On the Nature of Natural, a Compendium of Geosophical Insights for the Inquisitive Traveler

by Kelsor Adebras Penfodder, Apprentice of the 12th Order

PART I

A succinct introduction regarding the incredibly esteemed Kelsor Adebras Penfodder, seeker of knowledge and friend to flora & fauna alike

Welcome, reader of wonderfully shrewd and discerning taste! My heart flutters at the idea that this, my first edition and volume one of “On the Nature of Natural, a Compendium of Geosophical Insights for the Inquisitive Traveler” has come into your loving care. I am, as the inscription on the cover no doubt corroborates, Kelsor Adebras Penfodder, an Apprentice of the 12th Order.

During the last number of years in my studies, my worthy instructors have prodded me to depart Irinar and produce a comprehensive record of our astounding world and the creatures that call it home. I happily accepted this quest as an honor and assurance of their confidence in my ability to succeed at such a task. This piece of work is an assortment of my personal experience and research, as well as notes that I have recorded from my interactions and conversations with other fellow scholars all across Terafyn.

PART II

The creatures that lurk about Terafyn

What is such a record if we do not elaborate on the many legged things that roam our humble realm? In volume one, we discuss a few of the more common culprits that might plague a student of the world.

MOXY

“The first strike barely scratched it, the second shattered my blade, and the third...well there was no third.”

- Unknown mercenary in facing a lava moxy

At first glance, moxies appear to be abnormally large beetles, but are in fact only distant cousins. Dwarfing their more diminutive facsimiles in size, strength, and aggression, they truly are an arduous foe to subdue. The most common species by far is the lava moxy, which I have seen firsthand! At a distance, of course. The lava moxy is a breed which inhabits the deep caverns of Redspire. What sets them apart from their brethren is their scalding hot breath, which some say is evidence of a draconic ancestor. However it is worth noting that most informed scholars believe this rumor to be pure poppycock, including myself. What would compel a dragon to go about bedding beetles, anyhow?

I have observed that wolves wander all parts of Terafyn, though their most common range appears to be throughout Cairn and Lyon, in the fields and forests just off of the main roads. While travelers may know them only as aggressive bundles of snarls and fur, they can be tamed, with delightful results. Their tough hide and strong legs provide a formidable defense, allowing them the heartiness to resist less practiced blows and the dexterity to avoid much harm altogether. I have also seen and heard tales of the wolves of Osloth and further north, which are superior in strength and, somehow, even more ferocious in temperament than their southern siblings.

I have, I assume most surprisingly to the reader, survived an encounter with one of these devilish creatures. The skirmish occurred deep in the Redspire on an archaeological expedition of utmost importance. There the creature was, blocking my path on a particularly perilous ledge, waving it’s spear of bone and yipping like a small dog. I conjured an apprentice fire spell, slinging the bolt with deadly aim, striking my foe about the feet (which I had meant to do!) and setting it to dance. It lost balance, careening over the edge of the narrow path. No doubt cursing my name with its dreadful little barks. Truth be shamefully told, I feel intensely guilty about the whole affair. This aside...goblins inhabit the desolate and darker areas of only the most rugged terrain and can be quite dangerous, particularly if you encounter a band of them, or even worse...a horde of them.

What is there to record? A snake is a slithering reptile found throughout most of Terafyn. They are nothing more than a petty nuisance that feeds on rats and rodents. Until, after a hundred years or so of life, they begin to hunger for altogether different prey. The fully-grown serpent is three times the length of a man grown with enough venom to paralyze a dragon. And yet for all their girth they camouflage impressively, blending into field and foliage with terrifying ease.

We all have seen the giant eagles that scour the mainland skies, though it is rare to spy these creatures come aground. Perhaps that is for the better, as most accounts I’ve collected describe the experience as terrifying. The most gruesome tale I’ve come to hear was of a fellow plucked up mid conversation, carried off into the sky and never to be heard from again. What a horrific—and fascinating—way to go.

Ironically, these gargantuan birds of prey might have similarly ghastly stories to tell, had they only the power of speech. Through my own observations, and through many exchanges with fellow scholars, I’ve come to understand that their number has diminished in Terafyn over the last decade. The rangers seem to believe that they regularly fall prey to dragons, but I personally believe that it is their stronger and more distant cousins the valcre who are to blame.

Now, if you might indulge me a bit of a lark I have quite the morsel of speculation. Early legends of Arn tell of certain breeds that could be “bonded” to an expert falconer, to be used as mounts or instruments of war. Modern experience largely dismisses such stories as tittle-tattle, though it is a grand thing to believe.

I myself have minimal first hand experience with such creatures other than the smaller variety that haunt hearth and home; which strikes me as odd, considering how abundant their larger cousins are in the wild. I mean, certainly I’ve seen larger specimens creeping about in forests and caves, but never anything above the proportions of a canid. It is said that the most colossal varieties spin webs large enough to ensnare even the towering men of the north. Spiders of that size are particularly prized by mercenaries, who hunt them to harvest their deadly poisons and sell them to the highest bidder.

Ah, the vex. Solitary in nature and territorial to a fault, it truly is a wondrous breed of creature—found in all parts of Terafyn, I might add— and in many different forms. Vexes have been observed to assume shapes that mirror their environment, essentially camouflaging themselves with the foliage of whatever biome they inhabit. This ability proves very useful for hunting prey, not so useful to those who do not relish the idea of a mauling.

Though the shapeshifting capabilities of the vex make it difficult to see its true nature, those who have survived close encounters with the creatures describe them as having the head of a wolf on the body of a panther, outdoing either creature in terms of strength and dexterity. Their diet seems to confirm as much, considering that they’re known to make a meal of the animals they share an appearance with.

And if all this weren’t enough to establish themselves as a remarkable atrocity of nature, in my travels I’ve heard rumors that some of their genus might actually be capable of supping upon the arcane energies of their prey, apparently not satisfied with their own magical reserves. What they do with this surplus of power, however, remains a mystery even to me.

Quite the subject for volume two, wouldn’t you say?

I have heard some songs are better left unheard, doubly so for those that carry a hex. The sirens of the woods are a mysterious and elusive species. Not much is known about their origins. Tradition claims that they are the spirits of nature, anxious to pull unsuspecting visitors into their deadly embrace as vengeance for crimes yet unknown. Their song is their charm and can be quite debilitating for the weak of mind and spirit...and if one were to be enticed, perhaps they too will become spirits of the woods.

Truth be told, I tremble as I record this passage. Mantor are vicious humanoid lizards that roam the crags and peaks of mountains all across Terafyn.

While there are few who have faced these beasts, let alone bested them, survivors have described the mantor as having tough, scaly skin that is almost impenetrable, with teeth and claws as sharp as a well honed blade. These physical characteristics, along with their savage temperament, make for an extremely perilous encounter.

Reports of their social behavior are inconclusive. Some tales paint them as solitary creatures, feasting on the flesh of their own should they ever encounter another, while others claim they may gather into a seething horde that strips the flesh from any creature unfortunate enough to cross their path.

It is worth noting noting that even a wounded mantor is as vicious as one in perfect health...gaining seemingly enormous strength and drive as it draws closer to its last breath. I consider myself lucky to have never seen one in the flesh...as I am content in keeping mine.

The worm is a fascinating organism. If they truly exist, that is.

Stories from our ancient forebearers have these titanic beasts appearing en masse during periods of great strife and devouring entire empires, not ceasing in their destructive frenzy until every trace of civilization had been erased. No small few of my contemporaries have suggested that this behavior is not simply borne out of blind, animal instinct, but that their response is a measured cleansing of what the creatures might consider to be dangerous to the natural balance of our world. The fact that near every story they feature in has them putting an end to a great war or erasing the taint of newly discovered dark magic seems to corroborate this theory, but every now and again even I find myself playing the skeptical curmudgeon.

That all evidence of these creatures dates back to prehistory oral legend...it is with a heavy heart that I must say I'm in doubt they ever existed at all, let alone served in the capacity my peers have posited. Let us pray that some grisly catastrophe occurs and the worms themselves come to prove me wrong.

The swamp fiend (as I've taken to calling it) is perhaps the most distressing creature I have come upon in my travels. Working with the hermit to whom my introductory quote is credited, we have determined that these monsters once were forest vex, now mutated by a dark and creeping force that seems to be overtaking the Valewood. They stalk on four legs, much like a vex does, but their hide has been replaced with fetid bark and fungal growths, while a fire in their belly gutters and spurts out of a mouth with far too many teeth. I would advise any and all to keep far away from the land in which they range, until the arcane scar that creates them has been healed.

Perhaps the largest creature that can be classified as a member of the fae, Treekin are woody giants who dwell deep within the heart of forests all across Terafyn. Though perhaps "dwell" might be too active a verb, as Treekin—if left entirely to their own devices—live their whole lives much as mundane trees do. It is only the intrusion of our kind that rouses them into movement, and that movement is more often than not a hostile attack on whoever's nearest them.

If one must ever—regrettably—do combat with one of these majestic beings, know that they're just as susceptible to the torch as any of the flora that surrounds them.

Little is known about the undead, due in no small part to the near-universal stigma attached to discussing them. From Osloth to Lyon, folk mutter a prayer under their breath when I ask to hear tales of their experiences with the ghastly things, and even more scuttle away with nary a word.

Even so, I have collected precious few firsthand accounts, and all seem to share a very troubling thread. From ancient dead to the newly deceased, those who rise again were often warriors of no small talent, and it does not seem to matter if they were remembered as heroes or villains. What exactly compels them to take up arms again remains a mystery, but I fear the times we live in if even death is not enough to make a man lay down his sword.

This last entry has wearied me…I shall resume in good time.

PART III

The world of Terafyn!

Bear with me my reader as I meticulously curate an assortment of information on our wondrous world and its regions