Writer's Wednesday XV

Greetings dear readers!

Returning to the subject of Layonara's denizens, here is another sampling of creatures large and small.

Ice Wisp - A softly glowing ball of blue light no larger than a plate, the wisp is rumored to be the souls of the evil dead, or the ghosts of women killed by lovers, or the remains of summoned creatures, or even the restless wild magic of deceased powerful mages. No one knows for sure…

Harj's Sea Snake - Found in the cold blue Sea of Harj, this snake keeps close to shore but can survive farther out. The Harj sea snake is a stealthy predator and not afraid to attack creatures much larger, slowing victims with their poison and drowning them before slowly digesting them.

Rogue Bandit Leader - Often military deserters with command training, those who lead packs of these savage thieves are entirely free of the burdens of pity and compassion and live for what they can steal.

Darkbat - A species of unusually large bat with a midnight black Hide and an aggressive nature. The darkbat forms colonies with only certain bats hunting for the group.

Coastline Water Beetle - Considered by many the most beautiful of the beetle family, the shimmering azure-blue Coastline beetle carapace is worn as a good luck charm by fisherfolk along the Pearl Coast. The beetle swims well and eats primarily soft-shelled mollusks but will take fresh meat if it can get it.

Primal Redlands Crocodile - Infrequently seen, these throwbacks are thought to hibernate but occasionally come out for feeding and are capable of wandering far for food. Many travelers have been fatally surprised by a 15 King's feet long reddish crocodile while walking across the deep desert. These creatures are one of the few stupid and large enough to attack drakes.

Primal Nighthunter - These sleek, primitive nightmares are broad-headed cats with double rows of teeth that have either survived somewhere on the islands or are a mutation of the dark cheetahs, although no one knows for sure. They are few in number and the rare ones that are found are often protected by a number of other males, with the Primal as alpha. They only hunt at night.

Alpha Deepwater Felhound - Thought to be a more primal version of the land-walking felhounds, this aqua-skinned creature is seen by some as instead the progenitor of the air breathers. It is as large as a pony and trots the ocean floor using curved claws to avoid floating. This appears to be the pack leader.

Check back next week when we return to crafting!
~Honora on behalf of the Layonara Development Team