#bestiary.

[magioffire]

The Nuckelavee by Mike Mignola

[macveigh]

vampire noun vam·pire/ˈvamˌpī(ə)r/ 1. a corpse supposed, in European folklore, to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth.

FROM THE PRIVATE JOURNALS OF JOSEPH MACVEIGH 

In Scottish folklore, there are stories regarding a bloodsucking faerie who preys on mortals and any other warm blooded mammals called the 𝐵𝐴𝑂𝐵𝐻𝐴𝑁 𝑆𝐼𝑇𝐻. The baobhan sith, while traditionally a female succubus-like entity, is said to only attack her victims at night and that all of her victims are men who are (bloody stupid enough it seems if you ask me) foolish enough to be lead astray by the creature’s ethereal façade.

The modern day 𝑉𝐴𝑀𝑃𝐼𝑅𝐸 is believed to be a descendent of his particular fae. There are a vast number of similarities between the two; the bloodletting of innocent victims, the way they rely on their charm and beauty to lure their prey into the dark, however the species as a whole over time has evolved greatly beyond the powers and capabilities of the faerie that seemingly spawned the race. 

For instance, vampires are immune to iron unlike that of the fae race. There are few weaknesses the coven has been able to discover that they can use when facing off with a vampire. So far, the only known was that have been proven successful in taking down a vampire are as followed: 

immolation 

decapitation

severe maiming

removal of the heart

excessive bloodletting 

Vampires as a species over the last several hundred years have been able to procreate and spawn more of their kind through various means  (so various that I will never be able to document all of them into this damn book, no matter how small I write) ultimately resulting in an insurmountable number of hybrids, tribrids, half-breeds, monsters, and even the living undead which vampires are so universally known for being throughout the Western world.

[...]

Within the margins of the journal, there is a note as follows: i’m sure the coven’s archives are bound to have more information on the different kinds of vampires within existence 

[magioffire]

The Ones Who Hide and Watch (The Dryads; including The Greenmen, Leshy, Skogsrå, Vila, Hiisi) (Bestiary of Beatha: Part 1/?)

“In some mysterious way woods have never seemed to me to be static things. In physical terms, I move through them; yet in metaphysical ones, they seem to move through me.”

- John Fowles

[magioffire]

anatomoths artist

[magioffire]

Vali often brings food and drink to the local Faer gorta. It's actually one of his jobs, or rituals, as Archmage to help keep the Faer gorta some form of satisfied, as not to bring down famine and loss upon the Sidhe. Faer Gorta are considered to the Dokkalfar to be spirits of those who have passed from hunger, whether physical or spiritual, or plague, and are caught between the material and physical realms. Unattended corpses are thought to either become Faer gorta, or simply act as vessels for them. they appear most often as extremely emaciated beings, beggars and the ill. this can range from mild emaciation and illness to, well, basically being a dehydrated, unshriven corpse that wonders the far, forgotten regions of Beatha.

they are not easy to look upon. few wish to encounter them. these hungry spirits appear frail, but they are feared by the Dokkalfar populace, maybe even passing into legend due to the rituals of the Faer gorta mainly only being preformed by magisters, like Valeriu, and druids, like Brigit

Sometimes, others will encounter the Faer gorta out there in the wilderness. Usually in the form of an old, sick beggar asking to alms. In times of great strife, they may take on their more frightening, skeletal appearance. Giving the beggar food will help ensure good luck, but refusing can lead to a long string of terrible luck. Most think they would be the generous sort and gain the luck of the Faer gorta, but when faced with them, it can take a strong will to not turn tail and run at their frightening, corpse-like appearance.

The reverence they grant the Faer gorta is something of an ancient folk ritual that has persisted throughout the ages. Despite this legendary status, past famines in the Sidhe, and indeed wider parts of Beatha, have been attributed to the people not giving the Faer gorta their due.

[magioffire]

behold....the malaysian fire snail... . aka vali if he was a snail

[magioffire]

BASILISKS!!

here is the finalized design of the basilisks, the reptilian-bird-camel-like mounts of the dokkalfar.

art by the lovely @nykrose

endemic  to the wind swept rocky lands of the borderlands, and at home within the thick, treacherous jungles of the sidhe, baslisks are well suited for travel over rough terrain and through harsh conditions. the dokkalfar have domesticated the basilisk as a beast of burden. basilisks are more suited for tasks that require endurance, such as long distance travel, carrying burdens/riders, and pulling small loads, though basilisk racing is not unheard of.

generations of selective breeding have led to basilisks of all sorts of colors, patterns and shapes, starting a sort of ‘basilisk fancy’ among the nobility of the sidhe. basilisks are known to have a temper (which often presents itself in the form of spitting and biting). they also often develop a bond solely with their rider, making it extremely hard to pass off an already bonded basilisk to another person successfully.

variety one: a variety of ‘fancy’ basilisk, known as a golden/phoenix basilisk (based off a golden pheasant) variety two: grey or ‘common’ basilisk, this is the most common color morph you will find. variety three/four: Valeriu’s basilisk, Rakhsh, a variety of fancy basilisk called a ‘bearded basilisk’. + Rakhsh w/ tack (based off a bearded vulture)

[magioffire]

Lou Carcolh are giant to colossal snails that roam the jungles and wetlands of Beatha. They start off as normal sized snails, but never stop growing, eventually growing to massive proportions if they manage to survive to this point. most Lou Carcolh discovered are no bigger than a dog, which are still massive snails, but its still considered quite small compared to the behemoth it may become. the most ancient of lou carcolh's shells are large enough to be made into homes and even cathedrals or palaces. They are mostly gentle giants, primarily feeding upon plant matter and decaying material -- however, as they age and grow, their apetites become just as massive as them, and they can destroy large swaths of countryside and forest in a short period of time. a good sized one can eat an entire garden in a day, and a colony of them is particularly devastating. thankfully, they only lay eggs once every few decades, and most do not survive to reach mammoth proportions. They are unstoppable in their pursuit of food, so despite their non-agressive nature, its never a good idea to get in their way.