The Nybbas

Of all the strange and menacing things in the Dark Lands, none is more feared than the nybbas - a species of psuedo-sentient bloodthirsty apes that feast on travelers. The creatures are quite large, standing at a muscular 4 1/2 feet tall on their back legs and covered in reddish-brown fur. They are strictly carnivores, and use their pointed, razor-sharp teeth and claws to rip their prey apart.

But the most dangerous weapon these strange creatures have is their intelligence. They fearsome apes stick together in clannish family groups, which build a home nest in areas that travelers are likely to venture through. Travelers claim that the nybbas set elaborate traps for their prey, much like spiders do for flies.

Their malevolent cunning is so impressive that many over the years have claimed them to be magickal. In fact, the Inala named them nybbas, their word for demon, for this reason. Recent autopsies of the creatures have revealed no signs of Flumpert nodes, leading scholars to conclude that their evil is purely natural in kind.

See Also:
Oertemis

Fethil Sheep

A new breed of sheep, the Fethil sheep, has emerged in the largely agrarian West Fethil area and is currently being domesticated and bred by farmers in West Fethil. These sheep appear to have developed certain magickal characteristics, such as emitting a strange green glow. Their wool is very soft and strong, but is also incredibly light. Scientific inquiry has suggested that the density of the fiber is actually lighter than air, which causes them to float mysteriously above the wheat fields as the graze. To prevent one's clothing from floating off of one's self in a similar way, those in West Fethil suggest blending the magical fiber in with a more mundane one.

Wee Monsters of the Pokelocken

a grouping of wee monsters admiring a Pokelockian sunset

The wee monsters of the Pokelocken belong to that same mischievous class of magickally-influenced pseudo-sentient creatures as forest sprites and mersprites. Like their cousins in alternately drier and wetter areas, the wee monsters are said to typically be bipedal and vaguely hominid in appearance, but vary widely in other characteristics.

Unlike the other sprite variants, the development of these creatures is now thought to be directly linked to the actions of the region's deity. The Woman in the Weeds, as Elothninians have named here, is suspected of magickally inducing life in otherwise inanimate materials - adding to the remarkable diversity of wee monster anatomy. No other logical explanation has been thought of to explain their existence - but then again, the anatomy of such creatures has not yet been examined by eminent magicologists.

Mersprites and Octopodes

a particularly colorful mersprite specimen

The sprites of the Great Land Sea, because of their proximity to human and ogrish fisherman, have been well-studied. The anatomy and behaviors of these fascinating creatures have been researched quite heavily, and have been a boon to those investigating pseudo-sentient creatures.

Recent studies have revealed that the sprites of this region are actually composed of two classes which are really quite different from one another. The most visible of these two classes are the octopodes, a species of amphibious cephalopods that have been trained and kept as helpers by the region's fishermen. Fisherman are generally very protective of their pet octopodes, and in fishing towns like Lollimar, often walk about with one perched on their shoulder. Tests have shown that these endearing creatures have the intelligence of small children and a rudimentary understanding of language, but that they do not possess the capacity for magic - they are therefore classified as a pseudo-sentient magically-influenced animal.

Mersprites, on the other hand, bear closer resemblance to the sprites of the Erkenheld. Like their forest-dwelling counterparts, the mersprites show a vast diversity in their forms: varying from nearly humanoid to more fish-like or reptilian in appearance. Mersprites do possess magickal abilities, but until recently were note considered unruly or particularly mischievous. Scholars believe that the recent increase in their tricky activities may be related to the apparent disappearance of Skillilinilia, the deity of the Great Land Sea.

Sprites of the Erkenheld

Sprites belong to a class of creatures, heretofore unmentioned, which are pseudo-sentient and have the ability to harness and manipulate magic. Pseudo-sentience is characterized by some rudimentary language development, and a limited theory of mind for others. These creatures often evolve in areas where the currents of magic are strongest Besides the sprite, confirmed species have appeared in the Pokelocken and the Great Land Sea.

Sprites are generally humanoid in appearance, displaying bilateral symmetry and being bipeds. Beyond this, there are few other homogenous traits. Their size ranges from 6 inches to 2 feet tall, and cary widely in all manner of physical characteristics! Some are bear a strict resemblance of the hominid form, while others have odd appendages, like wings or tails. Similarly, some appear less mammalian, and more closely related to insects, reptiles, and on rare occasions, plants.

Those who have interacted with them report that the disposition of sprites is a rude and mischievous one. Sprite are eminently curious, and being only pseudo-sentient, do not realize that kicking another's shins in order to steal trinkets and shiny things hurts the other person. For this reason, sprites are regarded as nuisances by those in the forest.

See Also:
the Sprite Queen