Short contest - explain a monster

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purazon
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Postby purazon » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:26 pm

An exerpt from ‘The beasts of Valorn: a bestiary', a very old looking tome, appearing to be written several generations ago, with pages almost crumbling. Under the chapter Dundee’s Dark Forest, one can read the following interesting entry among bears, wolfs, armadillos and vultures:
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The Canopy Stalker:
Much lore and mystery surrounds this intriguing creature. This is no wonder, for a report of sightings of this creature rarely come to the ears of civilised man. It is said that those who see it, rarely live to tell the tale. And of those that have reported seeing it, most have just seen two big yellow eyes, nothing more. The others have reported it to be a large cat-like carnivore with a pelt as black as the night itself.

It appears that, although this creature walks on four paws, it has no trouble at all in moving unseen and unheard through the canopy. It’s prey, living on the forest undergrowth, will have no time to react when the canopy stalker attack, leaping with a mighty jump upon it’s target and tearing it apart with it’s sharp claws. With the element of surprise on it’s side, even the great bears are no match for the Stalker’s power.

In the town near the forest borders there is much superstition regarding the Canopy Stalkers. For most citizens the stalker is a symbol of ferocity and valour and the as such embodies aggressiveness and power.

In more primitive times, people would associate the roar of the Canopy Stalker with the roar of thunder and believe it’s the angry spirit of the Stalker that causes the darkness that accompanies heavy storms. And even in these times many people see the stalker as a symbol of darkness and of the night. A darkness so powerfull that it would conquer Sunrifter, and swallow him whole, only leaving piercing stalker eyes in the sky.** This way Sunrifter can rest to shine brightly again in the morning. And thus the Stalker became a symbol of death, and rebirth from out of it. By this implication of rebirth out of death, the stalker has been attributed mythical powers even to this day. It is said that by rubbing a Canopy Stalkers tooth over a scar would make it dissappear and merchants have claimed that by buying a canopy stalkers fur even old longstanding wounds would finally begin to heal, and that with the healing all power will be regained that was lost at the time of wounding.

The stalkers importance as a symbol of rebirth can also be found in the popular belief that when one would meet a stalker – and survive – one would be at a turnpoint in his life. This have given ground to the popular belief that when one sees a stalker, one is ready to gain a profession.

Off course, no educated scholar would ever believe a thing of these rumoured powers, as it is all primitive supperstition. This is illustrated by the fact that it are the forest ogres, the most primitive of races, that worship the canopy stalker as a god: They believe that is is a guardian, that watches over their village, to protect it from harm. In the matriarchal forest ogre society, the stalker is a symbol of the feminine, a dark mother. It is a symbol for the life and power of the night. It is said the ogres have a large Stalker totem in the middle of their village, and perform stranger rituals around it in the depth of night trying to awaken the inner powers and instincts. They believe that by rituals, involving the Canopy Stalker they can become master of all that surrounds them. The stalker can climb, run and leap through the air. And all of these thing it can do better than anything else. In their unsofisticated minds, there is not much a Canopy Stalker can not do. By worshipping the Stalker, they hope to be granted some of his power and be shorn of all restrictions.
(Below the writing is a sketch of the so-called Canopy Stalker)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**((ooc: note that this tome was written in the golden age, before Balthazar, and the arrival of demon’s, in the ‘current time’ in Valorn, the moons are referred to as Demon eyes, and by Balthazar’s arrival darkness got a more evil implication))


Purazon 12387
Last edited by purazon on Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:29 am, edited 3 times in total.
Purazon 12387

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Hacken
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Postby Hacken » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:47 am

An intellectual treatise on the origins of the Plains Cat

There was a time when the Plains to the southeast of Dundee were overrun with Prairie Dogs. Wherever you looked, you’d see a carpet of darting, scurrying rodents. An adventurer could hardly walk the plains without twisting an ankle due to stepping into the endless network of burrows and tunnels. Sure, they made good hunting for young Initiates, but soon they’d lose interest in skewering the varmints and head off to find bigger game in Duberry’s Swamp or the Dark Forest. To make matters worse, the Prairie Dogs were no good for eating because of their gamey taste and stringy texture. There were even unconfirmed reports of the furtive little critters extending their range into the Grassy Hills.

Out in the middle of all those Prairie Dogs lived a hermit with the unlikely name of Jebz. He was a fine craftsman and used his skill to create decorative steel party hats. He was also crazy as a loon, mostly due to the fact it had been years since he last had a human being to talk to as nobody really wanted a decorative steel party hat. In fact, his only company was a bunch of cats that lived in his shack with him. If you were to ask Jebz where all the cats came from, he’d just shrug and say he figured they’d always been there. All day long he’d beat the steel plates with his hammer to shape the hats while he sang as loud as he could, terribly off-key. People waiting on the ferry across the river used to think there were a bunch of sick wolves mating in the Plains, but it was really just old Jebz singing. The loonier he got, the louder he sang and the harder he beat on the steel. As you can imagine, all that racket didn’t sit well with the cats. In fact, it made the cats positively nervous beyond measure. Everyone knows that a nervous cat is an unhappy cat, so one by one they slipped out the door to have a go at making a living in the Plains.

Well, the cats did quite nicely, thank you. In time, they became dangerously feral and grew into the Plains Cats we all know and love. Fortunately, the Plains Cats found the Prairie Dogs to be very tasty, and they hunted the fragile ecosystem back to a healthy balance. Eventually, only the largest and most aggressive Prairie Dogs survived, explaining the “Giantâ€

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Postby Sheira » Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:39 am

Beach Viper:

The Beach Viper can most commonly be fond on the beach on Killican. One can find Viper's of varying sizes there. The smallest found so far has been about 6 feet in length, while the longest has been as much as 16 feet long. All of them are about two handspan thick.

Through careful observation it has been discovered, that the longer vipers are also the older ones. It has been postulated that the Vipers on the beach are therefore only the young, leaving the beach when they are fully grown.
Continued observation proved this to be wrong.

The Viper's on the beach are all female. A Viper will assume both genders throughout it's natural lifespan. It is born as male in the shallow water's before the beach. The mother does not survive the birth and the young Viper will feed upon it's body, gaining vital nutrition this way. Afterwards, the male will find it's way far into the ocean.

The habits of the males have so far not been studied fully. However, through occassional sightings it is assumed that they like to hunt the Stinking Jellyfish. If they hunt it merely because they cannot find any other food or if they are their favourite prey, has yet to be discovered.
When the male matures, it will find itself a female which is willing to mate. During the mating, which again happens in the shallow waters before the beach, the male transforms into female. It then finds it was to the beach to live there for the remainder of it's lifespan. Nearing it's death, the female will return to the water to find herself a male and mate with it. After conception, the female will hide itself in any natural formation's within the water until it is time to give birth. She does not hunter nor eat duringt this time. Rather, just before a female leaves the beach, it will feed upon anything she can find, thus growing to the afore mentioned size of 16 feet, which will sustain her during her pregnancy.

Naturally, much more is known about the females as about the males. A female Viper is not very choicy about what kind of food she consumes. Any meat will suffice, be it from a Land Urchin, a careless traveller or even from their own kind, though the latter only if the other Viper is dead already.

Despite their large numbers on the beach, the Viper's tend to be solitary creatures. To the point of this dissertation, no two living Viper's have ever been found together, except during mating.

But any one Viper proves to be opponent enough if one is not prepared sufficiently. As opposed to the favourite attack of their smaller cousins, the swamp vipers, a Beach Viper will not wound itself around her opponent and suffocate it. A Beach Viper also possesses no teeth, as she will gorge her food in one piece. Rather, a Beach Viper will seek to wind her tail around a feet of her opponent and trip it. Once her victim lies helpless on the ground, she will hurl her body on it and crush it with her weight. If this favourite form of attack does not work, some have been observed to use a rock, the body of a former victim, anything, to bring herself above the height of her opponent and then hurl herself at them, which will bring any but the strongest creatures down.
It is important not to be deceived by a Viper's seemingly sluggish movement during the initial phase of her attack. A Viper is surprisingly fast and will use her speed to crush an unwary foe in mere seconds.

To successfully fight a Viper, you have to know about her one vulnerable spot, right behind her head. Hit her there and it will break, killing the Viper instantly. Intuitively, most people will now go directly at a Viper's head, however, if you get into a position to hit her somewhere on her head, you are probably going to be tripped and crushed within the next few moments. Of course, you can also just hack at the Viper, hoping to wear her down and get her in an unguarded moment, but as Viper's have been observed to be very patient and endurant, it is more likely that you will make a wrong step and be crushed before that.
What you need to do is to hit her on her tail, which contains the birthing channel. If you hit her there, the Viper will curl up immediately, trying to protect her tail. It is assumed, that this is an instinctive reaction, evolved by the naturally limited birthing rate of Beach Vipers. In any way, once she curls up, you can easily hit her on her neck and kill her without any more danger to yourself.

This way of attack also leaves the valuable skin more or less in one piece, which then only needs to be cut free carefully.


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Postby janelle » Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:08 pm

Thistle Beast



Deep in the forest of Verthedge, dwells a creature seldom seen by the casual passer by. Shy in nature, it carefuly camouflages itself amongst the giant flora and fauna of the forest.

This unusual species was first discovered be a weary adventurer looking for a nice spot to set up camp. Unfortunately, he failed to notice that area he had chosen was inhabited by one such creature and during the night, whilst stumbling through the foliage, disturbed the beast. It is said he screams where heard in every corner of Valorn.

Since then the thistle beast, as it has been aptly named, has been documented on numerous occasions, though it rarely attacks unless it feels under threat.

At maturity, this creature can reach up to one metre in height and produces a deep pink/purple bloom from May through to July. It's body is covered in large, dark green leaves which are barbed with many thorns.

The thistle beasts diet consistes of the giant insects which inhabit Verthedge, drawn by the other large plants that grow here. It's remarkable camouflage allows it to wait almost completely unseen for an unsuspecting insect to come within striking distance. At this moment the beast springs to action, grabbing it's prey with it's long, sticky tongue.

Several attempts have been made to count and record the current population of this beast within the forest, but due to perilousness of this work, no exact numbers are known. Surfice to say that the frequent sightings of this beast would appear to indicate that it is thriving within the environs of Verthedge.




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Postby Nya Lyn » Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:39 pm

A Study of The Mire Hag

Here, submitting to my understanding of the beast that is the Mire Hag, for on all accounts she(1) is a beast, for, from my observation of this dire creature it is not human by nature in any form that I can see.

Mire- a deep wet place of sticky earth, and Hag- an ugly old woman, gives a first indication of the beast. For indeed, she is found deep in the sluggery of Duberry's cave, where the black stench of decay sticks in your throat and the rancid gurggling water of the swamp above drips overhead.

And there she lies, slumped in her dissanitary pit, excreting an odour of rotting flesh (hers possibly or the remains of the last unlucky adventurer)(2). From the remains that clutter the floor, her diet consists of anything that happens into her lair, even now she crouches, filing her teeth into searing points with a ragged bone.

Squat, smaller perhaps than one would expect, she does possess the form of a woman, in its most grotesque composition.
Bare as a babe except for some form of mammal skin to cover her loins, and hair that would not look out of place on a warriors chest covers her arms and upper back, her shrivlled breasts resemble empty sacks.
Her hair is a scraggly mess of matted congealed blood and sweat; clumps of which appear to be missing, trapped perhaps in her razor sharp talons, or caught in the dank craks of the surrounding walls.

Upon attack the hag issues a piercing scream, a death roll call, a gutteral grunting flares her blackened nostrils. Unable to wield a weapon with any precision, the beast relies on her instinctual nature and desire to feed, and delivers her blows with an unexpected strength. Rows of linked Viper fangs encase her knuckles, slashing and slicing her astonished prey, her gnarled teeth gnawing flesh and bone.

Worthy adventures seek her for her treasure, the coveted Mire Gem. Rare and illustrious, it fetches a good price at the markets of Valorn.
It is believed by some, that the Mire Hag's descended from fellow Valornian humans, who used to mine the gem. Forced underground by Balthazars threat, there they festered and evolved into what we observe today.
At the last feasible count, the gem and the hag are dwindling, for they are only sighted occasionally.

And so concludes my study of this desperate creature.

(1) I shall refer to the Mire Hag as a "she" for it is unknown wheather a male counterpart exists, or if indeed it does, the hag appears similar in most incidents.

(2) Unforunately, I regret that those wanting to know the fate of there loved ones, I cannot recall the identity of any slain prey that surrounded the Hag, you will have to come look for yourselves.

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Postby ansalan » Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:04 am

An encounter taken from the journals of Bella Anna

As I walk along the cold dead woods of the Norlev forest , a place where the leaves on the trees have turned to a dried blacken shards hanging from the dried husk of trees, leaves precariously held where but with the lightest of winds would fall and complete the cornucopia in the forest . A forest of ashes devoid of soul , devoid of light , existing only to be the twisted bane of hope and the mockery of light.

I seek the Demon Wolf for it is here it makes it home. Its fur darkened grey to black that has become firm and barbs by the power of the dark forces. Fur sharp to the touch where it has been clumped together capable of causing deep and deadly gashes to the unweary .Powerfully built muscles ripple along it legs and torso as it attacks relentlessly hatred in its heart for all the are free to live their lives as they choose . For it is held here by powers of darkness preventing it from roaming the lands to delight in the death and destruction of the innocent.

Eyes of blood red hate confront me as I finally stare into the cold dark soul of one of the creatures as it springs into an attack without one moments hesitation . Hind legs on the floor as it raises its front paws trying to land on my chest to rip into my armor . Its head snaps forward continuously, dangerously close to my face and neck as powerful jaws filled with dozens of sharp teeth try to rip into my throat .

My blood is what it craves, it savors the taste and can sustain itself as it drinks it while waiting for my life to end .Rage and hatred for my life drives it to incessantly attack, before dodging my weapon and shield as it circles looking for an opening to finish me off. Cunning is this wolf for it uses the shadows to its advantage, darting agilely between the shadow of trees blending into its back round seeking to find my unguarded side.

The falling leaves alerts me and I spin weapon held high and manage to cut a deep wound along its chest ,tearing into muscles and forcing it off to the side as its dark black blood drips from my sword. Breathing heavily as the blood pumps through my veins I await its attack knowing it is not done for with these creatures there is always a singular purpose to live and see all others die !

It attacks again , this time with snarls as it lunges with all its strength savagely as I bring my shield up as it uses its teeth , fur , paws and fangs to try once more to overpower me by its sheer ferocity. The fight ends with it’s dead carcass laying next to me, after a long arduous battle . For me there was no other option ,for freedom and hope to have a chance one must fight despite the fear , despite the isolation and surroundings , despite the understanding that creatures had no other choice but to act according to its nature.

A nature to have me and all of like minds to me destroyed and the world covered in darkness......I fight not with malice in my heart but with hope, for it is my hope that one day perhaps the forces of evil may be defeated and perhaps a new golden age may come again

Bella Anna 59566

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Postby Mere Grimshaw » Sat Aug 11, 2007 11:44 am

The Giant Sewer Rat

The giant sewer rat is a sleek, agile and most robust rodent with brown fur and a grayish-white underbelly. It has a pointy muzzle and large droopy ears. It is approximately 3-4 ells when on all fours, but can easily stretch to 5 even 6 elbows when on its hind quarters. The beast weighs about 10-15 stones, give or take, and possesses a tail that is as long as its body. The tail is covered in smooth black and white scales, with no two tails having the same exact scale pattern.

[Note: The largest rodent kill recorded by Lord Registrar Humbold is by a hunting party last winter that included the Mayor of Dundee, Apprentice Warrior Ned Shafer, and Yunah the Ferryman. The beast in question was weighed at 21 stones and measured stretched at 10 elbows. There is some question about whose forearm was the measuring standard.]

The giant sewer rat is omnivorous and will devour anything and everything. It is not unusual to find scraps of basic shields, leather and cloth, torches, and strange metal upon gutting. They have even been known to cough up the odd treasure box on occasion. The giant rats live in vast colonies and are extremely territorial, often with several alpha males and females in residence. The colony defines its boundaries with a unifying stench of rat droppings that can be totally overpowering, causing intruders to experience watering of the eyes, excess nasal drip, dizziness and vomiting. The death rate is highest among the youngest adventures who wander into the colony unawares and unprotected.

When facing giant rats in combat, it is important to remember to equip steel. Armor is helpful. Footware is not a requirement, but certainly a luxury that can prevent slipping and sliding in refuse. (This writer suggests buying the cheapest pair of leathers when starting out. The alternative is just Too…ookee.) Remember that rats are highly intelligent beasties, with poor vision but an acute sense of smell. Their typical first moves prior to combat include sidling up to the intruder and sniffing. For young adventurers there is no hope whatsoever of going undetected--expect the rats to strike instantly. With this in mind, adventurers are advised against trying to imitate the colony smell. There are several brands of rat by-products on the market but this writer assures you the rats...will...not...be...fooled. On the other hand, more experienced adventurers face no danger when traveling through the colony. There are several theories for this phenomena, which the writer hesitates to go into here.

Another combat point to consider involves fighting rats in a group setting. First expect the rat pack to issue an onslaught of loud short chirps. Some have compared the sounds with "daggers cutting into slate" or "taking a lance to the eye." Regardless, be assured that they are laughing at you--trying to disorient you, to dominate you, to destroy you. Keep an eye out for the alpha males which will rise on their hind legs and actually box you sharply about the chest and head. This is an offensive ploy which can open up attack avenues for the other rats. Alpha females tend to be more direct. They are the climbers and will simply fall on intruders, going for the neck and, thus, the killing blow. Young adventurers are cautioned to keep their heads covered at all times—as there is no feeling quite like the feeling of having your hair combed through by rats teeth.


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Postby ShadowHunter » Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:41 pm

Dark Forest's Wolf

The wolf is a longtime resident of the forest between the towns of Dundee and Milltown, but over the years has severely over-populated the woods. Alongside the other two breeds of animals residing in the woods, the Carnivorous Armadillo and the Bear, the wolf has completely depleted the forest of its supply of woodland animals. Due to the the wolves have become emaciated, and no longer hunt in packs, but rather alone or with at most one other animal, as food has become too valuable a resource for the current woodland animals for them to share there kill with a large pack. Also due to the non-existence of other woodland creatures, and because wolves cannot pierce the armadillos hide nor dare to fight the bears that reside therein, wolves have turned to a new sort of game, that of hunting the various humans that venture through there woods on there adventures, or in passage to or from Milltown.

The wolves overall appearance is derived from its surroundings. Due to the lack of light in the woods, as so little seeps through the dense canopy, the wolves eyes have had to adjust, and over years have begun to give a bit of a demonic silver appearance. Also, as a result of there being used to there darkened home the wolves seldom, if ever, venture out of the woods due to the extreme difference in light. There coat is perfect camouflage in its darkened surrounds, a deep hue of gray that matches the shadows they lurk in. Due to the lack of nourishment that most of the wolves are exposed to, they look highly emaciated, and there muscular structure has suffered from it as well, causing them to become far weaker than there relatives the Ebon Wolves. Due to this, while there prey is humans, only the weakest of humans would be unable to fight them off easily.
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Postby Urkki » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:22 pm

Valorn's animals, a children's storybook with educational stories
page 62, the glacial gnomes


Apparently there once was (at least I was told so...maybe there still is...umm, sorry that's not the point...) a (what was it again...oh yeah) hidden treasure...somewhere in the cold cold mountains. And when I say a treasure, I probably should say a mountain of platinum and gold. You might wonder how one would hide a treasure as big as a mountain...Actually I don't know how they did it, but I suspect they had it all worked out as it was a hidden treasure after all.

Umm, where was I? Something about hidden treasure, right? Hmmn, actually this is a silly story and it absolutely can't be true...I mean how would...and why would anyone hide a treasure to cold cold mountains? Oh, now I remember they hid it in snow and ice! That's right! But why was it again? Sorry it's been a long time since I he...oh oh, they liked snow, that's it!

...and probably ice too...they were funny kind of people they were! I did tell who they were, didn't I?

They were the guardians of the ultimate hidden treasure of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too), who happened to like snow and ice...that probably was the reason they were originally hired for the job...Yes, they were hired to guard the treasure, because no vault could really hold that big pile of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too).

The guardians weren't too keen on guarding duty, they were more interested in snow and ice. And I really can understand them, who'd like to have a mountain of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too) when the other option would be snow and ice...

Apparently the one who hired them had other thoughts, he, the wealthy landowner from Milltown, decided to move the mountain to his newly built vault and get rid of the fun loving guardians of the ultimate hidden treasure of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too). Obviously the guardians didn't like their employers plans, they'd lose their home and jobs as a result. Grave news indeed for the poor guardians. The guardians, although they weren't bad or evil as such, thought they had to resist...so they made a plan.

"All we need to do is to break his vault and he'll need us again and we can have the mountain as our home like we have always had.", said one of them. The plan was quickly accepted and the little guardians of the ultimate hidden treasure of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too) marched few days and few nights and finally destroyed the vault with big boom and crash! And then they marched few days and few nights back.

The landowner wanted to build his great vault again so that he could move the treasure, but unfortunately (for him) he had no money to pay the builders. So instead, he hired group of adventurers and bandits to go to the mountain and bring him enough platinum and gold (and few silver coins too) so that he could pay the builders and get rid of the guardians of the ultimate hidden treasure of platinum and gold (and few silver coins too). The guardians were furious, the landowner had hired bandits and whatnots to rob their homes! Naturally they defended their home (and they still do), the once wealthy landowner died as a poor man, only because he wasn't fun loving man who liked snow and ice.

The moral of the story? Never ever hire a group of glacial gnomes to guard your treasure, unless you are fun loving man (or a woman) who likes snow and ice!


Notes to the teacher: This story explains why gnomes carry ice crystals (they love snow and ice) and why they carry coins (they have a treasure big as a mountain).



Urkki http://www.darkgrimoire.com/cshow29984.html

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Postby Viktor Blackheart » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:46 pm

The final extract taken from the journal of a Wolf hunter.

''I've spent many marcs watching this foul beast.. many, many marcs. I've come to know of it's habits, it's hunting styles and it's diet. Today, I shall write about them.

The beast is commonly known as the Ebon Wolf. I believe it to be tougher than the wolves I have encountered so far.. I am told it's the toughest type wolf in Valorn. It's a large creature, I know not of it's actual size as I have not been as close to measure it. The Ebon Wolf's fangs are close in size to a large dagger, I wouldn't wish to be bitten by one.. that's for sure. It's eyes glow red in the filtered light of Verthedge, a most disturbing sight. It's fur is light grey and is rather beautiful, it would fetch a high price at market, I am sure. This wolf is different than the other ones I have layed eyes upon.. they are a proud creature and fight constantly against other wolves. They guard their territory fearlessly.

Even know, I hear them in the distance.. maybe I shouldn't have camped so close to their dens.

The Ebon wolves hunt in packs. The pack usually contains around six Ebons'. It's common pray is those people foolish enough to travel into Verthedge expecting a nice stroll, It troubles me seeing this. I believe you must pay close attention to wolves.. they are more dangerous than people think, alot more dangerous. The Ebon packs circle their pray, snarling and growling with their fangs showing, it's pray backs off... fear showing.. it's pray goes numb.. full of fear.. and then.. when the pray has given up all hope.. they pounce. A shall not describe the whole ordeal I witnessed.. for I fear it will turn even the strongest of stomachs.

I have noticed, strangely enough the wolves make their dens inside the large tree trunks of Verthedge. This is also a place they hide inside, waiting for their pray.. I feel for the other animals of Verthedge. I for one wouldn't like to share my home around a pack of these Ebon wolves, Dispite that.. I have set up my camp near a occupied den, so that I may study them closer.

I can still hear their howls... they are getting closer.. I sense it.. I wonder if they know I am here? I shall return to Fartown tomorrow.

- Vincent.''

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I hope I got the right idea..

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Postby Talisk » Sat Aug 11, 2007 10:43 pm

Many incorrectly believe the Black Forest’s ordinary Warped Bear (Ursus Periculo) gets her name from the observed tendency to kill prey by removing appendages. In reality, early adventurers, who lacked the means to defeat the Warped Bear noted how its overly hunched back and bowl-legged appearance made it look like it was “made out of warped boardsâ€
8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) Never, ever, panic. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

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Postby superduck » Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:04 pm

Thorin (5739)

The Valornian Travel Guide, chapter 5.2: Gremlins

Gremlins are fascinating, but annoying creatures. Their bodies show human features, and being anywhere between 4 and 5ft tall one might easily identify a group of gremlins as a group of playing children. Closer inspection, however, will reveal their faces which are definately not human-like. Their arms and legs are also considerably thinner, making it easier for the experienced eye to detect them.

Gremlins preferrably live in dark places. In southwestern Valorn, it is a commonly known fact that the large tree near Dundee's southern gates is inhabited by gremlins. Visitors arriving from Ethucan should follow the path into Dundee instead of attempting to explore the plains without necessary preparations or escorts. To the northeast, there have been recent sightings of gremlins in the abandoned mining camp at the western edge of the mountain range, north of Branishor.

Any man or woman possessing basic fighting skills is able to kill a harassing gremlin without much trouble, and often adventurers can be seen along the Dundee-beach path, trying to eliminate the gremlins. Visitors wishing to travel to the beach might do well to hire these adventurers as guards. One might wonder why gremlins, who certainly show a certain level of rudimentary intelligence, live near human towns, exposing themselves to us. The answer is simple; The gremlins refuse to leave as they are attracted by our wealth and culture.

Their love for mischief and chaos makes it even more difficult to seperate them from children, something they love to abuse. In low-light circumstances, such as during sunset, they act as if they are children going home. The gate guards, tired after a long day, are paying less attention than usual and let them through. People visiting Dundee are advised to keep their money and other valuables secure at all times! Many previous visitors payed too little attention to their posessions, only to find out that "the little kid with the weird face" was in fact a gremlin who had just stolen their valuables.
Should they reach the local bazaar, they grab anything useful they can get their hands on. Their sense of usefulness, however, is different from ours. They care little for value as they do not trade. Instead, they are obsessed with shiny things such as coins and jewelry, but will also steal building materials, such as raw iron or pieces of string. Which is where they differ from human thieves, who will steal anything valuable.

The reader might wonder why a gremlin would steal a piece of string. This brings us to what makes these gremlins so fascinating; they are excellent engineers. Using random bits and pieces they find and steal, or by re-using components from a previous project, they build wonderous things. Human engineers have, in the past, looked at gremlin creations, admiring their skill to build something using whatever they posess, and sometimes even acknowledging that gremlins were far better engineers. On the other hand, gremlins do not improve their skill, where humans do, and I think it is safe to say that we have surpassed them in building skill. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to see how such small creatures, far less intelligent than humans, can construct those wonderful things.

Regardless, gremlins are a great nuisance to the humans, and should be avoided at all times. While those living near Dundee are not great fighters, they will not hestitate to steal your purse, and when provoked they can be quite an opponent to an untrained, or unprepared, fighter.
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Thorin the Dainty.

As it says to the left......I talk WAY too much. ;)
And yes, I am fully aware that currently it says so to the right, rather than the left, which used to be the location for said line, but I am simply too lazy to change it for you.

Sorynn
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Postby Sorynn » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:42 pm

Trinald Creature Almanac
See: Valorn-Caernivale Region Southwest-The Rainforest

The Giant Nutria is one of the more commonly seen inhabitants of the rainforest area. It is an enormous pig-like creature with a long, narrow snout, approximately 4 feet (height) by 5 feet (length) and can range in weight from 750 to 1000 pounds, with the females being by far the superior in size. It's coloring ranges from grey to black, although some spotted varieties have been noted. It has enormous and durable split hooves and a keen sense of smell. The Giant Nutria also bears a pair of long, thick tusks that protrude in an upward manner from its large powerful mouth. The tusks bear dozens of razor sharp spikes that protrude in a slight spiral fashion.
Preferring to root up its meals from beneath the rainforest floor, it is also commonly seen standing on its hind legs to reach the various bark from the plethora of trees that seemingly thrive in the rainforest, where it will use its leathery snout to loosen any sort of mosses or fungi that seem to proliferate so well in the warm, damp environment.
From a distance, these porcine like creatures seem oblivious to intrusion and appear to concentrate mainly on finding foodstuffs. However, once aware of a presence it deems to be a threat, the Giant Nutria possesses a surprising speed and agility for a creature of its size. They prefer an explosive and frantic method of attack, however, for their size makes it difficult to maintain any sort of endurance. The Giant Nutria will deliver a series of rapid and repeated blows to an enemy with it's broad, solid pate, forcing an intruder into a precarious and frantic situation where it can then use its overwhelming bulk to overpower its victim. It is then that the function of the tusks become apparent. The Giant Nutria will use its 10-12 inch tusks to shred any sort of protective armor and eventually works its way through to rip and tear at the flesh, causing a massive amount of damage in a relatively short amount of time.
It is fabled that the Giant Nutria prefers the taste of rotted meat to fresh and will drag its prize to a type of "holding area." It is in this area that the Giant Nutria will proceed to conceal its prey in a mound of rotting debris and allow the natural decaying process to occur. There have been a few documented instances where the stench of putrefaction has led to the discovery of these "death mounds" where the bloated, maggot-ridden remains of humans have been found partially consumed.
The Giant Nutria are a matriarchal species with the males appearing to be lower in the hierarchy than even the infant Nutria. The known numbers of male Giant Nutria are relatively low in comparison to the female population, seemingly only needed for breeding and food gathering purposes. A female Giant Nutria is a prolific breeder, bearing one to two litters of up to 25 Nutriaettes a year.

Sorynn
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Last edited by Sorynn on Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Jael
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Postby Jael » Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:12 pm

They did not start out with any intent of being considered among those creatures deemed ‘evil’, but are now, as have many before, whether by poor luck, or poor choice, or purposeful bent. Once placid, docile creatures with a luxuriant haircoat that invited even the most callous of hearts to stroke their hands through it when no one was looking, their appetites became their ruin.

Many of the things the consumed were not necessarily unpalatable to everyone, but their downfall was in not knowing what was agreeable to their own constitutions, and thus, in their indiscriminate hunger, they sampled whatever seemed remotely edible. If it wasn’t the lush yellow flowers in the grasslands that twisted their bowels, or the platter sized blooms of the thistles that pierced their throats, or the or the fetid pools of stagnant silt that sent the contents of their bellies back up, or the compelling sweetness of the wines as they curled at the feet of the Inn patrons . .

Worse yet, they began to forget their place among men as favored and trusted, and yearned to not only eat whatever they wished, but to do whatever they wanted to do, even that which men alone could do. Small successes here and there drove them to try things that did not work so well, and a variance arose inside their natures that simply blurred their judgement in the easiest of choices. Where they once felt at peace in the company of men, they began to want to form their own alliances with each other to further their fame, which only brought about bickering and jealousies, serving only to drive them deeper into themselves, and warped their beauty.

As their appetites caused their beautiful coats to dull, and their chronic sickness caused their sweet purrings to degenerate into pained snarlings, their accumulating injuries began limiting their abilities to travel very far. Where once they accompanied the great heros of the lands as beloved companions, they could now barely keep up with the most distracted and halting of initiates . .

Their last labored foray into the mines drove them to sample the sickly sweet glowing mushrooms that poisoned them so thoroughly that they no longer looked anything like their former selves. Having just enough sense left to drag themselves back to the sunlight, they found themselves hemmed in the borders of the wastelands, forced to feeding on the only vegetation left them . . the noxious slimy plants.

Their utter fall from the graces of men condemned them to a bitter, undifferentiated state that left no word for their species any longer, and thus they merely called them “thingsâ€

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Miranda of Admin
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Postby Miranda of Admin » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:53 pm

Thank you all for these entries. I'm taking my time reading them and will post in the next day or two with some comments and a note of the winner.

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Miranda of Admin
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Postby Miranda of Admin » Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:40 pm

I really was impressed at the quality of the entries into this competition and I genuinely could find praise for each. I decided to pick out a few to comment on because they stuck out for one reason or another - please do not be offended if I don't mention you by name.

Thank you all for making this such a difficult choice. I ended up picking a runner-up and a winner. I shall try and find you in-game for your prizes.


Mentions

Korrith, your description of the Mallards was wonderfully disgusting. I was quite put off my godly dinner.

Wyndi, I very much enjoyed your style of writing. Nicely done.

Vardian, I have always found centaurs fascinating and was therefore intrigued by your study of them.

Wyf, Bandits are more interesting than many realize. Perhaps it might intrigue you to know that they are rumored to enjoy scrimshaw as well as woodcraft (unconfirmed.)

Skyelark, I never knew the Wall Beast had a nickname. Incidentally, I wouldn't mind a loan of a copy of 'Perfect Nails in Twelve Marcs or Less' as all the smiting plays havoc with my nails.

Hacken, I was positively enraptured with your history of Jebz. You have a knack for the human interest angle, it seems.

Urkki, I enjoyed your take on this with a childrens' educational tale. You must be a real people person.


Runner-up
Jael - You write with pathos. Excellent effort and you shall receive something for achieving the near impossible -- You made me feel pity for your subject.

Winner
Mere Grimshaw. I enjoyed the tone of your writing, and the fact that you observed in such detail a beast that many have learned to overlook. Your fighting techniques are highly useful, and you included just the right amount of irrelevant detail. Well done.


edited to add - I should mention, Mere, you will get a small something too and I shall allow you to use my broadsword for two marcs. I think you will find it an interesting blade to wield.
Last edited by Miranda of Admin on Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Korrith
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Postby Korrith » Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:43 pm

Congrats to the winner and runner up!!

I personally found it very interesting to read everyone's entries.

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AKA Azure
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Postby AKA Azure » Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:44 am

Yes, it was quite fun! Thank you for the contest and the chance to read people's writings!

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AguaVerde
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Postby AguaVerde » Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:50 am

Yes, a great contest that inspired some great writing. Well done, all!! :D

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Urkki
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Postby Urkki » Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:17 am

Congratulations to winners and good work everyone!


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