Garmeck- Known also as Grifters, the Garmeck are a race of manta ray-like monsters that roam open plains and desert flats. They usually dwell in flocks but lone Garmecks are known to travel the realm. It is not even wholly unknown for flocks of these flying monsters to dwell in frigid tundras, so long as there is flat, open land for them to glide over. Garmeck have a wingspan of over 15' but are seldom more than a mere 1' thick. They have a long, elegant tail that acts as a rudder for their flying and is not used in battle. They have ash gray or snow white skin that is smooth as snakeskin. Garmecks fly in silence and are totally blind, using a sort of echo sound to “see” where they’re going. They have earned their nickname because of their tendancy to roam vast distances in a migration that none but they understand. Though they are carnivores they do not attack humanoid settlements, fearing reprisal. They are likewise shy and allusive when confronted and will more than likely flee, even if they outnumber their foe greatly. The only exception to this rule is if they must defend their young. Grifters are well liked for their smooth flesh and it sells for high prices on certain desert markets so hunts are organized to slay them. On flat, open terrain a Garmeck can fly at a speed greater than even an unencumbered horse can gallop. They exercise caution when flying in more vertical regions, cutting their potential by up to half speed. A Garmeck can fight by either biting or enveloping their prey like a sheet and smothering it to death. When they hunt they always use their bite over smothering tactics. When dorment, Garmeck lie beneath earth, snow and sand so they are out of sight. A passer by might never know that they just walked within the midst of a Garmeck flock.
Gold Lark- This small bird is found in forests, nesting in the boughs of tall trees. It is little larger than a common sparrow with brilliant gold feathers tipped with bronze or platinum colors. Its beak is pitch black. The Gold Lark is a non offensive animal, tending to flee rather than fight, but when threatened it can emit a dry, crackling heat that radiates up to 5' from it. This radiation heats metal weapons and armor and makes the air around the Lark hard to breathe. Anyone within melee distance has a chance of passing out from lack of proper air for every minute they stay near the Lark. They also begin to take damage from exposure to metallic objects on their person. This defense, coupled with its swift flying prowess, makes it difficult to dispatch. When a group of Gold Larks dwells together (not too uncommon of an occurrence) they can converge and fly near one another, generating a dazzling light that blinds anyone within 50' that happen to look into it. Gold Larks generally shun contact with humanoid creatures out of fear of them.
Jazaxial- A relatively new find within Kallendaros or Parun, the Jazaxial (Jez-uh-scale) Is a great cat of enormous size and brilliant color. They are mountain hunters that prefer cool climates with thick pelts of fur that protect them from even the most rigorous mountain winds and storms. The great cats are singular hunters and fiercely territorial, but possess enough intelligence to know friend from foe, or when a hunt or battle isn’t worth their effort. Jazaxial possess Mindwill ability to a limited extent, mainly a form of empathy and telepathy that give them an edge while hunting prey or fighting. They also have giant fangs that secrete a venom that paralyzes when in the blood stream; one capable of felling enemies four times the size of the beast. The Jazaxial is twelve feet in length, weighing more than 900 lbs. They live about forty years, mating in the winter in mountainous caverns where the parents take care of the young in turns until the animal’s first year has passed and they are old enough to fend for themselves. It is not uncommon to find the young roaming with a parent that they have become fond of, and the parent will endure the relationship for as long as it is mutually benefiical for it. Sages believe the Jazaxial to be an outcast of Rauros in the deep south, having migrated from the mountains of that tropical land for colder, more pleasing terrain. They are also thought to be very rare creatures, as precious few have been witnessed within the last ten years or so.
Leviathan- A legendary dweller of the deep, the Leviathan is a gigantic creature of the seas. It is an intelligent whale measuring over 1,000' long, capable of swallowing sailing vessels up to 1/4 their size whole. The Leviathan feeds on schools of small fish, plankton and even sea coral, tending to stay in deep reaches of the oceans far from the mortal races. They are prone to fasting for long periods of time. They are a peaceful race of beasts, but when they are angry it is a sight to behold. If attacked or threatened the Leviathan violently shifts its weight in the water, making powerful waves that force anything not 1/4 its size or larger at least its body length away from it. This translates to violent surface waves that can rock or ground sailing ships. If it chooses to, it can surface and submerge quickly, making a wave so forceful that it can capsize even giant sailing ships, leaving the crew to the One God’s mercy. A Leviathan would not do this unless there was just reason to do so. A Leviathan is seen as a good omen by mariners and harming one is considered a black act. Still there are some who see profit in hunting and slaying something so vast and ancient. It is those same few that might live to provide others with testimony about the rage of the giants in the deep ocean.
Malignant Harper- Emitting sweet music from sea choked caverns, this squid-like monster lures prey toward it and then drags it beneath the surface of the water to be devoured. The Harper measures about 10-12' long with tentacles that grow to be 1 ½ times the length of the monster’s body. It has six such tentacles in all, two of which it uses to anchor itself at all times and to use to escape a fight turned against it if it must. The other four tentacles are slender and nimble, dotted with leafy pseudo-pods that have small curled barbs on them. They do little actual damage but entangle anything the Harper grabs onto. The trunk of the Harper looks much like a common squid save that the trunk where the tentacles grow from is one bulbous mouth filled with jagged teeth, some of which measure almost four inches long. The gullet of the Malignant Harper is large enough to devour a single man sized being. It has no traditional eyes or nose but can sense movement through the air with its pseudo-pods when they’re raised above the surface, up to 30' away from any given tentacle. The Harper usually leaves two or more tentacles up in different places to keep a watch on the terrain around it. The Harper’s singing actually hails from a slender stalk near the crest of its trunk. The stalk makes a ghostly, ethereal whistle when exposed to even mild wind, the stronger the wind the more pronounced the music that emanates from it. The Harper is colored dead white to ice blue. Though the Harper favors temperate climates with caverns either against the mainland or just off shore not too far (a day at most), larger Malignant Harpers have been discovered lurking in farther haunts. The largest Harper ever chronicled was almost 40' long.
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