Amstaadian Flora and Fauna

[Yaw]

Discussion of any plants and animals existing in this world. (Keep in mind the general basis is European-style fantasy, in a climate about like Kentucky.)

Included stuff can be either for flavour or interaction.


Results of draft:

Number of choices made: 97

Plants

Millet
Sharnaal Tree (passive, carnivorous)
Sahti Pepper (extremely hot pepper)
Chamidis (orchid potpourri)
Gurdak Vine
Urdiss Fern (decomposer)
Jungo Berry
Rollep (lush grass)
Linfal Tree (panpipe tree)
Crabapple Tree
Lotus Tree
Pristek (carnivorous)
Shadow Root (radish)
Oranges
Dandelions
Larna Casova (white flower)
Gungarra Elm
Kathari Herb
Avaslihna Tree (aphrodisiac)
Rainbrush (baobab-like shrub)
Arana (nut-producing)
Summer Snow (white clover)
Strangleweed (carnivorous seaweed)
Preffa (edible flower)
Ythen (anaesthetic flower)
Giant Iridis (hallucinogenic flower)

Animals -- Land

Vardanu (pack lizards)
Hobgoblins
Chicken
Wolves
Rats
Ocelots
Cats
Dryads
Boars
Abyssids (cave people)
Moroxi (flying snakes)
Hiran (bi-horned horses)
Geest (will-o'-the-wisp)
Creepers (sewer dwellers)
Morpheon (hallucinogenic lizard)
Otters
Beavers
Himbni (monkeys)
Greira (healing lizard)
Strom Kaar (porcupine)
Kinh Bear
Goats
Maluffs (squirrels)
Taberi (tapir)
Hooper (turtle)
Fuzzies (rabbits)

Animals -- Air

Drakes
Seidreks (messenger birds)
Falcons
Giant Vulture
Phoenix
Rocs
Bats
Kilit (gull)
Fiiren (songbirds)
Katashunk Dragons (vegetarian dragons)
Finches
Spindlewrens (cranes)

Animals -- Water

Vinzer Crabs
Medicinal Leeches
Salmon
Vizid Snakes (venomous sea snake)
Turriss (fish)
Sharks
Hareesh (whale)
Derphai (dolphin)
Reptaurak (rare sea snake)
Frogs
Eipstream (plankton)
Avarex (piranha goldfish)
Sprats
Leviathans (giant whale)
Nymphs

Insects

Mikri (locusts)
Paereb Spiders (large)
Bees
Gnats
Drowse Grubs
Sraath Plague (cockroaches)
Termites
Aushtak Butterflies
Lethigies
Tintrin (fireflies)
Terrapods (rock bugs)
Scuttlers (decomposers)
Pollinifs (giant butterflies)
Krynoch (crystalline slugs)
Giant Mosquitoes
Fire-Ants (giant)
Vineworms (earthworms)
Syleria (symbiotic worm)

[Pie_is_good]

I'm sure the wildife will vary wildly (no pun intended) from civilized to unsettled parts of the city. In more populated regions, I doubt many animals would be out during the daytime, but the night could (and should) have some cool animals - maybe some bug swarms? Wolf/Dog Packs? ROUS? Undead?

In the more unsettled regions, I'd imagine a fair amount of the normal stuff - Animals defending territory that adventurers inadvertantly trespassed on. In terms of fantasy animals, a quick google search would likely bring a list that can be fitted to a certain climate.

I think the whole fun of running into these animals is that the adventurers have no idea what's hitting them. Within the scope of flavor, I think we should make these animals as unpredictable as possible. Running into a bear is a battle. Getting hit by a carniverous plant in a jungle while looking out for a bear is a cool battle.

[Yaw]

I think we should keep this thread for "naturally-occurring" species. (So if you want a bunch of zombie cats, we'll just define the cats here and deal with the necromancy required to zombify them with the magickal stuff.)

Any specific species you definitely want to see?

[Yaw]

Ok, let's draft it. I'll keep track of what's been added in the front post.

When it's your turn, choose something you want to see in the game. It can be for either flavour purposes or to be a threat. Feel free to use real wildlife, fantasy wildlife, or something from your own imagination. You can also choose to include species that are in the world, but not local. (Remember for local wildlife the climate is like Kentucky.)

Let's go until we get 100 choices total (which will include plants, animals, insects, birds, fish, and so forth). So that's 25 choices each.

For order, I'll just roll some dice here...

Pie_is_Good

Original Roll String: 1d100

1 100-Sided Dice: (96) = 96

rolandofthewhite

Original Roll String: 1d100

1 100-Sided Dice: (2) = 2

Thok

Original Roll String: 1d100

1 100-Sided Dice: (58) = 58

Yaw

Original Roll String: 1d100

1 100-Sided Dice: (58) = 58

[Yaw]

And from smallest to largest, the order of picks will be:

Yaw
rolandofthewhite
Thok
Pie_is_Good

So pick 1: Millet

Physical Description: A pillar of white, pearl-shaped grains topping a leafy stalk.

The primary crop of Amstaad, millet was introduced by the Passani and retained for its hardiness. The grains are either roasted for cereals, or ground to a flour used for all types of breads and pastries. Millet is also used for brewing Amstaad's famed beers and ales.

Roland's up.

[rolandofthewhite]

Sharnaal Tree

Physical description: 90 ft. tall fully grown, on average. Thick trunk. Bark has deep, reddish-brown grooves. Trunk is branchless until about 30 feet up, at which point many long, thin, leafy branches appear. Leaves are arrow-shaped and dark green, and have a dark red border on the fringe of the leaf. Thousands of thin vines with thorny ends descend from the branches all the way to the forest floor, forming a cascade of vines that fill the area underneath the branches.

The vines are coated in a neurotoxin that quickly paralyzes any creature that touches them (within 20 seconds). When the vines are disturbed, thousands of them begin to entwine the helpless victim, raising them up into the branches and using their thorny ends to pierce the victim's body. The blood flows down the grooves in the bark and into the soil around the trunk, where it is absorbed by the roots. The bloodless bodies of the tree's victims eventually become skeletons which stay among the branches, impaled by branches and riddled with vines. These trees are rare, but are often called Bone Trees by young children, as the occasional skull can be seen peering out from behind the thick leaves.

[Thok]

Vardanu (aka Thok wanted the setting to have riding lizards)

Physical Description: A scaled up version of a Komodo Dragon; adults are typically 12 feet long, 4 feet tall and the main body is four feet wide with two powerful appendages protruding from each side. Their skin is a tough greyish leathery substance that is resistent to piercing and tearing, which developed as a consequence of the low and compact body structure. Their hide also provides some protection against temperature variations; while cold-blooded, a Vardanu can be fully active at anywhere between 40-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically the body of a Vardanu hovers mere inches above the ground, but unimpeded the animal can move speedily (up to 15 miles per hour) over even relatively uneven terrain.

Most Vardanu are domesticated and are used by several races as pack animals or for transport. A typical Vardanu can pull up to two tons at a rate of 2 miles per hour for an extended period of time without rest (6-8 hours). Vardanu are herbivores and as domesticated creatures have no natural predators. There are occasionaly rumors of feral Verdanu that grow to twice the size of an average Verdanu; these have yet to be substaniated.

[Yaw]

The weather in Kentucky can go down to around 20F in the winter. So you'll probably have the vardanu being stabled (and hibernating to a large extent) in the winter. Is that ok?

[Thok]

Yeah, that seems reasonable.

[Pie_is_good]

Hobgoblins (AKA Pie wanted the setting to have a staple thing to kill)

Physical Description: Standing at about 5 feet tall, these creatures have brown, leathery skin. They are short and squat, often coated in dirt and dust. They often wield crudely constructed weapons and armor, although their physical strength along seems to be enough to compete in battle. They are very sensitive to sunlight, often blinded and at a disadvantage when doing battle above ground.

They live in underground colonies, rising above the ground only to keep intruders away from their turf - hobgoblins are overprotective of their territory. A militiant, although not intelligent, race, hobgoblin are rarely short on warriors. They overestimate themselves, though, and often send out too few warriors to deal with a threat. They can be very greedy, though, and some shiny trinket is often enough to ensure safe passage.

[Yaw]

Since everyone else is doing it, I edited my first choice to include more detail.

Drakes

Physical Description: Flying lizards around 7 feet long from nose to tail. They have strong hind legs, and front "hands" that form a part of their wings. Wings are bat-like, and stretch 6 feet from tip to tip. Amstaad's drakes feed primarily on medium-sized animals (about the size of a house cat), and can often be seen roosting on the larger buildings. Colourations vary widely, but are always bright and showy.

Drakes do not have any special breath weapons (besides the smell of their last meal). They make do with strong jaws and teeth, and the talons on their hind feet.

[rolandofthewhite]

Mikri

Physical Description: 3" long, locust-like insect. The mikri has 6 legs, the back pair being longer, hunched, and used for leaping. The back legs have sharp spines protruding out of them, but all legs end in tiny claws for gripping onto plant stalks and leaves. The mikri has a hard exoskeleton, usually greenish-brown in color. The head of the mikri is resembles that of a grasshopper or locust, but with two main differences: the mikri has a tinier pair of antennae surrounding its longer ones, and its mandibles are larger than normal, adapted to quickly consume food as well as deal a painful bite, often drawing blood. The mikri's most notable features are its wings, which when expanded, are a brilliant blue.

Life-Cycle: The mikri starts out as a tiny white egg, about the size of a BB. The egg hatches in late spring and releases a mikri nymph: a smaller, paler version of the adult mikri, with a softer carapice, less-developed hind legs, and no wings. Over the next 3 months the mikri develops to its adult phase, also growing wings (and eating continuously the entire time). Finally the mikri takes flight in search of other foods. In the late autumn the mikri mate, the female eating the male directly afterward. The female mikri will hide herself away by either burrowing underground or hiding in the trunk of a tree to stay out of the winter cold. During this time the mikri effectively shuts down its bodily functions for the entire winter, emerging after the thaw of spring. The mikri then lays 5-15 eggs, which are almost completely developed at this point. Unfortunately for the mother mikri, the mass of the eggs have almost completely taken over her body, and she is literally nothing more than a living incubator. Giving birth tears out most of her vital organs, and the mother mikri crawls a short distance away and dies.

Eating Habits: Mikri are omnivorous, feasting readily on both plants and flesh. Mikri usually won't attack animals that are able to defend themselves, but will attack injured animals. Many a time a farmer has gone to check on an injured animal only to find it dead, missing a large chunks of flesh as the mikri has quickly gone to work.

Mikri are almost never found inside large cities, but are semi-rare pests of farms and gardens. Most wear thick gloves when dealing with them, due to their spines and painful bite. Though these creatures are largely individual, approximately every 14 years millions of mikri gather

en masse

, growing more violent than usual and terrorizing small farming communities and occassionaly large cities that they happen to fly over.

Mikri emit a chirping/screeching noise like a grasshopper, locust, or cricket by rubbing their legs and wings together. A few mikri creating this noise is harmless, but when the creatures swarm, the noise becomes deafening, and resembles the screaming of a baby. This "swarm-noise" has a curious effect on women, hypnotically entrancing them into believing that the noise is their own child crying out in pain (whether the woman has had children or not). There have been recorded cases of women rushing out of their homes, which had been barricaded against swarm attack, to help their "babies", only to be set upon by the mikri swarm, which leaves only the women's bones behind.

[rolandofthewhite]

Yeah, I was bored.

[Thok]

Chicken (aka Protein)

Physical description: Your standard Rhode Island Red (obviously not called that). Used as a source of eggs and meat. Everything tastes like chicken.

[Pie_is_good]

Seidreks

Seidreks are birds, often a drab shade of brown, but the underside of their feathers is a metallic blue - the glint of the feathers is often a telltale sign. They are about 1.5 feet long with the same 1.5 foot wingspan. They are commonly used as messengers, as they are intelligent enough to take orders and find almost any location within a twenty mile radius, and the particularily fast ones can travel at about 100 mph in the air. They are prized as pets for the wealthy, but they are rare in the wild - many have been hunted for their valuable feathers or captured for sale.

They fly clumsily and are no real threat in combat, but their efficient and intelligent flight makes them valuable.

Edit: This is my last turn before I'm gone for the week. Skip me if it comes back around; I'll catch up when I'm back.

[Yaw]

It's alright, it can just be delayed until you get back. With the long weekend, I expect some disruption anyway.

Have a good trip.

[Yaw]

Sahti Pepper

Physical Description: Hot pepper that ripens to a clean white colour. Sahtis grow to a length of 3 inches and a diameter of 1 inch.

The Sahti's oil is so hot that it is flammable when exposed (in purified form) to sufficient heat. For this reason, Sahti peppers are processed to produce oil for both household and military use.

Boiling the Sahti pepper causes a chemical reaction that negates its more dangerous properties. The flesh can then by used to flavour dishes. Due to the extreme heat of the Sahti, the flesh is normally ground and sold as a sauce. Minuscule portions of hot sauce are sufficient to make even large portions quite spicy.

[rolandofthewhite]

Chamidis

Physical Description: Annual flowering plant, averaging 1 ft. in height. Has light green leaves in bunches of 3 all over the stalk of the plant. Flower resembles an orchid, and is typically a deep rose color, with spots of lighter yellow. The subtle, relaxing scent of this flower means that it is often grown inside homes to relieve stress.

[Thok]

Vinzer Crabs (Hey, we do have a port nearby)

Physical Description: Relatively large (half foot tall, weighs about 15 pounds) crabs, with a tough shell and claws. Generally ignored by the TikTuk, but their eggs and meat are prized delicacies in the Noble's District.

[Pie_is_good]

Gurdak Vine

This small, thin vine grows exponentially quickly as it gets taller and taller, but once it hits twenty feet it is unable to support itself and dies quickly, laying its seeds on the ground. The stalk is thin and the leaves are relatively large. This vine can reclaim a run-down, uninhabited building in a bout a week, and it can also be a nuisance to inhabited buildings. It takes quite a bit of work to uproot a gurdak infestation in your home.

Rumor has it "Gurdak" comes from an ancient dwarven profanity.

[Yaw]

Medicinal Leeches

Black, bog-dwelling invertebrate with tre-fold jaws. Sucks blood, injecting an anaesthetic and blood thinner at the site of the wound. Can be beneficial in reasonable numbers.

[rolandofthewhite]

Wolf

Slightly larger than their Earth cousins, but I don't believe they need any other explanation.

[Thok]

Salmon

The TikTuk need to catch something when they go fishing.

[Pie_is_good]

Rats

Carry diseases. Come out usually at night. Source of protein for the exceptionally poor. Etc.

[Yaw]

Urdiss Fern

Physical Description: Plant with feathery, green leaves with a rust underside. Seeds grow in dead bodies (buried or not), and the plant nourishes itself with protein from the corpse. Colloquially known as "Tombstone Ferns".