ton. Also unlike regular owlbears, these creatures possess claws more akin to those of their owl counterparts than those of polar bears.

Snowy Gryphon - White and pure as the wind-driven snow, the snowy gryphon serves as something of a guardian of Etla's mountainous Northern region. These curious creatures differ from the common gryphon not only in their coloration but in that their more bird-like traits appear to have been inherited from a large species of owl rather than an eagle. Both a protector and a hunter, these majestic creatures could rescue a benevolent traveler one moment only to turn around and slay a hostile visitors the next. Males commonly grow up to 153 centimeters in height and an impressive 680 kg in height with females tending to be of similar yet very slightly smaller make. The snowy gryphon often targets markhor as their preferred prey when solitary, but a family unit may choose to attack larger prey. They usually avoid wyvern confrontations whenever possible, family or no.

Turkey Vulture - Ordinary in all ways save that long term exposure to the island's magics have resulted in a 10% size increase. Behavioral patterns are entirely unaffected. Turkey vultures are primarily carrion feeders with a very small percentage of their nourishment coming from opportunistic predation.

Wood Louse - Commonly known as a pillbug. These obnoxious creatures do not appear to care about any climate factors at all, are unaffected by altitude and don't appear to be meaningfully impacted by alterations to their immediate environment in any discernible way.

Wolpertinger - One may liken this unto a platypus in that it bears the traits of seemingly unrelated animals for no discernible reason. Its head resembles that of a rabbit, its canines those of a saber-toothed cat, its body larger-than-average ground squirrel, and the wings on its back those of a pheasant. It even has a pair of antlers that somewhat resemble those of a deer. This is not, however, a creature of myth and legend; it possess no inherent magical ability nor sufficient intelligence with which to command such prowess. The antlers are employed in exactly the same way a buck's might be, its wings only give it enhanced jumping and gliding ability rather than full flight, and its canine teeth are for little more than show and/or attracting a mate. They're herbivores. Hops are a favorite food of the wolpertinger.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2018, 02:48:19 AM by Eliel »

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Reply #2 on: November 10, 2018, 07:52:15 PM
Swamps & Marshes

Trees
Live oak [seeds, coffee substitute, medicinal, tannin]
Mangrove
Pecan [nuts, medicinal]
Swamp Cypress
Water Tupelo [fruit, honey, cork, dye]
Wax Myrtle [edible, tea, medicinal, dye, wax]

Spirit Tree- A relative of the banyan, spirit trees have aerial roots running from their branches to the ground that enable the trees to grow up to 200 meters in diameter. Though they have been known to growing more arable land, they prefer the damper areas of the swamp, and are revered by the Draegir as a representation for eternal life because of their seemingly ever-expanding size. Usually a Draegir settlement is centered around one of these arboreal giants, used as a meeting place. They can be used to make a brown dye and harvested for their fig-like fruit.


Plants/Flowers (Flora)
Resurrection fern [tea]
Spanish moss
Fragrant water lily [edible, seeds, medicinal]
Pondberry
Cardinal flower [medicinal]
Blue flag iris [dye]
Marsh willow herb [edible]

Kohnjigi Ohnjigi - These plants are believed to exist as one singular entity spread across the entirety of the marsh. Scholars suspect that either their roots are fully intertwined, leading to a sort of codependency, or all examples of this plant seen on the surface are in actuality extensions of a singular entity far below. In either case, the tulip-like pods that grow from the kohnjigi ohnjigi’s exposed limbs carry within them the building blocks of creatures known colloquially as mimics. Leaves and bulbs taken from the kohnjigi ohnjigi are believed to possess powerful regenerative qualities when worked into salves, pastes, and potions.

Marsh Mold  - Marsh mold is both an ordinary mold that grows on dead bodies and an animate creature that may occasionally be vaguely humanoid in appearance. The former represents its regular state, wherein the mold grows on dead or dying animals and consumes them by accelerating their rate of decay. The mold then, once sufficiently nourished, releases spores into the air to further propagate its species. The latter occurs when mold spores latch onto the body of something biologically immortal -- the mold grows as normal, but it cannot as quickly or as fully consume its victim. Instead, victim and mold become indivisible from one another; the mold encompasses and absorbs the victim, adding their biomass to its own whilst simultaneously approximating some vaguety of their form, albeit in a sludge-like state brought on by perpetual decay. Some reports would seem to indicate that the mold even gains a small amount of its host’s intelligence from the arrangement. Regardless, it must seek out and consume living biomatter in order to maintain itself in a state of relative homeostasis, otherwise its rate of decay may accelerate past what the regenerative properties of its newly acquired body can combat and result in its eventual dissolution. Mold-hybrids cannot produce spores, but they can inject living creatures with some of their own biomass to begin a process that will eventually convert the victims into duplicates of the original.

Mimic - A blank slate if there ever was one. The mimic is in actuality a type of plant despite most scholars grouping it in with the local fauna due to its propensity for changing properties. Every mimic begins its life within the pod of a kohnjigi ohnjigi plant. Only once a humanoid creature has entered into the mimic’s territory will its “tulip” open to release one of the creatures, whereupon it quickly takes the shape of a featureless green and brown humanoid; it lacks eyes, any orifices, and even the most basic hints of distinguishing features other than its alarming lack thereof. Its first and only objective is to pursue the individual that triggered its release with immense aggression, as it knows instinctively that it must kill and replicate this person if it is to perpetuate the species. Mimics possess a beast-like cunning but no real intelligence until after they’ve acquired their victim’s memories, at which point their intellect will increase to match that of the individual whose life they intend to assume. These creatures are excellent at blending in -- even victims’ closest relatives seldom realize there’s been a change, but sometimes the duplication process may omit a tidbit of important information there or there. Duplication is accomplished through a combination of DNA mimicry, requiring direct physical contact, and the mimic’s innate psionic powers allowing it to perfectly copy a subject’s memories unto itself. Their objective is to propagate the species by either impregnating or becoming impregnated, depending upon the sex of the individual copied. In either case, the resulting child will also be a mimic. It will feel compelled throughout its life to return to the marsh and enter the same pod its parent emerged from (or another, if that pod was destroyed) in order to begin the process anew via reversion to the plant-like state its parent was once in. This process also allows the kohnjigi ohnjigi to upgrade future mimics with additional physical or mental characteristics based on the memories it pulls from the head of the new generation, as they also hold their parents’ sum total memories from the time of conception within their DNA.


Animals (Fauna)
Common: Alligators, Crabs, Crawfish, Frogs (various), Herons, Mud Snakes, Newts, Rattlesnakes, Salamanders, Toads (various), Turtles (various),
Insects: Mosquitos, Beetles (various), Black Flies, Cicadas, Dragonflies, Pill Bugs, Spiders (various), Ticks, Water Striders

Unique:
Black-beaked Snapping Turtle - Otherwise known as alligator snapping turtles of unusual size. These hulking testudines range from 2.2m to 7.2m in total length and may reach weights in excess of 700 kg. The black-beaked snapping turtle is so named for almost black coloration of its beak. Unlike its normal counterpart, the black-beaked snapping turtle’s skin is capable of reactive color and texture change -- the animal adapts to its surroundings so that it may better ambush prey. One of these animals may lie dormant in the marsh for days on end whilst waiting for prey to take the proverbial and literal bait. Crystalline growths along the shell spread as the creature absorbs more magic from its food and surroundings, ultimately leading to a state wherein the shell has ruptured and grotesque amounts of flesh and innards may spill out into the creature’s surroundings. Despite this terrible fate, the turtles somehow survive their own evisceration and gradually become fused to the ground where they were when their split-shell syndrome, as it has come to be known, reached the terminal stage. It extends fleshy `roots` into the ground which then branch out into the area, just beneath the surface, and develop rows upon rows of sharp hooks, teeth, and other useful feeding instruments along the way. Animals reduced to this state subsist by drawing magic and nutrients from the surrounding marsh, by ensnaring small animals in nigh-invisible tendrils reaching up out of the ground in their general vicinity, and by engulfing larger prey items in excess flesh and digestive enzymes if they should happen to stray too close.

Maarothet - Believed to have once been raccoons, the maarothet does bear a striking resemblance to its alleged relatives in a plethora of ways, but it has just as many differences to separate it from them. Firstly and curiously, the maarothet has crystalline growths in place of its claws and fangs, and spikes of similar make run down its spine in rows. What may have once been a busy tail is instead coated in innumerable quills that, not unlike its teeth, fangs, and spines, do indeed appear to be crystalline in nature. These animals may take their coloration and markings from virtually anywhere on the grayscale, though darker colors are far more common. The maarothet may reach weights in excess of 11 kg and lengths upwards of 76 cm; their shoulder height is typically no greater than 34.5 cm. In addition to looking like raccoons, the maarothet even acts like them! … Sort of. The species displays aggressive tendencies towards anything of its size or smaller and will feed at virtually any opportunity. Worse still--and most curiously, one might add--is its ability to feed on any magic that is cast upon it. The crystals across its body permit the animal absorb magic almost without limit; its spines absorb, its tail vents to prevent overflow. This absorbed energy may be assimilated fully to temporarily augment the animal’s physical capabilities, fired back at its aggressors in the form of exploding quills from the animal’s tail, or transferred to other nearby members of the same species (requiring direct physical contact) which may then in turn perform any of the aforementioned actions with it. Failure (or loss of the ability) to vent magic quickly enough can result in overload that stimulates excess crystal growth, eventually consuming the animal in its entirety; or, if enough magic was poured into it swiftly enough, causing it to explode, likely taking everything in its general vicinity with it.

Marsh Wolf  - Once ordinary wolves of some sort, these monstrosities have been warped by continued exposure to the ever-increasing ambient magics in the marsh. The fur is normally matted and spotty at best, and the skin underneath can be far worse; exposed muscle and bone are common sights. The animals routinely display double-layered muscles and sufficient availability of connective tissues to enable them to function relatively normally despite the functional limitations normally imposed by such a mutation. Borrowing from serpentine physiology, the marsh wolf’s lower jaw is in fact capable of splitting open along its center line, allowing for a much larger bite radius and the swallowing whole of certain prey items. Three rows of shark-like teeth line the inside of the marsh wolf’s maw, although as well it does retain its (now extremely elongated) canine teeth. These canines are in fact the only teeth it has that are capable of delivering the powerful cyto neurotoxin stored in glands on either side side of the neck. Marsh wolves typically have three barbed tongues that can be shot out up to a distance of four feet, spaded tails, and see well into the infrared spectrum thanks to small pits just below and slightly ahead of the eyes. They remain pack-oriented, although the politics within their family units can be far more violent than in ordinary wolf specimens. These creatures may weigh up to 112 kg and stand as tall as 89 cm at the shoulder.

Skull-faced Bear - No one quite knows why or how these bears wound up living in the marsh, but there is one thing they do know: the animal is terrifying. Thinning and receding of the skin has left bone exposed along much of its snout, yet the animal does not appear to suffer in any discernible way from the types of maladies that would normally accompany such severe deformity. Skull-faced bears exhibit canine teeth up to twice as long as those of the average brown or polar bear and possess a secondary row of serrated, backward-curved teeth behind the first to help make sure their prey isn’t getting away once grabbed. Weighing up to 950 kg and standing at an average of 1.7 m at the shoulders, the skull-faced bear is more than capable of looking even tall people right in the eye without ever having to rise to its hind legs. But, if one of these bears should stand, it could potentially stand as high as a whopping 3.1 m. Skull-faced bears display frightful levels of aggression; the usual methods of deterring bear attacks serve only to further incite the beasts. Some of these bears possess the ability to disappear seemingly at will and reappear anywhere within visual range of their original position. Incurring damage triggers a runaway regenerative response in the skull-faced bear that, if repeatedly stimulated, will culminate in uncontrolled mutation that will make the creature many times faster, stronger, more aggressive, and more durable than it had been before. Indeed, the only way to damage the skull-faced bear once it mutates into this state is to strike the exposed brain stem at the back of the skull or the enlarged heart, which may or may not begin to protrude through the breast bone. Note that the bear can no longer utilize its `blink` after its mutation reaches this point.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 09:33:33 PM by Eliel »

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Offline Eliel

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Reply #3 on: November 10, 2018, 08:43:25 PM
Lakes & Rivers (Freshwater)

Trees:
Cottonwood
Silver Maple

Plants/Flowers (Flora):
Algae
Bulrush
Cattail
Duckweed
Watercress
Water Hyacinth
Water Lily

Animals (Fauna):
Common: Bass, Black Flounder, Bream, Carp, Catfish, Cottonmouth, Eel, Goldfish, Heron, Minnows, Mussels, Muskrat, Otter, Platypus, Trout, Turtles
Insects: Black Flies, Chiggers, Earthworms, Leeches, Mosquitos, Ticks

Unique:
Alligator Snapping Turtle - Almost completely typical for the species other than being about 5% larger than the norm; maximum attainable size is unaffected. A combination of abundant prey and long term exposure to the island’s inherent magic have resulted in a slightly larger, more aggressive alligator snapping turtle than many realms.

Boers’ Eel - An electric eel that can grow up to three feet in length. It is characterized by the its unusual number of gills (eight) and the presence of a secondary set of jaws capable of protruding from within the throat either to help grip prey or to tear chunks off and draw them back to the throat for swallowing. The regular mouth’s teeth are nearly all curved backwards to help grip prey. The animal is capable of delivering a shock of up to 10,000 volts at 800mA for up to ten milliseconds, making it capable of outright killing many other creatures in its environment. While this could conceivably stun the average adult human male, the shock is unlikely to prove fatal beyond the possibility of posing something of a drowning risk. Special sensory organs running along its snout and underside aid in detecting its prey via electrical impulses. Boers’ eel is known to have relatively poor eyesight.

Dead-eyed Skullfish- A common, black-eyed variant of the koi-like Common Skullfish, they are a mottled black and white piscine dream for an alchemist. Though these bottom-feeders have a flavor most commonly likened to manure, skullfish yield innumerable useful ingredients for salves and potions and the shallow water populations have been nearly fished out because of this. The possibility of deeper-dwelling populations exists, one twice the average size was fished out of the bottom of a lake by a Jonathan Featherbottom, but no one else has been able to verify this. Recorded uses for the black-eyed skullfish are as follows:
Eyes- can be squeezed into a mixture of milk and urine to cure cataracts
Skull- can be ground into powder for an unguent that on first application to the eyes causes hallucinations and on second, allows the user to see through invisibility spells, can be imbibed for similar but weaker effects
Scales- can be powdered and used as a minor enhancer for other alchemical effects
Innards- are good for nausea and ulcers when dried, ground and boiled in wine, though the flavor is still regrettable
The bones  are known for making exceptionally sharp, durable needles, prized by seamstresses.

Giant Crayfish - Commonly found in rivers but not so much lakes unless one sticks to the shallows and muddy banks. These invertebrates can grow up to 90 centimeters long and weigh as much as 8 kilograms. They commonly maintain burrows along riverbanks and may occasionally attempt to move inland during periods of heavy rain and flooding. Their young typically stick to small creeks and tributaries until old enough to fend for themselves. Despite its size the giant crayfish mostly sticks to carrion.

Purple Mudcrab  - These large crustaceans tend to remain relatively near but not always in bodies of freshwater; lakes, streams, tributaries, and even simple creeks are all sufficient. The purple mudcrab is roughly the size of an iron coin at birth and will grow almost continually throughout its life potentially two hundred year long life, molting every two years until reaching a maximum size not exceeding 91 centimeters in length and 14 kilograms in weight. These crabs are highly cannibalistic; hard-shelled specimens regularly target and devour others of their kind that are mid-molt. Their diet consists of virtually anything living that is unfortunate enough to wander into striking distance; the crabs are opportunistic feeders, often lying motionless in wait for hours on end. The left claw is very fast and strong; it’s used used to quickly grasp and hold prey. The right claw is larger and slower, but its sharpness combined with the immense amount of force it can apply make it ideal for causing grievous wounds to prey--or slicing them up for easy consumption, sometimes before they’ve even died. It’s not bad for crushing shells or exoskeletons to get at the softer insides of tougher prey either.

Soft-shelled Ourogongi - One may call this mollusk a bottom-feeder, and they would be correct in that assertion. The soft-shelled ourogongi is something of a throwback to the days before many water dwelling mollusks had shed their shells. Its length never exceeds 30 cm, and its weight without its shell would certainly never exceed 2 kg. Eight limbs protrude from the front of a translucent shell that could, in the correct light, enable one to see the inner workings of the creature in question. The soft-shelled ourogongi’s arms lack suckers, possessing instead tiny fibers they use to collect algae and other near-microscopic life from their environment. The animal passes its arms through a uniquely evolved beak once they’re sufficiently caked in nutritious organisms. Its shell is quite useless as a defensive implement, sadly - and many animals prey upon it as a result.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 09:30:07 PM by Eliel »

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