Fauna 2016-07-26
A selection of the wildlife in Ancyria. Some types can also be found on the Ark in Rubinea.
The Cralch is a one-eyed climbing lizard with a length up to 1,20 m. It has a dangerous sting tail at its top side which is covered with shield armours. Although Cralchs make a clumsy impression, they're excellent hunters and chase their prey with much perseverance.
The Curl (also: Kurl) is a up to 2 meter long reptile with six legs. Conspicuous is his little, round mouth which is filled with 12 rounded teeth. It catches its prey in the form of small insects with a shoot out tongue, whose surface is covered with a sticky substance. Curls move with a maximum of one meter per second in which its powerful tail constantly wags on the ground to blur their trails. They can neither swim nor climb and are helpless when fallen on the back.
Curls are used in various proverbs as a symbol of unfitness. For example: "Don't play the Curl here", when someone behaves particularly stupid. Also popular is this saying "to have three left legs", in the case that someone dances badly or stumbles often.
The Eighteyesswift (also known as Neversleeper) is a bird with the size of a hawk while larger exemplars can easily reach the size of an eagle. This species has four pairs of eyes which all can look in different directions. The eyes lie on a well perfused, double-barreled bone comb with its origin on the forehead. It runs around the head like a collar and parallel to the base of the neck.
The Eighteyesswift sleeps upside down. Due to the fact that always at least two of its eyes stay open, it has received the name Neversleeper. Those keep the environment with help of the unconscious mind in view, to react quickly on attack. In general its live takes place almost exclusively with the head down. The only exception is when hatching the light green eggs and flying, of course. The three at an angle of 120 ° disposed legs are similar to those of insects and its sharp claws are ideal for climbing and holding. Although the swift has a long, flexible tail with tassel, it's not for clinching but only for control during the flight like all birds do.
These birds have a pronounced territorial behavior and defend their territory not only against members of the same species but also against food competitors. They are particularly aggressive in the rearing of their chicks. In general they prefer meat but they also eat everything they can digest. After successful rearing couples stay several years together before they part and look for a new partner. In the wild the swifts can get up to 15 years old, in captivity even three or four years older. By their alertness and characteristic call resembling the barking of a dog, over time the animals have become popular guardians of house and yard.
Like most parasitic insects, Emperorbugs also feed on the blood of their prey. To get the few drops of blood it needs every five to seven days, it likes to lurk in high grass or thickets on its preferrably magical prey. Although it digs tunnels as dwellings and breeding grounds, above all its peculiarity consists of the gem on the back of the animals which varies in size, shape and color depending on the subspecies. If the stone is carefully removed from the back armor of the bug, it regrows within a few months. Because of the large amounts of required gems for the elemental magic, several breeding farms are operating in principality Lionsheart for these insects. Furthermore the grated armors are used for many alchemical applications.
The Flagon-fly is a dragon-fly which mainly can be found in warm and humid climate areas. Its corp is red-yellow striped, its from 8 up to 12 cm long and it has nine eyes at its front. They're rarely alone and mostly appear in medium to large swarms. Although they often roam the night, they're only dangerous at daytime.
The Flaming Jellyfish is a up to 60 cm long jellyfish. It lives in quiet salt waters from a depth of 20 meters downwards. Flaming Jellyfishes are loner which let themselves drift away from the flow until they meet their prey by chance. For most of the victims a contact with their fine hair tips ends fatal or causes serious paralysis and injuries. In both cases the Flaming Jellyfish grabs its prey reflexively for slow consumption.
The Mantille is a flying insect with claws and a small but very dangerous poisoned sting. In populated areas they're considered as plagues, therefore they're regularly fought and expelled at cleanup days.
The smooth sting is provided with a barb and special muscle cells so that it can get stuck in its victim. During a fight the Mantille repels it and leaves it to the muscles to inject the pesky poison. This destroys the nervous system and so the defense of its victims, so that the dead prey can be eaten in silence. After a repel the sting will immediately be replaced by a new one. This process is successively up to twelve times repeatable before the animal requires some days of resting to rebuild new stings.
Mantilles forage in groups of 10 to 20 members. While hunting they first circumnavigate their prey and then sting them to death. During a single raid they're able to kill four to five wild animals, eating their meat with its claws.
The Moonlightdancer is a large, black and purple gleaming butterfly with white markings that begin to shine in the moonlight. Especially at full moon whole swarms can be observed while they're being attracted by the shining heads of the Elventufts which they pollinate. However, it's not advisable to scare or annoy a Moonlightdancer because the fine scales of its wings possess toxic properties which sometimes can lead to death by prolonged inhalation. Unlike these dangerous defense method, these butterflies are rather gentle. Some lost hiker have already reported that Moonlightdancers would have led them to the next settlement at night.
Phylii are hand big, colorful feathered birds with a fluffy tail. Striking is their red beak which determines decisively the shape of their heads - from it flattened head feathers go off in a triangle until the back of the head.
The Rode is a cheeky rodent with a conspicuously long tail. Mostly they are found in herds of 4-12 members but also in larger gatherings they have been seen. Beside of that there are few loners defending their territory even against their own race.
Because of its long tail following idiomatic expression has emerged: "When the Rode has passed you, the Rode still hasn't passed you."
The robust thread of the animals is important for crafting fabrics. Nazra use the string to create rangy jewelery, best fabric and viable ropes but also weave featherweight armours which are able to withstand a sword cut or
the bombardment of a bow.
The Sminklefish is a particularly ugly and smelly saltwater fish. Its intense stench comes from a viscous substance which it secretes with a glad at its hindquarters. It attracts all kinds of scavengers which it overwhelms with its spines and eats afterwards. Other special characteristics are its three eyes, a fluffy tail and some tentacles on the chest side.
Actually the fish is not eatable because the substances in its body are deadly for humans and Nazra unless the fish is cooked correctly. Moreover the yield of edible material is very low, so that around seven Sminklefishes have to be fleeced for an ordinary meal. Neverthless, or perhaps because of that, the fish is widespread as delicacy.
The Sprootie is a small furry animal. Its diameter is 8 to 15 cm plus about 20 cm for its tail and fur tassel. Its fur is either completly white, brown or grey spotted. Sprooties are regarded as curious, agile, cheeky and are popular pets of the Nazra. Its name comes from the "prruut"-sound which they produce challenging. Sprooties are diurnal beings. As long as no one disturbs them, they prefer to sleep up tp 12 hours in one piece.
Wild Sprooties can be found in herds of 6 to 12 animals. Depending on the season they live in trees or occupy abandoned cave systems, where they create stocks with nuts an fruits for the wintertime. Free Sprooties feed on almost exclusively vegetarian food, while domestic eat everything what they are offered.
Often they're confused with a wad of cotton but the two black eyes open long before you can touch it. A questioning "pruhut?" resounds and usually it's already up in the next instant and orbits the legs or climbs the next pole of bamboo. Sprooties are not actually shy – as long as one offers a sweet fruit temptingly in their direction, they begin to trust and can be fed from the hand. Sprooties don't like water but they also aren't afraid of it. In case somebody throws it into the water, they remain on the surface because of its woolly fur and use their tail for moving.
The Tratha is a large, stocky herd animal with hairs out of wool. The quadrupeds are well-suited as transport animals, however because of their vigorous and little headstrong sting tail they're less suitable as draft animals.
Although no reptile is known as flight artist, after all the Wind Cobra is able to slide several dozen meters through the air. To get there it climbs trees or rocks and "jumps" into it while it's opening its skinfans along its body. With favorable thermals the animals even glide several hundred meters into the distance. The Wind Cobra is a constrictor which prefers to attack their prey from the air. To accomplish this it simple plops down on their prey by folding up their wings on the back like a fan and wraps the rat or the frog--depending on the season--with fast movements. The flexible skeleton of the snake is useful as well for sliding as for climbing.
The mostly green-gray to yellow-blue Wind Cobra regularly throws its shimmering skin away like every other snake when it grows. To get the skin which is commonly used for wind and weather magic, it's recommended transport it in a time-freezing container because the skin dissolves from the inside to the outside within a few minutes and nothing of it is left.
Cralch
Cralch
Curl
Curl
Curls are used in various proverbs as a symbol of unfitness. For example: "Don't play the Curl here", when someone behaves particularly stupid. Also popular is this saying "to have three left legs", in the case that someone dances badly or stumbles often.
Eighteyesswift
Eighteyesswift
The Eighteyesswift sleeps upside down. Due to the fact that always at least two of its eyes stay open, it has received the name Neversleeper. Those keep the environment with help of the unconscious mind in view, to react quickly on attack. In general its live takes place almost exclusively with the head down. The only exception is when hatching the light green eggs and flying, of course. The three at an angle of 120 ° disposed legs are similar to those of insects and its sharp claws are ideal for climbing and holding. Although the swift has a long, flexible tail with tassel, it's not for clinching but only for control during the flight like all birds do.
These birds have a pronounced territorial behavior and defend their territory not only against members of the same species but also against food competitors. They are particularly aggressive in the rearing of their chicks. In general they prefer meat but they also eat everything they can digest. After successful rearing couples stay several years together before they part and look for a new partner. In the wild the swifts can get up to 15 years old, in captivity even three or four years older. By their alertness and characteristic call resembling the barking of a dog, over time the animals have become popular guardians of house and yard.
Emperorbug
Emperorbug
Flagon-fly
Flagon-fly
Flaming Jellyfish
Flamejellyfish
Gravelweaver
The Gravelweaver is a 14 cm large spider (without legs). It settles in damp caves which it pastes with meter high and sticky cobwebs. This cobwebs are transparent like a waterjet and very elastic, therefore just a few of their touched victims are able to escape. In order to lure its prey it secretes a sweet fragrance that attracts different mammals.Mantille
Mantille
The smooth sting is provided with a barb and special muscle cells so that it can get stuck in its victim. During a fight the Mantille repels it and leaves it to the muscles to inject the pesky poison. This destroys the nervous system and so the defense of its victims, so that the dead prey can be eaten in silence. After a repel the sting will immediately be replaced by a new one. This process is successively up to twelve times repeatable before the animal requires some days of resting to rebuild new stings.
Mantilles forage in groups of 10 to 20 members. While hunting they first circumnavigate their prey and then sting them to death. During a single raid they're able to kill four to five wild animals, eating their meat with its claws.
Moonlightdancer
Moonlightdancer
Phylii
Phylii
Rode
Rode
Because of its long tail following idiomatic expression has emerged: "When the Rode has passed you, the Rode still hasn't passed you."
Silverweaver
The Silverweaver is one of the largest previously known (Glieder-)spiders. It lives in a colony unlike most of its kind but same as some other species of spiders it prefers to stay in rugged mountains or clear forests with caves. Between the canyons or the tree trunks they cock a vast cobweb to catch flying seeds that they store dryly in large hollows. But under no circumstances they are herbivores - on the contrary. The vast amounts of seeds is used to attract mice and other rodets which are the true targets of the spiders. If a careless animal finds its way into the seeds cave, one can be sure that several weavers are already waiting to pounce on it. Because of their successful method and their high intelligence the Silverweavers are often tolerated on farms, where they effectively protect the grain against thieves just like cats do.The robust thread of the animals is important for crafting fabrics. Nazra use the string to create rangy jewelery, best fabric and viable ropes but also weave featherweight armours which are able to withstand a sword cut or
the bombardment of a bow.
Sminklefish
Sminklefish
Actually the fish is not eatable because the substances in its body are deadly for humans and Nazra unless the fish is cooked correctly. Moreover the yield of edible material is very low, so that around seven Sminklefishes have to be fleeced for an ordinary meal. Neverthless, or perhaps because of that, the fish is widespread as delicacy.
Sprootie
Sprootie
Wild Sprooties can be found in herds of 6 to 12 animals. Depending on the season they live in trees or occupy abandoned cave systems, where they create stocks with nuts an fruits for the wintertime. Free Sprooties feed on almost exclusively vegetarian food, while domestic eat everything what they are offered.
Often they're confused with a wad of cotton but the two black eyes open long before you can touch it. A questioning "pruhut?" resounds and usually it's already up in the next instant and orbits the legs or climbs the next pole of bamboo. Sprooties are not actually shy – as long as one offers a sweet fruit temptingly in their direction, they begin to trust and can be fed from the hand. Sprooties don't like water but they also aren't afraid of it. In case somebody throws it into the water, they remain on the surface because of its woolly fur and use their tail for moving.
Tratha
Tratha
Wind Cobra
Wind Cobra
The mostly green-gray to yellow-blue Wind Cobra regularly throws its shimmering skin away like every other snake when it grows. To get the skin which is commonly used for wind and weather magic, it's recommended transport it in a time-freezing container because the skin dissolves from the inside to the outside within a few minutes and nothing of it is left.