(11-03-2016, 09:32 AM)Gideon Aryeh Wrote: My character Gideon Aryeh is looking to have more Monster Hunters on his contact list to hang out with. At one time there were lots of monster hunting Free Companies that actively roleplayed and it would be kind of cool to have more monster hunting themed rp.
Well, if you're a die-hard monster hunter, you should definitely sign up for the Festival of the Hunt! If nothing else, you'll be getting a lot of exposure to other monster hunters.
As for Free Companies, I can recommend Gold & Glory Hunter's Guild. Feel free to check them out~
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(11-03-2016, 09:32 AM)Gideon Aryeh Wrote: I'd also love to get my hands on any monster hunting lore from the lore book or anything that anyone can muster up for this thread including lore on the hunt scholars and the like.
"Only when a creature grows more cunning, more aggressive, more deadly than its brethren is it worthy of a name."
—Frandelont Raimdelle
Encyclopedia Eorzea Wrote:Renowned Sixth Astral Era naturalist and theologian, Frandelont Raimdelle, once opined that for a man to know himself, he must first know of that which he hunts. To assist in that spiritual endeavor, the self-made scholar spent the better part of his fifty-seven summers traveling about Eorzea, cataloging each and every plant, mineral, and animal he encountered. With his seminal Raimdelle Codex, Frandelont sought not only to educate the peoples of Eorzea, but remind them just how rich and diverse the realm truly is.
Sharlayan scholars of natural history have since taken Raimdelle's magnum opus and expanded upon its writings, categorizing its thousands of entries in an effort to better understand the physiology, behavior, relationships, and evolution of the myriad flora and fauna found in Eorzea. The Sharlayans began by classifying all creatures living or exhibiting properties that resemble or mimic life into three kingdoms (also known as regnum) - the Bloodborn, or those living beings through which lifeblood courses, the Bloodless, or those beings which are void of life-bearing humours, but still function nonetheless, and the Transcendents, or beings which spiritually and physically toe the line between the corporeal and the aetherial realms. These three classifications can be further divided into twelve smaller groups known as classes, or kindred. Creatures may also be assigned a sub-class if they possess traits that extend beyond that exhibited by their main class. For example, a winged scalekin puk would belong to the sub-class cloudkin. Classes are further divided into genera, and finally genera into species.
Hunt Billmaster Wrote:There are two kinds of bills. The kind for regular marks and the kind for elite marks. The second of these are the more notorious sort. Before you go after one of them, I recommend you consult a hunter-scholar. These people are veterans of the Hunt who can recite the Raimdelle Codex by heart.
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ARR Hunter-scholar Lore
Middle La Noscea
Lower La Noscea
Eastern La Noscea
Western La Noscea
Upper La Noscea
Outer La Noscea
Western Thanalan
Central Thanalan
*For those curious, the other cyclops of the pair was named Arges, who has not yet made a 2.0 appearance. They appeared together in the 1.23 faction leve "Operation Crosseye."
Eastern Thanalan
Southern Thanalan
Northern Thanalan
North Shroud
Central Shroud
East Shroud
South Shroud
Coerthas Central Highlands
Mor Dhona
Middle La Noscea
Skogs Fru Wrote:The ravening queen of ladybugs, Skogs Fru's natural voracity for pests has taken an unnatural turn. Not content with emptying the fields of pollen carriers and soil tillers, the adamantine-shelled Skogs Fru has adopted a new diet consisting of chocobos and their riders.
Vogaal Ja Wrote:Vogaal Ja, a Mamool Ja sellsword of particularly ill repute. Known to be as cruel as he is suspicious, and as suspicious as he is displeasing to the eye. A real prince among men, this one. Can't get work on account of seein' every order as a way to get him killed, but claims its because he's ugly-like. That part at least makes sense, but now that gives him the right to hack folks to bits, he's a mite fuzzy on.
Croque-Mitaine Wrote:While gardening has long been a craft rich in obsession and madness, the goobbue Croque-Mitaine has taken the legacy to new extremes... From the river whose water irrigates the artful plantings upon his head to the pastures rich in worm castings, the creature keeps a jealous eye on the many wild places that supply his cephalic paradise. Many an unwary orchid hunter, vermicomposter, and moss monger have met their end at the Croque-Mitaine's hands, and its green thumb is well stained with their life's blood.
Lower La Noscea
Barbastelle Wrote:The vampire bat Barbastelle has many epithets, the only remotely flattering one being "the laird of Blind Iron Mines." While cattle mutilations are hardly any one creature's domain, experts are united in the iew that the infamous mass draining of the herd at Red Rooster Stead - the so called "Big Gulp" - is the work of Barbastelle.
Unktehi Wrote:Long have the superstitious coasters along Moraby Bay corrected their children with tales of Unktehi, the sea-dwelling eater of man-flesh. What was once considered a mere fancy of the ignorant sea-folk has proven disagreeably real, and Unktehi's excursions onto land have left the population fearful - and fewer.
Croakadile Wrote:Frogs of inconvenient size are a legion, but surprisingly few of them seek fodder commensurate with their size. The Croakadile is one such unwelcome surprise. The first known victim during the present manifestation is reported to be a franklin who felt his ring slip off during a nightly walk with his lady. He turned back down the path, and his lady saw him reach down just as the moon took cover behind a cloud. When the moonlight returned, he had vanished.
Eastern La Noscea
Bloody Mary Wrote:Bloody Mary is oft cited as the example of an unstoppable force - Qiqirn gluttony - meeting an immovable object - maternal love. Such characterization would not pass muster beyond the confines of a winesink, however, and is known to provoke dissent even in those establishments. While Bloody Mary is indeed an apkallu whose eggs suffered Qiqirn predation, nesting hens as a rule do not spear a failed egg thief a score and a half times with their beaks, then proceed to bathe in their victim's blood.
Hellsclaw Wrote:Hellsclaw. So erratic yet bloody a swath has this piece of magitek cut across the region that it is suspected of being sadly afflicted in some way. So much for the infallibility of Garlean technology, eh? Hard to be afraid of a wheel that needs truing, I know, but be careful all the same.
Garlok Wrote:A monster long said to dwell in the eternal twilight of a cavern, Garlok was but an idle tale for generations of Bloodshore's children. However, one child was ill content to be idle, and his name was Gegeruju, the Master of Costa del Sol. At his command, a party entered the cavern in search of Garlok... Well, you get the idea. They found the beast and woke the damn thing up. Now it's well rested and still a mite annoyed at being roused with torches and arrows.
Western La Noscea
Dark Helmet Wrote:A hermit crab of less eremitic bent, Dark Helmet began its love affair with armor when it traded in its snail shell for some nameless Lalafell's helm. It's salvaging ways abandoned on the sands alongside outgrown and rusted headgear, Dark Helmet lives to acquire larger and finer heaumes - often still occupied by their former owners' grey matter.
Nahn Wrote:A native of the Inidigo Deep, Nahn is a gargantuan man-eating crustacean. Its actual name is unpronounceable except under the crushing press of water. The Sahagin of the Sapsa Spawning Grounds are responsible for bringing Nahn to shore to serve as a living weapon against the Maelstrom and others inimical to the beastmen.
Bonnacon Wrote:Once known as a mild and even affectionate beast, Bonnacon is afflicted with a fit that comes upon him like a caul of fire. Tossing his great head in torment and rage, this bull gores to death his unfortunate victims, many of them greengrocers. Phrontists have implicated a rare variety of cabbage in triggering the violent attack. The Maelstrom should worry a mite less about fish and a mite more about these other creatures, if you ask me - the kind that's killing folk right now in western La Noscea, for example.
Upper La Noscea
Myradrosh Wrote:The nectar-eaters of Eorzea are partial to blooms of different hues. Red flowers such as Oschon roselles and raincatchers are the preferred feed of colibri. Being one such bird, Myradrosh became so fixated on that hue that it now sups from the reddest flower of them all - the still-warm flesh of other birds, beasts, and men.
Marberry Wrote:Of the scores of thaumaturges lost questing for the Wanderer's Palace, Maruta Noruta was perhaps the least remarkable. Aside from the Lalafellin adventurer's singular yet unflattering hat, little of him is remembered. It is likely he would have been entirely forgot were it not for the fact that his hat resurfaced soon after, upon the head of a tonberry painting the shores of Bronze Lake with the blood of adventurers.
Nandi Wrote:Called the Critic by cowering locals, Nandi uses its petrifying gaze to turn passing creatures into works of art for its perverse pleasure alone. Ever has this catoblepas haunted the mountains of Vylbrand, yoked by the weight of its gross head, prodding the stone paths conjured by its downcast eyes. Nothin' so dangerous as a stillborn artist, they say. Don't you go temptin' the wretch with good material, if you know what I'm sayin'.
Outer La Noscea
Vuokho Wrote:A bird feral is a deadly thing, and none more so than the condor Vuokho. Witnesses place him at the Nym Massacre, which consigned some of the finest naturalists of the day to a mean and early grave. What was not consumed on the spot, the murderous bird seized whole and took to its eyrie, even as the staunchest among the Maelstrom looked on helplessly, their eyes leaking at the horror.
Cornu Wrote:Of the zu much is known, for their migration between Eorzea and the Near East provides many opportunities for observation. The vilest among these birds of prey is the Cornu, who has made himself maddeningly scarce to learned eyes that would pry from it the secrets of its savage heart.
Mahisha Wrote:In death does Mahisha find its purpose, and so the scent of corse-flower is sweet to this creature. A stele unearthed at Nym records Mahisha was summoned during the War of the Magi in the Fifth Astral Era, for the conquest of the Floating City. The ploy failed and Mahisha was bound at great cost, by the efforts of some two-score phrontists at Nym. What broke the tethers is not known, though there are theories ranging from the Calamity to the humble weevil.
Western Thanalan
Sewer Syrup Wrote:Born in the full foulness of the effluent passed by Amajina & Sons' Copperbell Mines, the voidsent Sewer syrup was so named by the less imaginative among even the fume-addled unfortunates that work the recently expanded mine. Containment attempts by the Stone Torches were foiled by the voidsent's acrid stink. So powerful was the stench that it laid low many of the militiamen, and others still weep blood-tinged tears.
Alectryon Wrote:It is known that ziz hunt in pairs: the driver maneuvers the prey towards the ambusher, and both eat well that day. The elders say Alectryon never knew his place, and correct they were proven when his ambusher was found dead. The latter had starved while the self-styled lone hunter took the game by and for himself, leaving nary a gristle for the other ziz.
Zona Seeker Wrote:Few have seen Zona Seeker, such is the altitude it keeps in its deadly flight. Its elusiveness would trouble none but the most ardent scholars of airborne monstrosities, were it not for the many airships of Highwind Skyways lost to Zona Seeker's attacks. The beast near landed on me once. That was a bit of a scare, let me tell you! Flashes of light draw it - must've been the brushed bronze pauldrons I was wearin'.
Central Thanalan
Ovjang Wrote:Ovjang. A mammet of some antiquity, last in possession of a wealthy collector who suffered from a particularly virulent case of buyer's remorse. He ordered the mammet disassembled and sold off for parts. However, once under the chisel, the mammet came to and attacked the smith, wounding her badly before making its escape.
Sabotender Bailarina Wrote:Sabotender Bailarina blooms but once every two score years. The flowers are remarkable less for their appearance, which are pedestrian enough, and more for their fragrance. The scent has been described by naturalists as an olfactory equivalent of fingernails on slate, and sends sabotenders into a violent frenzy. Whether the effect arises from discomfort or lust is unknown.
Brontes Wrote:One of a pair of cyclops captured several years ago on Vylbrand* by the Adventurers' Guild and subsequently separated. Brontes was sold to an Ul'dahn circus, where he proved a prize draw, and never more so than on his last day, when he slew two of his keepers over a haunch of venison barded in flare fat before escaping. Having learned the joys of enlightened cuisine during his captivity, the cyclops is drawn by the aroma of cooking, much to the terror of culinarians.
*For those curious, the other cyclops of the pair was named Arges, who has not yet made a 2.0 appearance. They appeared together in the 1.23 faction leve "Operation Crosseye."
Eastern Thanalan
Gatling Wrote:Gatling. A hedgemole of exceptionally bad temper who makes free of the lichyard of the Church of Saint Adama Landama. He has been thus dubbed for taking up residence in the tomb of Gatling the Alchemical Smith. If the creature has a true name, it remains unknown and of no great interest to local folk.
Maahes Wrote:While Halatali is a cultural institution of note, it has also been less than perfect in keeping track of the fighting beasts it starves into greater savagery. Maahes is an object lesson. The blood meant for spilling on the stadium sands has instead grown richer, feeding on the flesh of caravaneers.
Lampalagua Wrote:Lampalagua. A dragon of many heads, cage-born and stadium bred. His escape en route to the Coliseum was a major embarrassment for his handlers, or more precisely, to their heirs. Each head having been blooded as a hatchling, Lampalagua is exceptionally barbarous and exquisitely attuned to the bloodlust of the crowd. Lacking a conventional audience in the wilds of Eastern Thanalan, Lampalagua has instead taken to appearing wherever violent business is afoot.
Southern Thanalan
Albin the Ashen Wrote:When the Hyuran tribe came to Thanalan some 800 years ago, Albin the Ashen was at the head of one of the columns. Then-native Belah'dians rose against the invaders and prevailed, as history records. Albin was but one of many slain in the abortive conquest, yet his mortal coil still roams the land in search of vengeance.
Zanig'oh Wrote:Zanig'oh. A drake altered by an Amalj'aa alchemist for no less a purpose than the conquest of Ul'dah. In addition to magic powers conferred by runes graven into its very flesh, the drake has a taste for melee combat, ably provoked into violence by inwardly spiked bangles affixed to all four limbs.
Nunyunuwi Wrote:The large population of golems in southern Thanalan is ascribed by mainstream historians to the mages of Belah'dia, who made the sturdy guardians for the protection of the Temple of Qarn. Among these sad remnants of a civilization lost to time, Nunyunuwi stands out for his exceptional size and stealth. At rest, he vanishes into the landscape of tors and boulders. Only a sizable battle will rouse the stone soldier to his ancient duty: to fight to the death.
Northern Thanalan
Flame Sergeant Dalvag Wrote:Flame Sergeant Dalvag was among the thousands of defenders who met the Garlean invasion force in northern Thanalan soon after the Calamity. His company was ill placed to hold their position, yet given strict orders not to retreat. Many fell, and suffered much in the falling. Multiple witnesses attest that Dalvag was the last of the company and fought as a man possessed till the end, the names of the dead tumbling in hoarse barks through cracked lips. Scholars theorize that his mortal remains are animated by a thirst for vengeance alone.
Dalvag's Final Flame Wrote:Much is told of the corpse-soldier, Flame Sergeant Dalvag, yet mainstream scholarship has lagged woefully on the matter of what became of the rest of him. Efforts by hunter-scholars with intimate knowledge of northern Thanalan have resulted in persuasive identification of a malevolent local demon as the late sergeant's spirit.
Minhocao Wrote:Ah, yes, the sandworm. Large concerns like Amajina & Sons don't give a toss about the commonfolk being ambushed and eaten. But a sandworm attacking their convoy - we can't have that! ...Sightings of Minhocao have long been reported near deposits and mines particularly those that hold quantities of ceruleum. Alchemically similar to the sandworms' foremilk, the catalyst is a food source for the great worms. However, any attempt to lure Minhocao to the surface with the use of eddible bait would necessitate very large quantities of food.
North Shroud
Phecda Wrote:A bear of unusual size from the distant heights of Abalathia's Spine, Phecda's southward migration has not been a happy one for the Black Shroud. Its uncouth appetite has emptied whole areas of the forest of edibles and game, and no hunter has returned with evidence of a cull - or returned at all. Phecda may be distinguished from its more peaceable cousins by the constant slick of blood upon its claws.
Girtab Wrote:Girtab, the mightiest among mites that ravage the North Shroud. Painstaking field observations have revealed that the Girtab prefers its prey fresh, and keeps a living larder of two- and four-legged meals artfully held fast in a web.
Thousand-cast Theda Wrote:Botanists call Thousand-cast Theda as well grown a specimen of ochu as ever has been recorded in the North Shroud, but the foolishness of botanists is a fact well known and oft deplored. Most species of this carnivorous family of bindweed use scent to lure their insect prey. Theda, however, is a plant notably lacking in patience and has evolved tentacle-like vines to pluck fish from water, and grows outsized on its rich meals. Along with the fisherfolk of the Shroud, Thousand-cast Theda is a main predator of the judgeray. Theda's other favored prey is, coincidentally, the fisherfolk of the Shroud. Hunters suspect a connection, but the foolishness of hunters is a fact well known.
Central Shroud
White Joker Wrote:White Jokers. So called because of many innocents fatally charmed by tehse squirrels' distinct white coats. Thanks to predation by other rodents, only the fittest and most vicious of these deceitful creatures survive to adulthood.
Forneus Wrote:Forneus. While the Forneus has long been believed to be extinct in these parts, sightings of them have been many though apocryphal, including those at the notorious Haukke Manor. Well, it turned out that particular sighting was real enough. That dark demon has been making leaves red in the forest for a while. Beware Forneus, adventurer.
Laideronnette Wrote:Laideronnette, the red serpent of the glade. One of many monstrosities to manifest themselves following the Calamity, Laideronnette's attacks coincide with rainfall, a fact which demonologists deem significant. Most experts agree that the loathsome serpent is the residuum of Laideronnette the wainwright's red-haired daughter, who was orphaned in the Calamity and fell into grief both bitter and formless, given to shrieking that all the world should weep with her. Colorful. All you need know is that a giant red serpent has been feeding on man-flesh in the forests. Best to put it out of its misery, don't you think?
East Shroud
Stinging Sophie Wrote:Stinging Sophie. Fattened on the honeybees of Fullflower Comb, this giant hornet inspires both disgust and complacency. Contrary to what its excess of embonpoint suggests, this grotesquerie is agile enough to evade its would-be slayers, and instead give them a deadly stitch with its needle-sharp stinger.
Melt Wrote:The Melt. Unfathomable in its concoction and unspeakable in its coagulation, this voidsent has its origins in a sylph's jest. The codex speaks the truth, my young friend. Gaze overlong at its sucking tumescence and something inside you will die... and it's put me off flummery for good.
Wulgaru Wrote:Wulgaru, the false tree. Not a few poachers have vanished after being bound overnight to these vampiric man-eaters by unsuspecting Wood Wailers. The Wulgaru is also drawn by noise and commotion, breaking its arboreal disguise to feast on the blood of its favorite prey: man. In other words, go quietly and fight stealthily, adventurer. If a tree comes alive in the forest, you're not likely to notice until too late.
South Shroud
Monarch Ogrefly Wrote:Monarch Ogrefly, the dread vilekin of the lost city of Amdapor. The barrier that seals in its infestations is considered sound... yet even the Gods' Quiver could not stop the monstrous Ogreflies from escaping with their deadly taint of mold and burrs.
Ghede Ti Malice Wrote:The first among gremlins in saltiness of speech, the Ghede Ti Malice finally lost its place in Amdapor after one too many contumelies. The Ghede Ti Malice wouldn't be the first to fall out with its gremlin mates. Thin skin and big mouths make for an uneasy combination.
Mindflayer Wrote:Mindflayer, a major voidsent also notable for its dealings with the remnants of the Lambs of Dalamud in the Black Shroud. Of the twelve tiers of the voidsent hierarchy put forth by scholars, the Mindflayer falls into the fifth. It has a grisly penchant for sucking out the brains of men, its favored prey. Most rumors are to be dismissed out of hand, yet this is not one of them. Moonless nights are when their rites grow the foulest. Only death and decay can chisel for them a foothold in this world. Walk with Menphina, adventurer, lest the hunter become the hunted.
Coerthas Central Highlands
Naul Wrote:Ah, yes. You know how Ishgard is about dragons. The Holy See managed to get Naul and a few other dragons on to the elite mark list. A favor to be repaid in kind, I'm sure. The dragons Naul and Svara are best known for their attack on the Steel Vigil, which left the fortress a smoking ruin. Notable casualties include the third son of House Haillenarte...
Marraco Wrote:Every High House of Ishgard has its own dragon in a bonnet, don't they? An enemy without keeps order within. The dragon Marraco is to be hunted for the crime of mistaking almost a dozen of House Durendaire's knights for kindling. An impressive physical specimen by all accounts, the dragon Marraco can easily withstand a direct hit from dragonslayer cannons, thus requiring enterprising hunters to exercise some forethought in their choice of arms.
Safat Wrote:A winning combination of size and agility, the dragon Safat spends much of its time winging its way through the Sea of Clouds. A scream or two, however, never fails to bring the Safat streaking down to its prey, attuned as the beast is to human terror and misery. Cunning hunters have been known to work themselves into a delirium of fear in order to bait the dragon. Results have been mixed.
Mor Dhona
Leech King Wrote:Leech King of Silvertear Falls, so dubbed by the Sons of Saint Coinach for its enormous size rather than any perceived system of sovereignty. Those who make mock of its grossness soon repent, for the Leech King is nimble where a meal of blood is concerned.
Kurrea Wrote:A particularly savage specimen of the unnatural creatures that inhabit both water and land, Kurrea was once a mere nuisance known for purloining game brought down by hunters. Amphibious beasts having an ingrained tendency to have ideas above their station, Kurrea soon took to attacking and feeding on the hunters. The flaccid, nerveless quality of their skin makes them proof against all but the most powerful thrusts of the blade.
Agrippa Wrote:Agrippa. This magitek colossus is the newest of its kind and appears to have been designed as an anti-adventurer countermeasure. While the name is believed to be a tribute to an actual Garlean, no record of a likely honoree has been found. Ye'll want to be on yer toes in Mor Dhona. There was an adventurer huntin' for treasures an' the colossus mauled her somethin' fierce. Hard to kill a woman, though, hah! We die hard, ye know!
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Heavensward Hunter-scholar Lore
Coerthas Western Highlands
Dravanian Forelands
Dravanian Hinterlands
Churning Mists
The Sea of Clouds
Azys Lla
Coerthas Western Highlands
Alteci Wrote:I was born and raised here in the western highlands, so I know firsthand how much the place has changed. As the climate has got colder and colder, creatures that were never native to Coerthas have come down from the mountains to find food. The mylodons are one such species. Time was they made their home up in the far reaches of Abalathia's Spine, but ever since their hunting grounds were lost to the Calamity, they've found their way down here. They're fierce carnivores, who see steel-clad knights as nothing more than a packed lunch. Alteci's the worst of the lot─a mad mylodon who's been laying waste to the local forces. At the last count, more than a dozen noble lives have been lost to that monster.
Kreutzet Wrote:Have you ever come across an archaeornis? At first sight you might think they were birds, what with the feathers and all, but they're actually a primitive species of scalekin, closer to raptors than they are to chocobos. The only thing they definitely share with birds is their brains─that combination of mental weakness and physical strength makes them perfect thralls for the dragons, who use them to launch constant attacks on the Ishgardian forces. The knights are particularly wary of the one they call Kreutzet. He's got such strength in those thighs of his, even the thickest snowdrift's not enough to slow him down. He races hither and thither across the snowfields, tearing apart any outpost unlucky enough to stand in his way.
Mirka Wrote:Once every hundred thousand years or so, a yeti is born with a horn atop its massy head that is imbued with an extraordinary magical power. When the creature reaches maturity, it sends out a clarion call to the rest of the yetis that unites them under the horned one's rule....Or so the old wives' tale goes. The problem is, there might just be some truth in it. The Convictors believe they may have sighted such a “horned one.†The first thing they did was to name her Mirka─the second, to slap a bounty on her head. The yetis are dangerous enough as it is, but if this beast lives to maturity and brings them together as a single force, they could be nigh on unstoppable.
Lyuba Wrote:There was once a dragonslayer who was out hunting his prey on the frozen lake of Ashpool, when he made a surprising discovery. An enormous animal was frozen solid underneath the ice. Thinking that he could use the deceased creature's meat to lure the dragons into a trap, he lit a bonfire over the lake to melt its body free. A most ill-advised plan indeed... You see, the beast wasn't quite as dead as the knight first thought. Freed from its icy prison, it began to breathe once more, and lashed out at all around it with elemental fury. When the dragonslayer set out to hunt for dragons, I doubt he expected to meet his end at the point of a tusk.
Kaiser Behemoth Wrote:No doubt you've heard of the behemoths, those monstrous beasts that have been a bane on Coerthas ever since the Calamity. Adventurers like you have faced them in battle countless times, and have been meeting with more and more success of late. However, there is one among their number that has always made good its escape, even when gravely wounded by the swords and spells of myriad adventurers. Due to its giant size and superior strength, it has become known as the king of the behemoths. They say that this kaiser behemoth, whose body is crisscrossed with the scars of a thousand battles, seeks any opportunity to avenge itself on the adventurers who defeated its brothers. If you value your life, I'd avoid doing anything to arouse its ire.
Dravanian Forelands
Gnath Cometdrone Wrote:Time was the Gnath kept 'emselves to 'emselves, too wary o' the dragons to ever stray far from their own lands. Past few moons, though, the overgrown ladybugs look like they've finally grown a bit o' backbone. They used to only use them muskets o' theirs to 'unt fer food, but o' late they've been turnin' 'em on anyone unlucky enough to stray into what they reckon to be “Gnath territory.†Judgin' from the number o' chocobo 'unters comin' back to Tailfeather with a back full o' buckshot, it seems that includes any place in the range o' their boomsticks. Someone's got to get rid o' that sniper o' theirs before it's too late.
Thextera Wrote:Ye'll 'ave seen them bandersnatches prowlin' about off to the north, right? Well, there's one o' their number that's been causin' the chocobo 'unters such a ball ache they've put a bounty on its 'ead. Instead of 'untin' fer chocobos like a good little bandersnatch, this Thextera's been takin' 'is meals from the trade caravans plyin' the trail 'twixt Tailfeather an' Ishgard. Those caravans bring in the supplies the 'unters need to survive, an' carry back the chocobos they catch to be sold at market. The beast's been 'elpin' 'imself to a bit o' both, an' the drivers beside. If the caravans are Tailfeather's lifeblood, then Thextera's the knife in its neck.
Pylraster Wrote:Might not look it at first glance, but that Sohm Al's an active volcano. I've 'eard tell there's a vast cave in the foothills that goes right into the belly o' the mountain, a place filled with fire an' brimstone like somethin' out o' the seventh 'ell. 'Course, it's a paradise fer cold-blooded scalekin. By all accounts there's a load o' the buggers down there in the deep─primitive lizards in thrall to the dragons. There's one o' their kind ye've got to be especially wary of─an ancient archaeosaur by the name o' Pylraster. Some say 'e's almost as dangerous as the dragons themselves.
Lord of the Wyverns Wrote:It's a better man than me that can tell one dragonling from the next, but they grow into all different shapes an' sizes. Take wyverns─they start off like any other dragon, but as they age their wings get bigger an' bigger, till they're spendin' all their time in the air. They ain't no match fer their four-legged friends when it comes to brute strength, but what they lack in muscle, they make up fer in mobility. A mob o' the buggers can easily bring down an airship if they set their minds to it. Ye'd think that speed would drop off with age, but no such luck. The eldest o' their number, the Lord o' the Wyverns, can twist an' turn like no other, duckin' an' divin' out the way o' dragonslayer shells. Small wonder the airship captains want the bastard dead.
Senmurv Wrote:Ave ye ever set yer eyes on a griffin, Sounsyy? They're 'alf eagle, 'alf lion, an' all 'unter. Just like a chocobo trapper, they stalk their prey from the shadows- or in their case the clouds- waitin' fer the perfect time to strike. The chocobo 'unters o' Tailfeather've got a certain credo about pickin' when to spring the trap- "'unt the 'unter," they say. Whatever quarry yer after, ye stand a better chance o' catchin' it unawares if it's busy tryin' to catch its own prey. Seems it's a motto ol' Senmurv's taken to 'eart. Whenever a group of 'ungry beasts 'eads out on the 'unt, the king o' the griffins'll swoop down from the sky an' carry off as many as 'is beak'll 'old.
Dravanian Hinterlands
Pterygotus Wrote:The Thaliak River is a shining symbol of the Dravanian hinterlands - the great mother who blesses the land with the gift of water. But where the gentle and generous mother brings life, the cruel and merciless father - an oversized crustacean who rules over the Thaliak with an iron claw - brings only death. The great glutton will pounce on anything that moves, and chop up his prey with his tail pincers faster than you can say "ouch." If you don't keep an eye on that tail of his, you'll be feeding the fishes in bite-sized chunks.
Gigantopithecus Wrote:Time and again, the residents of Idyllshire have come under attack from a huge, hairy beastkin - imagine if you crossed a Roegadyn with an opo-opo, and had it row a ten-tonze galley for a twelvemoon. I scoured the Sharlayan annals for a record of such a monster, and finally found it - it's a Gigantopithecus, a fierce beast native to the tropical jungles of the Cieldalaes. It was brought here as a youngling by a Sharlayan scholar, who raised it in a specially constructed glasshouse in some vain attempt to research its ecology. But when the exodus came, the callow whelp didn't think of taking his pet with him. Now it falls to the Clan to pick up the pieces.
Slipkinx Steeljoints Wrote:Have you heard of the Illuminati? They're a secretive fraternity of goblin scholars who are particularly active in this area, engaging in experiments that run the gamut from the unusual to the downright unnatural. Slipkinx Steeljoints's studies fall towards the latter end of the spectrum. He's a notorious scoundrel who thinks nothing of slaughtering innocents to test the effectiveness of his experimental weaponry. The brute dresses himself in a suit of mechanical armor that is nigh on impenetrable, and sets about passersby with technologically enhanced gusto. Honestly, these scholars are completely incorrigible.
Stolas Wrote:You'll never guess who put the bounty on Stolas's head - it was sent by a Sharlayan astrologian, all the way from his homeland across the seas. He lived here before the exodus, conducting his scholarly experiments. In one such trial, he used his magicks to bind an owl to him as a familiar. The test succeeded, but by some quirk of fate, the owl gained a prodigious intelligence, outstripping even that of its master. But when the exodus came, the owl revolted. It attacked its master, stole a tome of forbidden knowledge, and escaped into the hinterlands. It seems the tome contains secrets of such cataclysmic power that, for the safety of the realm, this owl cannot be suffered to live.
The Pale Rider Wrote:Another request sent by a Sharlayan scholar from the safety of his homeland. The fellow's uncovered an ancient prophecy, saying that in the end of days, a deathly knight will rise from the grave and bring death and destruction to Dravania atop an ashen steed. If the scholar is right, and this "end of days" does indeed refer to the Seventh Umbral Calamity, then this supernatural horseman should already be among us, but I don't see any death and destruction around here. Well, no more than normal, anyway... Honestly, I think it's all a pile of chocobo plop. There was an adventurer passed through the other day, said she'd seen a headless horseman out in the hinterlands when she was hunting for treasure... but believe you me, you can trust those looters as far as you can throw them!
Churning Mists
Scitalis Wrote:As wyverns grow, they progress through a number of developmental stages, their bodies becoming more and more streamlined with each change. In their final forms, even their horns drop off, leaving them with a sleek shape perfectly suited for flight. It is one such elder wyvern that has been marked for death by a certain nobleman. It seems the beast has taken something of a fancy to the fellow's son─a pretty young thing I wouldn't mind gobbling up myself. Mayhap not in the same manner as the wyvern, though... You should be able to spot this monster easily enough─its sleek, shining scales have earned it the name “Scitalis,†after a legendary dragon with similarly lustrous skin.
The Scarecrow Wrote:Not long ago, a party of Temple Knights headed into the foothills of Sohm Al to spy on the dragons' activities. However, a few days into their mission, they disappeared without a trace. A rescue party was dispatched to find the missing knights, and find them it did. They discovered their missing comrades standing over the body of a vinegaroon─a fearsome scalekin in thrall to the dragons. But as they approached, the monster suddenly rose to its feet and sprang at the would-be rescuers, slaying several before they could ready themselves. The Temple Knights were all dead─the Scarecrow had propped up their corpses to lure their rescuers into a trap. After taking its toll on the rescue party, the monster fled up the slopes of Sohm Al, and naught has been seen of it since. We believe it may yet be hiding in the Churning Mists.
Bune Wrote:Most heretics are drawn from common stock, but there are more than a few nobles among them too. One such fellow was the husband of a lady Temple Knight─unbeknownst to her, he abused his position to steal the order's secrets and feed them to the dragons. For years the nobleman passed sensitive information to the Horde, until the day he grew weary of his double life and supped from the scaly cup, transforming himself into a monstrous scalekin. His plan was simple─to slaughter his family, feign his own death, and join with the dragons. Thanks to the timely intervention of the order, the former parts of his plan were foiled, but the beast broke their cordon and succeeded in fleeing to Dravania. It was one of the Temple Knights who put the bounty on his head─the very lady who was once his wife.
Agathos Wrote:Do you know the story of Saint Valeroyant? Ten score years ago, he served as an Azure Dragoon, and won glory by driving away the great wyrm Nidhogg. This very square still bears his name, though his image has seen better days. He was an unrivaled warrior who dealt death to dragon after dragon, but there was one that always managed to slip his clutches─Agathos, feared across the land as the Black Death. Naught has been seen of the creature since Valeroyant's passing, but in recent years, rumors have been spreading of a shadow of Agathos's size and shape appearing in the clouds above Dravania. Could this be our chance to bring Saint Valeroyant's legend to a close?
Gandarewa Wrote:It isn't only the dragons who have brought heretics into our midst, you know. Five hundred years ago, another heretical sect gained traction among the smallfolk of Ishgard. The heathens adopted the customs of the Near East, bathing themselves in perfumes brewed from strange flowers and forging idols from rare metals that they used in their bizarre and unholy rites. Naturally, the Temple Knights were quick to clamp down on the sect's activities. Its leader, a peasant who styled himself the great guru Gandarewa, fled to the next holiest place he knew─the sacred mountain of Dravania. There he supped on the blood of a dragon, and was forever changed...
The Sea of Clouds
Sanu Vali of Dancing Wings Wrote:The Vanu Vanu are a beast tribe native to the Sea of Clouds, and they're not short of a few decent hunters and fighters. Sanu Vali's one of their best and brightest─a Vanu warrior who wields her twin blades to such devastating effect, her compatriots revere her as a force of nature. The Rose Knights who often come into conflict with the birdmen hold her in equal and opposite regard. The Vanu are wont to put on something of a show before they enter battle, and it's the graceful majesty of Sanu Vali's own war dance that has earned her the moniker “of Dancing Wings.†That said, the only “wings†you'll need to worry about are the steel ones she holds in her claws.
Squonk Wrote:Mayhap it's because these floating islands have been cut off from the world for so long, but the Sea of Clouds seems to have more than its fair share of curious creatures - and they don't come much curiouser than the paissa. They're mischievous critters with wild, staring eyes, who seem to be in a constant state of agitation. Still, they're no match for a Clansman - all apart from their leader, the dreaded Squonk. I don't know whether it's because he's unusually clever, or especially quick, but he's succeeded in pulling the Rose Knights' breeches down on more than one occasion. Whenever aught of import goes missing from the Rosehouse, you can be sure that Squonk isn't that far away.
Enkelados Wrote:Have you ever seen the groundskeeper? No, no, I'm not talking of our botanist friends. These are much more up a Clansman's alley - ten-fulm titans born from stone and magic. Whether they form naturally like sprites, or are magicked into existence like golems, I know not. One thing is for certain, though - they feed on the rocks that make up these islands, and add the rubble they produce to their ever-growing forms. The one the knights call Enkelados appears to have an especially prodigious appetite. If something isn't done about him soon, we shall all be living on his back before long... or in his gullet.
Sisiutl Wrote:Where we Eorzeans would employ a chocobo, the Vanu Vanu rely on the sanuwa─a race of winged scalekin native to the Sea of Clouds. They use them as pack animals, and as mounts for their cavalry. Wild sanuwa are fierce, independent beasts, less like to take a bit in their teeth than their captors' gizzards. The sanuwa whisperers of the Vanu Vanu work wonders to tame the creatures against seemingly impossible odds. Completely impossible, in some cases. The one they call Sisiutl has defied all attempts at domestication, the gentlest whisper driving the black-hearted beast into a furious rage. Not so long ago it broke free from its wranglers, and has begun to take out its ire on the local populace.
Bird of Paradise Wrote:The cool air and gentle breezes of the Sea of Clouds attract a wide variety of cloudkin, from the scaled to the furred to the feathered. Among the latter, there is one as revered for it's breathtaking beauty as it is feared for its insatiable thirst for blood--the fabled Bird of Paradise. There is nothing it loves more than to feast on living flesh. The moment it hears the plaintive cries of a wounded animal, it will swoop down from the skies with talons bared, drool dripping from its beak. Something to bear in mind should you wish to hunt for the bird yourself...
Azys Lla
Lycidas Wrote:This merchant's got it in her head that there's an enormous man-made island somewhere in the Sea of Clouds. It was built by the Allagan Empire as a base for their bizarre experiments, and it's still up there, teeming with the horrors their unholy tamperings gave birth to. One of the Allagans' favorite pastimes was to splice bits of different monsters together, creating godforsaken chimeras to set upon their enemies. But it wasn't just beasts they tampered with─they had their wicked way with the beastmen, too. This merchant claims to have found a record of one of these experiments─they took a lizardman from the southern shores of Aldenard and crossed it with a vicious scalekin from across the Sea of Ash. The abomination that resulted from this unhappy union they christened “Lycidas.â€
Omni Wrote:Histories tell that in the dying days of the Allagan Empire, uprisings occurred one after the other in every corner of their vast territory. The imperial army came up with a plan both to suppress these insurrections and stave off revolt from within─they'd build an army of automata that would never disobey their masters' orders. And where better to station these soldiers than their magical flying fortress? It's the captain of these automata, “Omni,†the merchant's got it in for. No doubt this incorruptible defender of Allag wouldn't take too kindly to the adventurers she's trusting to strip this floating island of all it's worth and sell it to her at a knock-down price!
Campacti Wrote:As the sun set on the Allagan Empire, they made their last big land grab─they invaded the southern continent of Meracydia, capturing scores of dragons and subjecting them to barbarous procedures that bent the creatures to their will. Or so the merchant who set the bounty believes. I don't know whether there's any truth in her stories, but if the technology to control dragons really does exist, I'd wager there's a fair few people in this world who'd gladly give every appendage to learn the secret. It seems this “Campacti†has turned up in her research as one such slave-dragon. No doubt the merchant's thinking it'll be easier to pick apart once it's been put out of its misery.
Stench Blossom Wrote:Yep, you heard that right─we've put a bounty on a flower. 'Course, it's not just any flower. It's not just any mark, neither. Only the most fearsome bits of shrubbery get given elite mark status. The stench blossom's a monstrous man-eating plant that's long been extinct in Eorzea, but this merchant's got it on good authority they're still up there on the Allagans' floating island. ...If you count the whisperings of a pebble as “good authority.†Still, if those monstrosities really are up there, and their spores were ever blown down on the wind and took root in Eorzea again... Well, it doesn't bear thinking about. If there's any chance she's right, whoever destroyed that plant would be doing the world a great service.
Leucrotta Wrote:The southern continent of Meracydia was a land of dragons. The monsters came in all shapes and sizes, each species evolving to fit into its own particular habitat. Take the coeurl dragon─a beast that made its home in the Meracydian jungles. It started off as a dragon like any other, but over time it lost its wings, being next to useless in the thick brush, and gained the flexible body and muscular limbs of a coeurl. They were fierce hunters and scavengers, driven into a feeding frenzy the moment they caught scent of beast blood. The merchant who posted the bill reckons one of these beasts, a coeurl dragon by the name of Leucrotta, is up in the clouds right now, living on an abandoned Allagan island.
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Bonus Notorious Monsters
Bomb Baron Wrote:Feared around the realm for reducing all it touches to ash, the Bomb Baron pursues its prey with a passion hotter than the whitest forge. Legend says this abomination was once an adventurer who made his name culling thousands upon thousands of bombs across Eorzea, until one day a stray bomb caught him unawares and he died of burns rendered by the voidsent's timely explosion. Upon hearing of the soul's arrival in the fiery depths of the sixth hell, the Bomb King snatched it up and used ash from his own body to resurrect the adventurer as a bomb. He dubbed the creation the "Bomb Baron" and sent him back to Eorzea, telling him that his soul would suffer eternal torment until he had taken the lives of as many adventurers as he had bombs.
Phaia Wrote:Until recently, the sylphs celebrated a traditional springtime festival known as the Dance of the Tusks, in which tribe elders would enter a ring armed only with a spear and a cape, and test their mettle against ferocious wild boars. When a tragic accident led to one of the elders being gored and eaten, however, the tribe was left with little choice but to abandon their heritage. Fearing the wrath of the elementals, the sylphs canceled all future Dances and set the remaining boars free, including the fattened male champion, Phaia, who still roams the Black Shroud, his bloodlust as intense as the day he gained his freedom.
Kokoroon Quickfingers Wrote:A multi-talented qiqirn thief, it is said that Kokoroon Quickfingers is so nimble that he can empty a man's purse and have the pouch back on his belt quicker than the blink of an eye. Originally from La Noscea, Kokoroon earned fame in the Sailors Ward of Limsa Lominsa where he would use his deft digits to strum jolly tunes on his lute, luring audiences into absent-minded revelry. Then, during intermissions, he would mingle with crowds, laughing and sharing tales, all the while snatching coins from the pockets of his unsuspecting victims. Needless to say, it was not long before Kokoroon had a bounty placed on his head by the Knights of the Barracuda, and was forced to flee across the Strait of Merlthor to the parched deserts of Thanalan where it is said he still wanders today, lute in hand, ever in search of his next victim.
Zanig'oh Wrote:An alchemically enhanced biological weapon prototype spawned deep within the bowels of the Amalj’aa stronghold of Pagl’than, Zanig’oh is far more dangerous than its scalekin cousins in the wild, or even those drakes trained for war by the beast tribe, and therefore has been deemed an imminent threat to the royal sultanate of Ul’dah. Spikes affixed to its four legs keep the creature in constant pain, multiplying its ferocity on the battlefield, while powerful wards branded into its already-thick scales serve to further increase its resistance to even the most potent of magicks.
Deadeyes Wrote:Deep within the shadows of the Black Shroud lurks a wolf so fearsome, so terrifying, so unnatural, that local villagers have little choice but to cower in their homes, lest they become his next victim. Legends call the beast Deadeyes, and he is unlike any creature the forest has ever seen. As alpha male, he exhibits the cunning and composure of an army general while leading his pack of slavering minions through the region, showing mo mercy to those unfortunate enough to fall in their path. There has been many a proud hunter boast he will be the one to finally capture Deadeyes, but as of yet, none have survived to fulfill that claim...
Tarbh Uisge Wrote:One of the last great buffalo of Vylbrand, Tarbh Uisge was captured while still a calf by an ambitious mummer and trained to entertain audiences around Eorzea. Repeated application of stimulatory and suppressive magicks, however, have slowly eaten away at the beast's sanity, rendering it violent and unpredictable. After its capture nearly a decade ago, Tarbh Uisge was imprisoned on a remote island in the Rhotano Sea and soon forgotten by all...
Uraeus Wrote:Appearing in ancient religious manuscripts as loyal servant to the sun goddess, Azeyma the Warden, this peiste is unique in that its brilliant silver scales reflect the light, making it seem that the creature is constantly emitting a radiant glow. Many a hunter has set out into the mountains in pursuit of this scalekin's rare skin, only to succumb to the monster's razor-sharp fangs, nail-like claws, and petrifying gaze.
Great Buffalo Wrote:Thought to be an ancient relative of the common water buffalo, great buffalo have an average lifespan of over three hundred years and can grow to a height of over six yalms. During the Age of Endless Frost, enormous herds of these colossal beastkin would migrate back and forth across the frozen wastes in search of forage, but climate change, hunting, and disease has caused their numbers to gradually dwindle, and now only a few of the hoary creatures are known to remain on Vylbrand. Their thick hides are almost impossible to penetrate, and it is rumored that the weapons of champions unsuccessful in felling the beasts can sometimes be found still lodged under the shaggy coats.
Dodore Wrote:The unmatched wit and cunning of this cyclopean ahriman has earned him a horde of loyal minions who follow Dodore as he wreaks his havoc on the countryside. While the common classification for ahriman is voidsent, that has not prevented some rogue scholars to proclaim that Dodore's supple Hyur-like flesh and single Lalafell-like eye proves the creature is a chimera, begotten in some dark laboratorium by the blasphemous experimentations of a twisted thaumaturge.
Elder Mosshorn Wrote:For reasons unknown to naturalists, there are certain aldgoats which do not display the short, two-decade lifespans that are most commonly exhibited in their cousins. For this they are given the name mosshorn aldgoat, and can be easily recognized not only by their enormous size, but also their beautifully curved horns, which are said to collect colonies of moss over the many years of their growth. What is even more intriguing, is that these aldgoats will often become "aware" that they are different early in their lives, and leave their respective packs in search of other mosshorns.
Hope this helps! ^^
