Taluman Bestiary

Throughout the history of Taluma - by the work of many different scholars, sages, and other people and influenced by its mythology - a generally accepted classification of the beasts of the land developed. This includes natural beasts like mammals, reptiles, birds and fish and more as well as preternatural monsters and creatures. The Primary Classifications of beasts include:

  • Fauna - Fauna, usually called animals or beasts, are entirely natural non-sentient beings such as the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fishes and insects of the world.

  • Monsters - Monsters are beings that are natural of origin but have some quality that is considered unnatural, either supernatural or paranormal, either by being a previously thought impossible combination of animals, an animal with powers beyond natural phenomena, or simply animals with intelligence rivaling the mortals. They include gryphons and pegasi. Many monsters are the result of the introduction of Gwyven’s blood, either inherited or inflicted. The most powerful monsters are the direct progeny of Gwyven herself.

    • Dragons - Dragons are undiluted, direct offspring of Gwyven. Like Gwyven, dragons have the features of more than one beast, always reptilian with the features of one other beast: bird, fish or mammal, such as feathers, gills, or fur. They are like giant serpents and are the largest beings known to man outside and can be as long as a town.

    • Chimaerae - sing. chimaera, include the many monstrous beasts that are made up of more than one natural fauna, hybrids such as one of the most well-known, the griffon, which is part lion and part eagle.
      griffon, hippogriff, owlbear, pegasus
      cockatrice, manticore, peryton, stirge
      drider, naga, wyrs

    • Behemoths - Behemoths are gigantic, monstrous, beings that evolve to be the alpha predator in their home. The lack of competition and usually a large area (in the sea, underground, roaming plains) to live allowed them to evolve into such enormous beings.

      ankheg, behir, bulette, dragon turtle, hydra, kraken, purple worm, roc, tarrasque, umber hulk

  • Creatures - Creatures are similar to monsters but instead of occurring naturally they have been bred from another animal or beast or even created outright by the work of mortals or immortals.

    • Constructs - Constructs are creatures created from nothing, just raw materials, by another being. Usually a construct is a one-off creature with a limited lifespan. Sometimes, though, a construct becomes a lifeform of its own with offspring and persistent presence.

      animated objects, gargoyle, golem, helmed horror, homonculous, shield guardian

    • Fera - Fera are bipedal, upright walking beings that are close to mortals but lack true sentience, or at least are not ‘civilized’ and are likely solitary beings. They live in conditions and with facilities closer to beasts than mortals. They typically live in remote places, often choosing themselves to retreat from normal society, but sometimes they may be forced into seclusion and evolve unwillfully. Some have always been feral, some were mortal but in seclusion have reverted to being feral.

      doppelganger, grimlock, quaggoth, thri-kreen, yeti

    • Harrows - Harrows usually start as an existing being and are mutated into something else by the influence and power of another being. They are often similar to a monster but have additional abilities beyond natural abilities.

      basilisk, gorgon, grick, mimic, nightmare, remorhaz, rust monster

    • Knurled - The knurled, are savage, dangerous, deviant forms of normal beasts. They are infected with a magical disease that makes them grow bony protuberances (knurs) that can form as ridges and spikes that give them bony armor and also can be used to attack. The disease is known as petrifaction.
      hook horror, dire wolf, gargoyle

  • Phytes - Phytes are plants that have gained intelligence and mobility similar to fauna - other animals or monsters.

    Blight, fungi, myconid, oozes, shambling mound, treant

  • Abominations - Abominations are beings which are alien to Eost or have been corrupted, usually by Sezsezkya, beyond typical Taluman natural characteristics. Though some could be qualified as monstrosities, they are so much further corrupted in anatomy or temperament that they are something altogether different

    • Aberrations - beast-like abominations
      Aboleth, chuul, cloaker, flumph, gibbering mouther, grell, otyugh, piercer, roper, xorn

    • Deviants - humanoid abominations
      Ghasts & ghouls, gnolls & ettercaps

  • Mortals - beings that are considered to have a soul. They are usually bipedal - humanoid - in appearance though there are some beast-like mortals.

    • Fiends - Fiends are the minions of the Nemeses Sezsezkya and Gwyven. It is said that introduction of the blood of Gwyven, voluntarily or involuntarily, into a mortal or beast transforms them into a demon while Sezsezkya’s corruption can make a mortal a devil. First generation fiends are the strongest and are the greater demons and devils.
      demons, devils, and the like; orcs and orcneas orckin (ettin, oni, ogre)

    • Gargants - Gargants is the term for giants and their kin and offspring. The giants were the first mortals, carved from trees and given spirits, created by the Caelestine to defend Eost.
      cyclops, giants

    • Fey - The beings collectively known as the fey are uncanny, preternatural people considered to be spirits of the natural world. As protectors of wildlands and the natural world, they are tied to Eosta. As at least partially of divine origin, they straddle the line between mortal and immortal, the natural and the preternatural.

      Centaur, Drider, Dryad, Harpy, Pixie, Satyr, Sprite, Will-o’-wisp

    • Hexen - Hexen are a group of mortal beings with a shared strange, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting features including goblins and their kin inherited from exposure to corrupt magic. They include hags and their spawn.
      hags, goblins, hobgoblins, bugbeaars, trolls, fomorians, trogloodytes

    • Other Humanoids - Humanoid is a general classification encompassing many varied beings, all mortals who are not part of another specific classification (not a fey, orckin, hexen, etc.). Many of them are evolutions of grimms, especially when they are wicked or cruel (evil) folk.
      Aarakocra, Bullywug, Kenku, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Merrow, Sahuagin

  • Eidolons - Eidolons are immortal beings that are not divine in power. They can be corporeal or incorporeal and often represent or are the manifestation of preternatural essences like the elements or radiant power. Eidolons do not die as mortals do, yet they also are not immortal as the gods are, instead their energy returns to its source and powerful spirits may be able to restore themselves to their previous form.

    • Luminals - corporeal eidolons with intelligence and personality - possibly souls
      Angel, Couatl, Empyrean, Sphinx, Unicorn

    • Elementals - manifestations of an element or essence
      Azer, Elemental, Galeb Duhr, Genie, Invisible Stalker, Magmin, Mephit, Salamander, Treant, Water Weird

  • Undead - beings or beasts that persist beyond death

    • Algors - undead who have a corporeal ‘body; but have lost their soul, usually in death, but the boy continues to operate by another force.
      Death Knight, Demilich, Flameskull, Lich, Mummy, Revenant, Skeleton, Vampire, Wight, Zombie

    • Shivers - undead whose souls persist after the death of the body as incorporeal ‘spirits.’
      Banshee, Ghost, Shadow, Specter, Wraith

Check back for more detailed entries on each classification.