-=Bestiary=-
Basilisk
The Basilisk is a dangerous monster native to the Everfree Forest and other similar regions of deep woodlands. It thrives in the dark, swampy recesses of forests and prefers humid climates, though there is a tropical sub-specie commonly found living amid the volcanic islands of the Gryphon Archipelago. Basilisks are large, six-legged reptiles of about five times the size and strength of the average Earth Pony. Their long necks and tails are particularly powerful, as are their crushing jaws capable of shattering stone. Worse still, they are stunningly fast for their size, making them efficient hunters capable of taking on much larger animals. The unusual biological properties Basilisk have renders them apex predators, as no living creature could possibly prey on them and survive devouring one.
A Basilisk's true danger is its bodily fluids. Old stories remark on Basilisks being a living poison and that concept is actually very apt. Their saliva is a violently caustic acid that creeps rapidly across surfaces, eating away at anything it touches in a matter of seconds. Its blood is even more toxic -- it has similarly acidic properties as well as being incompatible with oxygen. When exposed to open air, its blood emits a vile cloud of poison capable of killing living beings in moments. Stories tell of a tragic warrior who stood against a Basilisk as it attacked his village, though when he struck the beast dead with a spear, its acidic blood climbed the weapon and killed him on contact. Even the natural oils the beast's scales secret are dangerous and leave plant life it walks upon withered and dead in its wake. There is no safe way to fend off such a creature without the aid of magic and entire communities are put on alert for immediate evacuation when such a creature is spotted outside the woods.
Behemoth
Thankfully, there are few Behemoths in the world. These long-lived brutes are towering in size, standing well over twenty feet tall on average with bodies that are akin to a gorilla mixed with an ape. Their bodies are covered in a coarse, shaggy fur. These beasts bear tremendous physical strength and are able to uproot trees without effort, as well as endure the most sundering of physical blows without injury. In the past, Behemoths were openly hunted by Dragons for unexplained reasons, which has dwindled their population down to mere dozens globally. Despite being a very much endangered specie, the Behemoth's long lifespan means that those still around are not in much danger of dying out before they can get a chance to breed. The average pregnancy for female Behemoths is twenty years, and the monsters have a general lifespan of at least five-hundred years before they reach a venerable state where dying of old age is possible.
Besides the Behemoth's horrifying strength and violent nature, what makes it both unique and truly dangerous is its innate immunity to magic. While the specific properties are unknown, a Behemoth's shaggy coat repels magical energy at a core level, rendering the creature completely invulnerable against spells -- shaped magic that comes into contact with the fur instantly destabilizes and is dispersed harmlessly. The only real way to defeat a Behemoth is through raw brute force, which is no easy feat since stopping power is the creature's own forté. To date, only full-grown Dragons and the Alicorn Princesses have ever achieved such. Behemoth hair is considered an illegal and exorbitantly valuable item as it retains its spell-breaking properties even after being sheared from the beast with high-powered diamond saws.
Chimera
Chimera are exceptionally rare magical beasts found in the north eastern volcanic islands beyond the Gryphon Archipelago. Many different varieties exist and no two Chimera are the same, nor do they breed like other animals do. Chimera are the result of dark natural magics; over-saturation of magical leylines in a given area cause the development of Chimera as native creatures mutate due to exposure over their natural lifespans. Any being can become a Chimera, hence why the native regions of over-saturated magic are heavily barred and unoccupied by civilized creatures.
Chimera are universally malicious and highly aggressive. Chimera have a wide variety of natural abilities, bearing the physical and magical traits of whatever mix of creatures that make up its body bestow. Thankfully they rarely travel outside of their home islands, so they are usually not something anypony ever has to worry about. This has caused some minor incidents in the past as Chimera sometimes become disregarded as myths... until one pops up in the wilds. All civilized species know to avoid Chimera at all costs, even to the point of completely evacuating entire communities from the region should one appear.
Cockatrice
The Cockatrice is a well-known monster that commonly lives in deep forests and mountains where there is much plant life. They adore thick underbrush that they can hide in, skulking about where others cannot readily see them until they are ready to show themselves. Cockatrices are a partially feathered reptilian creature, though they are commonly referred to as 'half chicken, half serpent', though such a drastic oversimplification really does not do justice to the unusual nature of the beast.
Of all creatures readily studied by Ponykind, Cockatrices remain a mystery. They have shown significant intelligence and emotional complexity, but seem to have an innate hatred for living things without reason. Combine that with its magical ability to turn living organisms into stone with its gaze and the true danger of such a deadly creature becomes apparent. Scholars originally thought that Cockatrices only turned others to stone as a means of self-defense or outright cruelty, but further studies have shown that the beasts actually eat petrified creatures by pecking away at them over time and devouring the granules of transformed stone. While a Cockatrice has never been known to do this to a petrified Pony or other large being, one still should avoid crossing such a monster. Ponies who have suffered petrification and later been restored by magic report not being aware of their time as statues; a petrified being is rendered magically comatose and in stasis, unable to be affected by the passage of time or even aware of what has become of them. In some rare cases, this has even been used as a means of emergency medical care as petrification halts injuries from taking their toll. As a result, healing houses in early Equestrian days sometimes had a 'tame' Cockatrice caged on property for just such an occasion.
Draconequis
Virtually nothing is known of the specie 'Draconequis' and the term was only coined following Discord's arrival in Equestria. To date, he is the only known specimen and it is not clear whether he is actually best considered to be a 'creature' so much as an 'entity'. Discord's status as a living being or an immortal spirit is still heavily debated. In the past, Kirin were mistakenly labeled as Draconequis when Pony explorers first encountered them, which partially led to a great deal of animosity against Neighpon in those early years as there was fear that it was Discord's homeland.
Dragon
The mighty Dragons are widely regarded as monsters despite their intelligence and ability to communicate. This is due to many of their natural habits and highly aggressive nature, particularly in regard to their territorial ways and ill treatment of other species. Because of their natural tendency toward violence, little is known about Dragons. Their core features, natures, and even how many different breeds exist are unknown.
Scholars have gleaned some interesting facts about these powerful beasts over the ages. Dragons are born from large eggs and are quite helpless even at the moment they are hatched -- they lack offensive abilities, but are neigh invulnerable to damage even as a newborn and can unwittingly cause harm to their surroundings. Dragons have been known to live for thousands of years without ever reaching adulthood and, to date, there has never been a single documented case of a Dragon dying of old age. As Dragons age, they start off mostly harmless as babies, enter a very aggressive and hormonal stage of adolescence and young adulthood, then gradually taper into venerable passiveness at ancient ages. However, an ancient Dragon is no less dangerous even if it seems calm; these creatures only become more powerful as they age, and an older Dragon has the wisdom to be a truly terrifying foe. Princess Celestia is the only known Pony to have ever raised a Dragon from birth to its Baby phase, resulting in a fully domesticated being compatible with Pony society. There have been cases of young Dragons 'immigrating' into Pony society as well with increasing frequency in recent years. On the flipside, Princess Celestia is also the only known Pony to have ever defeated a full-grown Dragon in combat, though the event itself caused tremendous damage to the landscape -- that battle was the founding reason behind the modern Equestrian policy of using diplomacy with Dragons at all costs.
Dragons are most commonly known to exist in three forms -- Grounded, Winged, and Aquatic, though it is very likely there are other varieties as well. Grounded Dragons are flightless creatures that vary dramatically in size, nature, and capacity for destruction. Winged Dragons are just as varied, though they all share the trait of having wings enabling them to fly. Feathered, scaled, gossamer, and even magically winged dragons have been documented, as well as flying Dragons with no discernible physical means of achieving flight. Aquatic Dragons, often mistakenly called 'Sea Serpents', are serpentine-bodied Dragons capable of living beneath the water. They are the most rarely seen of all Dragons as they tend to live deep within the ocean at depths that even Sea Ponies dare not delve to, though some have been known to appear in shallow waters like lakes and rivers. While all Dragons vary in size and can grow to be quite massive, Aquatic Dragons in particular are known to reach truly monstrous sizes that dwarf even other Dragons. The (now lost) island of Malooba was, in fact, a sleeping, partially-submerged Aquatic Dragon so huge that it was mistaken for an island, had its own ecosystem, and was populated by Gryphons for over eighty years while the Dragon napped. The beast awoke and swam away without ever noticing its occupants or that it had unwittingly destroyed an entire civilization built upon it.
Dragons bear innate magical abilities along with their universal capacity for breathing fire. Young Dragons can learn a spell or two, but older Dragons who bother to learn tend to become extremely powerful spell casters able to rival even the greatest of Unicorn wizards. Dragons are renown for their near-invulnerability and actually doing appreciable harm to a Dragon is a daunting task. Their scales are very dense and render them nearly impervious to physical damage. All Dragons are immune to fire, heat, and electricity, often bathing in lava as a means of relaxing or playing in thunderstorms because 'lightning tickles'. There are very few documented cases of beings getting into fights with Dragons, but all cases show that even a Baby Dragon is virtually invincible. There are only two real threats to Dragons; magic and other Dragons.
Magical Dragons have a peculiar trait about them. Those skilled in casting magic can unwittingly internalize their spellcraft, which is intrinsically linked to their emotional, mental, and physical states. This can result in unusual and often dangerous magical outbursts -- one major observation was a case where the Baby Dragon, Spike, underwent dramatic magically-induced growth and matured into an Adult State in a matter of days, then receded back to a Baby State instantly once his emotional drive was resolved. Another case was the unusual affair of Kotatsu, a now well-known Dragon who fell in love with an ancient Neighponese princess and forcibly shapeshifted into a Kirin himself so that he could be with her. When she later died of old age, Kotatsu took her body and ascended into the sky, becoming the constellation of "The Star Crossed Lovers" rather than live an eternity without his beloved. While this is widely regarded as merely a legend 'explaining' why Kirin have reptilian traits and linking it to a popular constellation, there has been much evidence to support the idea that such a Dragon and romantic event did indeed occur. Whether or not the constellation is actually a transformed Kirin and Dragon is unknown -- Princess Luna has always refused to comment.
While many Dragons are peaceful enough in the broader scope of things, the vast majority are violent and brutish. Dragons (young males in particular) tend to be highly competitive, territorial, and often mean-spirited toward other species. Part of a Dragon's show of dominance and power is its capacity to gather material wealth, which has led to a deep misunderstanding about their habits -- many regard Dragons as simply being greedy and covetous, leading them to hoard wealth that they cannot actually use. This is not the case though. While some gems are valuable, the fact that they are a primary food source for Dragons (taking precedent even over meat, remarkably) explains their desire for that particular form of wealth. When it comes to other forms of wealth hoarding, that occurs because of a Dragon's instinctive drive to nest. Territory is extremely important to Dragons as they migrate or travel very rarely -- once a Dragon settles in somewhere, it is loathe to move without good reason. As such, they put a lot of effort into ensuring a comfortable living space. Young Dragons have thick hides but are still able to enjoy soft objects like pillows and clouds. Adult Dragons, however, grow so massive and thick-skinned that their armor-like bodies render them unable to feel most tactile mediums. Gold, as it turns out, is their preferred 'pillow' as it holds heat exceptionally well, is durable enough to withstand a Dragon's form lying atop it for ages at a time, and is readily available in easily-conditioned/organized/stacked shapes thanks to it being the primary means of currency for all civilized beings in the world. Dragons also show superiority over other Dragons by having a bigger, shinier, and more impressive lair, which leads them to gather more and more valuable items for their hoard. One cannot impress other Dragons with a shabby looking bed, after all. Aside from this desire for comfort and prestige, Dragons also have a simple love of sparkly things.
Flume Plants
Flume are carnivorous plants with parasitic tenancies not native to Equestria. These bulb-like plants start out relatively small but quickly grow to huge sizes so long as they have a readily available food supply to prey upon -- mostly insects, rodents, and small birds when still young. A full-grown Flume Plant can easily prey on Ponies though, making it a rather dangerous thing to find in one's garden. Thankfully the Flume does not normally appear in Equestria and is remarkably ill-suited for the environment, often completely sucking the life from its surroundings and purging the soil to the point that it can't even sustain itself and starves. Botanists who have encountered the rare plant to wonder just where it originated from in the first place.
The Flume Plant is extremely dangerous. Unlike most carnivorous plants that are content to sit still and use lures to draw in prey, the Flume is capable of uprooting itself and actively traveling in search of food. Its serpentine vines are covered in sharp barbs and highly toxic, enabling it to paralyze living beings for easier ingestion. Thankfully Flume have only the most rudimentary form of intelligence and absolutely no capacity for sentience, so it is an easily outwitted predator that will not pursue a difficult meal. The Flume can 'see' its surroundings through a cluster of liquid-filled globules on its stalks that only perceive motion, light, and shapes immediately near by its body, making it easily distracted by trickery from outside its limited field of vision. Given the rarity and nature of the plant, its remains and fluids would presumably make interesting specimens for botanical and magical research.
Hydra
A Hydra is truly a terrible creature. Despite being a cousin specie to Dragons, Hyrda have none of Dragons' potential but have all of their malice. Hydra are incredibly territorial beasts who violently attack all who enter their lands, including other Hydra. As a result of this, they are mostly solitary creatures and meet other Hydras only for the purpose of brief mating periods. Even mother Hydras kick their young out of the nest as soon as they hatch, forcing them to fend for themselves.
Hydra are born with two heads, each with their own brain and personality totally independent of the other. As they age, they grow more heads, making the beast more dangerous as it becomes more cunning and capable of greater observation. Most Hydra stop at four or five heads, though there are stories of greater physical achievements. Neighponese legends speak of The Great Orochi -- an eight-headed Hydra outsmarted and defeated by a noble warrior. There is also an ancient Dragon legend telling of an immortal Hydra with 1,000 heads that will one day break free of its captivity in the deepest pits of Tartarus to ravage the world, but this has been widely dismissed even by Dragons as nothing more than a story to scare younger Dragons into obedience.
A Hydra's capacity for violence is legendary. Their bodies emit a foul odor and noxious gas that can cripple beings who linger in it too long, making them easy prey. Each of a Hydra's many heads can act independently, making it virtually impossible to take one by surprise or attack it from a blind spot. Worse still is that Hydra have appeared all across the globe in every region, making them a particularly prevalent threat in any region. While Hydra are very cunning hunters, they do not generally show a very high level of actual intelligence. As such, the best way to deal with a Hydra is to try and outsmart it while fleeing, particularly by confusing its heads. A Hydra will never abandon its territory for fear of it being stolen, so they are no danger to those who swiftly leave the area (or avoid it in the first place, preferably).
Minotaur
Minotaurs are a heavily misunderstood specie. They would normally be classified as a 'being' rather than as 'monsters' as they are very intelligent and perfectly capable of rational, civilized behavior... but they also steadfastly enjoy being known as monsters. Therefore all other civilized parties respect their wishes and continue to refer to them as such.
Originating in the same cluster of islands occupied by the Gryphons, Minotaurs have lived alongside their winged neighbors for ages, along with their cousins; Satyrs. There is not a significant level of difference between Minotaurs and Satyrs to count them as a different specie. It would be like trying to compare a Pony with a Draft Pony. Minotaurs are a reclusive people who prefer to keep to themselves in their mountain homes, carving vast labyrinths deep into the volcanic earth for the sake of home and defense. However, they are not xenophobic and readily welcome visitors to their homes as rather congenial hosts. For the most part, Minotaurs are perfectly affable creatures... in a manner of speaking. They are a brutish sort who pride themselves on physical strength and charisma, which makes their sense of interaction with other species a little difficult. Minotaurs often have trouble cooperating with Ponies and have been totally written off by the Kirin as a whole. The Gryphons, however, have absolutely no issue dealing with their like-minded neighbors and have co-existed peacefully for ages.
Parasprite
Parasprites are an uncommon form of magical pest that serve no purpose other than to devour. While the origin of the specie is unknown, many speculate they are a remnant of Discord's reign that somehow escaped purging by the Elements of Harmony ages ago. While a bit farfetched, there is some merit to the idea as Parasprites do not fulfill any sort of balanced role in any known ecosystem and seem to have no instinctive drive beyond consuming all resources around them. Combined with their disarmingly cute appearance and alarming rate of reproduction, Parasprites can form a considerable threat to any civilized community.
Unlike virtually every other form of living being capable of reproduction, Parasprites have no actual drive to further their own specie and reproduce incidentally. When a Parasprite eats a given volume of food, it asexually splits and produces a second, completely full-grown Parasprite on the spot which is also capable of producing other Parasprites. Studies have been unable to find an upper limit on these vermin's supernatural replicating abilities and, presumably, they would be capable of producing more Parasprites for as long as they had suitable food sources available. It is a very good thing, for the stability of all other lifeforms in the world, that Parasprites are not predatory nor do they have a very long lifespan. Parasprites naturally die off just as quickly as they reproduce and only have a given lifespan of about 72 hours.
Thunderbird
The Thunderbird is a rare magical beast not often seen by Ponies at all. Making its nest atop the high mountains surrounding forested regions, Thunderbirds are reclusive creatures that prefer to keep to themselves. Their bodies are made up of living clouds and lightning -- normally they look like fluffy white birds of prey that hum and make the air in their vicinity quite warm, but will roil into thundering black storm clouds when angered. There is some speculation over whether the Thunderbird has any sort of relation to the Phoenix given their similar natures of elemental manifestation. Unlike a Phoenix, a Thunderbird can grow to tremendous scale if their territory is undisturbed by developing regions. The largest community of Thunderbirds currently lives in the snowy mountains north of Stalliongrad where they have been battling with local Windego for the territory, causing non-stop blizzards and thunder storms over the region.
Timberwolf
Timberwolves are beasts native to the Everfree Forest and cannot technically be considered as 'animals'. They are magical creatures that embody the malicious spirits of the woodlands, being born of fallen branches and dead trees to serve as guardians of the forests. Because of their deep magical link to the woods, they cannot leave them, making Timberwolves a very isolated threat that is easy to avoid if one is cautious. At most a Timberwolf can travel a short distance from the woods, but their corporeal bodies become extremely weak as a result and generally fail them. Even minor inconveniences can cause a weakened Timberwolf to collapse upon itself. Because Timberwolves are spirit creatures, they are not killed if their physical bodies are destroyed and can simply rebuild themselves from available materials. They can, however, be prevented from reforming by burning all available materials they would use to form a body from, though this is generally impossible in a forest. Timberwolves can only use natural materials like sticks, branches, and leaves -- they cannot use processed wood, so towns generally safe from attack.
These nimble creatures travel in large packs and have tight-knit familial bonds with one another, showing an admirable sense of loyalty to their group and cooperation with other packs. There are no 'territory battles' between groups of Timberwolves and many scholars believe there is a sort of universal hive mind between them as they are all part of the forests they live within. This theory is supported by Timberwolves' ability for a pack to fuse their bodies together and form a gestalt, acting as a singular entity driven by the will of the pack's alpha. It has been theorized that all Timberwolves could potentially fuse together into a single being of monstrous scale, but thankfully such a horrific occurrence has never occurred, though it has been spoken of in Northern lore referred to as a "FenrisĂșlfr".
Ursa Minor/Major
The Cosmic Beasts are a legendary group of creatures born of the magical energies that come from the night sky. Princesses Celestia and Luna have mentioned that there are more than just the Ursa, but have never explained what these creatures are beyond their basic correlation to the constellations.
Ursa Minor/Major are technically the same creature -- Minor is simply an immature Major yet to grow to full size and strength. Regardless, both creatures are massive beasts; the average Ursa Minor stands over thirty feet tall when reared back on its hind legs, while an Ursa Major can grow to be well over four-hundred feet tall at full maturity. However, beyond their tremendous sizes and surprising level of intelligence, Ursa are essentially like any other mundane bear in behavior. Where these beasts, and their other cosmic kin, fit into the big picture has yet to be fully understood.
Windego
These horrible winter spirits are magical entities that thrive off emotional energies emitted by living beings. They draw strength from negative emotions of pain and conflict, often occupying locations where battle or some other great tragedy has happened. Alternatively, positive emotions are toxic to them and will swiftly send them fleeing. Because of their overtly malicious nature and ability to usher in mystical winter storms that lay waste to entire nations, Windego are one of the few species of monster known to be universally considered an enemy to all living things.
In the ancient history of Ponykind, Windego were responsible for driving Ponies out of their homeland as civil tensions grew between the different Pony tribes. As the Ponies migrated across the country to what would later become Equestria, the Windegos followed, drawn in by the constant conflicts and ill-will the Ponies harbored toward each other. Countless lives were lost to the Windegos' deep freezing storms that blanketed the entire country, and it wasn't until the survivors managed to manifest the Fire of Friendship that the spirits were driven away out of Equestria. However, these beasts were not destroyed and still thrive to the modern day. The turbulent nation of Stalliongrad is under constant assault by the spirits and it is only due to the further advancements of magic in our modern era that the nation has not been completely destroyed by the Windego already.
Curiously, Windego are unable to perceive the presence of Changelings. Why this is has yet to be fully explained, though many scholars theorize it is a Changeling's lack of emotional presence which renders them a moot target for Windego to feed from. It is not clear whether or not Windego literally cannot perceive Changelings or if they simply ignore them.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:10, Sat 29 Dec 2012.