Fantasy writers know that world building is the fun part, sometimes it can be the tough part. So lets do some warm ups. So heres the deal, this is sort of a game. Animal or vegtable the question, the writer who starts the thread creates something either animal or vegetable and then choses the next item to be created I think this will be great fun. So come on guys try it out with me. Poisonous plant, Weeping moon venom. A vine often found in wetland forests, its colour a moon like blue. Like poison ivy brushing up against the plant will imbed small hairs in the skin and the victim will scratch. This causes a rash and eventually the poison paralyses its victim. A animal hunted for it's uses to a planets creatures.
Crustacean, Blood Iron Crab A large fresh water crab, 1-2 feet long and about a foot wide, that lives in swamps and bogs with a high iron content in the waters. (check out bog iron if you want to know more about this kind of stuff) Their digestive system is designed to take the iron out of the water they live in, and food they eat, and turn it into a shell that covers their back. Their shells are almost pure iron, which is continually rusting. Thats also where they get their name, as it looks blood red. They have nasty pinchers and must be flipped over and speared to efficiently kill them and their meat is completely inedible. But they are still hunted and even farmed by most iron using beings. After removing their iron shells, it is a relatively simple process to remove the few remaining impurities in the iron, and forge the iron into useful items. A riding animal.
Horned stabber, large domesticated cat found in dry regions, capable of being trained for riding. Preferable due to running speed and agility without dropping rider. They are intelligent and are often found in the armed military forces for extra brute strength on stead. A plant that makes the user hallucinate (sorry for the spelling I'm to lazy to find my dictionary) effects used in rituals.
Hamarathin, Very hallucinate, especially if refined. Growing only in the northern most regions. The hamarathin plant ( or hamarathinscaperious if you wanted to get technical.) Is more easily found than picked. Giant yellow folowers adorn the plant, yet small razor-like serrated barbs cover its vital parts. once boiled in water, the barbs wither , then die , making the stem edible. Known only by few, if refined further, by pounding the stems into a powder, then mixing with water, A ver potient hallucinogen is created. Giving to Sacraficial victims. the witch doctors on the island know, they will not fight back. As they are tied to the sacrifical post to be eaten alive. this was not that good but i gave it a shot. a flying animal used in battle. jim
Ersago: A worm-like creature that "swims" through air. Blind and scentless, they rely on vibrations (like ecolocation) and their riders' guidance to fly. Naturally, they are extremely difficult to catch because of their speed and impossible to breed, so it is a test for warriors to catch and tame their own. They are armoured on their bellies and heads, but not their backs, which is why they can be ridden. The armour consists of spike-like scales covering vulnerable flesh, and is extremely painful to sit on. Their mouths are filled with teeth made of the same meterial as their scales, making them deadly when they attack. A plant used to see into the future or past.
The Chronicle Tree as it is popularly known is an modified plant. The scholars discovered that this tree remembered everything since its germination. the rings in the cross section of the wood not only recorded its age but all changes in the environment The Technomages of the planet modified it and now a special screen could track these changes without cutting the tree down and decoding them to processable information. As the tree senses the psychological conditions of creatures around it by sensing the chemical changes in their bodies, this proved to be a valuable source of knowing the past. Of course, finding relevant information was tough in the beginning as it recorded every small detail, but there is a branch of technomages that study in this field exclusively and profess to 'communicate' with the tree and get the required information. The gene that senses seasons and regulates the trees bio-clock was enhanced to be able to predict atmospheric changes of the recent future. It's seeds germinate before detaching itself from the parent and are carried by the wind. Some tribes that live in forests are known to worship these trees, but the technomages just sneer at their beliefs as superstition. Next: A parasite
Parasite, Devils Curse The Devils Curse is a fairly simple parasite. It spends its adult life in a sheeps brain, migrating through the sheeps innards right before laying eggs in the colon of the sheep. The eggs are crapped out and eaten by beetles that eat the sheeps feces. The beetles eventually become paralyzed by the parasite, before this happens, the beetle climbs to the top of the grass. As the sheep in the field eat the grass they eat the beetles and the parasite moves from the sheeps stomach into its brain (Parasites are cool like this). Occasionally something goes wrong. If a wolf or dog eats a paralyzed beetle, the parasite will survive. In this case it once more goes into the wolfs brain, but instead of being a benign presence, it drives the wolf or dog insane. The animal gets smarter, but it becomes filled with rage. It wants to kill anything in its path. Unlike a rabid animal though, it will plan and strike carefully. Isolated farms and travelers are the preferred prey, and tales of blood soaked rooms and Devil Dogs are a frequent campfire story among rural folks. A bird.
Fliragar A flightless and featherless bird. It is only 8 inches in height and lives in mudplains. It feeds solely on poinsonous insects. Its beak is 2 inches in length and it has a lizard like tongue. It has claws that are one inch in length and contains a highly poisonous venom. When it scratches it victim it injects the poison in and the effects a hallucination and strong aching in the affected area. If left untreated it causes the victim to become paralysed. A worm like creature <sorry my mind isn't working too well tonight>
Kratostium Worm Order: Lepidoptera This is a caterpillar of the Diamond Wing Moth. The moth is so called because of its incredibly shiny and sparkly translucent wings.It is so beautiful that the rich often breed them for live display. The caterpillar is a voracious eater and lives on the leaves of the Chromeberrry plants. It is dull grey in colour and really ugly compared to its adult form. Once it is ready, it spins a cocoon of fine strand of Kratostium, an indestructible fibre that is considered the strongest in the world. This worm is farmed to harvest this fibre which is then used to make armour. Armours made of Kratostium are very expensive and only the elite can afford them. It is a custom to gift a Kratostium armour to the warrior who wins the World Championship, an annual battle games event hosted by the royal family
Gorucks are a race of semi-intelligent bipeds with hides of rock-hard plates. They stand seven feet tall, possess pincer claws that can rip through most metal armor, and a row of venomous spikes down their backs. They are aggressive, and move surprisingly fast in absolute darkness, guided by echolocation. They inhabit deep caverns, and typically travel in family groups of up to a dozed Gorucks. Next: a prominent natural feature of the local landscape.
Black-eyed fungus, Only growing on the underside of rocks. this fungus is soft and fuzzy, a light green color with black spots directly in the middle was how it got its name. Said to be a tasty meal for the gorucks, but preparred wrong becomes a deadly poison. next: A blind reptile.
a prominent natural feature of the local landscape. The Howling Canyon is a very popular tourist destination in Snu-tee Ville.It is near its borders. It is famous for its unusual echoes that add insults and sarcasm to the original words and often sound like they are howling with laughter. The canyon itself is a very pretty place and would have become Lovers' Paradise with its gorgeous sunset views but mean echoes mocking the sweet nothings of the couples have prevented this from happening. Though it delights and amuses tourists, the locals hate it and will pretend to be deaf or stupid if you ask for directions to get there. The neighbouring towns love the canyon because it's their idea of nature's joke on Snu-tee Ville whose inhabitants are notorious for their suffocatingly proper, prim and priggish behaviour (the best selling book here is A Million and One Rules of Etiquette ). The reason behind this unusual place has been attributed to curses, blessings, nymphs, imps, and smart rocks. Since the phenomenon started on the hundred year anniversary of the town, it is suspected that the place just couldn't take it anymore and forced itself to be sentient just to get back at the town. There has also been a case of fistfights between two sightseeing writers when both wanted to use a very unusual and clever insult the Canyon echoed back in their book. Last year The World Natural Wonders Protection Army raided the Snu-tee Ville Town Hall and found plans of a secret plot hatched by the Elders to fill up the canyon with old shoes till there would be no echoes left. Thankfully, it was discovered and the people threatened with seven days special imprisonment(tied to a giant tuning fork overlooking the canyon). The Howling Canyon is safe - as of now. An amphibian
Oops sorry, seems like its already been posted when I was typing. Please ignore mine. So the next should be A blind reptile as given by heyharris1 and not an amphibian. Sorry once again.
Screthinks Screthinks, as they are commonly known are a very rare blind reptile. They are said to be snake like, and have been rumoured to grow up to 4 metres long. No one can say for sure how the Screthink came to be blind, however there are many legends, myths, tales and songs that tell the story. Some believe, the Screthink was once dragon-like, and by great magics, was banished to it's current form for a heinous crime. Others tales say that once long ago, Srethinks we're actually basilisks, but a great hero had managed to conquer them and pry out their eyes. What ever the tale, they are incredibly rare and mysterious. Next up... A local sport.
Capture the ball. Among the tribes of the Laughing Mountain is a unique game, and punishment. Any murderers that are captured are placed in a large leather ball like sack. They are then pushed down a rocky jagged hill. All the young men between 15 and 25 try to be the first to reach the bag, cut it open and behead the murderer. Whoever wins gets a goat and the acclaim of their tribe. Competitors are allowed to punch, push, and kick their opponents but they cannot use their knives or they are dishonoured. When this sport is announced tribes from all over will come to watch and participate, leading to much trade, festivities, and parties. Often they will wait until they have 5 or more murderers and hold multiple competitions, one per day. An amphibian
The Glass Newt is such a good mimic of its surroundings that it can become nearly invisible against its background. However it can disappear only from view from one direction. If viewed slightly off-angle against a complicated background, the outline may be distinguished by the mismatch. Glass newts are intelligent and can communicate with their wizard master telepathically. They are extremely rare, but are highly valued for spying on enemy wizards. Next: a creature with no physical body
The Incarcerated tiger is the most feared animal in all of the Southern Jungles of Harshina. It is often named the "Ghost Cat" because it has no body and appears quickly, often appearing from no where it seems. Legend has it the incarcerated tiger was born with a body but it had offended the gods by devouring one of their favored race the Streamin Banshee Tiger. So the gods made the remaining beasts lose their bodies and try to hunt forever, thought they can never eat and there fore shall be hungry for eternity. Next: A powerful weapon
The Nymphs Head An intricate ivory mace of a Nymphs head. When wielded in close combat it sounds like a woman crying. Any enemies facing the wielder will lose heart and become cowardly, barely able to fight, only wanting to escape. Outside of combat, the mace will cause people who can clearly see the face to feel more inclined to agree with the owner. Not to the point of stupidity, but if they are indifferent, they'll become biased to the owners argument, if they're already on side with the owner they'll become adamant in their support. Or if they are vehemently opposed, they lose some of their aggression to the idea and just become opposed to it. It's unknown exactly what happened to it, after the last owner was cut down by repeated volleys of arrows five years ago. A hated species
The Hisdaas are swarms of insect like intelligent beings that hibernate for five hundred years. Once in every five hundred years they awaken in mid summer and feed on the life essence of plants and minerals of the land destroying forests, crops and leaving lands barren and inhospitable to any life. Civilizations are wiped out in their attack as food becomes a scarcity. They continue this destruction for two weeks, mate, lay eggs and go back into hibernation again. The eggs will hatch when the Hisdaas come out for their next meal, after five hundred years. The Hisdaas cannot survive in the cold. They hibernate deep inside the earth near the hot core or near volcanoes. They were last seen in a big swarm some three thousand years back when the mages of all races unitedly conjured a blizzard in the middle of summer. Most of the Hisdaas died there but some adults and eggs are rumoured to have escaped. There have been attacks of small scattered groups of Hisdaas every five hundred years since then but the damage is hardly comparable to previous ages. Even today there is a fear among the races that they might come back and start their destruction all over again. There are groups of hunters that are always searching for Hisdaas nests. Now that deep earth exploration is becoming easier with new spells and technology, every year many sleeping Hisdaas and their eggs are frozen and destroyed.
I think I should put up a big "OOPS'" next to my name, I keep forgetting to put up the next thing. Sorry. So Next: A very rare carnivorous plant
In the Purple islands there is an underwater plant that once every three years releases seeds that float to the surface and during heavy storms are sent onto the nearby islands. The seeds are very small and easy to miss. They are also extremely hard and clingy. They hook onto other plants, and wait to be eaten. When they are eaten, the stomach acids break open the hard shell, and they begin to grow in the stomachs of the animal. The plant easily withstands most stomach acids, and its tendrils drill through the animal releasing anesthetics as it goes. After three months it releases hormones that cause the animal to become extremely thirsty. Only salt water will quench its thirst. At this point the animal is sick, dying, and the plant is controlling its actions through various chemical secretions. The animal swims into the ocean needing to be in the water to feel any relief. Most drown and are washed back onto shore where the plant eventually dies. But enough make it past the break water, and drown in the open ocean. At this point with the lungs filled with salt water the plant surges in growth causing the body to become heavy enough to sink. The body sinks to the bottom where increased pressure causes the body to rupture releasing the plant. If the body is partly eaten before the plant comes out it will appear sooner and simply continue sinking to the bottom. (This is partly based on real life, where an Amazonian mushroom grows in an ants head, before making it climb a tree and banging its head against the tree once it reaches a certain level. Eventually the ants head will explode releasing the mushroom. Isn't science fun.) Next an intelligent non-humanoid animal.
The great Raven. These birds are few in number and rarely seen together, they live high up in the mountains but each spring they come down to hunt for food. They have a link between each other and communicate in telepathy. Their beaks are serrated and they hunt smallish animals but have been known to kill humans if attacked or provoked. Once it was documented by a prince that he befriended one of this pure shiny blackbirds and the bird spoke clear English with the prince. Once the prince died so did the bird giving to the suspicion that the bird was somehow linked to its friend. Only the foolish hunt these birds even though its illegal to hunt the great Raven. Its also been known for these birds to help the lost soldiers find their way to safety or even home. From occasion scouts have used the aide of these birds as they scout out places. The birds have also been known to show compassion for their kin. Next a Reptilian that shows signs of intellect but cannot breath fire nor fly.
The Nexfillian. They are usually seen near water and are often a sign of hope for those lost in either wilderness or desert. The Nexfillian's travel in packs but seem to share duties of keeping watch for preditors, hunt food and to find water. They also seem to have a complex language of small hiss', clicks and whistles. They can stand on hind legs, those in the desert are bronze in color with onyx eyes. Small sharp spikes line their bodies along their spines. Those that dwell outside the desert areas tend to be a dull silver in color also with spines. webbed toes with sharp, deep purple claws. Studies show that they leave strange patterns that are baffling. A natural object used for scrying.
