《Monsters of Terra: A Compendium》 Ghouls Few things invoke such terror in me! But, others must know of the dangers they pose. If only so they know to avoid them at all costs. Ghouls are undead creatures often born from improper burial, or dark magic. Though these creatures may be your family¡­ your friends. It is vital you remember they are not. While ghouls possess memory of their lives before death, they are nothing like they once were. They are cunning, intelligent undead, but are overcome with a fierce hunger. Have you ever gone days without eating? Have you ever felt your insides gnaw on you and scream for sustenance?If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then you have some inkling of the un-life of a ghoul. Whoever they once were, is lost forever. Submerged beneath a ravenous hunger that blots out all other thought. I have heard rumors of such creatures being kept beneath certain cities, but I can assure you they are just that. Rumors. No-one would be foolish enough to keep ghouls as pets! They are stronger than any man, fast when they choose to be, and impossibly hard to kill. Their long claws are coated with a paralytic. Yes. It will paralyze you and devour you while you are unable to even scream. Surely now you see the folly of keeping such dark creatures around! I assure you. No city in all of Terra would ever keep them around. Such rumors are merely the result of those with nothing better to do! Giants Little is known about giants, but I¡¯ve dedicated a great deal of time and effort into digging up what remains after The Great War. From what I¡¯ve gleaned from the few remaining ancient texts, giants were far larger than most people seem to think. I have a student in my class, Gregory something or other I believe his name is¡­ anyway, I hear some of the other students refer to him as a giant. He is, however, only eight feet tall. Giants are much, much bigger. How tall I cannot say as so little remains after The Great War and the horrors that followed. When those who were still alive after that brutal war were scrambling to survive, it¡¯s easy to understand how so much was lost. Oh, what I¡¯d give to read the texts they once had¡­ but that¡¯s neither here nor there. We¡¯re talking about giants. I have come across texts that suggest only the tallest, stoutest walls could hope to stand against giants. Men are said to be like insects by comparison, and the massive creatures possess unimaginable strength.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Castle walls were even larger back then, so when they say the tallest, stoutest walls¡­ it should be noted that our present-day fortifications simply don¡¯t measure up. Perhaps a few do, but not many. Each giant is said to have been able to hurl boulders like a catapult with their bare hands. Some wielded powerful magic, but most relied merely on brute strength. If that wasn¡¯t terrifying enough, they also had a habit of taming ¡®lesser¡¯ creatures. The kinds of creatures you or I would run from at the very whisper of their name! I¡¯ve come across some that refer to ¡°great lizards whose gaze turns even the stoutest warrior to stone.¡± I think we all know what that is likely talking about! But, you may join with me in the reassuring knowledge that all giants were wiped out sometime around The Great War. Our ancestors met their armies and slew them no matter the cost. Something for which we can all be grateful. Can you imagine what the heroes of old must¡¯ve faced? Creatures that could topple castle walls without siege engines! I often wonder what powers and knowledge have been lost since that time. What enabled our ancestors to stand against such fearsome monsters? I shall continue my research. Perhaps one day I will find the answer. Demons Demons Some think demons are merely works of fiction, but I assure you nothing could be further from the truth. There was a time when demons walked on Terra far more than they do now, but for reasons I haven¡¯t been able to substantiate, they don¡¯t do so as often now. Twelve hells. Twelve nightmarish realms of eternal suffering. That¡¯s what demons call home, and yet some think that demons are a laughing matter. That summoning rituals are a joke. There is a reason the penalty for such a summoning is death. There a few demonologists who are allowed some degree of freedom, but even they are closely monitored. Demons come in more varieties than anyone knows, but all are unspeakably dangerous. Many are far stronger than any mortal man, with centuries of cruel experience, and more often than not powerful hellish magic at their command! They are not to be trifled with. Not to be bargained with. The only good demon is a dead demon, and even then their corpse can desecrate the ground around them! What follows is my firsthand account of an incident three years back when a promising young student of mine made the mistake of thinking he could control a creature of such profound evil. I came up the stairs, hastening after the spry guardsman that had notified me of a summoning on the grounds. The door to the eastern male dorm rooms was missing, and deep claw marks marred the frame. I stepped over the bodies of countless students all in various states of dismemberment, and the stench of evil and death clung to my nostrils. The guardsman led me to Brandin¡¯s room. My former student lay on the floor with his head twisted the wrong way around. I sighed and shook my head.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The foolish boy had such a great future ahead of him¡­ but I should¡¯ve known. He was arrogant. I¡¯d thought he might grow out of it, but now it was clear he¡¯d never get that chance. I cursed his stupidity even as I looked over the summoning ritual he¡¯d used. Our resident demonologist was away on a trip to the east, and that left me as our foremost expert to help in identifying and tracking down the demon. I identified his mistake after only a few minutes. The circle he¡¯d summoned the creature into was broken. Just a hair-thin break, but it was there. Clearly, it had been enough. Magic wasn¡¯t his field of expertise and while some might be able to get away with a less than perfect circle¡­ a foolish novice could not. I sighed for the thousandth time. He must¡¯ve made the circle first, moved the altar inside and then failed to fix where he¡¯d broken the circle properly. A sheet of blood-soaked parchment rested on the floor. I examined it. The idiot child had tried to summon an archdemon of all things. But, judging by the damage, he must¡¯ve got a lesser one. Thank heavens for small mercies. I relayed the details to the guardsman, and we marched out into the grounds where five hundred armored men, sixteen wizards, and a dozen priests waited for us. I could only hope it would be enough. Lesser demon though it may be, it was still a demon. We tracked the hellish abomination off the university grounds and into a nearby forest. Days later, we finally caught up with it. Turns out my idiot student had summoned a hellhound. One of the lesser forms of demons to be sure, but a large specimen. When I say hellhound, I find that some of my students picture their beloved family pet. No. When I say hellhound, I am speaking of a horrific beast the likes of which does not belong in this world. This one was as large as a horse, with massive jaws and claws that could shred through steel like tissue paper. We surrounded the beast, but it sniffed us out. The priests called down pillars of holy fire onto the demon, the wizards called forth their most devastating spells, and the guards surrounded it with a wall of shields. It staggered through all of those powerful magics and shredded through three guardsmen before we finally brought it low. The priests consecrated the ground where it fell, doing their best to stem the demonic corruption that would surely follow. I caution you to remember the folly of my once promising student and not to repeat his mistake. I shudder to think of the chaos an archdemon could have caused. Basilisks Basilisks¡­ As if the other creatures in my compendium weren¡¯t terrifying enough, now I must write on the basilisk. Basilisks are hulking, reptilian monsters with eight legs and jaws capable of crushing stone. That, however, is far from their true horror. Basilisks are venomous to the extreme, and while the sheer brute strength of their bites is more than enough to deal with a man even in plate armor, their teeth inject one of the most deadly, corrosive venoms known to man.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Even the breath of a basilisk is venomous and highly acidic, but no¡­ what truly makes these monsters a force to be reckoned with is their gaze. Perhaps you¡¯ve heard rumors or old wives tales about the power of their eyes? I regret to be the one to tell you, it¡¯s all true. Any who look into a basilisk¡¯s eyes will be turned to stone. Now, perhaps you know why their jaws are capable of chewing rock. As with many creatures, there are rumors of such monsters being kept in dungeons or in some cases even tamed. But, I can assure you this cannot be the case. They are far too deadly to keep as pets in some dungeon, and definitely too monstrous to raise as tame beasts! Sea Serpents Sea serpents¡­ I once thought they were a myth. I was a young lad, fresh from the university, and I thought I knew better. After all, who can trust the accounts of a bunch of drunken sailors? I had a lot to learn about humility and the horrors of this world. I was heading south, leaving Vigil and just beginning my travels. The sailors warned me not to have any lights on deck after dark, but I thought I knew better. I thought they were just a bunch of drunken, superstitious morons. I left my cabin while the crew was sleeping and stepped out onto the deck for some fresh air. The poor souls who¡¯d drawn night watch that night were snoring blissfully rather than keeping an eye out for pirates or denizens of the deep. I took their lax attitude and their drunken slumber as further proof that what they had to say was meaningless. After all, they hadn¡¯t spent years studying as I had. They hadn¡¯t seen real monsters up close the way I had. That¡¯s what I told myself anyway. I strolled up to the railing with my lantern in hand and looked out over the dark ocean. It was beautiful. It was also unbelievably stupid. I¡¯m not sure how long I stood there putting us all in danger like that, but one of the crew finally noticed me. I¡¯m not sure if it was one of the ones who were passed out or someone else who couldn¡¯t sleep. I felt his firm hand on my shoulder. He turned me around roughly. Ripped the lantern out of my hands and doused it before I knew what had happened. He backhanded me, and I staggered back holding my cheek like a child. What can I say? I¡¯d been stuck studying books for so long I¡¯d almost forgotten what it felt like to get hit.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± he told me. I forget what exactly I said at the time. Something to the effect of me knowing better. No doubt something arrogant and idiotic. Then the ship rocked, and I stumbled. Even in the darkness, I saw the fear in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just the waves,¡± I said. He looked at me then the way I look at particularly dense students. ¡°See many waves out there? Feel any wind?¡± the man said. His words were heated, and a vein throbbed on his temple so aggressively I thought it might burst. Then he ran up and down the ship rousing everyone. His voice was panicked. I shook my head, muttering something about sailors being idiots. Then, the ship rocked so violently I slammed into the railing, and the air left my lungs in a whoosh. I blinked spots out of my eyes and took in rasping breaths. People were yelling, the ship was rocking, and I held onto the railing so tight my knuckles were white. I looked up and came face to face with the result of my arrogance. Or rather¡­ I looked up and saw row upon row of razor-sharp teeth. Each one larger than I was. One of the sailors yanked me back away from it, and another shoved me below deck. The ship rocked, and deafening roars drowned out everything else. More sailors and a few wizards they¡¯d brought along for security rushed past me onto the main deck, and the ship groaned so violently I thought it might snap like a twig. I can¡¯t testify as to what happened given that I couldn¡¯t see anything, but what felt like hours later I was getting reprimanded by the captain who was extremely keen on throwing me overboard. I honestly can¡¯t say I blame him. Apparently, the only reason we¡¯d managed to get away was that a second serpent attracted by the ruckus had attacked the first and we¡¯d slipped away while the two snapped at each other. Just the waves from their movements and their deafening roars had nearly torn our ship apart. So, when you travel by sea, I strongly advise you to listen to the sailors and put whatever you think you know aside. It just might save your life. I haven¡¯t had another encounter with a Sea serpent, and I wasn¡¯t exactly in the best position to study that specimen, but what I can say is that they are massive in the extreme. Quite possibly even larger than dragons. It dwarfed our ship, and most of its bulk was deep beneath the water. Don¡¯t seek them out. If you have to study them, do so from other people¡¯s accounts. They cannot be observed safely. Don¡¯t try to lure one to the surface. Just pray they never find you. The Skree The skree¡­ Many of the monsters I¡¯ve covered so far in my compendium are indeed rather frightening, but perhaps the one that poses the greatest threat is the skree. Imagine a creature designed with only a single purpose: To exterminate all other life. Now imagine ten such abominations. Now imagine a hundred¡­ a thousand¡­ tens of thousands! Endless hoards of horrors created for war! There are many varieties of skree, and each functions as a segment of an army. Each has a specific purpose in mind. And that purpose is death. Some have razor-sharp legs, each coated with a deadly venom with a pair of scythe-like arms that slice through anything that stands in their way. Others tunnel through rock and stone, destroying whatever feeble fortifications you erect so the armies may flood forth and decimate all. Others spit gobs of acid that melt through steel! And all have no mercy. They care nothing for your pleas and cries. They will butcher women and children alike and overrun the world. So why haven¡¯t they done so I hear you ask? Quite simply¡­ the dwarves. For one cannot speak of the skree without also mentioning the dwarves and vice versa. Each is dedicated to the other¡¯s destruction.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It is the dwarves in their fortress cities who keep the skree from swarming over the lands and consuming all in their wake. The Great War never truly ended for the dwarves you see. Perhaps you¡¯ve wondered why they seek riches and metals? Why they forge greater weapons than any other mortal race? It¡¯s simple. They¡¯ve never stopped fighting. Never stopped waging war and fighting tooth and nail with the merciless skree. They may seem greedy, and indeed they are, but there is a reason for that. They have to be. Wars are expensive. They burn through blood and steel faster than any of the rest of us while they fight their never-ending war. But, I digress¡­ this is not a treatise on the dwarves and their culture, but rather one of the skree. As you may imagine, the skree aren¡¯t exactly easy to get information from. Sure, we can study their bodies, but that tells us little that we don¡¯t already know. We can¡¯t talk to them either. I have found reports of the aptly named matrons being capable of intelligible speech, but they aren¡¯t exactly forthcoming. The skree aren¡¯t here to negotiate. They don¡¯t engage in diplomacy or trade, at least not that I can find any record of, and so our opportunities to learn about them are few and far between. However, after poring over countless documents and doing a bit of fieldwork, I have a few theories. It is my belief that the skree follow a type of theocratic rule. I¡¯m unable to confirm this, but from what little I have found it appears that the matrons who seem to act as the highest class of their society are all devout worshippers of an ancient primordial. For, while their goddess is sealed away I have found evidence to suggest they still devoutly follow her and await her return so they might break through the fortress cities of the dwarves and finally swarm like a plague across the land. I hope that day will never come¡­ Scuttlers I¡¯ve already mentioned the skree in my compendium, but now I feel it is time to go more in-depth. This time I¡¯ll be talking about the aptly named scuttler. So what better way to begin than with the reason for their name? Imagine a steady tik-tak like fingernails drumming over a desk. That¡¯s the only warning they¡¯re likely to give you. And by then¡­ it¡¯s already too late. For you¡¯ll soon come to realize that the sound is that of stone protesting as swords walk upon it. And so, you meet the scuttler. The foot soldier in the skree army. Scuttlers make up the bulk of their forces, and each is a horrifying monster to behold, but you¡¯ll never find one alone. They are just one soldier of many¡­ Scuttlers have six legs, each razor sharp like the finest blades and as hard as steel. When you see it, it towers above you and stares at you with soulless eyes that glisten in the magical lights of the dwarven cities. It need not slow down as it races forward as its legs are a weapon to be feared and it will shred and decimate everything it walks over. But, its legs aren¡¯t its only weapons. It has a pair of scythe-like arms. Not unlike those of a praying mantis¡­ only much larger and far deadlier. And all of these bladed limbs are coated in a deadly venom, so even if it doesn¡¯t outright kill you¡­ an agonizing death will soon follow. Even its much smaller (by comparison) mandibles aren¡¯t just for show. It is known to devour its enemies in the midst of battle, often tearing off their heads helmet and all and eating them the way you or I might enjoy the soft crunch of a biscuit. Its limbs are all as hard as steel, and even its much softer mid-section is tougher than leather. They are beasts designed only to kill, and there are no reports of them ever showing mercy.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Perhaps as some small consolation, they don¡¯t seem to be terribly intelligent. But, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good thing. A more intelligent creature might have some sense of self-preservation. Scuttlers do not. Many a grand tale has been spun of soldiers who throw themselves at an enemies battlements. That take heavy losses and do not relent. That possess such single-minded purpose they overwhelm anything in their path. And, I can¡¯t really think of a better way to describe the attitude of a scuttler. Just as they feel no mercy, so too do they not seem to feel fear. They willingly charge into certain death and overwhelm the stoutest fortifications with sheer numbers. They do not rout and flee. They will charge headfirst into pike formations without a second thought. They do not falter. They do not mourn for the deaths of their own. They simply storm forward no matter the odds. An enemy of such utter devotion to the cause of killing you is hard to beat. Even when they aren¡¯t many times larger than any man and deadly in the extreme. This very mindless ferocity leads some to believe that scuttlers and really the skree in general don¡¯t use military strategy at all. That they are incapable of retreating, regrouping, and attacking in conditions favorable to them or of setting traps and such. This line of thinking, while understandable, is an inexcusable mistake. Do not forget what I have said thus far in the compendium. Scuttlers are but one type of skree. They are foot soldiers. They follow orders. Yes¡­ now you see. I can¡¯t be sure, but I believe that the matrons create the strategy and give the orders, and the scuttlers obey. They obey like no human soldier ever could. Would you run into spikes of rock like massive spears just so others could use your corpse to walk on and over to get to the enemy? I certainly wouldn¡¯t. But, scuttlers will and do. I used to believe that dwarves were just greedy, abrasive, prejudiced people. But, after visiting one of their cities and seeing the skree with my own eyes¡­ I don¡¯t think I can truly blame them. Wouldn¡¯t you have anger in your heart if you were left to fight these creatures for generations? Bleeding and dying to keep other races safe and yet when you ask for their aid they are reluctant to give it¡­ So, now you have some inkling of what a scuttler is. Perhaps the next time you see a dwarf, you¡¯ll understand why he or she thinks you¡¯re too soft. Spitters If scuttlers are the foot soldiers of the skree army, then spitters are their archers. Spitters are slower than their scuttler kin. They lack the blades or tough carapace of the scuttler, and in fact, their body is rather soft by skree standards. So, why then does their arrival to the battlefield send chills down the spines of their enemies? Each spitter houses sacs of purple fluid within its body, leading to the much softer and less threatening appearance. They swell up and then contract their bodies and spray forth a purple acid from their mouths. This acid is beyond the likes of any naturally occurring acid. It eats through anything it touches. Stone, steel, leather, skin, bone, and muscle all dissolve before it. The only thing that seems to remain utterly untouched by this acid is other skree. So, they unleash volley after volley of deadly rain, and they need not even worry about friendly fire. Shields that could stop the mightiest of arrows are of little use against a spitter as the metal will simply dissolve. The acid will stream down onto your arm, and before you know it, you will be in howling agony and begging for a scuttler to end your life.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In my journeys, I have seen many horrible things. I have seen armies storm castle walls only to be covered in burning pitch. I remember their screams to this day. But, it just doesn¡¯t compare to the gurgled cries of dwarves screaming even as their throat dissolves. And, as with all skree, spitters are incredibly difficult to kill without dying yourself. Almost their entire body consists of acid filled sacs, so should you hack through their most tender flesh acid will spray forth from the wound. It will cover you from head to toe, and you will die a most agonizing death. Thankfully, spitters are far rarer than scuttlers. I can¡¯t be sure why this is. I do have a theory, however, that the skree function like a hive of insects and that they choose what will be born when. So, perhaps scuttlers are easier to grow and are somehow more cost-effective? Maybe spitters are more expensive, requiring more food or time to hatch? I wish I knew more, but as I¡¯ve said before¡­ the skree are not forthcoming. Tunnelers Having already covered spitters and scuttlers, it¡¯s time I wrote on tunnelers. These horrific beasts make the skree even more of a nightmare to deal with than they already are. It¡¯s well known that dwarves live underground. The reason for this being so they can keep the skree hives under pressure and prevent them from breaking out onto the surface where their incredible numbers make them all but unstoppable. Getting around underground, especially with dwarven geomancers around to stop you, is far from easy. Tunnelers are the skree¡¯s solution to this. They burrow up and into the dwarven cities, creating a tunnel in their wake that other skree use to join the battle. When they erupt out of the earth, tunnelers are indeed imposing. They look something like a beetle, only infinitely larger. Their sheer size and powerful mandibles make it a dangerous endeavor to kill one, but the true threat is the army of skree racing up the tunnel behind them.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Killing them means little as the army of skree will carve up the tunneler from behind and spew forth out of its corpse in mere moments. I wondered how the tunnelers managed to borrow so fast without the passage simply collapsing from a lack of support, and from my research I discovered a curious adaptation. Tunnelers secrete a substance that hardens and solidifies the passages they create, preventing cave-ins and generally making the earth extremely hard to close behind them. Even by magical means. Tunnelers are surely the nightmare of any army. When your fortifications mean next to nothing, and the enemy can spring up wherever they want. Behind your lines. On your flanks. In your camps. Inside your lines. They are the heralds of death. The first thing you see, bursting out of rock and earth, and the harbingers of far worse things to come. Matrons Finally, we reach the topic of matrons. These are perhaps the most dangerous of the skree, and also the most elusive. Thus, I know very little about them and what little I do know is based on notes others have made as I¡¯ve never seen them. It¡¯s probably the reason why I¡¯m alive. So, as I mentioned in my earlier overview of the skree, matrons appear to be their leaders. And, given how unbelievably dangerous the skree are, it stands to reason that their leaders would be no different. And, if that¡¯s what you think¡­ you couldn¡¯t be more correct. The reports I have of them are hazy at best. It seems they spend most of their time behind the scenes, perhaps giving orders and creating battle plans. Maybe they even bicker amongst each other the way our own leaders do? If only I could get one of them to talk¡­ If there is a skree that could tell us more about their society, then it would definitely be the matrons. But, while there are numerous reports that they are capable of speech¡­ none have ever been captured. They¡¯re far too dangerous to take in alive, and that¡¯s assuming you could ever be in a position to do so. The reports I have put them at thirty to sixty feet tall. And, while people are given to exaggeration, I think that leaves a lot of room for them to be utterly terrifying. Especially when you consider that brute force is not where their strength lies. But, we¡¯ll get to that in a moment. Damn, I wish the dwarves had taken the time to give more accurate descriptions¡­ though I suppose I can¡¯t fault them for it. I¡¯ll just have to do the best I can with what I have to work with. Most reports describe matrons as being larger than scuttlers, a lot larger, and possessing an almost humanoid upper body complete with a pair of hands. Though they¡¯re said to have more fingers than we do.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The reports disagree on how many exactly. Some say six fingers to a hand, others say thirteen. I guess when you¡¯re running and fighting for your life counting fingers on the thing murdering you, and everyone around you isn¡¯t your highest priority. Aside from these humanoid hands, matrons have six legs which end in barbed claws. And, while their legs aren¡¯t the sharp, blade-like weapons of the scuttler they can crush a man in plate armor like you or I might squash a roach beneath the heel of our boot. Ironic isn¡¯t it? They also have a long tail, reminiscent of a scorpion¡¯s. The reports disagree on whether or not it contains venom. Some say it does, some say it doesn¡¯t, and others say it doesn¡¯t matter because being hit with the damn thing will kill you either way. There have also been reports that they have a set of wings hidden under the thick, armored carapace on their backs. But, I wouldn¡¯t put too much stock in that. Given that they¡¯re said to do everything from breathing fire like a dragon to turning into beautiful women and seducing unwitting dwarves, I think we can safely assume that there¡¯s a lot of rubbish mixed in among truths. Really, getting anything conclusive on these things is damn near impossible so take what I say with a grain of salt. Or, perhaps, a bucket. Now, finally, we get to what makes them truly threatening. Yes, the deadly tail, enormous physical strength, and possibility of flight are just the gravy on this dish of nightmares. It¡¯s true threat¡­ is magic. They are the only known skree to cast spells, and their spells are unbelievably powerful. Their magic has been said to rival that of the most powerful wizards to ever live. Given how those wizards reached near-godlike power¡­ I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s true. If it were, the dwarves would¡¯ve fallen ages ago and the rest of the world with them. But, while they may not be quite that powerful, they are still not to be trifled with, and one thing every report I¡¯ve come across can agree on is that when a matron arrives¡­ the battle is over. And, not in a good way. So, this begs the question then¡­ why don¡¯t they get more involved? What stops them? Do they have other enemies we don¡¯t know about? Do they suffer from infighting? Pride? Greed? A being capable of wielding magic and commanding others would definitely indicate a high intellect, but how high? Do they have emotions? Friends? Lovers? How different from us are the skree? Many of these questions may never be answered, but one that can be is: Are the skree dangerous? Without a doubt, yes. Elementals And now it¡¯s time for me to speak on elementals. Much like with the skree, I¡¯ll start with a brief overview before we get into a few different varieties and the specifics thereof. Elementals, as their name suggests, embody an element. There is a lot of disagreement on how exactly these beings are born, so I¡¯ll stick to my personal favorite of the many theories. Feel free to disagree with me. In fact, I encourage my students to think for themselves. After all, we didn¡¯t get as far as we have by blindly following those that came before. The world is filled with all kinds of different elements. Earth, fire, water, air, a million variations thereof and even more variations on top of that. So, as you can imagine, I definitely won¡¯t be covering every elemental in existence. Because, quite frankly, I¡¯m not even sure I could. But, I¡¯m getting distracted again. Of all these different elements that exist in our world, there are places where one is more prevalent. Mountains and caves may be more closely tied to earth. Volcanoes, deserts, and other hot environments may be more closely linked to fire although many of those are also closely related to earth. Air is prevalent everywhere in our world and a good thing too or we¡¯d all die. And, water isn¡¯t much different. Vast oceans, lakes, and rivers mark locations where water is stronger. Now, one of the most popular theories and the theory I like most is that spirits combine with these elements and thus an elemental is born. How this process would happen, I have no idea. But, it does seem possible especially when considering the elemental planes. For you see, our world is very balanced and as briefly mentioned above, even in places where one element is prevalent¡­ the others are still there. Even our most unbalanced areas have more balance than the elemental planes. Or, at least that¡¯s what the almost non-existent records indicate, so I freely admit that what I¡¯m saying may turn out to be total hogwash. Travel between planes isn¡¯t exactly easy, and even for those few who¡¯ve done it¡­ getting back alive seems to be another story entirely.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. So, we know extremely little, but it would seem that the elemental planes are places where the single element they represent is the most prevalent by far. I¡¯ll speak more on the different elemental planes when I speak of the elementals therein, but suffice it to say that the elemental planes are filled with elementals. Our world has a scant few by comparison. And, each plane is filled with elementals of that particular type. So, it lends credence to the theory that in places of imbalance, spirits combine with the most prevalent naturally occurring element and thus that type of elemental is born. But, enough of the theories of how they are born. Unlike the many horrifying monsters I¡¯ve discussed so far, elementals aren¡¯t really evil. Nor are they paragons of virtue. It would seem that while a few might be good or evil, the majority just¡­ are. Or, rather, they think and act in ways we can¡¯t understand. They don¡¯t seem to mind being summoned by wizards and such and even do their bidding to a large extent. I believe, as long as they are given sustenance, they can even stay on indefinitely at times. Can you imagine a human doing that? With the way Lestria cracks down on slavery, and the way it is so utterly abhorred, I think we can agree that elementals and humans don¡¯t think the same way at all. But, before you go out and try to summon one. I remind you that such practices are for experts only and are not without their own risks. Elementals have been known to turn on their summoners. Fire elementals have set whole cities on fire. Either by accident or design. And the other elementals aren¡¯t much different. Truthfully, it¡¯s hard to write on the motivations, desires, and thought patterns of elementals because they¡¯re just so alien to us. While the skree are horrid, their agenda resonates with that deep dark part of a man¡¯s heart that yearns for conquest. But, elementals just¡­ don¡¯t seem as bothered by such things. All in all, elementals can often benefit people who know how to work with them. Earth elementals make excellent guardians for most any building, and they appear content to simply stand watch seemingly forever. In fact, if you can create an environment that suits them, you could get an elemental to guard essentially whatever you want. More than that, water elementals have been known to help settlements suffering from droughts by helping them find sources of water, building irrigation, and even teaching them spells to summon water. All in all, elementals are much like nature. They are to be treated with respect and also the knowledge that on a whim they could destroy everything you hold dear. Just as gentle rain can water your crops and fill your well, keeping your hunger and thirst at bay. So to can a flood wash your home away like nothing. They serve their own purposes. Purposes we struggle to understand. Do not mistake their compliance for subservience. They will be here long after you and I are food for the worms. Earth Elementals Now that we¡¯ve done the overview of elementals, it¡¯s finally time to get into the nitty-gritty. And as the word gritty naturally makes me think of dirt, gravel, and things of an earthen nature¡­ we¡¯ll start with earth elementals! As the name implies, earth elementals are beings of rock and stone. Although, there are different varieties. Everything from dust and sand to those of a more crystalline or even metallic nature. But, we¡¯ll keep the focus on those of rock and stone as much as possible. Earth elementals tend to be the most patient, stable, and dependable of all elementals. Also, one of the safest to have in places of dense population. They don¡¯t set fire to things the way a fire elemental would, or cause water damage as a water elemental might. I suppose air elementals aren¡¯t too bad either¡­ provided you don¡¯t mind your papers getting scattered everywhere! I swear when I find who let that air elemental into my office, I¡¯ll make sure they get an up close and personal experience with some of the nastier entries in this compendium! But, back to earth elementals. They can cause some degree of damage simply by moving as they are large and incredibly heavy. Keep them off your delicately tiled floors. However, places that make use of these elementals tend to be smart enough to ensure durable floors. Earth elementals come in all shapes and sizes, and I¡¯m not quite sure why or how. At one stage, I thought that larger elementals would be older, smarter, and more developed. But, then I met a wizard who had a four-foot tall elemental of polished stone that wiped the floor with him at chess. And, I¡¯ve since encountered large elementals that can only be described as prodigiously stupid. And, everything in-between. In fact, I¡¯d have to say there seems to be little correlation between size and intelligence. As for age¡­ you¡¯d think it¡¯d be the simplest thing to discern as some elementals are capable of speech, but no. Even the highly intelligent ones have a concept of time that is¡­ shall we say lacking?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I suppose when you don¡¯t need nearly as much in the way of sustenance and you don¡¯t die of old age there¡¯s little point in keeping track of time. So, they respond to the question of age with a vagueness that¡¯ll have you pulling out your hair! That aside, just getting an earth elemental to talk is an exercise in patience and often futility. They often ignore any attempt at conversation unless bribed with tasty rocks, gems, or metals. And, then they lean toward short answers. Earth elementals tend to be incredibly strong and damn near impossible to kill. Trying to kill one with a non-magical steel sword is about as productive as trying to fell trees with your fingernails. A bad thing if you make the mistake of angering one, but definitely an asset in guards or soldiers. I believe the dwarven geomancers excel at summoning and caring for earth elementals. They¡¯ve perfected the art of summoning certain types of earth elementals. I believe they stand more than twice the height of a dwarf with strength to spare. Even the deadly skree find them a challenge to deal with. As for the care and details of summoning, that¡¯s best left to magical texts. I will say, however, that they seem quite content as long as they¡¯re fed stones and rocks that cater to their particular tastes. Some even enjoy eating ores of various kinds. As for The Plane of Earth which these creatures call home¡­ little is known about it. The earth elementals rarely talk about it, but it¡¯s said to be a place of endless mountains, caves, dust, dirt, stone, and rock. One record even goes as far as to say that the entire plane is one massive cavern. That there is no sun and what little light there is comes from glowing crystals scattered around. It is believed that an elemental lord rules over the plane of earth. A being of power that eclipses the elementals I¡¯m speaking of. I have come across references to elemental lords fighting with titans and other primordials in The Great War. In other words, they are beings whose power we cannot even fathom. All in all, earth elementals are slow to anger, incredibly useful, stubborn, but patient and generally easy to deal with. They can be angered. They can be destructive and evil, but usually they¡¯re fairly neutral. Each is to be treated as an individual with its own personality, thoughts, beliefs, and virtues. And, keep in mind that summoning rituals bring them to Terra from their home plane of their own free will and involve a bargain of sorts. In other words, don¡¯t mistake their patience for subservience. Treat them with respect, and you¡¯ll generally be fine. Don¡¯t be like one of my late students who thought he could use one for target practice. I believe he¡¯ll be coming out of hospital with his remaining appendages sometime soon. Fire Elementals There¡¯s nothing like a raging inferno to make a man realize he is powerless in the face of nature¡¯s wrath. It¡¯s time to talk about fire elementals. Living flames as they are sometimes called, the name does them justice. Their body is fire. They cannot be touched without risk. Some are able to control their fire well enough to hold things without burning them, but this is rare and seems to require a great deal of concentration on their part. So, probably the first and most important piece of advice I have for anyone who has to deal with fire elementals is to NOT TRY TO TOUCH THEM! Give them a wide berth. Don¡¯t worry about being rude. Most of them know they¡¯d kill you if you got too close. Those better at controlling themselves are able to keep the heat they give off to a tolerable warmth, but should their concentration slip you could be incinerated. So, best to be safe. Where earth elementals are generally quite placid, fire elementals are far quicker to anger. They can also be very mercurial. Quick to change. Patient one moment and furious the next. Like their earthen kin, they don¡¯t have to worry about old age or anything along those lines and their concept of time while not as bad as earth elementals is still fairly dreadful. They can wait for great lengths of time but often act with a sense of urgency. They will race along the path to their destination and then remain there for eons. As you can imagine, their volatile nature and sheer destructive potential make them infinitely harder to deal with.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Fire elementals are rarely summoned or used, and when they are, it¡¯s often for use in very specialized areas. Places where they won¡¯t destroy a city or a town. Some armies make great use of them. As you can imagine, living flames make excellent weapons. But, even then precautions have to be taken, or it¡¯ll be your camp they set ablaze. I suppose the best thing to compare them to is fire itself. An invaluable tool that keeps us warm, cooks our food, lights our streets and homes, but also something that can quickly change from useful and helpful to deadly and impossible to control. For those of you studying magic, I strongly advise that you adhere to the rules set in place. They are not to be summoned by inexperienced wizards. Such reckless summoning can result in hefty punishments. As they should. As for the elemental plane of fire¡­ it is a place with temperatures too high for any normal man to survive. At least not without magical assistance of some kind. Ash and fire rain from pitch black clouds high above, rivers of lava wind their way across the landscape, and even a gentle breeze carries with it flames as hot as a dwarven smith¡¯s forge! It is home to fire elementals of all shapes and sizes. Some walk on two legs with a very humanoid appearance, others flow like living pools of lava, and as with all elementals there are too many other varieties to name. There are a few records of other fauna that call the fiery plane home, each adapted to its conditions in their own way. No doubt each plane has its own forms of life, but as you can imagine between the difficulty of planar travel and the sheer danger involved we know very little. An elemental lord of fire is thought to rule over the plane, but little is known about it. Something I find most interesting is that although each plane certainly has very strong ties to its particular element¡­ there is still the presence of other elements. Take lava for instance. No doubt it is strongly tied to fire, but when you think about it¡­ it¡¯s molten earth. Perhaps even the most extreme places need a degree of balance? Air Elementals I have spoken of the sturdy nature of earth elementals and the hot-tempered fire elementals¡­ now it is time to talk about air elementals. Violent storms or a calm breeze¡­ such is the nature of air. Much like all elementals, they can be helpful to the point of necessity, yet they pose an incredible danger if not handled correctly. Air elementals, like all others, come in endless varieties. From roiling, dark, flickering clouds like a storm given life to almost childlike ones no taller than my shin that delight in play. Whatever their variety, they are usually capable of flight and are typically the fastest elementals around. Their incredible speed makes them astoundingly good messengers, provided you don¡¯t mind if they go off course on a whim. They¡¯re perhaps the least dependable of the elementals, prone to have an¡­ ugh, I hate having to say it¡­ An almost airheaded nature. The irony is not lost me I assure you. When speaking of the nature of an air elemental, I can¡¯t help recalling a woman I once knew. She had an incredible figure, and no man alive could keep their eyes from being inexplicably drawn to her curves. But, as beautiful as she was, she couldn¡¯t keep a thought in her head for more than a few seconds. Unless, of course, she was angry. That is perhaps one of the best ways of understanding air elementals. Their flighty nature makes them perhaps the worst to use as guards with a few rare exceptions. After all, what good is a guard if they aren¡¯t there? As to the plane of air, it is said to be a place of endless sky with great cities that move through the air. Imagine that! Flying cities! What a sight that must be to behold. If it¡¯s true of course. Like all elemental planes, it is said to be ruled over by an elemental lord. Although a few texts refer to the leader of the plane of air as a ¡®lady¡¯. I¡¯m not sure such a distinction matters much as elementals have no genders. Sure, some may possess traits that we might identify as either masculine or feminine, but that¡¯s a distortion brought about by our own perspectives. They are still genderless. With everything I¡¯ve said about them so far, it probably doesn¡¯t come as much surprise that air elementals are probably the least used of all elementals. Although I balk at using the word ¡®used¡¯ to describe beings that will likely be here long after we are gone. I trust you to know what I mean. They¡¯re just not dependable enough to justify summoning them.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. They move swiftly, yes, but just as a guard who is never at his post is useless so too is a messenger that gets distracted and doesn¡¯t deliver their message. And, this lack of dependability applies to any task assigned to them. Fire elementals may be dangerous and quick to anger, but at least you can count on them. The same cannot be said for air elementals. Generally, only eccentric wizards bother to deal with them. It¡¯s a bit of a shame really, but what can you do? Trying to change an elemental¡¯s nature is an exercise in futility. However, all that being said, they are invaluable in aerial battles. But, most cities only keep a handful around, preferring to summon them as the need arises. Perhaps you¡¯re wondering why they wouldn¡¯t keep more around? Well, aside from the costs of maintaining the summoning contract, they tend to just¡­ drift off. So, you could summon a whole bunch of them, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before they wandered off one by one. Then you¡¯re right back to the beginning again. So, unless an aerial assault is expected, only a few are kept around. Yes, it would likely be safer to keep summoning fresh ones, but then summonings don¡¯t take very long, and there are other aerial defenses to help buy time should an attack happen. Overall, they¡¯re just too frustrating to work with. As with anything, there are exceptions, but it would take far too long to get into that. There are also, of course, forced summonings, but not only is such a thing highly unethical it is also incredibly dangerous, illegal, and in my personal opinion at least¡­ very stupid. Anyone who thinks they can bend such ancient and powerful beings to their will by force and use them as little more than slaves can only be suffering from an extreme case of arrogance. Something the elementals will be sure to rectify. In fact, perhaps it¡¯s best I include a warning to NOT try to do forced summonings in this text on air elementals. They are the most frustrating to deal with, and so probably the most likely elemental that a student of the magical arts might try to use a forced summoning on. To this, I refer to my earlier writings on demons. Now, it may seem strange to compare elementals to demons given how many times I¡¯ve said they¡¯re generally pretty easy to get along with (as far as them not killing you for no reason goes). But, that¡¯s only if you don¡¯t go out of your way to piss them off. In the case of air elementals¡­ imagine summoning a storm given life and having all of its ire directed at you. It would shatter your feeble attempts to control it and then it might fry you with bolts of lightning. Or, perhaps, take you high into the air and see how long it takes for you to hit the ground. All elementals are to be treated with the utmost respect. Yes, even the small, seemingly harmless ones. After all, do keep in mind that they have friends. And, other elementals don¡¯t take kindly to the enslavement of their kin. So, perhaps you managed to bind a single air elemental to your will. Congratulations. But, I don¡¯t expect it¡¯ll be much help when ten more descend on you with a fury as primal as nature herself. I believe something similar happened in a town to the east. A place called Lingham if I recall correctly. Not that its name matters much now as the ¡®town¡¯ is little more than a crater. Water Elementals It is time to finish up this section of the compendium on elementals by talking about water elementals. Like all elementals, they vary in forms from flowing water to hulking brutes of solid ice. Many of them take on a semi-humanoid appearance when dealing with humanoid creatures as they seem to have learned this promotes a more positive response from us. We don¡¯t react well to the strange and the odd, unfortunately. Water elementals can be tricky to deal with. All elementals are in their own ways I suppose, but water elementals¡­ they¡¯re on another level. Fire elementals can be prone to aggressive natures, and air elementals can be too flighty. But, water elementals can be manipulative and changeable in an entirely different way. They¡¯re more likely to withhold their help to force better summoning contracts. And, they often follow the letter of a command instead of its spirit. This isn¡¯t to say that they¡¯re necessarily evil, although like anything some can be. But, they¡¯re definitely devious. All that being said, not all are so manipulative, and they can be absolutely essential. Water elementals can help find sailors lost at sea, put out fires, bring water to drought-plagued areas, and some are even able to purify contaminated sources of water.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. But, it¡¯s always best to remember their manipulative and changeable nature. If only to make sure you don¡¯t rely on them too much. They just might use that as a bargaining chip. Know your elemental and how to deal with them, and you¡¯ll always have a better time. Many of them are also formidable opponents, so like every elemental¡­ don¡¯t get on their bad side. The elemental plane of water is said to be an endless ocean with islands scattered around. Each island is littered with rivers, lakes, marshes, geysers, and all kinds of naturally occurring water. Storms, rain clouds, mist, fog, ice, and snow are also a common sight there. There are said to be great palaces beneath the ocean, made all the more difficult for an enemy to assault given that they¡¯ll be utterly surrounded by water. Just breathing would be a difficult task, and fighting an elemental in their natural environment? Suicide. Like all elemental realms, it is said to be ruled over by an elemental lord or lady. Gender of elemental lords varies by account, and there aren¡¯t many of them. So, take heed when dealing with water elementals. They are the least straightforward, most likely to lie, manipulate, change their minds, and seek to extort you. But, for all the difficulty involved, they are invaluable and are to be treated with respect. Always. The risks of not doing so are grave indeed. Midnight Serpent Midnight serpents¡­ As if ordinary snakes weren¡¯t horrifying enough¡­ there exist monstrous versions of these reptiles that are far more deadly and terrifying in every way. I¡¯ve already covered sea serpents, but I¡¯m afraid midnight serpents are an entirely different kettle of fish. For starters, they aren¡¯t even close to as large and generally only measure in at about twenty feet or so. Midnight serpents, also called shadow serpents, get their name from the fact their scales aren¡¯t just black but are rather utterly devoid of light. They look like living, moving shadows. Their scales are harder than steel, and much lighter making them prized for armor. But, such exotic armor remains very rare indeed. For to kill a midnight serpent is no easy feat. They tend to be most active at night and given the darkness of their scales, they are damn near invisible after sunset. Even the most well-lit areas have dark corners and despite their size, midnight serpents are adept at compressing themselves into spaces you¡¯d swear they couldn¡¯t fit into. If the idea of a twenty-foot long magical snake with scales too tough for normal blades to cut through leaping out at you in the middle of the night doesn¡¯t have you checking under your bed tonight then perhaps this will.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Midnight serpents are most renowned for their venom. A venom so potent that it¡¯s actually tough to get any clues as to exactly how deadly it is. Simply because if someone is bitten¡­ they die before they can say when it was. A few daring hunters that specialize in exotic creatures have said that its venom is so deadly that you¡¯ll die if it bites your shadow. Now, normally I¡¯d say that such things are a gross exaggeration, but as I¡¯ve yet to find a single record of anyone surviving the venom I¡¯m not entirely sure. Given the unique nature of its scales, it also leads me to believe that it possesses magical properties. So, perhaps a magical venom that truly can kill by biting someone¡¯s shadow? I¡¯ve seen stranger things in my time, so I certainly can¡¯t rule it out. There is good news, however. Midnight serpents rarely attack humanoids unless provoked in some fashion and seem to prefer larger game. But, they have been known to prey on towns and villages during food shortages, and there have been towns who have been entirely wiped out by these creatures. They are most commonly found in and around the region of Druguar. They tend to nest in burrows within dense forests or jungles, and in caves within mountains. Like many of the creatures in this compendium, they are highly dangerous and best avoided. On a side note, there was an emperor to the east who¡¯d got it in his head to breed them and use them as trained beasts within his army. He, his tamers, and a good deal of his court were eaten during a demonstration. Gryphons Ah, the gryphon. Such majestic, proud creatures. With the head and wings of an eagle, large talons on their front feet, and the body and tail of a lion¡­ they cut an impressive figure. Contrary to popular belief, gryphons are not the result of a lion and eagle mating. Yes, the resemblance is unmistakable, but I shake my head at the absurdity of such a notion. No, gryphons are an entirely different species. They are far larger than the lions their lower body resembles and possess incredible strength. They¡¯re fully capable of carrying a knight in full armor through the skies at great speeds. And, as they are one of the few creatures in this compendium that can be truly tamed¡­ they are prized for war. Whether it¡¯s for aerial battles, carrying messages across large distances without the use of magic, or as scouts gryphons are invaluable. As a note of warning, however, while gryphons can be tamed, they are always dangerous. Somehow, many people fail to understand that taming only goes so far. They have to be handled carefully, by someone who knows what they¡¯re doing. Even tamed, it takes special training to ride and care for gryphons. Irritate a horse enough, and it might bite or even kick you. Irritate a gryphon, and it¡¯s liable to bite your head off. In the literal sense. I fear I¡¯m beginning to sound like one of my old professors who would drone on and on about the same thing endlessly when I say. Treat them with respect. As for gryphons in the wild, they are proud creatures and only scavenge when desperation drives them to it. Amazingly, they form strong familial bonds and even friendships. They are extremely loyal creatures. Should you win the loyalty of a gryphon you¡¯ll find no better companion. Of course, they are still to be treated well, but once that bond is formed it isn¡¯t easy to break. They¡¯ll go through fire and death for one who earns their loyalty. They mate for life, and the death of their mate often causes them to spiral into depression and even their own demise. Those gryphons with strong ties to others are sometimes able to return to some semblance of their normal selves, but I¡¯ve never heard of a single case where they¡¯ve found another mate, and they¡¯re often far less energetic and happy. They also feel deep pain over the loss of a friend or any loved one really. Usually not as bad as with the loss of a mate, but it is still profound. There have been cases where a gryphon who has lost its rider is overcome with grief. Gryphons have also been noted to possess altruistic behavior. There have been cases of gryphons caring for the offspring of other animals, even humanoid children. Humans, dwarves, elves and the like.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. They rarely attack wounded animals, even those that would be their normal prey. Many hunters would go after the weakest of a herd, but gryphons do not. I imagine it stems from a sense of pride. And, as they are fearsome hunters, they are more than capable of getting their prey. They are mostly carnivorous, but they are able to subsist on certain grains and fruits when absolutely necessary. They can¡¯t do so indefinitely though and eventually must consume meat or suffer a decline in health. Gryphons are intelligent creatures which makes it all the more difficult for those who wish to capture them. Those without strong ties are the most easily tamed as others will never stop trying to return to their loved ones. But, even the most tameable gryphon is a challenge. It¡¯s unwise to try to ¡®break¡¯ a gryphon, and the most successful taming techniques revolve around a sense of forming a relationship. Even if that relationship simply involves grooming, feeding, and caring for the gryphon in exchange for its help. I did say they were intelligent. The loyalty of a gryphon is exceedingly hard to earn but worth more than gold. Perhaps my immense admiration for these creatures comes through in this text, but honestly, can you blame me? In many ways, I¡¯d say gryphons are nobler than we are. Gryphons do not lay eggs, but rather give live birth. Often to a small litter of two to four. They care for their young over the course of many years. They feed them and teach them much as we do with our own. Gryphons aren¡¯t known to ever force their offspring from the nest or cut off their assistance. Rather, young gryphons stay as long as they wish and leave when they want. Some stay longer than others, but most do eventually leave the nest. The familial bond remains strong, however. Even after years pass. Another trait that makes gryphons so prized for war is the fact they¡¯re fearless. Or rather, I should say they¡¯re brave as they are not devoid of fear. A gryphon will challenge far larger, more dangerous creatures without a second thought. And, though they will flee when necessary, they have been known to fight till the death. And, a gryphon doesn¡¯t submit. Ever. Flee, die, or come to an arrangement. This seems to be the way a gryphon¡¯s mind works. It is also why attempts at breaking a gryphon are an exercise in futility. They will die before submitting and are even known to employ cunning by faking submission while waiting for an opening to attack. Gryphons rarely stoop to such tactics, but should the situation force them to it, they are excellent at it. Though they do not speak our tongue, one look into a gryhpon¡¯s eyes will make you realize that it just might be smarter than you. Should you encounter one in the wild, it is wise not to challenge it in any way. Do not insult it, either through body language or verbally as they pick up on both. Do not threaten it, and definitely, do not threaten anything it cares about. Humanoids are far from their favorite prey, so unless you have the misfortune of encountering a starving, desperate gryphon you have little to fear. As long as you don¡¯t anger it somehow that is. Much like the elementals I covered though, gryphons are generally fairly easy to deal with as long as you don¡¯t do something profoundly stupid. Working closer with them can be more difficult than with elementals, but really why in the world would you go anywhere near such a powerful creature if you don¡¯t know exactly what you¡¯re doing? One last note of warning, should you step into a gryphons nest it would be wise to leave. Immediately. They can be territorial, but really what do you expect to happen if you barge into their home uninvited? I wouldn¡¯t even include such an obvious bit of common sense were it not for the death of one of my students last semester. A rather irritated-looking gryphon dropped his shredded corpse on the university grounds, and only after this did his roommate tell me that the twit had gone off intent on kidnapping a gryphon cub. Sometimes I wonder how our race continues to flourish despite such stupidity. Goblins While I hate to add humanoid creatures to this compendium, I have little choice. Although I have a great deal of departmental pressure to include orcs, I have thus far been able to resist. The same cannot be said for goblins. Disgusting, wretched, vile creatures! There is little, if any, good to be said about goblins. They are around the same height as dwarves though much scrawnier and as they tend to hunch up as though permanently skulking they often seem shorter. Concepts such as fairness, honesty, and really any virtue are alien to goblins. Their society is a dark one. They fight among each other over everything, but are cowardly and will bow and grovel before anything stronger than them. They play on the mercy of other creatures and will beg for forgiveness right until they poison or stab them. And, when they can¡¯t get mercy as in the case when dealing with others of their kin, they will swear to serve them and offer treasures or other such incentives. Basically, they bribe other goblins to avoid death where possible. Or they get murdered or work together to murder another goblin and then each other. Really, just a lot of bloodshed. Goblins don¡¯t care for their young, their families or their fellows as we do. They often sell their children into slavery, but not before abusing and torturing them first. They may choose a partner, but they own them rather than love them. And, as you might imagine¡­ monogamy, being faithful or caring about their partners as anything other than sex toys just isn¡¯t something they do. Goblins are pathological liars. They are intelligent but not nearly as much as they think they are. They are very cunning, however. Due to their green skin, they are often compared to orcs by those who think another Blood War is a good idea. To this I say, it couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Orcs can be brutal. They can be evil. They can be cruel. Just as we can. But, they are not as universally evil and twisted as goblins are. Not by a long shot. But, I digress. Goblins will live most anywhere. However, they tend to be most common in less hospitable places away from other races as few races tolerate their existence and those that do tend to be just as evil. Goblins attack small, isolated settlements, and tend to leave the rest alone. Simply out of self-preservation. After all, it is the rule of many societies that goblins are to be killed on sight. Traced back to wherever they live and exterminated.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. They have engaged in larger battles though. Particularly against the dwarves and elves. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯d do the same to humans, but to my knowledge, there are no goblin settlements large enough to do so anywhere near humans. So, essentially, luck. And, of course, the methodical destruction of any goblins we find. You might wonder how goblins survive given that essentially every race wishes to kill them. Hells, even a good deal of the creatures I¡¯ve listed thus far in the compendium would kill goblins on sight. Especially gryphons. The answer to their continued survival is two-fold. One being that they are able to subsist on food and water that would kill us and are somehow able to contract diseases without dying from them. Usually. The second reason is simply that they breed prolifically. In fact, any time a sentient race grows lax in culling the goblin population their numbers explode. They give birth but their pregnancy cycles are short, and it takes only a handful of years for a goblin to reach maturity. It¡¯s a damn good thing they¡¯re just as horrible to one another as they are to everything else. If they weren¡¯t so hell bent on screwing each other over, they¡¯d pose a far more significant threat. Which is why other sentient creatures who are able to keep them in some degree of order can quickly find themselves at the head of a massive, ruthless army. Thankfully, the goblins tend to succeed in murdering them eventually. But, even so¡­ they pose a great threat. This is one of the reasons why anyone found colluding with goblins is summarily executed. However, there does exist a curious tale of an exception. Or so it would seem at least. There was a wizard some years back who came across a very peculiar goblin barely a year old. This goblin was a joke of the tribe. A favorite source of amusement. And, given the way the goblin mind works¡­ you can only imagine the horrors they inflicted. I won''t be describing them here. But, the strange thing about this goblin was it behaved¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to put it into just a few words. As the story goes, the wizard and a those traveling with him happened across the village and wiped out the goblins. Every one they could find. It¡¯s not mentioned what the wizard and his group had set out to do, but they¡¯d moved on and then sometime later were returning exactly the way they¡¯d come It was then, on the way back, that they found a single one remaining. They were about to attack when they noticed it was behaving strangely. So strangely that they thought perhaps some other creature had been cursed with the form of a goblin. As to its strange behaviour¡­ it was feeding birds. Not luring them into traps or torturing them. Just¡­ feeding them. And, in the time the group had been gone it had dug graves and buried all its fellows. Very strange behaviour for a goblin. Even more so when they later found out how it had been treated. As for how it avoided dying with the rest, it was apparently tied to a torture rack at the time and so badly mangled that they¡¯d assumed it was dead. It had managed to free itself as the ropes were of poor quality and had then set about its self-appointed tasks. That goblin now lives in service to the wizard who found him with a special order from the local ruler that it is not to be killed. I¡¯d thought it to be a fanciful tale at first, but several of my colleagues have seen the goblin working within the city under the wizard¡¯s protection. It does pose an interesting question though, doesn¡¯t it? How much is good and evil about culture and the way we are raised? How much is it about simply what we are born to¡­ and how much is choice? Does that goblin have some shift in its makeup, or does it choose to be what it is? Werewolves There are many varieties of lycanthropy, but one of the most well known and common of what is a rare condition is the werewolf. Werewolfism, like most kinds of lycanthropy, can be caused by magic, usually in the form of a curse or a spell gone wrong as it would otherwise simply be a transformation. But, it is more commonly the result of infection either from being bitten by a werewolf or having it passed down from a lycan parent to their children. Given that it is a disease, although a magical one, you may wonder why more aren¡¯t infected? The reasoning is simple. It¡¯s rare for werewolves to reproduce with a human, and if they do there is a good chance the child will either be free of the disease or die from it during their first transformation. The same is true with those bitten. Werewolves are not mindless beasts either, so while some may try to spread the disease far and wide, most do not. It simply isn¡¯t worth the risks brought by all the attention, and lycan society has many rules and regulations regarding spreading the disease. Werewolves often like to form packs. Much like a tight-knit family group. Some choose to remain solitary, however. Most of what we know about werewolves comes from the incredible work done by Rendor Gosz. Most notably his masterpiece Life of a Werewolf. However, it¡¯s wise to keep in mind that as exceptional as his work is, it¡¯s limited to a handful of examples. There is likely still much we don¡¯t know. Rendor did however dispel the long-standing theory that werewolves became slaves to their beasts and turned into ravenous killers devoid of any form of conscience. This can happen, but it seems to have more to do with the human side than the animal one. I say human, but it¡¯s wise to remember that most sentient races can contract the disease. Although, dwarves seem highly-resistant for some reason. They can still be turned, but it¡¯s unlikely. Rendor interviewed several werewolves and found many interesting things. First off, after the initial infection mood swings are horrendous which is why it is considered against the law in werewolf culture to infect someone and let them wander around without guidance. Some neglect the laws just as we ignore our own, but apparently, there are a few large packs that keep order and who will come down exceptionally hard on a werewolf who breaks the rules. The penalty for breaking most of their rules is death. Werewolves are stronger, faster and have better senses than whatever they were before, even in their original form. This is further enhanced in their hybrid and wolf forms. Some believed the hybrid form to be a different species, but it has been found that it is achieved through a blend of their original and wolf forms. Werewolves also consume far more food than ordinary folk, and are renowned for their incredible regeneration. Wounds that would kill an ordinary man heal on them in moments. Silver disrupts this healing, however. Making it the favored choice by those who hunt these deadly creatures.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. There is, of course, a lot of moral debate over the hunting of werewolves, and the laws regarding it vary from place to place. However, that¡¯s beside the point. It¡¯s good to be aware of though as bringing silver anywhere near a werewolf is seen as an act of aggression. And, it¡¯s generally wiser to avoid that. Unless of course they¡¯re a rampaging killer in which case¡­ bring as much silver as you can get and kill them before they kill you. Werewolves themselves often have a silver weapon of their own hidden away somewhere in the event that they need to fight other werewolves. It was believed at one stage that werewolves couldn¡¯t bear the touch of silver, but Rendor found that they merely found it uncomfortable and if it touched their skin it would disrupt the regenerative abilities. Should a silver weapon pierce the skin, however¡­ the result is far more painful and deadly. Silver is far from the only way to kill werewolves, however. Their regeneration, while impressive, does have limitations. Eventually, the damage they take is greater than they can recover from, and so they die. Decapitation is fairly effective although there have been accounts of their heads being reattached. So, silver is still the best option to keep them from getting back up and tearing you to pieces. Extremely powerful wizards can likely deal with them without silver, but they¡¯d still need time to cast their spells and like I said, werewolves are incredibly fast. One of the permanent behavioral changes after infection is a tendency to be far more aggressive than they were before. As a result, fights between werewolves are a common occurrence. Sometimes these fights are to the death, but that is rarely the case. They happen often, and if each one was to the death¡­ they¡¯d go extinct very quickly. Make no mistake though, even the friendliest of fights between werewolves is a savage affair. Between their supernatural strength, and the ability to recover from horrendous wounds there is little restraint in a fight between werewolves. Sometimes, they fight over nothing at all but simply as a form of sport. After all, if you could rip each other to shreds and be just fine moments later¡­ wouldn¡¯t you do the same? Werewolves shift with the full moon, but older ones are said to be able to control this and to keep themselves from changing and even shift at will. Werewolves get along with other lycan races to varying degrees. Some get along very well¡­ others will tear each other apart. It¡¯s not fully known how this works exactly. If it¡¯s to do with the nature of their disease, personal gripes, or some other factor. Like I said, despite the great work on Rendor¡¯s part there are still gaps in our knowledge. Another interesting fact is that werewolves are very long-lived. I can¡¯t say they¡¯re immortal as I have nothing to base that on, but they¡¯re certainly known to reach hundreds of years of age and still look exactly as they did when they were first bitten. In the case of hereditary werewolves, they seem to stop aging at full maturity. As I have more than a few grey hairs these days¡­ I have to say I¡¯m somewhat jealous. Older werewolves have more control over their abilities, years of experience, and are far stronger. Much like vampires, age seems to increase power. But, to what degree I am unsure. It isn¡¯t as though I have a wealth of werewolves stopping by to have their strength measured. Probably for the best though. Should you encounter a werewolf, it¡¯s hard to say what you should do. Silver is one of the deadliest weapons against them, but approaching one with it is certain to make the werewolf very unhappy with you. Just use your own judgment. Don¡¯t antagonize them if you can avoid it, but don¡¯t be too quick to back down either as if they sense weakness things could get just as bad. If not worse. Oh, and make sure you haven¡¯t been around vampires. Why you¡¯d voluntarily do so, I have no idea, but werewolves and vampires can¡¯t stand each other so try not to smell of the other. Not exactly an easy task as both are so adept at hiding within our societies. Your butcher, your seamstress, your maid, your aunt, your uncle, even your lover¡­ any of them could be a werewolf or some other form of lycan. And you¡¯d never even know. Ogres Ogres are disgusting monsters to say the least! They vary in size depending on breed, age, and other unknown factors. Some are just above seven feet tall, but most are much larger than that. Regardless of size, ogres are supernaturally strong. Larger ones just tend to be even stronger. They are fearsome brutes indeed, and many a good knight has been laid low by these creatures. Ogres often have discolored skin with splotches of different colors, random patches of hair all over their body, boils, lumps, and other deformities that only add to their repulsive appearance. Ogres have disproportionately large heads, and their mouths are jammed full of crooked teeth. As for what an ogre eats? Anything and everything. They are particularly fond of eating other sentient creatures, however. Especially alive. It¡¯s unclear whether they just enjoy inflicting the pain and suffering or genuinely enjoy the taste itself. Or both. Ogres are as hideous inside as they are outside. They¡¯re often not very intelligent, but they can be. Either way though, they¡¯re well known for playing the fool and leading others to their own undoing. Much like goblins, they are adept at deceit and trickery. Ogres get along very poorly with each other, and for this reason, most avoid one another. There are still some ogre communities, but much like goblin ones¡­ they aren¡¯t fun places to be. Not even for ogres. Ogres seek to dominate, subjugate, and devour everything they come across. They are well known for taking over goblin clans and using the goblins to gather food and treasure for them. Ogres have a voracious appetite, and often eat the goblins who bring them food as well. Ogres sometimes wear armor and use well-made weapons, but it¡¯s rare for them to come across anyone who will make it for them. As such, they are more often clothed in hides and carrying large branches or the trunks of trees as clubs.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They are deadly enemies and evil to the core. Much like goblins, many kingdoms have a kill on sight rule regarding ogres. Thankfully, they don¡¯t breed nearly as quickly as goblins do, or we¡¯d surely be overrun. It¡¯s often been pointed out by wizards that the hideous appearance of ogres and even their appetites, which at times seem to torment them, might be the result of a curse. There¡¯s no known evidence to support this theory, but it is worth considering. Perhaps at one time someone was cursed, and transformed into the first ogre. If so, it was done long ago as ogres have been mentioned in texts about The Great War. Given their immense size, there have also been theories floating around that ogres may, in fact, be the giants of old. Even the largest ogre isn¡¯t as big as the giants were reported to be, but people have always had a penchant for exaggeration. However, both ogres and giants were mentioned as separate races in texts dating back to The Great War, so I¡¯m inclined to disagree with this particular theory. As I often do, I¡¯ll now briefly discuss the best way to deal with an ogre. There is, of course, might of arms and magic. This is, I believe, the best way. The only good ogre is a dead ogre as they say. However, should you encounter one on your travels you likely won¡¯t have an army at your back, so how then should you deal with them? The best way is to offer them something they want and to convince them that it¡¯s better to keep you alive. Offering them the food in your pack might be a start, but won¡¯t save your life. After all, they won¡¯t be satisfied by your meager rations and will eat you as well. The reports of those who have survived encounters with ogres, share some common details that may prove helpful though. Many of the survivors convinced the ogre that they would hunt, gather, cook, or otherwise serve the ogre in a way that made keeping them around beneficial. They would then avoid and placate the ogre as much as possible. Particularly when the monster was hungry. Gradually, they would gain additional freedoms. Saying they needed to roam further to hunt for the ogre or some other excuse. Then, when they got the chance, they¡¯d escape. Should you be among the lucky few to escape with your life, make sure to give the location of the ogre to the proper authorities to deal with. Not only is it the law in many places, but you wouldn¡¯t want the ogre to follow you and punish you for your disobedience would you? Keep in mind, that while elves, dwarves, humans, and many other races are hesitant to like or even trust one another these days¡­ the threat of an ogre has a habit of uniting folk. Don¡¯t be afraid to tell them about the presence of an ogre nearby. Just make sure you don¡¯t run to goblins or some other despicable creature for help. Out of the frying pan and into the fire and all that. Sphynxes As you step into the entrance chamber of a long-forgotten place of power, a guardian with a humanoid head, a cat¡¯s body, and glorious feathery wings stands before you. Your fate is almost certainly death. The above was taken from Abrax Copernicus¡¯s work The Dreadful Guardians and is a very fitting description of a sphinx. His work is dated, but I still list it as required reading for my students. After all, he was above all an explorer and the fact he actually met with so many of these creatures in person gives his work an authority that lesser scholars, namely those who won¡¯t put in the legwork, sorely lack. But, I digress. Sphinxes come in many varieties, but all share the above traits. A humanoid head, a cat¡¯s body, and wings. The head can be male or female and designates the sex of the sphinx itself. The head can resemble any sentient creature from dwarves and elves to orcs and humans and everything in between. The same applies to its body ranging from jaguar, lion, tiger, and far more exotic creatures. Even its wings can be like that of an eagle, an angel, a demon, a bat or an endless variety of others. But, no matter their form, sphinxes are profoundly dangerous. There are few records of their strength as sphinxes are guardians of places, and those places are usually secluded and avoided already. They don¡¯t attack populated cities for no reason. Nor do they seek to lure the unwary to their demise. But, though we have limited contact with them some things are known. First off, sphinxes are magical creatures. They are immortal, have no need for food or drink, and are skilled in the art of magic itself. Not to mention that their speed, agility, and physical strength far exceeds the cats their bodies resemble. They may not even look particularly threatening, but know that they are. They are renown for being beautiful creatures, regardless of their form. But, though they have no need to do so, they won¡¯t hesitate to devour your flesh while you scream. Sphinxes seem to have some kind of need to guard things though nobody really knows why. Wizards are able to summon the creatures, and it is well documented in the wizarding community that the greater the location you would have guarded, the more likely the summoning spell is to work. Sphinxes also seem to have no qualms about what they guard exactly, as long as it is powerful, dangerous and filled with magic. It¡¯s often been tried to have sphinxes guard a town or city, but the only validated record of it succeeding was an unmitigated disaster. The sphinx prevented anyone from entering or leaving. Anyone and everyone. Trade died in an instant, and the city was left to fend for itself. A few were able to come or go, but only those who succeeded in getting through its trials.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Yes, the trial the sphinx sets before people is well known indeed despite the rarity of these creatures. You likely know what it is already. Riddles. But, contrary to what some believe, they do not simply ask the same riddle of everyone. Nor, do they allow someone to pass on successfully solving their puzzle. No. It is a game. A deadly game. The sphinx will ask a riddle, and should you solve it, you will need to ask the sphinx a riddle, and so the game goes on until either the sphinx cannot solve the riddle or you fail to do so. Should the sphinx fail, it will allow you to pass. Should you fail¡­ your death is all but guaranteed. Attempting to attack the sphinx, cheat, or take any action that does not fit with the sphinx¡¯s game will result either in it subduing you and forcing you to play¡­ or it killing you. A sphinx will generally allow you to leave, however. Provided you do so before beginning the game or trying to get past. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. Children and non-sentient creatures are generally safe from a sphinx unless they threaten it or what it guards in some way. Although, what a sphinx considers to be children may not match what we do, and seems more dependent on the individual than anything else. Should your child be wise for their years¡­ there is a good chance the sphinx will not spare them. It¡¯s also important to note that this safety doesn¡¯t extend to any the non-sentient creature or child has with them. They are quite capable of killing a mother and leaving her child alone. Just as they will butcher a shepherd, but not harm his sheep. This doesn¡¯t mean to say that a sphinx will allow a child to enter or leave, however. It just won¡¯t offer the chance at the game. The same goes for non-sentient creatures. Instead, they will prevent entry often by using magic and leaving those who do not play the game unharmed. This is usually for the best though as sphinxes often guard dangerous areas no child should enter anyway. Powerful wizards and other beings of great magical ability often summon sphinxes to serve as guardians. Sometimes to their home if it is sufficiently magical, but more often to other, darker places. Some places contain dense magical energy along with danger and lands corrupted by the foul acts committed there. Sphinxes are particularly wont to guard these places. The Lestrian government had a number of sphinxes summoned to guard dangerous magical ruins believed to house powerful artifacts that could threaten the world. So, though sphinxes can be violent and dangerous, it is important to recognize their uses, and the fact they adhere to a strict code. They play by rules, which makes them easier to deal with. Sphinxes are also thought not to lie. This isn¡¯t something that¡¯s been verified, but some believe they either cannot lie or simply prefer to tell the truth. Again, it isn¡¯t verified. But, should a sphinx offer you a bargain or tell you something¡­ the evidence would suggest that they are telling the truth. Or at least part of it. Remember, the truth can be just as misleading as a lie. Remain cautious. As for dealing with sphinxes, I¡¯d honestly recommend just not participating in the game. If you encounter a sphinx, leave as respectfully as you can. They are proud, beautiful creatures and aren¡¯t likely to suffer insults. And, with their code¡­ they are unlikely to harm you should you not play their game and just get away from them and never return. It is your best chance at survival. Their games are not easy things to win. It is likely that what they guard would only spell disaster for you and others anyway. It¡¯s not worth it. Not worth it at all. Phoenixes ¡°My city was broken, and great evil surrounded me. I thought hope a bitter memory before I looked up at a sky wreathed in flame. ¡°The air rippled with the cry of something that made me feel small and powerless. Like a newborn babe. Then, I saw it. The bird of legend. I know not why it came to our aid, but am ever grateful for it. Those who I thought unstoppable are now nothing more than ash.¡± ¨C The Diary of Geffal And, so we come to yet another noble creature. We¡¯ve dealt with some horrors, so perhaps it¡¯s just as well I include those the good needn¡¯t fear. For the phoenix, little is known. Even less than usual. In fact, nobody is entirely sure if there are more than one of the creature. It may be that it is altogether unique. There have been a few accounts from those who reportedly witnessed the death of a phoenix, but as this is shortly followed by that same phoenix being reborn from the ashes of its old body, it isn¡¯t exactly easy to tell how many there are. For the purposes of this entry, I will refer to them as being more than one, but just remember that it is unknown. Phoenixes rarely appear, and when they do, they are often very peaceful. Even among the noble creatures we¡¯ve discussed thus far, such as gryphons and sphinxes with their code, none are as gentle as the phoenix. Or, at least that¡¯s what the accounts I¡¯ve dug up suggest. I¡¯ve never had the honor of seeing one in person. Few people do, though many search their whole lives. So, really everything in this entry could be total rubbish. But, it¡¯s the best I can do. There are no reports of phoenixes being violent to any but the most despicable of creatures or people. But, should they choose to attack¡­ there is little anyone can do to stop them. Their mastery of fire is supreme. It is said even dragons must respect the flames of a phoenix. There are also reports of demons pouring through a portal at various times only to be utterly wiped out by a phoenix. Ash and smoke will be all that is left of those who oppose a phoenix. I think it goes without saying not to provoke it should you be fortunate enough to stumble upon this majestic creature. Phoenixes are not invulnerable though, and there are many accounts of them being slain. Only to then be reborn and resume the fight. Once reborn it takes just a single day for a phoenix to return to its original size. And, even in its smallest and most vulnerable state, it is immensely powerful and dangerous. As to what a phoenix looks like, the accounts differ. In many, however, the phoenix a bird of pure fire, but others say they have feathers of brilliant colors. All those accounts which involve a phoenix fighting invariably speak of it as being fire embodied. Its power over fire is definitely more magical in nature than that of a dragon¡¯s. A phoenix can breathe fire, but it¡¯s been said that they can set the entire sky alight. That torches and braziers turn into massive fonts of living flame and leap to obey them. And, that even hellfire answers the call of a phoenix.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Because of this, some believe that phoenixes have ties to the hells, but such a thing is utterly preposterous. Demons don¡¯t go out of their way to exterminate evildoers. Nor do they do what else a phoenix is famous for. The gift of a new life. Indeed, phoenixes are apparently capable of allowing another creature to be reborn the way they are themselves. Fire leaps over the one who receives the gift and renders them to ash in moments. Leaving an infant among the ash. This may sound horrifying, but those who have received such a gift say that it was painless and that all their ailments were stripped clean. From then on, they grew anew but retained all their memories. All their experience. All their skills. They also aged and died without a phoenix around to renew the gift. Many search for the phoenix for this reason, but the creatures are almost impossible to find. Some say that this is because they do not live on our plane of existence, but rather choose to visit when they feel like it. I¡¯d say that the sheer size and power of these creatures lends credence to this theory if only because a giant flaming bird should be rather obvious. Although, phoenixes have also been described as being only twice as large as an eagle. Not nearly as big as a roc. So, they may simply reside in a forest or a mountaintop somewhere, secluded and away from prying eyes. Either way, their size is a matter of debate. Some believe there are different varieties with some being smaller than others. As in the account I quoted earlier, phoenixes occasionally get involved in the affairs of others, but it is a rare thing indeed. And, when they do get involved, it¡¯s when great evil has been or is being committed. They don¡¯t seem to care beyond that. Perhaps it¡¯s a case of neither side being worthy of being saved or deserving of being slain? There are places that worship phoenixes, but the gods seem to tolerate it. Something they don¡¯t usually do. It¡¯s best to be careful though as some cults spring up claiming to worship the fire bird, but many of them are dark, twisted things. And, those the gods do not tolerate. And, should the gods ignore it, a phoenix may not. There was a report of a cult leader to the south-east who would say that the phoenix would appear to tell them if anything he said was false. He encouraged his followers to engage in practices I shall not name here and was well known for kidnapping young girls for his own entertainment¡­ But, during one of his sermons, he once again invited the phoenix to strike him down should he speak falsely. Needless to say, a phoenix seemed to have heard him, and it didn¡¯t like what he¡¯d done. It ate him the way an eagle eats a rabbit. Then, it incinerated everything he¡¯d built, including his followers, and melted down his possessions which were then handed out to the victims before the phoenix moved on again. And, ironically enough a monastery was built on that site. Now, devoted warrior monks live there. They took it upon themselves to act as phoenixes do. They spend each day training their minds and their bodies and only leave the monastery to deal with great evils. These men and women don¡¯t get involved in political disputes though. Instead, they hunt down cults that engage in dark practices as well as anything demonic. It may sound strange for such a small group to go after demons given my earlier description of a very minor demon, but these phoenix monks are beyond mortal men. Some believe that when the phoenix visited, it bestowed great power on those who became the first monks. But, others think they achieve it through discipline, practice, and study. The monks are well known for their skill with fire and healing magic as well as incredible martial prowess. They are fearsome warriors, and many a dark cult has been eradicated by a single warrior. Many find it strange that these monks could be so terrifying and possess such strength. Especially as they cannot call on the power of their god the way a priest might. But, I think not. Phoenixes are powerful creatures, it¡¯s only logical that those who follow them would focus on becoming strong themselves. One needn¡¯t fear these men and women though as they are well known for adhering to strict rules and regulations. They police their order and root out corruption wherever it rears its ugly head. Were you a rogue warrior, or the leader of a cult you would have much to fear. But, they concern themselves with little else. Oh, if you¡¯re a demonologist you may wish to avoid them at all costs though. Gargoyles ¡°They do not move. They do not sleep. They are ever watchful. Only a fool would tempt the wrath of stone given flesh¡­¡± ¨C Eyes From Above Adrian Winchester. And, so we come to gargoyles. But, while the above excerpt from the wildly popular work by Adrian Winchester may have brought these creatures into the limelight, I¡¯m afraid it is also filled with errors. Gargoyles do, in fact, do all of the above. They eat, sleep, reproduce, and even defecate. They¡¯re living creatures of course. Although they are magical in nature, it is important to remember they aren¡¯t actually stone, they are not statues given life. They just look like it. Earth elementals show us that animated stone is entirely possible, but gargoyles have been tested a lot more since Adrian¡¯s work. Their skin comes in a variety of stone-like colors and textures and is at least as hard. But, cut through enough of that tough layer, and you¡¯ll find blood. Red, rich, and dark. So, why then do so many believe gargoyles to be statues? Likely, because that is how they behave. Gargoyles find a perch, usually on a building that fits their complexion, and they wait there. Still, and silent. They have some small skill with magic, enough to make them even harder to notice and a few defensive and offensive spells. Once they settle in, they could make the original architect of the building absolutely certain he designed the ¡®statue¡¯ that rests where they do. So, perhaps now you look above you and stare at those unmoving ¡®statues¡¯ and wonder if you are safe. When will they strike? After all, living creatures need to eat. This is an issue of quite some debate. Gargoyles are perhaps one of the most commonly encountered monsters in this entire compendium. After all, they prefer to make their homes in our cities. So, why wouldn¡¯t we be noticing higher death rates? More half-eaten bodies lying around? I believe I can shed some light on this. Shortly after graduating, when I had far more spring in my step than I do now, I decided to focus my research on gargoyles. I was sure I could find some in the city I was living in at the time, and I was rather taken with a young lass, so I¡¯ll admit to a certain desire not to go too far. But, that¡¯s neither here nor there. It took some doing, and the help of a few wizards to help protect me from the spells the gargoyles used to make them all but impossible to recognize as more than a statue. But, finally, I found one. It was perched atop the library. The very building I frequented more than my own home. My blood ran cold at that thought. But, I had a job to do. I then studied the gargoyle from the dusty attic of the opposite building using a telescope. I thought myself shrewd and clever, but the gargoyle met my gaze not halfway through the first hour of observation. To my horror, it stretched its wings and flew across the street. I tried to run, but when I turned around¡­ it was already there. Just because they¡¯re immobile half the time doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t blindingly fast when they want to be.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It stared at me, and I returned its gaze. More out of an inability to look away than any real bravery I might add. Then, much to my surprise. It spoke. ¡°Why do you watch me?¡± it asked. Its voice was like gravel and stone, a bone-rumbling deepness that made me feel very small indeed. ¡°I¡­ I want to learn about you,¡± I said. I managed to keep my voice relatively steady, which was no small feat when half my concentration was on keeping my knees from shaking. It tilted its head then. A curious gesture, very human. ¡°You will bring me meat each day,¡± the gargoyle said, ¡°then, we shall speak.¡± Then, it flew off and was back on its perch once more. I did as it asked, and it devoured whole steaks one after another before it would answer my questions. So, yes gargoyles do eat, and they eat meat. Some eat fruits and vegetables instead, but they tend to be smaller and prefer to reside in towns with many farms. Apparently, they enjoy getting it as fresh as possible. My new friend told me that they didn¡¯t need to eat much or often if they didn¡¯t move, a kind of hibernation in a way, but they remained fully aware of their surroundings. Some were more intelligent than others, and this one had apparently picked up our language from overhearing people talking on the library steps. An impressive feat even without thinking about the fact no human could follow a conversation from so far away. The gargoyle laughed when I asked why more people didn¡¯t get eaten in cities. She, as I learned that was her gender, told me that they were guardians. Not unlike sphinxes in a way, but they went about it very differently. They saw their building as their nest, and the humans there almost like pets. Anyone who threatens their nest or their ¡®pets¡¯ becomes their prey. So, if you have a gargoyle on your building, odds are that anyone who comes seeking to do you harm will find themselves torn to pieces and eaten before they can so much as knock on your door. Exxivast, for this was the gargoyles name, told me that having a large building and keeping the ¡®pets¡¯ safe is a matter of pride and status for gargoyles. This doesn¡¯t mean to say that gargoyles are good or evil though. They merely are. Remember, this applies to what they determine to be a threat, and they could just as easily guard a place of evil as a place of good. After one of our enlightening conversations, I looked into some records and found that tax collectors had a habit of vanishing along their routes. And, they disappeared before checking on buildings that had gargoyles on them. I asked Exxivast about this, and she told me they can sense the intent of creatures. So, they see the intent of a tax collector as a threat to their nest and take action. Gargoyles will also go after non-human threats. Attacking demons, elementals, rats¡­ anything really. So, what advice do I have for any who might encounter a gargoyle? I¡¯d think it would be rather simple. Don¡¯t threaten their nests or the people inside them. And, if you have a gargoyle on your building, be glad. You are quite safe. A gargoyle attacking their nest or the ones inside it would be like a man ripping apart his home with his bare hands. It doesn¡¯t happen often. All this being said though, gargoyles will rarely intervene in matters between their ¡®pets.¡¯ There are a few tales of gargoyles doing so, but this is often only the case when they have come to see a ¡®pet¡¯ as a friend. As in the case of the young girl whose abusive father was eaten by a gargoyle. Before the event, she used to bring the gargoyle snacks and speak with it often. It can also happen when one individual is causing great harm to their fellow ¡®pets.¡¯ Hence why slavery rings abhor and fear gargoyles. More than a few gargoyles have perched on a slaver¡¯s building only to see the ¡®slaves¡¯ as pets too¡­ and then become discontent with their treatment. So, really, treat anyone in a building with a gargoyle well. Even if you don¡¯t like them. Now, after my lecture on this topic, a number of my students asked how to go about attracting a gargoyle onto their family estates. Now, if your building is large that¡¯s already half the battle won. Then, you just need to make sure they have ample ¡®pets¡¯ in the building. As some gargoyles can read, you may also want to put up a sign welcoming and inviting them to roost on your home. Once they¡¯re there, you can be assured they won¡¯t be leaving though so make sure you really do want a gargoyle there before you go about attracting one. Oh, and you can also make additional perch points with decoration as this will help them attract a mate. They¡¯ll really love you for that. If you¡¯ve tried that and it doesn¡¯t help, it¡¯s time to contact a wizard. Unsurprisingly, wizards love to summon gargoyles to guard their buildings. Vampires ¡° He looked down at them like insects that dared to dirty his boots. Mere cattle. Blood with legs.¡± ¨C Where Blood Runs author unknown. The above is taken from a great work detailing vampires, their habits, their lifestyles, and the nature of their so-called covens. It¡¯s an interesting thing that vampires and witches both call their clans or ¡®families¡¯ covens. Witches tend to be hereditary rather than wizards which are taken on as apprentices. Witches can be wizards of course, but a wizard cannot be a witch. And, here I go getting off topic again. I almost feel sorry for my students. Before we really get into vampires though, it¡¯s important to know that there are many vampiric creatures, but in this case, I speak of those who are most often given the singular title of ¡®vampire.¡¯ Yes, those creatures who appear human, and feed upon us. And, make no mistake about that. Werewolves may not pay us much notice, but vampires prey upon us. For that reason, cities and towns are where you¡¯ll find vampires. Or, at least somewhere nearby. Have you ever come across an incredibly charming person? Perhaps a woman who stole your heart with a single glance? Or a man you couldn¡¯t refuse? No matter what he asked¡­ These creatures are predators. Their charm is thought to be supernatural in nature, but perhaps it comes from centuries of experience in getting people to do what they want. Either way, vampires are charming, personable creatures. They excel at concealing their emotions and can fit into any social circle in moments. A number have even infiltrated vampire hunting groups. Even among the vampire we speak of here, it¡¯s important to remember there are a few different kinds. But, the difference has more to do with strength and ability than anything else. Not all take on the vampiric curse so well. Some become little more than ravenous beasts and are often killed by their own kind due to prevent areas from being depopulated. And, judging by a few other sources, the disgust they cause. These creatures make up the lowest of the low within a vampire¡¯s social circles. Worth less than humans in many cases. And, keep in mind, they see us the way we see cattle. Then, come various levels of vampire. Their power grows as they age, but some have great power instantly on creation. Vampires are unable to breed, and must infect other humans to carry on. Their ¡®families¡¯ consist of those who sired others and they resemble human families in many ways. Some are said to be loving and friendly place. But, most see covens only as power to be wielded. As such, they can be rather scary, treacherous places to live. Even for vampires. Unlike werewolves, vampires must spread their curse in a more ritual fashion. They must bite the one they intend to change and drink their blood until the human is on the brink of death. Then, the human must drink the vampire¡¯s blood. There are also some murky myths relating to alternative methods of spreading the curse, but they lack supporting evidence. But, well above the vampires we¡¯ve discussed. Above even those of supreme age and natural tendencies toward strength are vampire lords. Each vampire lord is¡­ incredibly powerful. No doubt you¡¯ve seen testaments to their power in the history books. Whole armies have gone against them and lost. Vampire lords are everything lesser vampires are and so much more. Little is known about the full extent of their powers, or how they come into being as all of that seems to be a closely guarded secret in vampire society. Even our unknown author didn¡¯t know or chose not to share it. Some believe the author was, in fact, a vampire. Why a vampire would share all that they did though¡­ I can¡¯t imagine. But, just remember that vampire lords are powerful enough for entire covens to fear a single vampire lord. A few vampire lords also have covens, but others are said to be fairly solitary. Regardless, they are not to be underestimated. And, on that note, I feel I should add a warning. Do not seek to provoke a vampire lord. In Lestria such an act is punishable by death. Nobody wants a war with such powerful creatures. There is little to be gained from such an action, and much to be lost.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. I often say do not seek out the creatures in this compendium, and vampire lords are on another level. For the most part, they seem to leave us alone, and thus we leave them alone. Yes, there¡¯s no doubt that they feast upon us, but the difference is a few lives a year compared to tens of thousands in an instant. Vampire lords are also thought to practice magic. We¡¯ve dealt with the results of powerful, evil wizards. Now imagine those who have had thousands of years to practice. No, a war with a vampire lord is to be avoided as much as possible. They are costly affairs. There are vampire hunters of course, but even they avoid vampire lords. Or, they die even earlier than normal. Vampires are undead and do not age. Their skin is warm, however, and blood still pulses through their veins. No doubt so they can fit in better with human society. All the better to prey upon us. There are many myths surrounding vampires, but hopefully I can set things straight for you here. Please keep in mind that I don¡¯t know if any of this applies to vampire lords. Vampires are supernaturally strong, and fast. So fast and strong, that even wizards can die at the hands of a vampire. After all, what good are your spells if they don¡¯t hit your target? Vampires must drink blood. It¡¯s unknown what the exact amount they must consume or over what period of time, but they have to. They can subsist on animal blood, but humans are their chosen prey. You may balk at the thought and wonder why they don¡¯t simply target animals? Why harm humans if they don¡¯t even have to? To that, a vampire might respond with why we eat meat when it is possible, although difficult, to subsist without it. Human blood seems to be the healthier choice for them, and as they view us as cattle¡­ they aren¡¯t inclined to bother changing. We are their prey, and there¡¯s not much to be done about that. Unless you fancy becoming a vampire hunter that is. Some vampires, even those who are not lords, practice magic. This can make an already deadly, and tricky foe even more dangerous. But, vampires are not without weaknesses. First, to dispel the foolish notion that silver is harmful to vampires. It means nothing to vampires. The idea that it does comes from werewolves. Against a vampire, a silver weapon is no more useful than any other metal. There are other misconceptions, but by far the most common is the idea of silver being lethal. So, now to discuss methods that actually do something. Holy water. Now this is a tricky one because it can be dangerous for vampires. But, it has to be specifically made by infusing water with divine power. Or magical power in some cases. The water itself has to be infused with the spell. This process is incredibly wasteful as much of the power in the spell is lost. There are far more dangerous and effective spells, so this fell out of favor a very long time ago. If someone offers to sell you ¡®holy water¡¯ it¡¯s quite likely to just be water. A wooden stake through the heart. This, like holy water, is effective in a way. But, it doesn¡¯t kill the vampire. Putting a wooden stake through a vampire¡¯s heart merely renders it comatose. It might appear to be dead, but remove the stake, and you¡¯ll find out that it¡¯s very much alive. And, quite likely, annoyed. Honestly, if you¡¯re in a position to put a stake through a vampire¡¯s heart, you might as well do something to kill it instead. Unless not doing so is your goal for some reason. Though, some hunters prefer to render a vampire comatose and then finish it with a killing blow afterward. But, the heart isn¡¯t an easy target to hit, and more than a few would be hunters were fooled by a vampire playing to be comatose. Sunlight is another tricky one. Vampires are significantly weakened during the day. This effect is greatly enhanced when they¡¯re in direct sunlight. The harsher the sun is, the more it saps their strength. Contrary to popular belief, they don¡¯t spontaneously combust or something, but powerful enough sunlight will render them utterly helpless. This is why most hunters do their hunting during the day. It greatly negates a vampire¡¯s strength and speed even if they¡¯re not in it. But, should the fight take place outside¡­ the vampire will find themselves at a greater disadvantage with each passing second. That being said, vampires tend to take extreme precautions to deal with this. There are even mythical magical items spoken of within vampire circles that are supposed to grant immunity to sunlight and all its effects. But, so far we haven¡¯t discussed how to actually kill a vampire. Is it even possible? Yes. It¡¯s difficult though. As should be clear by everything I¡¯ve said thus far. Vampires are able to regenerate from almost any wound, much like werewolves. However, after a certain point they will fall into a comatose state and take a while to fully recover. Cutting off a vampire¡¯s head is something it cannot recover from, however. But, keep in mind that the flesh of these creatures is supernaturally tough, so decapitating one is akin to trying to chop down a tree with a blunt axe. Not the easiest thing to be sure. Enchanted items are a necessity. Fire can also kill a vampire, as can anything else that would reduce them to ash or less. But, keep in mind the fire has to be hot enough to actually incinerate them. Vampires can recover even when reduced to what seems to be a charred corpse. Decapitate them or utterly destroy them. That¡¯s about it. Any spells that would do the above will, of course, kill a vampire, which makes wizards or extremely prepared warriors with lots of enchanted equipment the bane of a vampire¡¯s existence. But, of course, vampires can wield enchanted items themselves, and more than a few practice magic. So, it is a rare thing indeed for a vampire to be killed. What is to be done then I hear you asking. Should we just allow these creatures to prey upon us? It¡¯s either that or risk your life as a vampire hunter, I¡¯m afraid. Beyond that¡­ I have no answers. Witches ¡°To think a child should gain the equivalent of my years of study without any effort! The unfairness of it all!¡± ¨C Mordke The Flamboyant. The above is a good way to discern one of the largest differences between witches and wizards. Witches can learn magic, just as wizards do, but they also gain hereditary magic. They seem to inherit the practice of certain spells automatically. This knowledge is instinctual in nature, and often witches don¡¯t even know why or what they¡¯re doing when they practice this form of magic. It just feels right to them. This isn¡¯t always the case though as witches sometimes gain more detailed knowledge and come to know the spells the way a wizard does. Only without any study. Witches are naturally gifted with magic, and aside from their hereditary magic, they tend to learn wizardry at an accelerated rate. So, it¡¯s important to remember that witches can be just as dangerous as the most powerful wizards. If not more so in many cases. Something else that makes witches more powerful is that they often form covens. Most wizards are solitary by nature and jealously guard their secrets, but witches are born from at least one witch parent. Although, there are reports of witches being born to non-witch parents. But, this could be the result of infidelity and is unable to be validated. Suffice it to say it¡¯s certainly more common for witches to have at least one witch parent. As such, they are born in families of magic, so working magic with others becomes normal for them. There may be some other compulsion for why they work coven magic as they do, but it is unknown at this time. Witches also tend to have larger magical reserves, the ability to cast more powerful spells and more of them than the average wizard. This doesn¡¯t mean to say that all witches have magical reserves that are greater than any wizard, but on average they have larger reserves than wizards. Not nearly as much as sorcerers were said to have, but that¡¯s a topic for another entry. Now, perhaps you¡¯re wondering why I¡¯ll include witches in this monster compendium but not orcs? At least not for the moment. The answer is simple. While I wouldn¡¯t classify any but the evilest of witches a monster, witches are magical in nature. They are¡­ something else. So, I don¡¯t want to see any of my students shouting anti-witch rhetoric or anything stupid or claiming they aren¡¯t people. They¡¯re here because they¡¯re magical creatures. They¡¯re still people, and the first to suggest otherwise will find themselves thrown out of my class by the scruff of their neck! I include them for the same reason I include elementals. To educate people. There is a lot of fear toward witches, and I hope that entries like this one will help to dispel that fear. People are wont to fear the unknown after all. So, I hope to remove the shroud of mystery that surrounds witches.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. They are not by their nature evil. They can be, certainly. But, a wizard can be evil just as easily. Such is the nature of most beings, unfortunately. So, what else makes witches different? They tend to live longer than others of the race they resemble, as witches will look like dwarves, humans, elves¡­ or any number of intelligent creatures. This is determined by the witch¡¯s parents. There are even some theories that witches aren¡¯t a different species, but rather a type of sub-species triggered by¡­ something¡­ But, I digress. Even without spells to extend their life, witches just seem to hold onto their youth longer. Perhaps because of the magical energy within them? So, a witch-human may live over a hundred years and still look young. A witch-dragon could do so for¡­ gods¡­ I don¡¯t even know how long. Animals and other magical creatures will sense witches and either seek them out or flee from them. These creatures often seem to be able to detect a witch¡¯s disposition as well. Good creatures tend to avoid evil witches and vice versa. It¡¯s possible that it may be due to the smell of blood sacrifices or other magic they might¡¯ve done¡­ But, regardless, witches are uniquely capable of interacting with magical creatures and animals without fear. There have been stories of a young witch coming across wolf packs and having the wolves lying on the ground getting their bellies scratched within seconds. Although, this isn¡¯t to say that they¡¯ll never be attacked or have a negative reaction from these creatures, rather¡­ they just have a way with them. It¡¯s also important to remember that witches are born to their magic, and often their whole thinking toward it is radically different from a wizard¡¯s. A wizard must devote a great deal of time and effort to learn their spells. As such, most who become wizards have a desire for power. Witches can have this desire, but it¡¯s not as universal as it is for wizards. This, combined with their hereditary magic, often means that witches practice forms of magic that wizards just¡­ don¡¯t. Can you see most wizards practicing fertility magic? Family magic? Magic of the home? Cooking magic? If they do, they¡¯re a rare few for sure. This is common for witches, however. As such, witches can make wonderful spouses and even quickly become the center of a whole community. It¡¯s likely clear from this entry so far, that witches can be either male or female. However, male witches are rare. For some reason, most witches are women. The reason for this is unknown. Some theorize that it is the nature of the hereditary magic influencing the child¡¯s gender. There is some merit to this theory as most male witches tend to have more aggressive magic. This isn¡¯t to say they¡¯re more powerful, but rather that they tend to have very different hereditary magic. It¡¯s very rare for a male witch to gain hereditary fertility magic or home magic. Not unheard of, just rare. Witches can breed with whatever race they resemble though, so there doesn¡¯t seem to be any real downside for them. So, how should you handle a witch? Well¡­ that depends on the witch I imagine. Other than their magic, they¡¯re the same as any other of their race. So, really, treating them as you would a wizard is likely your best course of action. They¡¯re people. Judge your actions based on who they are. But, for all my talk of tolerance, I urge caution as well. Yes, a witch could be a great blessing to a town or a city. He or she could help farmers produce bountiful crops, make sure women have smooth births, and defend the settlement with powerful magic. But, they could just as easily sacrifice everyone on an altar and raise them as undead servants while binding their souls to an eternity of howling torment. Be careful who you call friend. Chimeras ¡°I know not which of the hells it crawled out of, but clearly this demon does not belong in our world!¡± ¨C Bernius Berkely, late researcher. While many laugh at the man I¡¯ve quoted above for believing that chimeras are demons, I think it wise to take a step back instead. This man was indeed wrong about that, but he did a great deal to propel research in his time. Much of the work he did is still in use today. He did incredible work and was a true visionary. So, why did he make this mistake? It¡¯s important to remember that he first started studying chimeras when there was a fraction of the information that¡¯s available today. And, really, can you blame someone for looking at such a horror and thinking it¡¯s a demon? I certainly can¡¯t. It¡¯s taken extensive testing of captured chimeras to determine that they aren¡¯t demons. But, this is all off-topic. It¡¯s time to dive right into discussing the chimera. A chimera has three heads, a lion¡¯s and a goat¡¯s spring from the front of it, and its tail is that of a snake, ending in yet another head. Do you begin to see now why someone might take one look at such a creature and scream ¡°demon!¡±? But, a chimera has reason to be far more dangerous than just looking horrifying. It is endowed with what appears to be some form of magical power, discerning what is magic and what isn¡¯t can be difficult at times. But, let¡¯s run through what a chimera is capable of and perhaps one day you will be the researcher to discern what is indeed magical and what is¡­ something else. To start with, chimeras project something similar to a wizard¡¯s aura of fear spell. As if their visage wasn¡¯t terrifying enough, they can turn even the bravest hearts into meek, quivering puddles. The fear is gripping, and damn-near impossible to overcome without the use of magic. Perhaps you¡¯ve read some of the stories of heroes facing a chimera and simply quivering on the spot before being slowly devoured? Maybe you yelled at the hero in the pages or imagined how you might behave differently. I regret to inform you, you would meet the same fate. So, make sure to protect yourself against that. But, the chimera¡¯s bite is much worse than its bark, as they say. It is exceedingly fast and strong. Able to tear through an army of men as though they were mice before a cat. It is also immensely agile and dodges attacks nimbly. But, should your blow strike true, odds are that it will simply bounce off the impossibly tough hide. And, should you draw blood, you¡¯ll find that theirs is acidic. Take care that it doesn¡¯t eat through the metal of your blade and leave you holding a hilt and not much else. But, that¡¯s far from the worst a chimera has to offer. Each head has specific properties. The Lion¡¯s head can breathe fire, not unlike a dragon¡¯s flames. It also has exceedingly sharp vision, hearing, and smell.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. The goat¡¯s head breathes ice and seems to be able to produce a focused version of the fear spell. When it fixes its gaze on someone, it can render even those with protection helpless with fear. The snake¡¯s head that makes up the chimera¡¯s tail is long and sinuous. It¡¯s able to deal with whatever threat the other heads cannot. There is no angle you can approach a chimera from that it cannot see you and fight back. The snake head in particular, is somehow able to see living things even in total darkness. How it does this, nobody knows. Not yet at least. Perhaps a detect life spell? One can only guess. Its sense of smell or taste is also easily the best of all the heads. Its bite is venomous to the extreme, but given the enormous size of the head, few survive long enough for us to have an accurate measure of how deadly exactly. It also breathes poisonous gas. There was some research conducted a few years back where the researchers used human test subjects with chimeras to discern how deadly the venom was and other such information. Unfortunately, their research was as flawed as their morals, and their work is of little use. Now then¡­ how big can a chimera get? As large as a small house is for certain. The younger they are, the smaller they are, so they are often much smaller than this. A few have been said to be as large as the most massive of dragons, but these reports are unconfirmed. Admittedly, chimera are fearsome, dangerous creatures, but there is more than this that led many to believe they were demonic for a long time. You see, chimeras are nothing like gryphons, elementals, witches, or the many creatures I¡¯ve mentioned that are often good at heart. No, chimeras are monsters in the truest sense. They have voracious appetites, not unlike an ogre, and have been known to devour entire towns. But, even with their endless hunger, they don¡¯t always eat their kills. Chimeras are somewhat intelligent creatures, and often toy with their prey. They delight in tormenting other creatures. They delight in destroying just for the sake of destruction it seems. And, not just towns, villages, and the occasional city. They lay waste to forests, poison waterholes with their snake head, destroy ships, watchtowers, set fields on fire, cause rockslides, avalanches, and generally anything that causes other creatures to suffer and die. They are also well known for their conflicts with gryphons, where the gryphons usually die I¡¯m sad to say¡­ It¡¯s easy to see why people once thought these creatures were demonic. As to what they actually are or how they originated¡­ there are several theories floating around at the moment. Some still cling to the idea that they are demonic in some way, perhaps in part if not in whole, others believe they may be the product of an experiment. Perhaps by a powerful wizard, lich, demon, or maybe even a god? Given their excessively violent nature and keen senses, they are exceedingly hard to observe. But, many researchers have spent long, stressful hours watching these creatures. Often at the expense of their own lives. But, thanks to their efforts, we know at least some things about what chimeras are like in other areas of their lives. Chimeras mate in what looks like more of a battle to the death than anything else and often leads to at least one of them being killed. Then, if the survivor is female, she later gives birth to a litter. But, she won¡¯t stay to look after them and will immediately leave while her children are still gaining their bearings. This is the smallest chimeras ever get, and the most vulnerable they¡¯ll ever be. But, they¡¯re still deadly. With their mother gone, the child chimeras either move in opposite directions or kill and even eat each other. A few have been known to leave in pairs, but this is extremely rare. Even rarer, some chimeras actually nest together. Two is the most you¡¯re likely to find though, and such things are so rare as to be things of legend. Even those that stay together never seem to get along. But, regardless. Those who survive will immediately begin following the habits of their parents, leading some to believe it¡¯s instinctual. They devour, destroy, and grow larger and more powerful. Some have tried to tame chimeras, and the results tend to be utterly disastrous. There are texts referring to it having been achieved during The Great War, but there is so little left from that time that it¡¯s impossible to know if this was true or not. Or, how they did it. Perhaps that is for the best. War is a bloody, monstrous affair without chimeras being added to the mix. Wyverns ¡°At the royal decree of his majesty, all wyverns are to be reported to your nearest government building. We cannot allow these creatures to go on plundering livestock as they see fit! Finally, we have aid!¡± ¨C Baron Ethimor Kathernicus after convincing Lestria¡¯s king of the dangers posed by wyverns. Ah, the wyvern! There are few things farmers fear more than wyverns. After all, there are few things worse than watching your livelihood disappear in front of you. Unlike chimeras, wyverns behave much more like ordinary beasts. They hunt and eat when they are hungry, and while they eat a lot, they aren¡¯t as insatiable as ogres or chimeras. But, they¡¯re large, and a farmer¡¯s livestock can quickly disappear down a wyvern¡¯s gullet. Lestria¡¯s royalty finally being convinced to aid farmers and poorer areas with dealing with wyverns marked a turning point for many. After all, while wyverns aren¡¯t the most horrifying of beasts, they aren¡¯t something an ordinary village is capable of dealing with. There were many tales of villagers marching out themselves to confront a wyvern before it devoured all their livestock, but such tales usually resulted in the wyvern killing them all. Make no mistake, while wyverns tend to avoid direct conflict with humanoid creatures, they are fearsome beasts. And, thinking of them as beasts is perhaps the wisest thing you can do. They¡¯re not particularly intelligent. Their minds can perhaps be compared to that of a cat or a bird of prey. Needless to say, they can¡¯t be reasoned with. They can be worked around if the settlement is capable of producing enough to live off even with a wyvern poaching entire cows each day. But, such a thing is rare, and more than a little frustrating to deal with. Not to mention, wyverns are likely to mate and feeding one is nothing compared to feeding seven. So, given that wyverns aren¡¯t particularly bright, what makes them so difficult to deal with? Why is it that the army or specialized hunters have to be called in? For starters, these beasts can grow frighteningly large. Not even close to as big as dragons, but big enough to carry a cow in each foot with ease as they fly into the distance. Their scales, usually green or brown in color, are tough enough to shrug off most ordinary steel weapons.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Add to that, the fact they breathe poisonous gas, have a venomous bite, and a tail ending in a barbed stinger full of even deadlier venom, and you begin to see why these beasts aren¡¯t something the average village can contend with. And, while they might not have our level of intelligence, they are by no means idiotic. Just because they can¡¯t speak or reason, as we do, doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯ll blindly stumble into obvious traps. Wyverns are best left to those skilled in dealing with them. Otherwise, they tend to avoid humanoids as I said before. It¡¯s not entirely clear why. Personally, I think we probably just don¡¯t taste that nice. It¡¯s not a popular theory (though I have no idea why), but it¡¯s the one I¡¯m sticking to. Feel free to prove me wrong. Honestly, people who say they avoid humanoids out of fear drive me up the wall. As I¡¯ve said, they are easily capable of dealing with whole villages if they have to. But, there I go digressing again. Back to the topic at hand¡­ Given their appearance, it¡¯s easy to understand why they¡¯re often mistaken for dragons. In fact, most wyvern sightings are reported as dragons. At some stage, I¡¯ll add an entry on dragons to this compendium, but for now, let¡¯s discuss a few basic ways one might discern the difference. For starters, wyverns only ever have two legs, and a pair of wings. They do not have four legs and two wings as most dragons do. But, this alone isn¡¯t enough as some few dragons only have two legs. So, what other ways are there? Well, first off, if it¡¯s talking to you, then it¡¯s either a dragon or there¡¯s magic at work. As I said, wyverns simply aren¡¯t capable of normal speech. The barb on the tail is one of the best ways to tell the difference as this is very rare on dragons. Size is, of course, a factor. Dragons grow much larger than wyverns do, but it¡¯s by no means the sole way to judge things as it could just be a young dragon. Some dragons can also breathe poisonous gas, and a few have a venomous bite, so how then do you truly tell the difference? The best way is to think it through. If you see something that looks exactly like a wyvern, then odds are that it¡¯s a wyvern. Wyverns are far more common than dragons, and coming across a dragon that just happens to have many of the features of a wyvern is exceedingly unlikely. I¡¯d still advise avoiding either creature anyway though. But, then, I¡¯m fond of not getting eaten. As I mentioned earlier, wyverns do nest. The male usually builds the nest and then seeks out a female. If she approves, the two mate and the female lays eggs that the two then look after. Not unlike birds, in fact. Wyverns typically lay five eggs at a time, but different factors can, of course, influence this, and it shouldn¡¯t be regarded as a fixed rule. One of the eastern kingdoms successfully tamed wyverns and has wyvern riders much as we have gryphon riders. Their methods were successfully replicated in Lestria, but wyverns cost more to keep and are more dangerous and difficult to tame. As such, they¡¯re still not used much. Ghosts ¡°I really wish the dearly departed would stay that way¡­¡± ¨C Baron Straus It¡¯s time for us to return to the topic of the undead. We¡¯ve spoken of ghouls before, and now it is time for us to turn out attention to ghosts! The afterlife and passing on can all be a rather tricky and complicated affair. Most spirits make their way to where they¡¯re meant to be after death¡­ but some do not. These spirits who have been left behind can take many forms. Ghosts are one of the most common of these. Going through the various reasons or ways in which a spirit remains in our world voluntarily or otherwise would take far too long. Like I said, the afterlife is a complicated affair, and things do go wrong. However, there are several notable factors that can often lead to spirits remaining with us. A traumatic death is by far the most common. There are many theories as to why this is the case. One of the most popular ones being that a traumatic death leads to a confused spirit with wildly fluctuating energy. This disturbance is thought to disrupt the process of passing on, leading to a ghost being stuck in our world. Ghosts stuck in this way are often confused, disoriented, and unable to fully understand their surroundings. They will often ¡®live through¡¯ their death over and over again. It¡¯s not uncommon for battlefields to be filled with ghosts stuck in endless combat. Following orders from officers who aren¡¯t there and being unable to even ¡®see¡¯ the world as it is. Their condition isn¡¯t all that different from that of some of those who survive such horrific events. The good news is that these ghosts can be reasoned with and helped to pass on even without the aid of magic. However, the trick is getting them to somehow snap out of their trance-like state for long enough to even acknowledge you. If you can get them to do so, it¡¯s possible to get the spirits to realize that they are in fact dead and to put their trauma behind them. When they are ready, they will then depart for wherever they were meant to go in the first place. Unfinished business is, of course, another common one. Now, maybe you¡¯re worried that someone you knew will now start haunting you because you never did return that book of theirs. But, this is very unlikely. Yes, it¡¯s common that ghosts have unfinished business, but then almost anyone who dies has unfinished business and most of them pass on without issue. Because of this, I¡¯ve had a few heated debates with colleagues over whether it is, in fact, a cause at all. Sure, many ghosts stay behind due to unfinished business (or so it seems) but what about all the others who feel just the same but move on perfectly fine? Like everything in life (or death as the case may be), further research is needed. There is always more to learn, and as frustrating as that is, it¡¯s also rather exciting. All that being said though, these ghosts can also often be reasoned with or helped. Some cannot. Some are violent and dangerous, and others simply have no interest in moving on. Keep in mind that ghosts can still pose a significant danger to those of us who are alive, but we¡¯ll get to that in a bit. First, I thought it good to say that the above types of ghosts are perhaps the most commonly dealt with by the layman. Even you. If you¡¯re good at talking, working things out, and helping people¡­ well, perhaps you¡¯ll become one of those who goes around helping these restless spirits pass on. Just keep in mind that they can be very dangerous, and not all of them are so innocent or friendly. Ghosts are people after all. Just¡­ dead ones. (Animals can, of course, be ghosts as well, but this is rare and communicating with them would be absurdly difficult.)Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. So, now we get to the last cause I¡¯ll discuss here. The cause that you should not try to rectify. No, this is best left to the experts and only the experts. Heed this warning or die. Magic. As soon as magic is involved all the rules change. A spell gone wrong can easily cause spirits to be trapped, summon them from beyond, call them from elsewhere on the same plane, bind them¡­ or an infinite number of other things. Magic that causes such things can be just by accident, but it can also be by intent. Necromancers commonly use such magic, and not all of them for nefarious purposes. But, there are twisted, dark magics that would devour even the most black-hearted wizard from the inside out. There are too many spells, and the complexities involved are quite frankly beyond me, but suffice it to say that there are many places in this world that have become haunted and cursed as the result of such twisted magic. When magic is involved talking, and reason will not help, and even the spirit of your best friend might reach inside your chest and rip out your spine. Even those skilled in dealing with such matters often choose to simply avoid them. But, all that being said let¡¯s discuss more about ghosts themselves. When it comes to personality or behavior¡­ there isn¡¯t much I can do. We aren¡¯t talking about chimeras or wyverns here. These are people (and sometimes animals but those are almost always the result of magic for some reason). As such, their personalities differ wildly. What they do. What they say. How they talk, even what language they speak or if they speak at all¡­ depends on the ghost. So, rather than focus on behavior, let¡¯s discuss a bit of what ghosts are capable of. The full extent of their abilities and even how they do what they do isn¡¯t known, but we do have a lot of records. So, just remember that any ghost you encounter may or may not be able to do these things and may be able to do something you could never have expected. So, let¡¯s get started. Ghosts are ethereal beings, and as such conventional weapons do nothing to them. The tales of ghosts being held back by a line of salt or iron are greatly exaggerated. Salt and iron do seem to disrupt them a bit but keep in mind they can fly or drift over lines of salt without difficulty. Being struck with iron appears to make it harder for them to keep their form, but it won¡¯t actually cause them any harm. They¡¯ll just reform right away. Perhaps slightly annoyed. It takes very specialized magic to deal with ghosts. Normal spells fare little better than ordinary weapons. Given that ghosts don¡¯t have a body to strike, this is hardly surprising. Even magical weapons have to be enchanted specifically to deal with ghosts. After all, what good is a sharpness enchantment when ghosts have no flesh to cut? It¡¯s also good to keep in mind that ghosts are souls. They¡¯re spirits. They obviously can¡¯t be killed, and unlike corporeal undead, they don¡¯t have a body. So, even those magics that are effective against ghosts usually only cause them to dissipate for a time. Unless the ghosts are trapped or sent somewhere else (through the use of magic or otherwise), they will remain. So, what are ghosts capable of? Perhaps when you were small your mother tucked you into bed and told you they couldn¡¯t hurt you. That all they could do was make you afraid¡­ If only that were true¡­ While harming ghosts is incredibly difficult, the reverse cannot be said. They are incorporeal but are still able to interact with the physical world to a greater or lesser extent. They can touch you. Strangle you. Cut you. And, often the wounds a ghost inflicts are worse than a physical blade. Not just because of the harm they can do to your spirit and psyche, but because they can choose what they interact with. They can reach through your flesh and squeeze your heart. Although, steel armor does help mitigate such dangers as they have trouble keeping themselves together enough to inflict serious wounds through iron. There are also other, far rarer, metals that give ghosts significantly more trouble than iron. Some ghosts are capable of telekinesis as well. The ability to move objects with their mind. Not unlike the wizard spell. So, they could hurl you into the air and allow you to plummet to your death. Throw knives, and other deadly objects, or otherwise turn your life into a horror show. Ghosts also project an aura of fear, much like the spell. And no, it¡¯s not just because ghosts are scary. It has been thoroughly tested, and the fear they induce is magical in nature. Many have control over this, however. Ghosts also seem to conjure or create objects that don¡¯t really exist and will usually vanish should the ghost pass on. And so the list goes on¡­ Ghosts are capable of so much, but thankfully their control is often lacking. Perhaps now you begin to understand why even those who know how to deal with them choose to avoid it as much as possible. But, all that being said, whole fields of research have opened up because of all the things ghosts are capable of as people begin to explore what we might be capable of even while alive. What powers do our souls possess? Genies, Jinn, and Djinn. What is your wish? ¡°Tell me¡­ what is your desire? What do you yearn for so desperately your soul aches? What¡­ is your wish¡­?¡± ¨C The Djinn from Djinn And Fire by Tamak Nako Genies, jinn, djinn. All these names refer to a single race of beings. A race of beings that has brought immeasurable joy¡­ and depthless despair. They shall be referred to as jinn within this text, but they are all one and the same. There are some who think jinn are wondrous beings who fulfill any wish. Others, who believe that their wishes are always twisted into a horrific parody of the subject¡¯s desire leading to unbearable torments. There is truth in both of these. Jinn are profoundly powerful, some would say godlike, and some grant wishes in the spirit with which they were asked¡­ others will twist your words until you wish you¡¯d died rather than met a jinn. How do you tell them apart? You can¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid. Or, if there is such a method¡­ it is not known to me. So, any wish is made entirely at your own risk. However, it should be noted that many jinn who give twisted wishes usually do so to people who are morally¡­ corrupt. They seem to delight in turning an evil man¡¯s greatest desires against him. But, make no mistake, they have done the same to the purest of souls. Wizards have invested a great deal of time into the study of jinn, contracts with them, and summoning rituals. Sometimes, they even come out on top with carefully worded wishes. But, although jinn are far from as evil as demons, I feel that I should repeat my warning when dealing with them. They are old. Far older than you, and immeasurably powerful. How many wishes do you think they¡¯ve given out? How many witty tricks do you think they¡¯ve seen? To think for even a moment that you can beat such a creature at its own game is prideful at best. But, it¡¯s been done before I hear you say! And, do you know for sure that the jinni in question didn¡¯t just feel like going along with it? We don¡¯t know their motivations. Even now after all the years people have searched them out and all the wishes that have been made¡­ we still don¡¯t know what it is that jinn desire. We don¡¯t know what motivates them. What they feel. What they think. Nor even how they think. Feel free to try to outsmart a centuries-old entity of cosmic power though. Maybe you¡¯ll even succeed. Unfortunately, so little is known of jinn that it¡¯s hard to present any accurate or verified information whatsoever. And, as they seem to delight in misleading, tricking, and otherwise toying with people we can¡¯t be sure of anything when it comes to jinn. So, much of what I discuss here is unverified. Perhaps you will be the one to separate fact from fiction. So, let¡¯s dive right in. Jinn are powerful, as I¡¯ve said, so let¡¯s go through a bit of what they¡¯ve done. Let¡¯s dig into just how powerful they really are. Do they even have any limits? Are they more powerful than the gods themselves? Once again, we can never be sure, but it would seem that they do indeed have limits. Just very high ones. There have been numerous instances of jinn proclaiming themselves unable to fulfill a wish. Usually, the wish in question is one that even a god couldn¡¯t do. Such as wishing for all the gods to be dead, for the universe to be unmade, and generally wishes that involve the destruction of entities on a cosmic scale. It should be noted that those who tried such wishes were usually later killed by gods or their servants. Only a madman would ask for any of this to begin with so I won¡¯t bother to advise you against such folly. But, while they¡¯ve been unable, or unwilling, to grant such massive wishes¡­ the wishes they have granted show at least some of their incredible power. There are many who have wished to become immortal. To become invulnerable to all attacks. And, their wishes have been granted. Such people have since faded into fables, so it¡¯s impossible to know if their wishes were truly granted as they may have died several thousand years later. But, I believe that they survived. I believe that these wishes were granted fully. I think that they simply moved on to other planes or stepped out of the public eye. After all, if you can¡¯t die perhaps it¡¯s time to explore the cosmos with any wishes you might have remaining? They have also granted massive amounts of wealth. So much gold that economies have crashed. Palaces so large that they were impossible to guard. And they have granted victory in countless battles. Often utterly destroying whole armies with disturbing ease.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. There are even a few ancient texts that speak of jinn creating new gods. But, judging by the power of these ¡®gods¡¯ it seems more likely that they made people demigods and whether they became full gods or not was up to the person in question. Or, whether they were instantly killed or imprisoned by the current gods. So, I think we¡¯ve established that jinn are indeed powerful. Frighteningly, and unstoppably so. It has often been said that the only thing that can defend against a jinni is another jinni. Or, perhaps, a god? So, why do these beings bother to grant wishes to ones such as us? Some say that they simply enjoy it. But, I believe there is more to it than that. What exactly, I cannot say. Jinn often say that they come from a different plane, one that sounds incredible. They say it is a place of limitless wealth and grandiosity. There are many records of jinn speaking of their customs as well and while many are contradictory there are a few that are repeated often. For example, jinn are said have massive palaces filled with servants and that they delight in finding the most exotic and incredible servants, as well as the rarest and most spectacular of creatures from all the planes and worlds. And, it is said that to be seen treating anything they ¡®own¡¯, such as a servant or pet, poorly is frowned upon in jinn society. No. Frowned upon is far too weak of a word. To do so is to be shunned, laughed at, mocked, and ridiculed for millennia. Jinn grant wishes, so is it truly any surprise that they dote on their servants and pets? That to work for a jinni is to live a life of never-ending luxury. A life filled with anything and everything your heart desires. I must admit, I¡¯d quite like to work for a jinni if any of this is true. Herbidius Finch (a wizard who at one point was granted three wishes by a jinni) asked the jinni an interesting question. With how much they spoil their servants¡­ how do they keep them in line? Thankfully for us, he recorded the answer: ¡°Ha! We grant them gifts so grand their hearts cannot go on without them! You speak of punishment? The need for obedience? All that is needed is to remove some small measure of a gift to bring them into line! Do not equate the gifts of a jinni with those of a mortal! Gold is nothing but clutter to us! Our servants obey, and they are rewarded. What need is there for a stick when their soul withers and dies without the presence of the many carrots?¡± ¨C the Jinni. I must admit, I¡¯m rather skeptical about this. There¡¯s no end of people who don¡¯t seem like anything can bring them into line but a stout stick or perhaps an axe to separate their heads from their neck. It¡¯s a sad truth, but still a truth. But, it has to be said that the jinni has a point. Anything we offer pales in comparison to what a jinni can gift freely as though it were nothing. Perhaps their gifts are truly all that is required to keep their servants in line¡­ after all, what other creature could possibly know more about wishes and the heart¡¯s deepest desires? Jinn have also led us to believe that their society has classes much like our own. ¡®Higher¡¯ jinn are said to be more powerful, and it seems that personal power greatly weighs in on where a jinni falls within their society. There are even said to be jinn princes, princesses, kings and queens, but what they rule over exactly¡­ I do not know. Perhaps they spoil lesser jinn as they do their servants? What wishes do such jinn grant I wonder? There have also been several accounts mentioning a jinn god. He is said to be supremely powerful, tricky, and a master of chaos. Apparently, he set down rules for the jinn to follow, but it seems that he isn¡¯t involved much with his people. Or, with anything really. I¡¯ve not found a single mention of this god during The Great War. But, much was lost, so it¡¯s not impossible he was involved in some fashion. A strange thing given how jinn have a propensity to grant wishes and spoil those below them, I¡¯d have thought their god would be rather doting. They speak of their god as though he moves through whichever world he chooses and grants wishes on a whim. Some speak of him as a wrathful, terrifying god never to be crossed. Others say he is whimsical, playful and delights in life like no other. Perhaps he is all that and much more? Who knows? So, given how incredible jinn can be you may be wondering how you find one despite the risks¡­ The answer is¡­ you don¡¯t. Jinn seem to act according to their own desires. They take the guise of other creatures, and sometimes even grant wishes without the person knowing it happened. Jinn simply pop up and offer a wish or three or more. There doesn¡¯t seem to be a fixed number. They could be watching you even as you read this entry, wondering what you might wish for¡­ Of course, many people have attempted to find jinn, to varying degrees of success, and others have tried to summon them. Again, to varying degrees of success. There are several methods of summoning, and while I¡¯m certainly no wizard, there are two broad concepts to think of in relation to this. One type of summoning ritual acts as an invitation of sorts. An offer to the being to be summoned to allow itself to appear where you wish it to and to form a contract by offering something it wants. Most summoning rituals are done this way, or so my wizard friends tells me. The second type is a command and forces the appearance of the summoned being. Forcing such a thing is difficult to say the least and often produces¡­ interesting results. Not to mention, it is certain to anger the summoned being. These forced summoning are usually followed by a type of forced binding rather than a mutually beneficial agreement. Now, perhaps you¡¯ve already figured out a few reasons why jinn are next to impossible to summon. First off, let¡¯s say you invite them. Why would they come? What can you possibly offer a jinni? What do you have that they would want? I¡¯d say it¡¯s rather unlikely you have anything they desire. As such, most invitations are ignored. As for the second type¡­ may I just say good luck with trying to force a being of such power to appear the way you want it to? And, assuming it does, how exactly do you plan on not being blasted into meaty chunks? Make no mistake. Jinn may apparently dote on their servants, a fact I cannot substantiate, but they will not suffer such annoyances. And, in the few times such a summoning has succeeded, even including the ones in which a binding was successful on some level¡­ the result was disastrous. You¡¯ve just given the thing granting your wish an incredible desire to twist your words and bring about a horrifying fate for you. Needless to say, I think it unwise to even attempt to do so. Even if you fail utterly, they may appear simply to kill you for trying. There are easier ways to commit suicide. Sirens ¡°Never before had I heard such a voice. Never before had I felt my will slip away like water dribbling between my fingers. The siren song is irresistible.¡± ¨C Estevao Papas after passing through siren waters while restrained so he could listen to their song. I still remember when I saw my first siren. I¡¯d been studying monsters for quite some time and had thankfully learned from my mistake of not listening to people who knew better after the incident with the sea serpent. So, I listened keenly when the sailors spoke of them. Typically, they have everyone stop up their ears although the ones I was with didn¡¯t use wax. They used earplugs made of cork instead. Apparently, wax is a nightmare to get out afterward. Needless to say, I followed their instructions and blocked up my ears when we passed through siren territory. As we sailed on, I saw them. Beautiful men and women with flawless skin and perfect yet exotic features. They all had powerful tails covered in scales like those of a fish where their legs would be otherwise, and each had gills on their neck. Their scales shone and glimmered and mesmerized the eyes. And, all of them were utterly naked. I didn¡¯t notice right away, distracted by their song even through the cork, but as I wrestled to keep myself in check, I finally saw that their teeth were long and sharp and their nails were extended into long claws. They swam beside us as though gliding through the water with ease as they sang. And, despite the cork, I would still call it the most beautiful music of my life. Even muffled, their music stirred my emotions and whispered in my mind. At first, it held me captivated by their beauty. Then, it made me want to take out the earplugs. When I resisted both of those, it grew fiercer. It called for me to murder the sailors beside me. To jump overboard. But, I resisted. And, it wasn¡¯t easy. Without the cork, I¡¯d have done anything they asked. And, I wasn¡¯t the only one struggling. The other passengers had been restrained inside their rooms. I was the only non-sailor on deck as I¡¯d specially asked to see them. Even the sailors around me strained against the song. I saw it in the way some stared longingly at the sirens keeping pace with us and the way others did everything they could to avoid looking at them as though afraid they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist if they did. The sirens followed us for hours. Tortuous hours. Sailors were pulled back by others during moments of weakness. As was I. I hadn¡¯t even noticed it, but I¡¯d been walking toward the railing. One of the men snapped me out of it with a firm grip on my shoulder as he dragged me away from the side.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Thankfully, the sirens eventually gave up and swam away, but we didn¡¯t remove the earplugs until the next day when we were sure they were gone. The captain told me they often lost a man or two even with the plugs. Sometimes more. Sirens live in salt water, but a few have been captured, and they¡¯re perfectly capable of living in fresh water too. There¡¯s even been a handful of cases where this has happened, but it¡¯s usually just a single siren, and it¡¯s very rare indeed. The same goes for rivers. They¡¯re even capable of coming onto land as they can transform their fish-like tail into humanoid legs. Sirens are extremely strong. Strong enough to tear their way through the wood most ships are made of unless it has been specially enchanted. They can also leap out of the water and snatch people out of ships (or from the shore) directly. They rarely do this, however. My encounter is fairly typical as sirens prefer to rely on the magic of their voices rather than physical strength. Their singing is incredibly powerful magic that bends mortals to their will. It can even control non-humanoid creatures. It is with their voices that they drive sailors to do whatever it takes to reach the water. Although, they¡¯ve sometimes made the sailors murder each other instead. A researcher captured and questioned a siren and apparently they do such things for fun. Sirens only need to eat a single humanoid creature (depending on size) once every six months, but they tend to devour far more than that. Thankfully, their songs are countered by blocking your hearing. If you don¡¯t have cork, you can try covering your ears with your hands, but it¡¯s not as effective. And, do keep in mind that even if you can just barely hear them, they can still manipulate you. It¡¯s not a fun experience. I found it helps to focus on what they are as their songs tend to try to distort your thinking. They¡¯ll make you see them as beautiful and pure and innocent. That you¡¯ll be happy with them or whatever nonsense helps them get what they want. Or, they may choose to torment you with twisted words, emotions, and memories dredged up from the darkest parts of your mind. But, regardless of what they do, it helps to focus on the fact that they are monsters. Horrifying, terrible creatures that will pick the meat off your bones beneath the waves and that responding to their song in any way is exactly what they want you to do. They are intelligent, capable of speech, and as polite and beautiful as they wish to be. But, do not be fooled. Sirens are evil. Voracious. Destructive. You can¡¯t change them. You can¡¯t make them fit what you wish them to be. They are evil, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. As a side note, many people seem to think that all sirens are female. This is not the case. I suspect this has arisen simply because most men respond more powerfully to the female sirens. Women tend to react to the male sirens better, but most sailors are men. So, what is to be done regarding sirens? Honestly, despite their evil nature it¡¯s best to just block your ears and get away from them. Some sailors prefer to attack them, but it is extremely dangerous and largely ineffective. Arrows quickly lose their power beneath the water and sirens are tough enough that even a hit under the best circumstances would likely do very little. Some sailors use exceptionally long spears to fend them off, but these sailors usually die. The sirens just grab the shaft and pull the sailor in if they don¡¯t let go fast enough. And, they rarely attack ships directly anyway. However, if they do, then fight for your life until you can get away. Even wizards struggle with sirens because of the water. They¡¯re hard to keep track of, and many spells are simply useless when the sirens can just duck beneath the waves. Perhaps if their numbers increase it may be worthwhile to cut them down, but it would be a costly and difficult endeavor. In the end, with all our magic and power, man will always be at a disadvantage on the water. More so beneath it. Fire, Fury, Pride, and Power! Dragons! ¡°They reigned terror from the skies. Breath of flame, lightning, poison, and fury. To be their ally is to live. To be their enemy is to greet the afterlife. Only the grandest heroes dare stand against a dragon. Thankfully, not all of them are our enemies.¡± ¨C Records of Akenthas. There are few creatures in our world that can claim to contend with dragons. It¡¯s certainly a good thing that dragons keep to themselves for the most part as they could wipe out our civilization if they so chose. The greatest wizards have overcome dragons, but that is usually with enormous preparation and is a risky venture. And, when I say the greatest wizards, I don¡¯t mean those thought of as prodigies or those respected by their peers. No. I speak of those whose power shattered the limits of mortality. Those great and terrible wizards who made empires quiver in fear. For only that level of power can hope to contend with a single dragon. So, what makes dragons so formidable? It¡¯s a long list. For starters, they tend to be enormous creatures with scales so tough they can shrug off volleys of arrows. And, though they are often portrayed as sluggish, lazy creatures, they are in fact swift and agile. There are many types of dragon of course, so I can¡¯t go too heavily into their physical features as that is far too specific a thing for the outline of such a varied race. So, we¡¯ll be dealing in generalities here. Almost all dragons are capable of flight, and of those most are far faster than gryphons. They have razor-sharp claws that cut through steel like paper. A few casual swipes from a dragon has laid entire armies low. And, dragons have all kinds of deadly breath attacks. This can usually be determined by the color of their scales, but not always and there is such an impressive variety that the only way to be sure of what kind of breath weapon a dragon has is to see it used. And, their breath weapons far overpower even chimera. In fact, it¡¯s good to keep in mind that dragons have been recorded killing chimera with casual ease. Not always, of course. But, that is usually either because the dragon in question is exceedingly young and thus weak, or because the chimera is exceptionally powerful even for one of its kind. On that note, it¡¯s good to remember that dragons get stronger as they age and there is no known limit to their life-spans. Many think they are, in fact, immortal. I am one of those people. There may be no limit to how powerful a dragon can be. Ancient dragons were recorded as giving even the greatest gods, demons, and angels significant trouble. But, in my opinion, none of that is what makes dragons so impossibly powerful. Oh, if they were mindless beasts, they may well shatter our world if they rampaged, but we¡¯d stand a better chance of winning. But, they are intelligent. Fiercely so! And, many are capable wizards. Yes. Dragon wizards. Some are even gifted in that regard. Imagine a being of such physical strength with hundreds or even thousands of years of practice? The greatest weakness for mortal wizards is their body. It¡¯s often what holds them back from attaining greater power. Dragons have no such concern. And, more than that most dragons have other special gifts. I highly doubt that all of them have been recorded.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But, to mention a few to give you an idea of some additional capabilities: There are dragons who can fortify their already tough scales to make them nigh-indestructible. Ones that can phase through physical objects. Dragons that can transform their physical bodies into lightning for a time and move at blinding speeds. And, so much more¡­ Keep in mind these gifts are not spells. They are gifts particular to the dragon. Some share the same or similar gifts, but they are still an inherent ability. Do you begin to see why we should all be thankful they choose to keep to themselves? Apparently, this is because dragons see us as being beneath them. Attacking us would be like a king calling in the army to destroy an anthill. They are prideful creatures indeed. And, I for one am extremely glad of that. But, some dragons do attack from time to time, and others take humanoids as slaves. There¡¯s little to be done about it, but given how rare it is I suspect that there is more to the story than simple pride. We know that dragons have their own society, kingdoms, and cities (usually flying ones). So, perhaps they have laws regarding the treatment of lesser races like us? There are hints of this in ancient texts, but we¡¯d need to find a dragon to ask. Fortunately or unfortunately, they are exceedingly difficult to track down. Some people even believe they are extinct or have moved to another plane. But, such theories have been largely disproved as dragons are sometimes sighted. Still¡­ it is odd that we don¡¯t see more of them. They¡¯re huge creatures after all. But, it may be entirely by their own choice. Also, dragons have been said to be able to take humanoid form if they so choose. So, they may be walking among us just for fun. Doing so greatly weakens them, however. But, even in such a weakened state, they could still deflect blows that would rip even an armored man to pieces. Or so the texts say. I¡¯ve never found a dragon willing to help me test such things. Dragons¡¯ thoughts, emotions, and motivations vary greatly. Even in the ancient texts, there is enough variety in described behavior to make it difficult to nail down anything they have in common. However, there are a few things that it seems all or most dragons share. Dragons love treasure. But, they value far more than gold and ancient texts describe dragon hoards as being a unique depiction of a particular dragon. Some favor gems and precious metals, others favor magical items, and others prefer art and tapestry. It¡¯s likely that there are many long-lost texts and artwork stuck away in some dragon¡¯s hoard. They also all seem to be prideful in some way, and they tend to have a strange concept of honor that is more important to them than their own lives in many ways. But, don¡¯t let this make you think that dragons are lovely creatures of righteousness. They have their own ideas of honor, and even an honorable dragon is probably best avoided. And, of course, not all dragons are honorable. Some have sunk into depths of evil that even the darkest of liches never reached. Dragons have a complex social structure that can differ from kingdom to kingdom. They worship Dracostrazx above all others, but some still worship the dragon titan from ages long past (whose name I shall not mention). It seems that they don¡¯t tolerate such worship though, much as we don¡¯t tolerate the worship of the titans or other beings either. But, what I found interesting was that as powerful as dragons are, their society isn¡¯t too different from our own. Some are tailors, carpenters, builders, painters, soldiers, or any number of other professions. For all that they seem to look down upon us, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re all that different. Now to dispel a few falsehoods surrounding these incredible creatures. For starters, dragons are not lizards. They are not cold-blooded. There are some who are utterly frigid, but those tend to breathe ice so is it all that surprising? Most dragons are said to be very warm indeed. They do still like to bask in sources of heat though. But, it seems to be more like how a lazy cat might lie in the sun for a time. A pleasure, not a necessity. Also, some bathe in volcanoes. Dragons lay eggs, but it¡¯s a rare thing. It¡¯s likely just as well as their impressive life-span, and enormous size would mean the world would be covered in them very quickly were this not the case. A dragon¡¯s eggs also take a very long time to hatch. Decades sometimes. But, once hatched, dragons grow fairly quickly until they reach the size of a young adult. After which time, they mature far slower but do still grow. Ancient dragons are massive indeed. Some are said to be the size of mountains. While as an egg or shortly after hatching, dragons are at their most vulnerable. Their scales are considerably weaker, their breath weapons are underdeveloped, and they have little knowledge or experience. Only The Amarok May Hunt Alone Many years ago, I went on an expedition far to the north in search of new and wondrous creatures. Only three days after finding a small, isolated settlement to take me in and help me explore, I saw a dark silhouette in the distance. It looked a bit like a wolf, but I could barely see any details despite the fact it was only snowing lightly. It took me a long moment to figure out why I couldn¡¯t see much other than the silhouette. That¡¯s when I realized it was because it was too far away. Despite the frigid climate, my blood somehow ran colder. This¡­ thing was huge. I turned to my guide. ¡°What is that?¡± I asked. She shuddered and hurried me inside. For I had seen the only hunter worthy of stalking the frozen plains alone. Once we were inside, with a good fire going, I asked again, and the villagers were much more forthcoming with answers. I¡¯ve translated my conversations with them to add to mankind¡¯s recorded knowledge. ¡°You saw an amarok,¡± said the chief. He leaned forward as he spoke, and his eyes sparkled with the reflected light of our fire. ¡°A what?¡± I asked as I eagerly began writing notes. ¡°The lone hunter,¡± said the chief, ¡°only amaroks hunt alone here. They devour anyone or anything else who tries¡­¡± I scratched at the bristle on my chin. I¡¯d been wondering why they were so insistent that nobody ever go anywhere outside the village alone. ¡°So,¡± I said, ¡°what else can you tell me about it? It looked pretty big.¡± The villagers laughed. ¡°Big indeed. A single amarok could devour our whole village in a night,¡± said the chief. I paled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we post more guards then?¡± I asked. The chief shrugged. ¡°What for? We¡¯d still die. Amaroks are too big to fight. They¡¯re strong too. And fast¡­ faster than the wind. But, they leave us alone. As long as we do not hunt alone,¡± he said. ¡°Why don¡¯t they like you hunting alone?¡± I asked. The chief took a long drink of the herbal tea they traded to outsiders for a small fortune. ¡°Never asked,¡± said the chief, ¡°but, it was easy enough to figure out they don¡¯t like it. Though¡­ sometimes they help those who go out alone. But, those were not hunters. Not before meeting an amarok anyway.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°So they aren¡¯t evil?¡± I asked. The chief laughed. ¡°Nah! Amarok aren¡¯t evil. Sometimes they give boons, but they are always painful to receive,¡± he said. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. That¡¯s when the chief told me about a young boy born into a warrior tribe whose body was badly deformed. So much so that he could scarcely walk. The village ridiculed him for being weak and small until one day they sent him out into the frozen tundra to die alone. As he stumbled through the snow, he called out to the gods and begged them for help. He cursed his own weakness and wished for strength. They sent him an amarok. It knocked him to the ground with a single swipe of his tail and shattered his bones. He lay on the snow, gasping short breaths, and in so much pain he couldn¡¯t even cry out. The amarok dragged him away to a cave where it fed him its mighty kills. Months passed as the boy healed, eating the meat of monsters no human would be insane enough to hunt. All brought to him by the amarok. One day, the amarok spoke and told the boy to get up off the floor. For while his bones hadn¡¯t healed fully, they were strong enough for him to begin strengthening them along with his muscles. The boy obeyed. He stumbled and fell time and time again, but after another month he found that he could walk. He could walk like he¡¯d always dreamed. Soon, he was able to run. His bones and every fibre of his body had healed, ridding him of his disability. The boy was elated, but still, the amarok was not done. It watched over the boy and taught him how to hunt. How to grow strong. In another month, the boy fought three bears at once and won. His body was covered in scars, and hard muscle and his bones were like iron. The boy grew into a man and saved exiles from other tribes and formed a tribe of his own. He remained a friend of the amarok. And, he often ventured into the frozen wasteland alone to meet with his dear friend who had helped him so greatly. And, unlike so many others who walk the tundra alone, he returned alive. In fact, the boy founded the very tribe that had taken me in. Over my time in the village, I learned a great deal about amaroks. It seems to me that amaroks are harsh, brutal creatures but definitely not evil ones. They have their own moral codes of a sort, and I¡¯d even dare say they¡¯re kind¡­ but in their own savage way. Their boons always seem to be rather harsh things. And, woe betide those who truly anger an amarok. I was told many tales of foolish hunters that captured or killed amarok pups. Apparently, the parents always find them. No matter where they may hide or how far they may run, or how well they cover their scent and tracks. The villagers insisted that amarok are the ultimate hunters and that nothing can hide from an amarok. I also heard mention of some mystical abilities, but that was significantly harder to pin down. Nobody has devoted much study to amaroks, so I suppose I should be happy with how much I came back with, but I still feel a bit disappointed about not learning more. Still, it seems to me that there is no doubt something mystical about them. The tales of them finding anyone, even when they use magic to mask themselves, and the tales of amaroks making people stronger and healing them¡­ I think there has to be some magic to them. Whatever their mystical abilities may be, it is certain that amarok are lone hunters and few can dare to contend with such a beast. The Harsh Light Of Angels ¡°Their glorious light washed over the battlefield, and only the greatest of darkness could hold it. And, even then, not for long¡­¡± ¨C Hrugtar The Brave after witnessing a battle between Heaven and The Hells. People certainly seem to love angels, and there¡¯s a lot of reason for that, I suppose. But, they¡¯re far from the fluffy, cuddly things that people often describe them as. The most important thing to remember when it comes to angels is that they¡¯ve been locked in an endless war with demons since the beginning. Many of them are warriors. Warriors that have seen horrors that would shatter a mortal mind. And, they¡¯ve fought these horrors for endless years. Angels, like demons, are immortal so an angel may well have seen centuries or even millennia of war. Although, given their endless war a good number of them die all the time. I heard a man once tell me that angels would never do an evil deed. Obviously, he hasn¡¯t heard of The Fallen. Nor, of the countless atrocities angels have committed either. War is war, and the battle between Heaven and The Hells is a particularly savage affair. Angels have slaughtered whole cities because they detected a single demon within them. Tens of thousands of innocents dead to kill but one demon. And, those weren¡¯t even Fallen. Most angels won''t so much as bat an eye at such actions, either. What I spoke of is not an exception among angels, but rather a pattern of behavior. The lives of mortals mean very little to angels. Some of them treasure all life, but many are brash and uncaring for what they see as insects. To mindlessly kill, or to take pleasure in the act is unusual among angels, but make no mistake. They¡¯ll kill anyone or anything if they believe it¡¯ll help them in their eternal war. Demons often seek to corrupt humans or deal with them to their advantage, but most angels seem rather disgusted with the idea of dealing with mortals. And, they¡¯ll not spare a thought about killing any number of them to achieve their goals. Thankfully, demon activity in our world is far lower than it once was and as such, it is extremely rare for angels to attack human settlements anymore. They mostly seem to ignore minor demons as well, but if demonic activity reaches certain levels, they¡¯re likely to send someone to deal with it. Which isn¡¯t to say that all angels are so brutal and uncaring. Many have watched over mortals and intervened to save innocents or punish the guilty. But, only a few do so. Perhaps it is because they are far too preoccupied with their endless war¡­A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Angels have a hierarchy much like demons, and those with higher positions tend to be considerably more powerful. There are several theories regarding whether they choose to promote powerful angels, or if the act of promotion actually increases their power beyond just those they can command. Perhaps it may even be both? Regardless, even weak angels are a force to be reckoned with. The weakest angels tend to be more formidable than the weakest of demons, but there are fewer of them. So, the angels may send just a single low-ranked warrior to eliminate a concentrated area of demonic activity. Which, may involving slaying several hellhounds for example. A single weak angel could easily destroy a small human army unless they had immense magic and power compared to the current average. It¡¯s the archangels that tend to destroy whole cities at a time. Even when they¡¯re heavily defended by wizards, priests, soldiers, and centuries of wards. In fact, archangels could probably bring whole kingdoms to their knees. Once again, I¡¯m thankful they rarely do so anymore. It was not uncommon during The Great War and even before. But, it would seem that perhaps the gods reached some form of accord with them limiting their brutality. Archangels have been killed before, but that was during a time filled with great heroes and unstoppable magic. And, as for what a High Angel would do¡­ I have no idea. While each of The Twelve Hells is a separate faction with its own Demon Lord, the angels are far more unified. They speak of, but a single Heaven ruled over by a council of seven High Angels. High Angels are believed to be roughly equivalent to gods or Demon Lords in power which leads to the interesting question of how Heaven still stands when they are so vastly outnumbered. There are many theories around this, but verifying any of them is next to impossible. Still, going by what we do know, there are a few that make a great deal of sense. For starters, The Lords of the Twelve Hells don¡¯t work together particularly well. Oh, they do engage in joint operations at times, but one or both of them almost inevitably betrays the other. They fight with each other almost as much as they do the angels. Whereas the angels are incredibly unified and rely heavily on teamwork even among their smaller numbers. They also drill and train tirelessly whereas many demons are far less disciplined. Angels are also willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause, while demons often do whatever it takes to save their own skin. It leads to an interesting conundrum whereby Heaven and The Hells seem almost perfectly matched despite Heaven being so horrifically outnumbered. Quality versus quantity, I suppose. There have, of course, been times when Heaven as breached one or the other of The Hells and vice versa. But, it seems that each is greatly empowered within their own realm and the other is weakened. As such, dealing any kind of finishing blow seems impossible. Some believe that it is impossible for there ever to be an end to their endless war. Personally, I hope that¡¯s the case. Angels may be good, but I fear to think what they might do if their attention turned to us. Would they leave us be? Would there be more protectors as some angels choose to be? Or, would they decide we are tainted and seek to rid the world of our existence? The Lost Valkyries ¡°No warrior can hope to equal their skill. And, only the grandest of powers dare stand before them. Battle is the reason for their being. War is their playground. Death is their gift.¡± ¨C Amadeus Hyth on valkyries. The Great War saw many great and terrible things walk the surface of Terra. Giants, dragons, angels, demons, gods, and titans were among the most formidable and even they learned to fear the might of the valkyrie¡­ Although it¡¯s believed they were wiped out during The Great War, this seems to be because they engaged in more battle than essentially any race. Amadeus seemed to have hit the nail on the head when he said that battle is the reason for their being, as according to the records they dove headfirst into countless conflicts, especially those against stronger opponents. Valkyries were often mistaken for angels, and the reasons for this are fairly obvious given that they¡¯re winged humanoids of immense power. But, after going through what few records we have, it¡¯s very clear that they were definitely not angels. They did, however, engage in the battles between Heaven and The Hells, but it seems that was more for their own enjoyment than anything else. Many have a code of honor, but beyond that, they don¡¯t seem to have cared much. They fought on both sides in The Great War. Even against each other. All valkyries, like dryads, were female. And, all were maidens of battle. Going by the records, they don¡¯t seem to have relied much on magic. Rather, it appears that they simply achieved such high levels of skill and raw power that there was very little that could stand against them. There is even a gripping encounter described by a scribe whose name has been lost to time detailing how a valkyrie held off an archdemon with nothing more than a kitchen knife. Whether that tale is to be believed or not is a matter of much debate, but one thing is clear in all the records describing valkyries. Their skill was mythical. It¡¯s said that they trained endlessly with all weapons and even that they have an innate sense for any weapon that outstripped even the greatest heroes. And, yet, they didn¡¯t rely on their innate skill. They trained and trained and trained. Endlessly. And, in doing so, they somehow shattered the boundaries of what should be possible with even an ordinary blade. Not only were they at least as swift as angels, with the raw strength to shatter mountains, but they somehow defied much of what we know to be possible. From killing werewolves with but a single ordinary arrow to ending ghosts with their bare hands. They were even thought to be capable of seeing into the future at one stage, but the popular theory now is that they were simply so gifted in battle that they knew what their opponent would do through skill and experience rather than magic. And, the feathers of a valkyrie were said to be razor-sharp. Though, they rarely used them in a fight, unless it was against something they considered worthy. They¡¯re also said to have performed physical feats that sound a lot more like magic to me than anything else. Being in multiple places at once, leaving illusionary images, swatting aside all but the most powerful magical attacks with contempt¡­Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I wonder if they weren¡¯t more gifted with magic than people thought¡­ Given that all valkyries were women, the natural question is how they reproduced. And there, they are fairly similar to dryads. Valkyries would apparently watch battles between other races and select great warriors or heroes as mates. They would then swoop down and steal them from the battlefield. Usually, the warriors returned some time later, but not always. It was thought that those who did not return either died in valkyrie lands or lived out their days there. Perhaps as husbands to the fierce warrior maidens. So, I spoke earlier about the code of honor valkyries live by. Now, this seems to be something unique to each valkyrie. But, there are definitely some commonalities between them all. For one thing, they saw weaponsmiths and armourers as artisans. Almost holy in a way. A few of them forged their own weapons as well, but regardless they had tremendous respect for any who forged good quality weapons and armor. Making a valkyrie better weapons and armor than she had would be a fast way to gain their protection for life. Although, being as they were so powerful, earning their respect required a great deal of skill and craftsmanship. Many of them also abhorred doing battle with ¡®the weak.¡¯ Which, included basically anyone or anything weaker than them. Although they did frequently engage in slaughter, this was usually when they could get entire armies of weaker creatures to face them all at once. And, even then, they were often provoked in some way. And, they¡¯d still kill weaker creatures. They just didn¡¯t gain any great enjoyment out of it. More likely, they¡¯d do it out of disgust or irritation. Like how you might be disgusted by a fly and kill it just to get rid of it. So, one can hardly call them paragons of virtue. They also expected others to follow the same code if you can call it that. And, frequently killed those who persecuted the weak without provocation. But, this seems to have had less to do with them caring about stopping evil acts than it does to do with them finding it pathetic to seek out unprovoked conflict with weaker creatures. But, what they considered a worthy provocation could be a simple slight at times. But, the weak generally had less to fear from valkyries. After all, while they might kill weaker creatures on occasion, if they came across a being of equal or greater power, they almost inevitably sought to battle or spar with it. I¡¯d love to know what caused such a strange behavioral trait in valkyries. After all, almost any creature would avoid something that threatened its life. But, valkyries enjoyed a kind of fanatic pleasure in facing such beings. Even when they were beaten or killed. Perhaps it is this trait more than any other that made valkyries such a thing to be feared in the ancient world. Even though it likely led to their extinction. After all, while they may have been powerful enough to be awe inspiring for us, I can¡¯t help but imagine it in the perspective of human society. Something my mind can put into greater context and sympathize with. Even just looking out across the university grounds, I see how the students avoid the bullies or anyone they see as a threat to them. But, what if they didn¡¯t? How horrifying would it be if they sought them out instead? Even if I were nine feet tall with rippling muscles, I think I might still be terrified of the idea of someone attacking me with a kind of demented pleasure. Smaller or not, there¡¯s just something about that that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. And, how much more intimidating would that be if I weren¡¯t human? Few creatures can hope to contest with the likes of angels, demons, or dragons. Surely, they must be rather used to that? complacent even? Now, imagine the shock of being hunted down for a fight by something of such power and skill. And, for no reason at all except that she wants the challenge. Should you try to intimidate them, or bluff your way out of the fight, you¡¯d only make them all the more eager! They lived for battle and would gladly bathe in your blood as they carved you limb from limb. To them, there was no greater pleasure¡­ I find myself rather glad they¡¯re gone. They may not be one of the more evil or horrifying entries in this compendium¡­ but there¡¯s just something about them that makes my blood run cold. The Cursed Fallen ¡°I¡¯d rather be stripped of my wings a thousand times than return to Heaven¡¯s fold! Freedom is worth any price, and I have paid gladly.¡± ¨C Archelius Axindria Fallen Angel. When I spoke of angels, I mentioned The Fallen. Now, some of my sharper students picked up on how I glossed over them and are no doubt expecting this entry. So, now we speak of The Fallen. And, naturally the first question one must ask and answer is¡­ how does an angel fall from Heaven? Well, Heaven is an incredible place, but it¡¯s perpetually at war. And, it¡¯s run according to a strict system of rules. Some angels rebel against the system of Heaven. Some refuse orders, others believe change is needed, and yet others become corrupt and twisted. These angels are cast out of heaven. And, this is no small thing. It¡¯s not as simple as being thrown out of the only home they¡¯ve ever known. They are usually cursed horribly and have their wings and connection to Heaven forcibly removed. It is apparently a pain no human can conceive of. At least, according to The Fallen. Their fate from there varies, but often they are banished. Sometimes to our world, and sometimes to other planes. There, they lead a cursed life filled with pain and misery. Some band together and often seek out other Fallen and help them make the transition. Others go alone, and the more corrupt ones may even join the Hells. Or, seek to do evil in their own way. Many commit suicide. That being said, there are many variations of Fallen. And, it is often the nature of how they fell that determines what type of Fallen they are. Dark Fallen are those who are twisted and corrupt. They are similar to demons in many ways, and perhaps that is why many of them join the Hells. Not all do, however, as angels retain a great deal of hatred for demonkind even when they themselves have been warped to be much like them. More common, are the Gray Fallen. These Fallen are not truly corrupt, but can no longer reside in Heaven. Their punishments tend to be less severe, and many of them retain their noble qualities even after falling. Not all angels are cast out, however. Some fall on purpose. Usually, it¡¯s because they tire of the endless war. They see no point to the conflict that never ends. Day in and day out of battle all for no avail.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As they choose to fall, they often manage to escape without a curse, but their connection to Heaven is still severed. Usually be themselves. And, so they tend to become Gray Fallen. Often, with a great deal of the power they commanded before. But, falling definitely affects an angel¡¯s power. Those who have been Fallen for longer seem to find ways to return to a similar level, even managing to overcome or bypass any curse that might have been placed on them but it takes time and a great deal of effort. And, the very nature of their power often changes. Their whole being does, in fact. Dark Angels tend to suck the light out of a room, like a dark void. Their mere presence can even render places lifeless and drain everything around them of color, emotion, and life. Gray Angels tend to fall somewhere between Dark and normal angels. They often lack the luster they once had when they were part of Heaven, and how much of that luster is lost depends on the angel in question. The Fallen tend to be very independent, something forced upon them by being cut off from Heaven. It can often take time for them to figure out how to do so. How to get through a life that seems devoid of purpose or direction. Where they aren¡¯t told what to do and aren¡¯t part of some larger system. Many have even turned to humanoids for help as they struggle with concepts that are alien to them, but many of us deal with each and every day. Although, in many ways their struggle is greater than our own. While it¡¯s true few of us have to do deal with such a strict set of rules as angels do with Heaven, but many of us have our own place in society. We have mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, cousins, friends, rulers, teachers, students¡­ we have other people giving us a sense of structure and belonging. Fallen don¡¯t have that. Sometimes they may find a place with other Fallen or somewhere else, but at least at the very beginning they are utterly lost in a way that few of us can comprehend. Totally alone and stripped of all the things that once gave them a sense of belonging and order to their lives. Many of us wish for freedom, but sudden and total freedom from everything and everything can be a hard thing to deal with indeed. And, the agony of loss and the weight of curses and fresh injuries weighs on them at the same time. It can take hundreds of years for an angel to recover from such a maddening and profound shift to their lives. Some never recover at all. I wonder if, perhaps, many turn dark and join the hells simply because they¡¯re so desperate to find somewhere they fit in. I¡¯ve never had the opportunity to ask such beings, and I wonder if they¡¯d even know or acknowledge that they¡¯d done something like that for such a reason anyway. But, it¡¯s not all bad for Fallen. Some take to their new lives filled with freedom and revel in it. Defining their own existence as they see fit. Some become the watchful protectors of the innocent, some still fight demons, others lord over lesser beings, and I¡¯ve even heard tales of a Gray Fallen librarian somewhere. Freedom naturally leads to a great deal of variety. Salamanders The Fireplace Pet ¡°They possess a childlike innocence, it seems. With curiosity to spare. Fear not should one settle itself within your hearth. Leave it be, and you shall likely be safe¡± ¨C Salamander: A Treatise by Raphael Dubois. Ah, the salamander. So many entries in this compendium have been awe-inspiring or frightening. Even those that we¡¯re fairly safe from. But, now we speak of salamanders. Of course, it should be noted that I speak of the salamanders with fire affinity rather than ordinary salamanders. Unfortunately, they look similar enough that both types were given the name of salamander. An unfortunate thing given that while the salamander I speak of today would be more than happy to lounge in a fire, an ordinary salamander would quickly die as a result. So, without further ado let¡¯s dive right in. Salamanders are somewhat lizard-like in appearance, and typically have a red, blue, orange, or white coloration. I expect this is as a type of camouflage, as they usually turn a fire the same color as they are. If you¡¯ve never seen a white flame, I assure you it¡¯s quite a sight. And, salamanders are entirely at home in fires. And, many households end up with one in the fireplace. But, it really isn¡¯t something to panic over. Salamanders are one of the least aggressive creatures around. Though they could incinerate someone with little difficulty, they choose instead to flee when confronted. Unless they¡¯ve been backed into a corner somehow. Perhaps in defense of their offspring, or if it believes escape is not an option. Some researches thought they were a cowardly species, but there are records of them standing their ground when need be. Rather, it seems they just don¡¯t like conflict. Should you wish to remove a salamander from your fireplace, you likely need only wait for the fire to die or to call for a wizard with the skills to convince them to leave. And, they¡¯ll probably do so quite peacefully. Although, they may walk away with a sullen attitude as they look over their shoulder at you and plod forward sadly¡­ I warn you, they are very cute. They have large eyes and a very non-threatening appearance. Many a family has hired someone to remove a salamander, only to change their minds and let it stay. A few have even become household pets of a sort.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Like I said, they¡¯re really very cute. And, they¡¯re so non-violent and not prone to causing trouble that there isn¡¯t really an issue with keeping them. In fact, they¡¯ll make fires burn for longer and hotter with the same amount of fuel, so you won¡¯t need to gather as much wood or as often. Although some have concerns about their poison and don¡¯t want to cook food near them. And, while I understand this concern, it¡¯s almost never an issue. While salamander poison is exceedingly deadly, it is secreted from a salamander¡¯s skin only when threatened and only when it believes it cannot flee. And, even then, it usually tries to use fire first. If it wanted to kill you, it would do so with fire. You¡¯re really quite safe. If you really want to be safe, make sure the salamander doesn¡¯t touch the food or anything you use to cook it. But, honestly, you needn¡¯t worry. Just leave it be, and you¡¯ll be quite alright. That being said¡­ should you attack a salamander for some reason they have control over fire and can quickly create blazes hot enough to burn a man alive. These blazes are not nearly as hot as the fire of many other magical creatures, but still deadly all the same. Usually, salamanders will use these fires as more of a distraction than anything else. They tend to be fairly small. A few have been reported as being a few feet in length, but most are a foot or less. They¡¯re also sleek and quick when they want to be. And, although they enjoy living in fire they¡¯re amphibious much like those that share their name. They¡¯ll likely summon fire and scurry away to safety. If they¡¯re cornered and you leave them no other option, they will secrete deadly poison. This poison doesn¡¯t need to be ingested to be deadly. It¡¯s absorbed directly through the skin and can kill in moments. Ingesting it only makes it worse and takes an even smaller amount. It¡¯s not fully known exactly how deadly it is on men, given that only the most vile of men would put such a thing to the test and those that have often run out of men. Research was found by an ancient wizard who was hanged for the murder of several thousand people. His notes were sloppy, however, and while he said that the poison could kill over two hundred men he never said how much poison was used in his sick test. Salamander poison is used by certain sects and assassins the world over though. They coat their blades with it, turning even a small scratch into a fatal wound. Several of these groups have found ways to ¡®farm¡¯ salamanders for their poison. Terrorizing them and harvesting the poison they secrete over and over again. It saddens me that in this entry of the sweet, childlike (though deadly) salamander¡­ it is humanoids who take the spotlight of monster¡­ perhaps it is they I should include in this compendium in place of the salamander¡­ Hungering Vines The Patient Predator ¡°They wait, seemingly harmless and ordinary. The ever-patient predator. None escape their deadly embrace.¡± ¡ª Walter Perkins Professor of Botany at Lestria University. Back when I was in my prime, I traveled through the jungles to the south in search of rare and interesting creatures to study. And jungles are the favorite place to be for hungering vines. And, even knowing of their existence and seeing them first hand in my friend Walter Perkins¡¯ lab before I set out, I still nearly wondered into them time and time again. Thankfully, I hired exceptional guides who were far more observant than I and stopped me each time. So, let that be a lesson to you if you wish to traverse the wilds in search of new and exciting creatures. Always hire a good guide. They¡¯re worth every penny. But, back to the subject at hand. Hungering vines look harmless. Their long vines reach down from the canopy above as do many others. Their appearance varies, some are bright and colorful and covered in flowers, and others are far less conspicuous. Also, they can cover surfaces horizontally as well and could easily look the part of roots sticking out of the ground. Many varieties of hungering vines give off a sweet, somewhat intoxicating smell. Like a sort of drug perfume that lures prey close enough for it to strike. And dying to hungering vines isn¡¯t a fun way to go. Nor is it quick. Once prey wanders too close, the vines will begin to move. They creep slowly and wind their way closer, slowly cutting off all paths of escape before entangling their hapless prey. But, if their prey figures out what¡¯s going on too soon, the vines will strike quickly to snare their victim before it can escape.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Once they¡¯ve latched onto their prey, the vines extend and wind their way around their victim. The vines secrete a paralytic as well as digestive enzymes, so the struggling prey quickly stills as they lose the ability to move. Then, they¡¯re digested alive. As their body dissolves, tiny hairs in the vines burrow into the body of their prey like roots. It can take weeks for hungering vines to digest a man. And, much longer for larger prey. Sometimes months. As such, hungering vines don¡¯t need to eat very often. But, they¡¯ll never turn down a meal unless they¡¯re already busy with one. Hungering vines a fairly well-known species of carnivorous plants and have been studied in great detail. They have the ability to sense their surroundings to a limited extent, and their vines are sensitive to the touch. Beyond that, they have limited consciousness. They aren¡¯t particularly smart, but they don¡¯t need to be. Their ambush tactics seem to be something they inherit. Much as a butterfly simply knows how to fly without a great deal of intelligence. So, how does one deal with hungering vines? Mostly, just avoid them. They¡¯re rarely found near settlements as people kill them, so unless you¡¯re in the wild, you won¡¯t encounter them. And, then it¡¯s just a matter of identifying them, which can be difficult, and then avoiding them. There isn¡¯t much else to it. Should you be entangled, you¡¯ll likely only have a few moments to break free before the paralytic takes hold and you become helpless, so traveling with companions makes it much safer. It¡¯s always good to have someone who can cut you free. Other than that, they detest fire so walking around with an open flame can often discourage them entirely. But, given that they most often lurk in jungles¡­ you may want to be cautious. If the plants around you catch fire, it can easily spread and consume you as well. So, really, the best thing to do is just make sure you have guides with you that know the area like the back of their hand. They¡¯ll know how to recognize the local varieties of hungering vines and will probably already know where most of them are anyway. So, just a little caution will see that you live another day. The Ravenous Manticore ¡°Such insatiable hunger! How is man to live in a world filled with monsters?¡± -¡ª Lestrian General Harold Ainsworth. A number of years back, I caught rumors of a town beset by some kind of monster. Each night they lost at least one person to the creature and yet no bodies were ever found. They¡¯d sent out some of their town guards to hunt the creature, only for none of them to return. That was when they sent out a call for adventurers, monster hunters, and anyone who thought they could deal with the creature. I tagged along with a group of monster hunters. They seemed glad to have me, but I imagine a lot of that had to do with my paying them as well as the fact I wasn¡¯t interested in the reward for slaying the creature. I only wished to see it. To study it and learn more. Between the expert tracker in the group and the witch helping pick up the trail any time it was lost, it only took us two days to find the creature. And, most of that was time spent sleeping and recovering from the long trip. The beast was a manticore. A horrid creature with the body of a lion, the head of a man, a scorpion-like tail covered in long quills, and three rows of almost shark-like teeth in its mouth. We pulled back as the group wished to set a trap for the beast rather than attack it head on. I told them all I knew about manticores to help them of course. And, now I shall tell you much of what I told them.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Manticores eat their prey whole. Using their three rows of teeth, they devour everything, including skin, hair, and bones. Given that no bodies were found, I was, of course, certain that the manticore was indeed the monster plaguing the town. And, a manticore¡¯s appetite is rather well documented. Eating several men a day is hardly an issue for such a ravenous creature. And, humanoids are a manticore¡¯s favorite prey. And, while the body of a manticore resembles a lion, it¡¯s important to note that they are in fact much larger as well as far more powerful. Not nearly as strong as something like a chimera, but a good deal stronger than your average lion, with claws that can bite deep into even the toughest steel. But, perhaps the most deadly feature of a manticore when it comes to a fight is its tail. It can strike with blinding speed, with force enough to puncture full plate and inject its deadly venom. And, each of the quills upon the tail can be shot off like a crossbow bolt. Each one is coated in venom, and fires with similar power to a good crossbow. Choosing not to fight it head on was a wise decision. So, the hunters set a trap, using all the guidance I could give them to help fool the beast. We secured a man¡¯s weight of raw meat and tied it up in a scarecrow fashion in an open field near one of the manticore¡¯s favored trails. We liberally smeared a tasteless, odorless poison over the meat, then covered it up with clothes and the witch cast an illusion over it to make it look and smell like a man standing in an open field. We hid, watched and waited. Sure enough, at what I guessed to be around two in the morning the manticore leaped out of the darkness and tore into the illusionary scarecrow. It devoured it whole, and I shuddered as the illusion spell carried the sound of crunching bones to us. Although, I was certainly impressed with the witch¡¯s talent for illusion! Once the manticore finished its meal, we followed its tracks until we came across its corpse. The hunters handed in the beast and collected their reward. Not the most heroic of stories perhaps, but it certainly worked, and hopefully shows some of my students that not even the experts try to fight a manticore head on. End I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed reading the Monsters of Terra Compendium. It has now reached an end. It was fun to write though! If you¡¯re looking for more fantasy goodness, then be sure to check out my book on Amazon. Filled with dark plots, mysterious enemies, magic, and sword fights in the street I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. You can find it at: https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B07DG9H6CV You can also subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.darengillingham.com/ for a free short story. (It¡¯ll be emailed to you once you subscribe.)