Wandering through the streets, you find yourself ushered about by the bustling crowd. Before you know it, you find yourself in front of a small stand full of heavy books. The merchant eyes you up and down for a second.
“My field guides cannot be beat! If you want to survive outside town, you’ll want to study these carefully!” He bellows at you.
‘The Stormrider’
(See also ‘The Nameless One”) Throughout the City of Lanta, local folklore tells of the Stormrider, a mythical figure that rides a great, nameless Black Dragon, forever stirring the clouds of the Tumultuous Plains until they boil over and become violent storms capable of rending the earth with their fury. As the legend goes, the dragon covets the Silver Moonflowers, but alas, none of them grow upon his lands, for nothing can share a home with those calamitous storms. When one of those twisting maelstroms from the Tumultuous Plains breaks free and travels east, towards the mountain, it is supposedly…
‘Silver Moonflower’
A rare and delicate beauty. Do not confuse this with your run of the mill Moonflower. Your typical Moonflower is white and can be found in various places throughout the Emerald Ring. Unlike most flowers, they bloom at night. This, along with their petal shape, size, and number, are the only things the common Moonflower shares with its cousin, the Silver Moonflower. True to its name, the Silver Moonflower is not white, but a lustrous silver that sparkles even in the darkness, where it grows. These rare beauties can only be found in the deepest parts of the Lunar Woods,…
‘Black Orchids’
The Black Orchids are a beautiful but deadly species of fauna known to grow in the Eastern Ring. More specifically, these tend to be found around the Misty Mountains. These flowers are rare to find in great numbers, as they have excellent medicinal properties. Harvesting the Black Orchids is not without its pitfalls, though. They must be handled with care, as their pollen is an intoxicant able to put even sizeable animals to sleep in a matter of minutes. This special property is the reason the flowers are sought out in the first place – they are a primitive, yet…
‘Sentry Owls’
Horned Owls are a fierce predator known to hunt in the forests at night time. Their relative, Sentry Owls, are known to do the same, although there is a noticeable size difference between the two. By most estimates, the Sentry Owl’s wingspan can reach up to four paces across whereas a Horned Owl would top out around two paces. The Sentry Owl’s talons are incredibly sharp and durable, capable of rending flesh, muscle, and ligaments alike. Their beaks are powerful enough to pry apart its meals with ease. These owls, like their relatives, hunt exclusively at night time and they…
‘Mirwolves’
“Have you ever seen a wolf stand next to a dog? You might think there’s not much of a different in size if you’ve never seen the two standing side by side. Granted, this depends on the breed of the dog, but typically, a wolf is about twice the size of your average dog. So what is a Mirwolf? Well, if you put a Mirwolf next to a regular wolf, you’d see the same kinda difference. A full grown wolf might weigh up to ten stone, but a Mirwolf can top out closer to twenty stone, making them larger than…
‘Darters’
A distant relative of the dragonfly. These insects grow up to ten strides long and are every bit as agile and hypnotic as their cousin, even despite their size. Fortunately for the denizens of Andante, these creatures are generally not aggressive towards humans and can even be tamed and used for transportation. At low load capacity, these couriers can handily outpace a horse at full gallop — but their load capacity isn’t as much as one might hope. For this reason, these creatures are used to transport people rather than merchandise. The Darter Taxi service is among the safest ways…
‘Manserpents’
Far to the southeast of the Ring, there lies an expansive swathe of marshlands. These are commonly referred to as the Manserpent Marshes; appropriately named, as the marshlands are home to a race of vicious humanoid creatures called Manserpents. These beasts typically stand at least a head or two above your average warrior, with hardened scales. Their eyes, narrow slits set in sockets of smooth onyx or mottled amber, regard the human race with hostility. These beasts are capable of communication and live in tribal villages throughout the marshlands. In the past, they wielded only simple stone tools and weaponry,…
‘Hunter Spiders’
Hunter spiders are dangerous predators that prey upon small and medium-sized mammals, up to and including humans. These spiders can grow up to four feet long, possess eight eyes, eight legs, mandibles, and venomous fangs. They tend to operate as solo hunters and do not form groups, although multiple Hunter spiders can coexist within the same area. These creatures generally dwell in the forests. They can climb trees effortlessly, aided by their impressive leaping ability. They are quick enough to tackle birds in flight and capable of running down wolf, deer, and humans. Their coloring makes them difficult to detect…
‘Deadeyes’
The Deadeyes are a type of undead, in all cases distinguishable by their unblinking, unmoving eyes. Over time, their eyes become cloudy white. While it is rumored that these fiends are manufactured by the Beryl Witch, none know for certain. These beasts might resemble people, but they possess superhuman speed, strength, and fortitude. In fact, they can only be destroyed by removing the head, severing the spinal cord, or destroying the brain. Deadeyes are most often active at night, where it is harder to distinguish their key characteristic feature: the dead, unmoving eyes. They subsist on the flesh of living…
andante 