Post by Bardigan on Nov 24, 2012 1:00:32 GMT -5
Just some random worldbuilding ideas I came up with involving magical monsters and crazy creatures. May be added to later on.
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Bore Spider
Bore Spiders are subterranean arachnids often mistaken for crustaceans due to their tough, spiny exoskeletons and powerful crab-like claws. Adults can reach the size of a full grown stallion and are extremely aggressive. These creatures live in large colonies of up to a hundred individuals, all of them capable of killing whatever they can get their claws on. They spin great webs within their home caverns and lay traps for the unwary in outer tunnels. They prefer to use these webs to ensnare prey and then incapacitate them with a venomous bite from their great fangs, which can also excrete a powerful acidic substance that breaks down rock until it is soft enough for their powerful front claws to burrow through. These creatures are a horrible, lethal pest wherever they take root, though thankfully their ranges are for the most part limited to near mountainous and/or extremely arid climates.
Ifrit
The Ifrit is an aggressive magical creature that generally manifests in the form of a monster wreathed in fire, sometimes with rock-like “armor” adorning its main body. They inhabit the deserts of Neighara and the Zebra lands, usually in the ruins that dot the landscape, and guard these places with their lives. As creatures of pure magic, they cannot be “killed” in the normal sense, but can be dispelled, and their flames are vulnerable to water or oxygen deprivation. The fact that even today specimens continue to be found in and around the deserts and ancient ruins after looters and adventurers pick them clean suggests that something somewhere is still making them, perhaps the latent magic of the land itself. Their true origin remains unknown.
Ifrits may also be seen as magical constructs in service to some wizards, but their lack of intelligence and inability to understand complicated orders has limited their use. They are restricted in civilized areas due to their natural volatility.
Steelwork Beasts
“Steelwork Beast” is the catch-all term for the mythical abominations that are often said to be encountered deep below the earth by adventurers who delve deep enough. Usually reported to be guarding old treasures or underground cities, these creatures are described in a variety of repulsive and grotesque ways. They are always a hybrid of flesh and metal, with larger specimens even possessing magically enhanced steam or electric engines. Cryptozoologists tentatively classify them as “bio-mechanical.”
As they are only ever “encountered” in lost, forgotten areas of the world, no evidence has come to light verifying the existence of these creatures, and reports are chalked up to con-ponies trying to make a quick bit off tales of their “heroic adventures.”
Terrortorn
The Terrortorn is a massive bird of prey found in cold mountainous areas across the known world. Resembling massive vultures, these creatures lack plumage around the head and neck, but do bear large, bony crests between the eyes used to impress mates. Males also possess a large plume of white feathers around their necks, lending them a royal, dignified appearance. Their huge wingspan, which can reach up to thirty feet across, has the frightening ability to throw concussive blasts of wind and even form small tornados when the beast needs to defend itself, as well as lend it masterful speed and agility in combat. It almost never needs to use these abilities, because the Terrortorn is usually the apex aerial predator in any environment it chooses to inhabit. They can fly vast distances without needing to flap more than a few times, gliding on their huge wings. Their mastery of the air and the environment around them has led to their status as a creature of inspiration to griffins and pegasi.
Shamblers
Shamblers are odd little beasts that inhabit very deep subterranean tunnels and caves to no apparent purpose. They have the appearance of a land-locked jellyfish covered in a coat of thick, hair-like strands that completely obscures its body. This “hair” is in fact a huge mass of prehensile tentacles, which the shambler uses to ponderously haul itself along the ground. Because of this and their blob-like behavior they are often referred to as “land jellies.” Nobody has captured one alive long enough to see the creatures underneath. When caught or killed, shamblers will seem to lose their physical form, dissipating into a hazy black mist that also disappears like smoke that is impossible to contain. It is unknown if this behavior signifies the death of the creature or is merely a defense mechanism. Fables say they are the spirits of those who perished in caves, warped to reflect their environment. They have been seen chasing and devouring small cave creatures such as lizards and insects, but they never attack larger or sentient creatures, almost instinctively shying away from them. The tentacle “hair” picks up all manner of detritus in its time, lending shamblers a foul smell and grotesque appearance, which perhaps helps it ward off predators.
Though not naturally aggressive, provoked shamblers are capable of emitting a debilitating, nauseous stench along with deep, subsonic rumbles that disorient prey and pursuers.
Zingwap
The zingwap is a small territorial bird that lives in many jungles around the world, and is most commonly found in Brayzil; a subspecies has also been reported in Equestria’s deep forests. It exhibits control over electricity as a form of defense against predators and intruders. Resembling a large sparrow, the zingwap is a very beautiful creature known for its bright green and blue feathers, along with its very long tail feathers which can stretch up to two feet long. Males also proudly display bright red and yellow plumage on their chests. Zingwaps often live in communal groups of up to three or four mated pairs, all working together to defend their respective nests. When threats appear, the zingwaps buzz down and collectively harass the intruders, zapping with static electricity and whacking with their stiff tail feathers. Moving fast enough to be a blur at top speed, the nimble zingwap is extremely hard to catch in flight. Zingwaps eat mainly seeds and insects.
Lotodor
Lotodors are large turtle-like creatures that inhabit swamps and bogs from Equestria’s Everfree Forest to the rainforests of Bayhama. Known for their ponderous, slow-moving lifestyles, lotodors are capable of remaining still for hours or even days at a time. They can remain montionless for so long they are often mistaken for algae covered rocks. They are nonetheless dangerous when they need to be; lotodors are omnivorous and larger specimens will not hesitate to attack anything that wanders close, using their beak-like jaws to snap and tear both tough vegetation and soft flesh. They are also capable of surprising bursts of speed when frightened. Ponies are not natural prey, but provoking or startling a lotodor can lead to loss of hooves or even lives if they are big and aggressive enough.
Lotodors can reputedly reach monstrous sizes and have extremely long lifespans. One legendary and ancient lotodor known as “Big Bessie” is said to exist in the swamps of the Everfree Forest, is the size of a house, and has a priceless pearl lodged in its stomach waiting for those foolhardy enough to take on its monstrous keeper.
Archodon
Archodons, also called Giant Sea Turtles, are peaceful sea-going reptiles. They resemble regular sea turtles but are capable of growing far larger and living much longer. The largest recorded archodon was big enough to allow ten ponies to stand on its back and lived for over two hundred years. They are surprisingly friendly and intelligent, capable of being tamed and taught to pull boats and other burdens. Those who live near the sea often revere them as embodiments of the sea’s bounty and beauty. Unfortunately, they are preyed upon by a variety of sea creatures and are considered a delicacy in Beralyia, making them extremely rare in the open ocean. Butterfly Island and the shores of Equestria and Neighara host the largest numbers of archodons, as hunting them is strictly forbidden in those areas. Though seemingly defenseless, archodons have a mild ability to control water, allowing them to throw strong waves at pursuers and give them supernatural speed when threatened.
Rimthur
The dreaded rimthur, or frost giant, is a legendary monstrosity that stalks the icy reaches of the world and remote mountain peaks. Next to nothing is known about these powerful titans, but one is usually never seen except in the most absolutely hostile and frigid of arctic places, meaning encounters with civilization are blessedly few. It is believed they are some hybrid of water and air elementals. There are few documented attacks, as frost giants rarely leave survivors. If their victims are not killed by the frost giant directly, they are overtaken by the sub-zero temperatures and skin-flaying blizzards that accompany an attack. Some scholars think the creature is able to summon this inclement weather at will to disorient its prey. What few eyewitness reports there are describe gargantuan, ape-like beasts made entirely of ice that groans and crackles when they move, breathing sub-zero winds like dragons breathe fire and wielding giant clubs made of ice or stone. One of the most famous encounters involved a military expedition five hundred strong led by the griffon king Karstark the Blacksmith, on a mission to hunt and slay a rimthur that was getting too close to the mountain homes. The entire force save for a single pegasus who escaped to tell the tale was completely annihilated.
Princess Celestia is said to have killed a rimthur in single combat when it challenged her rule directly, some two hundred years after the banishment of Nightmare Moon; this is also the only recorded instance of any creature killing a rimthur one-on-one. Ponies rather smugly claim that this is why no frost giants have since been reported near Equestria's borders.
Leshy
The leshy is an extremely rare but powerful spirit of the woods and wild places of the world. They are not necessarily sentient beings as we know them, as they are composed entirely of magical energies and do not have a society of their own, yet exhibit free will and keen intelligence. Leshies are surrounded by myth and folklore and are by nature reclusive and reticent, making it hard to determine their behavior. Leshies can be communicated with, but they have no real grasp of mortal languages. They are capable of communicating with animals and beasts of the natural world, even being seen to command or hold “conversations” with them. But magical monsters such as those imprisoned within Tartarus, or base and unintelligent things like ifrits and golems, are beyond them. Leshies appear to be connected to particular places, favoring woodland and meadows, and if they are available, lakes and streams. They almost never leave their appointed areas, and their mere presence facilitates healthy growth in the flora and fauna. However, they do not interfere with the natural order, allowing animals and plants to grow, live and die as their natures dictate. Some say they were seeded throughout the world by White Heorot to be his stewards of the earth, but it has been so long they have forgotten anything except their duty to ensure the natural world runs smoothly. Others say they are a phenomenon that naturally sprouts in any healthy woodland as a defense mechanism, but there is little evidence to support this theory.
Leshies have no physical form. Stories abound, however, of them “possessing” certain beings for a short time, allowing them to, when they leave the host, take their form and manner of speech so they can speak to other intelligent creatures. This process is never described as hostile or malevolent; indeed, leshies are by all accounts extremely considerate to intelligent creatures that wander into their woods. Reports are everywhere of leshies leading lost travelers to safety and defending them from danger. But beware if you are disrespectful or needlessly violent to the wood, as leshies command powerful elemental magic that they will not hesitate to use if threatened.
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Bore Spider
Bore Spiders are subterranean arachnids often mistaken for crustaceans due to their tough, spiny exoskeletons and powerful crab-like claws. Adults can reach the size of a full grown stallion and are extremely aggressive. These creatures live in large colonies of up to a hundred individuals, all of them capable of killing whatever they can get their claws on. They spin great webs within their home caverns and lay traps for the unwary in outer tunnels. They prefer to use these webs to ensnare prey and then incapacitate them with a venomous bite from their great fangs, which can also excrete a powerful acidic substance that breaks down rock until it is soft enough for their powerful front claws to burrow through. These creatures are a horrible, lethal pest wherever they take root, though thankfully their ranges are for the most part limited to near mountainous and/or extremely arid climates.
Ifrit
The Ifrit is an aggressive magical creature that generally manifests in the form of a monster wreathed in fire, sometimes with rock-like “armor” adorning its main body. They inhabit the deserts of Neighara and the Zebra lands, usually in the ruins that dot the landscape, and guard these places with their lives. As creatures of pure magic, they cannot be “killed” in the normal sense, but can be dispelled, and their flames are vulnerable to water or oxygen deprivation. The fact that even today specimens continue to be found in and around the deserts and ancient ruins after looters and adventurers pick them clean suggests that something somewhere is still making them, perhaps the latent magic of the land itself. Their true origin remains unknown.
Ifrits may also be seen as magical constructs in service to some wizards, but their lack of intelligence and inability to understand complicated orders has limited their use. They are restricted in civilized areas due to their natural volatility.
Steelwork Beasts
“Steelwork Beast” is the catch-all term for the mythical abominations that are often said to be encountered deep below the earth by adventurers who delve deep enough. Usually reported to be guarding old treasures or underground cities, these creatures are described in a variety of repulsive and grotesque ways. They are always a hybrid of flesh and metal, with larger specimens even possessing magically enhanced steam or electric engines. Cryptozoologists tentatively classify them as “bio-mechanical.”
As they are only ever “encountered” in lost, forgotten areas of the world, no evidence has come to light verifying the existence of these creatures, and reports are chalked up to con-ponies trying to make a quick bit off tales of their “heroic adventures.”
Terrortorn
The Terrortorn is a massive bird of prey found in cold mountainous areas across the known world. Resembling massive vultures, these creatures lack plumage around the head and neck, but do bear large, bony crests between the eyes used to impress mates. Males also possess a large plume of white feathers around their necks, lending them a royal, dignified appearance. Their huge wingspan, which can reach up to thirty feet across, has the frightening ability to throw concussive blasts of wind and even form small tornados when the beast needs to defend itself, as well as lend it masterful speed and agility in combat. It almost never needs to use these abilities, because the Terrortorn is usually the apex aerial predator in any environment it chooses to inhabit. They can fly vast distances without needing to flap more than a few times, gliding on their huge wings. Their mastery of the air and the environment around them has led to their status as a creature of inspiration to griffins and pegasi.
Shamblers
Shamblers are odd little beasts that inhabit very deep subterranean tunnels and caves to no apparent purpose. They have the appearance of a land-locked jellyfish covered in a coat of thick, hair-like strands that completely obscures its body. This “hair” is in fact a huge mass of prehensile tentacles, which the shambler uses to ponderously haul itself along the ground. Because of this and their blob-like behavior they are often referred to as “land jellies.” Nobody has captured one alive long enough to see the creatures underneath. When caught or killed, shamblers will seem to lose their physical form, dissipating into a hazy black mist that also disappears like smoke that is impossible to contain. It is unknown if this behavior signifies the death of the creature or is merely a defense mechanism. Fables say they are the spirits of those who perished in caves, warped to reflect their environment. They have been seen chasing and devouring small cave creatures such as lizards and insects, but they never attack larger or sentient creatures, almost instinctively shying away from them. The tentacle “hair” picks up all manner of detritus in its time, lending shamblers a foul smell and grotesque appearance, which perhaps helps it ward off predators.
Though not naturally aggressive, provoked shamblers are capable of emitting a debilitating, nauseous stench along with deep, subsonic rumbles that disorient prey and pursuers.
Zingwap
The zingwap is a small territorial bird that lives in many jungles around the world, and is most commonly found in Brayzil; a subspecies has also been reported in Equestria’s deep forests. It exhibits control over electricity as a form of defense against predators and intruders. Resembling a large sparrow, the zingwap is a very beautiful creature known for its bright green and blue feathers, along with its very long tail feathers which can stretch up to two feet long. Males also proudly display bright red and yellow plumage on their chests. Zingwaps often live in communal groups of up to three or four mated pairs, all working together to defend their respective nests. When threats appear, the zingwaps buzz down and collectively harass the intruders, zapping with static electricity and whacking with their stiff tail feathers. Moving fast enough to be a blur at top speed, the nimble zingwap is extremely hard to catch in flight. Zingwaps eat mainly seeds and insects.
Lotodor
Lotodors are large turtle-like creatures that inhabit swamps and bogs from Equestria’s Everfree Forest to the rainforests of Bayhama. Known for their ponderous, slow-moving lifestyles, lotodors are capable of remaining still for hours or even days at a time. They can remain montionless for so long they are often mistaken for algae covered rocks. They are nonetheless dangerous when they need to be; lotodors are omnivorous and larger specimens will not hesitate to attack anything that wanders close, using their beak-like jaws to snap and tear both tough vegetation and soft flesh. They are also capable of surprising bursts of speed when frightened. Ponies are not natural prey, but provoking or startling a lotodor can lead to loss of hooves or even lives if they are big and aggressive enough.
Lotodors can reputedly reach monstrous sizes and have extremely long lifespans. One legendary and ancient lotodor known as “Big Bessie” is said to exist in the swamps of the Everfree Forest, is the size of a house, and has a priceless pearl lodged in its stomach waiting for those foolhardy enough to take on its monstrous keeper.
Archodon
Archodons, also called Giant Sea Turtles, are peaceful sea-going reptiles. They resemble regular sea turtles but are capable of growing far larger and living much longer. The largest recorded archodon was big enough to allow ten ponies to stand on its back and lived for over two hundred years. They are surprisingly friendly and intelligent, capable of being tamed and taught to pull boats and other burdens. Those who live near the sea often revere them as embodiments of the sea’s bounty and beauty. Unfortunately, they are preyed upon by a variety of sea creatures and are considered a delicacy in Beralyia, making them extremely rare in the open ocean. Butterfly Island and the shores of Equestria and Neighara host the largest numbers of archodons, as hunting them is strictly forbidden in those areas. Though seemingly defenseless, archodons have a mild ability to control water, allowing them to throw strong waves at pursuers and give them supernatural speed when threatened.
Rimthur
The dreaded rimthur, or frost giant, is a legendary monstrosity that stalks the icy reaches of the world and remote mountain peaks. Next to nothing is known about these powerful titans, but one is usually never seen except in the most absolutely hostile and frigid of arctic places, meaning encounters with civilization are blessedly few. It is believed they are some hybrid of water and air elementals. There are few documented attacks, as frost giants rarely leave survivors. If their victims are not killed by the frost giant directly, they are overtaken by the sub-zero temperatures and skin-flaying blizzards that accompany an attack. Some scholars think the creature is able to summon this inclement weather at will to disorient its prey. What few eyewitness reports there are describe gargantuan, ape-like beasts made entirely of ice that groans and crackles when they move, breathing sub-zero winds like dragons breathe fire and wielding giant clubs made of ice or stone. One of the most famous encounters involved a military expedition five hundred strong led by the griffon king Karstark the Blacksmith, on a mission to hunt and slay a rimthur that was getting too close to the mountain homes. The entire force save for a single pegasus who escaped to tell the tale was completely annihilated.
Princess Celestia is said to have killed a rimthur in single combat when it challenged her rule directly, some two hundred years after the banishment of Nightmare Moon; this is also the only recorded instance of any creature killing a rimthur one-on-one. Ponies rather smugly claim that this is why no frost giants have since been reported near Equestria's borders.
Leshy
The leshy is an extremely rare but powerful spirit of the woods and wild places of the world. They are not necessarily sentient beings as we know them, as they are composed entirely of magical energies and do not have a society of their own, yet exhibit free will and keen intelligence. Leshies are surrounded by myth and folklore and are by nature reclusive and reticent, making it hard to determine their behavior. Leshies can be communicated with, but they have no real grasp of mortal languages. They are capable of communicating with animals and beasts of the natural world, even being seen to command or hold “conversations” with them. But magical monsters such as those imprisoned within Tartarus, or base and unintelligent things like ifrits and golems, are beyond them. Leshies appear to be connected to particular places, favoring woodland and meadows, and if they are available, lakes and streams. They almost never leave their appointed areas, and their mere presence facilitates healthy growth in the flora and fauna. However, they do not interfere with the natural order, allowing animals and plants to grow, live and die as their natures dictate. Some say they were seeded throughout the world by White Heorot to be his stewards of the earth, but it has been so long they have forgotten anything except their duty to ensure the natural world runs smoothly. Others say they are a phenomenon that naturally sprouts in any healthy woodland as a defense mechanism, but there is little evidence to support this theory.
Leshies have no physical form. Stories abound, however, of them “possessing” certain beings for a short time, allowing them to, when they leave the host, take their form and manner of speech so they can speak to other intelligent creatures. This process is never described as hostile or malevolent; indeed, leshies are by all accounts extremely considerate to intelligent creatures that wander into their woods. Reports are everywhere of leshies leading lost travelers to safety and defending them from danger. But beware if you are disrespectful or needlessly violent to the wood, as leshies command powerful elemental magic that they will not hesitate to use if threatened.