Re: Beastiary
Animals
Cattle (wild)
Auroch:
is a type of very large wild cattle (wild ox, bull) that inhabited Westeros. They are frequently used as a symbol of size, strength, and stupidity. An auroch was used as a mount by the mythical Clarence Crabb as a display of his prowess.
Bull:
adult male cattle found in Westeros. More muscular and aggressive than the female of the species, the cow. The bull and cow play a significant role in both beef and dairy farming.
Player Notes
The Bull holds a place of significance in many cultures since before the beginning of recorded history. They appear in cave paintings estimated to be thousands of years old. The mythic 'Bull of the Heavens' plays an ancient role of importance, where it is often associated with strength and fertility and worshipped by a few, in Essos.
Wild Ox:
are trained as a draft animal and are a common adult male cattle found in Essos often castrated to makes easier to control.
Basilisks:
Venomous creatures that infest the jungles of Yi Ti.
Bear (various)
Black Bear:
is a medium-sized bear native to Westeros, It is the continent's smallest and most widely konwn bear species. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the immediate availability of food.
Cave Bear:
The cave bear has a domed skull with a steep forehead. Its stout body has long thighs, massive shin and in-turning feet. Cave bears are in size the largest bears in Westeros. The average weight for males 880 to 1,100 lb, while females weigh 495 to 550 lb, the female are merely "dwarfs" compared to males. Cave bears tend to grew larger in the north compared to the south, some say to adjust to climates.
Snow Bear:
Bloodfly: (found in the east)
are bloodsucking glistening purple insects found in Essos. They can grow to be larger then bees and live in marshes or stagnant pools. They lay their eggs in the dead and dying.
Wine of Courage is made of bloodfly larva.
Camel: is an even-toed ungulate with distinctive fatty deposits, or humps, on its back. It is very similar to the real world camel. Camels are used as transport in Essos. There has been no mention of camels in Westeros. Camels are popular transport in Qarth. A camel cavalry, or camelry, is also used in combat by the Qartheen.
Deer (various)
Red Deer:
is a common deer and the fourth-largest deer species in Westeros.
Stag:
the male is termed a "stag", and is used as a description for larger antlered deer.
Player Notes
Specifically, the word "hart" is used of a red deer stag more than five years old. In hunting terms, a stag in its first year is called a "calf" or "calfe", in its second a "brocket", in its third a "spayed", "spade", or "spayard", in its fourth a "staggerd" or "staggard", and in its fifth a "stag", or a "great stag".
To be a "hart" was its fully mature state. Lords of Westeros want to hunt not just any deer, but a mature stag in good condition, partly for the extra meat and fat it would carry, but also for prestige. Hence a hart could be designated "a hart of grease"; a fat stag, "a hart of ten"; a stag with ten points on its antlers or "a royal hart"; a stag which had been hunted by a royal personage. A stag which was old enough to be hunted was called a "warrantable" stag.
Hart, White : (found through-out the world, extremely rare)
Elk (Great): (found in the east)
is one of the largest species of the deer family in the world. It often confused with the red deer. Apart from the moose, the only other member of the deer family to rival the elk in size. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling (sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations which establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark.
Player Notes
Some tribal cultures in Westeros revere the elk as a spiritual force.
Wolf(various)
Direwolf:
a close relative of the wolf, but larger and stronger. Direwolves are almost extinct south of the wall, as they are a very large and dangerous predator, and people have hunted them out.
Dog (various)
Elkhound:
is an ancient breed of dog often served as a hunter, guardian, herder, and defender. It is known for its courage in tracking and hunting moose (or elk) and other large game.
Wolfhound:
is a breed of domestic dog, specifically a sighthound. The name originates from its purpose, wolf hunting rather than from its appearance. The Wolfhound can be an imposing sight due to their formidable size; they are the tallest of all dog breeds.
Sheepdog:
are livestock guardians or pastoral dogs used to guard sheep and other livestock in farms for farmers, there are various breeds, but are generally call sheepdogs by the common folk.
Mastiff:
a mixed breed of dog that many find difficult to visually identify the breed, and while this breed of dogs are often labelled a "pit bulls" for the fighting in the pits. They do have certain physical characteristics such as a square shaped head and bulky body type.
Black Mastiff:
is a breed of large dog, descended from the ancient breed with a significant input for the cold weather. Distinguishable by its enormous size, massive head, and a limited range of colours (rarely dark gray) but always a black, the Mastiff is noted for its gentle temperament.
Elephant
Dwarf Elephant:
is a small species of elephant. The streets of Old Volantis are overrun with white dwarf elephants which are used as a mode of transport. A single dwarf elephant pulls an ornate cart called a hathay, which is similar to a Westerosi oxcart but far more decorative. In Volantis persons of quality travel by palanquin, or in the back of the hathay. Thus far dwarf elephants have only been see in Volantis.
Falcon (various)
Gyrfalcon:
is the largest of the falcon breed. The Gyrfalcon mate and produce offspring on the north coasts and the Iron Islands of Westeros. They mainly live in The North, Beyond the Wall and the Iron Islands. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark brown. Gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, and in winter. For centuries, gyrfalcon have been regarded as a precious hunting bird, highly valued among nobles.
Merlin:
is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey also known as a pigeon hawk in The North, the Merlin breeds in the southern regions of Westeros and migrate to northern Dorne in winter.
Flying fish: (found in the seas east of the western lands)
Fox(various)
Black Fox:
also sometime called the silver fox is just a little smaller then the Red Fox. Black or Silver foxes display a great deal of pelt variation: some are completely black except for a white coloration on the tip of the tail, some are bluish-grey, and some may have a ash-gray color on the sides. These foxes were amongst the most valued to furbearers, and their skins were frequently worn by nobles.
Red Fox:
is the largest of the foxes and is the most abundant member of their species. Red Foxes live and breed across all of Westeros from the far North to the south in Dorne. Its range is equal to human expansion.
White Fox:
also known as the snow fox, is a small fox native to the Arctic regions of the Westeros and is common throughout the tundra. It is well adapted to living in cold environments. It has a deep thick fur which is always white in winter with grey in the summer. It averages in size at about 33inches in body length, with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.
They prey on any small animals they can find, including lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, and seabirds. They will also eat carrion, berries, and seaweed. They form monogamous pairs during the breeding season and usually stay together in family groups of multiple generations in complex underground dens.
Horse (various) See: Beastiary - Horses by Breed post # 8
Courser (light warhorse)
Destrier (heavy warhorse)
Garron (light horse)
Dray (heavy horse)
Palfrey (light horse)
Rounsey (heavy horse)
Stot (heavy horse)
Sand Steed
Shaggy Mountain Horse
Lion:
Cave Lion:
This species is one of the largest lions. They have a shoulder height of around 5 ft. and a head-body length of 8 ft. without the tail. Cave lions have rounded, protruding ears, tufted tails, faint tiger-like stripes, and the males have a "ruff" or tight mane around their necks.
Hrakkar: (found in the east)
are a breed of white lion native to the Dothraki Sea.
Lizard-lion (massive alligator or crocodile):
Massive, swamp-dwelling reptiles found in the Neck, these creatures are most likely large crocodilians.
Mammoth:
are the only pachyderm native to Westeros. They inhabit the far north beyond the Wall and Ibben. They are used as mounts by giants and have long hair and long curved tusks.
Owl (various)
Owl,Horned:
also known as the True Owl or the Hoot Owl, is a largest owl native to Westerso. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is one of the most widely sold owl in Westeros.
Owl, White:
these magnificent owls remain year-round in their northern breeding grounds, but they are frequent migrants to Area northwest of The Reach. Lemming availability may determine the extent of southern migration, when owls take up summer residence on open fields, marshes, and beaches.
Pig (various)
Boar: (found in western forests)
Raven:
are a species of large, black-feathered birds native to Westeros. Much stronger with better homing instinct then most birds. Ravens are used to carry messages between castles and cities. Ravens are strong flyers, larger then most birds, bolder, far more clever, and better able to defend themselves against hawks and the like.
Player Notes
The maester of each castle usually tends to its own flock of ravens. Maesters raise a breed of white ravens at the Citadel that are said to be more intelligent and are sent out to mark the change of seasons. Ravens are known sometimes to imitate human speech like parrots. Ravens can speak the True Tongue, the language of the children of the forest, a tongue no human can.
Deference between crows:
Scorpion (various)
Red Tipped Scorpion: (found in the east and rare in Dorne):
Black Scorpion:
Red Scorpion:
Shadowcat (large predatory cats):
are large felines, that are found beyond the Wall and also in the Mountains of the Moon. Shadowcats are fearsome predators, but will also scavenge. They have thick black fur with white stripings, in size they are similar to a mountain lion. It's said that shadowcats can smell blood six miles away. They eat every shred of meat from a kill and will even crack the bones to get at the marrow. Shadowcats tend to not attack living men unless very starved.
There is a constellation of stars named the shadowcat.
Snake (various)
Water Snake:
Snow Shrikes:
are birds most commonly found in the North, although they have also been observed in the Riverlands. They are more easily seen in the deep of winter when woods are stilled by snow.
Stinging Fly:
Zorse (breed of zebra): (found in the east)
is a striped black-and-white horse, though not known for certain from the eastern continent of Essos. They are described as fierce and are said to come from the plains of the Jogos Nhai.
Player Notes
Even a highborn that has received a good education will not be able to identify the zorse by name when first seen, so presumably they may be unknown among even well-educated of Westeros. They remain exremely rare beasts on Westeros. The differences between riding a zorse, as opposed to a horse, is not known.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:43, Wed 03 Sept 2014.
