Kitter Keep
The strongest known animal on the continent, Cragwolves are the very embodiment of the brute strength and unflinching will of the earth element. Not even a Felthurr can hope to challenge a Cragwolf in a test of strength, instead having to rely on its speed and intelligence to outwit the might of the Cragwolf. These intimidating creatures are immune to the effects of poison and electricity, and can tear apart steel with their jaws.
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The golem-like body that Cragwolves possess not only grants them incredible durability, but allows them to heal by eating stones. Normal rocks, such as granite and shale, taste terrible to them, but nourish their bodies with minerals that strengthen their muscles. Gemstones, such as diamonds and emeralds, are like candy to Cragwolves, but leave their bodies weaker than normal. Despite the fact that they can eat stones, they still require the proteins found in meat to survive.
Cragwolves
There are two main weaknesses that a Cragwolf possesses. The first is their inability to swim. When they fall in water, their golem-like body causes them to literally sink like a rock. The second is their crippling fear of heights. Having them look down from a high cliff or putting them in a hot air balloon will leave them whimpering in terror.
Addendum by Aberdale the Doctor: Yes, I know it seems odd that a doctor of all people is going to tell you about the mighty Cragwolf. I’ll have you know that when I was young, I traveled the continent. Do you really think I learned my Mage abilities by puttering around a doctor’s office all day?
Anyway, I’m getting off subject. It is believed that Cragwolves evolved to hunt Fluffels specifically. After all, Fluffels possess extraordinary defenses for mere prey. It would take an extraordinary hunter to stalk Fluffels. However, nature specializes in the extraordinary. I find it fascinating that to counter the unchecked growth of the Fluffel population, nature created a predator that can penetrate the armor of the Steel Fluffel and is immune to the lightning and venom of the Thunder Fluffel and Toxic Fluffel.
Also, did you know that bloom affinity Kitters like myself can learn to control these creatures? Everyone knows that we can eventually learn to control forest animals, but not many people know that Cragwolves qualify as forest creatures. It’s not easy, trust me, but imagine if you could command one of these. Anyway, time for your fun fact for the day. When Cragwolves rest, their golem-like body causes them to look like giant boulders, so be careful if you sit on a random boulder out in the wild!
Dreambugs
On the outside, these little parasites are seemingly harmless. They’re only slightly bigger than a ladybug and their bite is painless. However, these creatures possess extraordinary ectoplasm powers that are unmatched by any animal. Kitters are advised to wear gear that protects their necks when entering regions that are known to contain Dreambugs.
When these creatures latch onto a Kitter’s neck, they release a powerful sedative that puts the Kitter to sleep within seconds. Then they use their powers to construct a flawless dreamworld that prevents the Kitter from resisting while they leech off of their lifeforce. The dream that each Kitter experiences is unique to them, for it contains everything they have ever desired.
Ripping a Dreambug off the victim is ill-advised, as it could permanently damage the Kitter’s psyche. There are two options. The first is to use a Nullstone to nullify the Dreambug’s powers. This is quick and painless, but Nullstones are extremely rare and expensive. The second option is to find an ectoplasm or balance Kitter who knows how to dreamwalk so that they can enter the dream and convince the victim to wake up. This can be a difficult process, for the dream is extraordinarily life-like. However, certain flaws can always be found in these dreamworlds, such as the lack of text in books or the fact that any location the dreamer has never seen in real life won’t appear in the dream.
The origin of these parasites is still unknown. They normally only have a lifespan of one to two years, but should they succeed in draining a Kitter’s lifeforce, they will gain another decade. It takes them approximately one month to fully drain a Kitter of their lifeforce. They can be found in the Dead Swamp and The Tropics.
Addendum by Farah the Alchemist: I absolutely despise these creatures. Most people don’t realize the pain they can cause. Now, I’m not talking about what it does to the victim. When a Kitter wakes up, they forget the dream because it wasn’t their mind dreaming it. It was the Dreambug. The mind sees no reason to store the memory of the dream because it didn’t create it. After the victim is woken up, everyone continues life like nothing happened. Everyone except the dreamwalker, that is.
See, when a balance-affinity Kitter like myself has to wake up a victim, it can be a very harrowing experience. Most think the scary part is not getting killed in the dreamworld. Dreambugs put up all sorts of defenses to keep intruders out. The first layer of defense is when everyone in the dream starts attacking us. The next few layers are more subtle. Storms suddenly appear, floors collapse without warning, unexplainable fires break out in our rooms; nothing is as it seems in a dreamworld crafted by a Dreambug. That’s not what frightens us, though.
We see for ourselves what the victim wishes the world were like. All of their hopes and dreams are laid bare to us. When we find the victim, they do not look imprisoned or sad. They are happy. Every bad thing they’ve ever experienced is undone and all of their dreams have been accomplished. Our job... my job... my job is to break their hearts and tell them none of it ever existed. Do you know how hard it is to tell someone that they never accomplished anything and that they need to return to a world where they experience pain and sorrow?
The victims have the luxury of forgetting the dreamworld. Once they wake up, the Dreambug’s terrible work is undone and they can return to their everyday lives like nothing happened. Us? We remember the hopes these Kitters have and know that when they had the chance to live a life where they had accomplished their dreams, we stole it all from them.
Terrorbugs
Accidentally created by the Magical Research Institute during an attempt to separate the void and air affinities in Dreambugs, the Terrorbug is the rarest and most frightening monster of all. Unlike Dreambugs, Terrorbugs feed off fear and despair. Their bite traps a Kitter in a terrible nightmare filled with everything they fear most. This ability to cause nightmares is not hindered by Balance Kitters’ Dreamy Aura ability.
Once a Terrorbug has absorbed enough fear from a Kitter, they gain the ability to influence nearby Kitters’ dreams even if they are not latched onto them. While they will remain on the original Kitter they bit, the dream they create will slowly expand, causing any Kitter who sleeps too close to the Terrorbug or its victim to be afflicted with terrifying nightmares. There are
three ways that one can shield themselves from this terrible nightmare aura; One, bring a light Kitter who knows how to bestow courage. Two, bring a balance or ectoplasm Kitter who can dreamwalk, as they know how to shield themselves and others in the dreamscape. Three, bring a Nullstone.
To escape a Terrorbug’s nightmare, a Kitter must learn to overcome their fear. Once the fear is conquered, the Terrorbug leaves, for it cannot feed off a Kitter who is not afraid. Light Kitters who know how to bestow courage can also free Kitters from these nightmares. Balance and ectoplasm dreamwalkers should only enter the nightmare as a last resort, for there are far more dangers in a Terrorbug’s nightmare than a Dreambug’s peaceful dream.
The only two locations that Terrorbugs can be found are at the Magical Research Institute, safely contained within a Nullstone cage, and in the darkest sections of the Dead Swamp. Their population is extremely low, with entomologists estimating that there are only three to four dozen living in the Dead Swamp.
Addendum by Hekate the Magic Shopkeeper: I must admit, the Dreambug Project was one of the Institute’s more foolhardy projects. They were trying to see if it was possible to separate elements in an animal. The idea was that if they could do it in animals, then they could eventually develop a way for secondary element Kitters to change to one element. I don’t know what madness possessed them to test this on a monster, though. Maybe they thought people would get angry if they did tests on harmless animals, so they picked something that no one would ever protest about?
Nature itself seems to know that these things aren’t natural. When a Dreambug and Terrorbug encounter each other in the Dead Swamp, they’ll both attempt to latch onto each other and battle in the dreamscape. While Terrorbugs are more powerful, Dreambugs like to use their vastly superior numbers to overwhelm and consume the Terrorbug.
Arcticary
Harsh and proud, the Arcticary is one of the deadliest
birds on the continent. They were originally created
two centuries ago by a powerful ice wizard who sought
servants that would help him conquer Ostaria. Though he
fell and his power faded, his creations still roam the lands,
bringing frost and hail wherever they fly.
The sharp, icy talons of an Arcticary are their most dangerous weapon, for any living creature touched by these talons will be afflicted with frostbite. When a flock of Arcticaries gather and
start flying together in a ring, start a fire and head indoors, for
they are creating a blizzard in the middle of the ring to bring
bitter cold and terrible destruction.
Despite the clear danger posed by these creatures, many still hunt these birds for their feathers. Though these birds look as if they were made from pure ice, touching them reveals their feathers to feel like soft pillows made from the finest cotton. These feathers are extraordinarily valuable for their incredible softness, astonishing beauty, and most importantly, the powerful ice magic held within them.
There are two things that Arcticaries fear: Fire and Felthurr. The birds cannot last long in extreme heat and will flee in terror if confronted with fire. Their rivalry with Felthurr comes from the fact that they both seek to rule the skies. The Felthurr must use its grace and intelligence to make up for its lack of magical strength when hunting the Arcticary.
Addendum by Hekate the Magic Shopkeeper: Arcticaries are considered quite fascinating in the both the studies of magic and biology. They are one of the few “artificial” species; that is, a species created by a Kitter rather than by nature. Based on their biology, zoologists estimate that Arcticaries have a lifespan between 120 and 150 years. However, they also have an extremely low birthrate, with the average Arcticary only laying two or three eggs per century. It is estimated that less than two hundred Arcticaries are still alive today.
These creatures are currently untamable, for research on live subjects has revealed that the minds of Arcticaries were created with an odd string of magic that affects their emotional state and thoughts. It appears that this string of magic was meant to be used by the creator to control the minds of the Arcticaries. Without the creator to monitor them, this secondary string instead drives them into an insane frenzy to destroy all sunlight and heat. However, when exposed to Nullstones, this magic stops affecting their minds, resulting in them becoming docile and sane. Research is still underway to see if it is possible to use ectoplasm telepathy to remove this magic from their minds so that they may be tamed and cared for like any other animal. Until then, all captured specimens are to be transported to the Magical Research Institute in the Capitol so that they may be kept in an enclosure lined with Nullstones.
P.S: Actually, could you bring it to me so that I can be the one to take it to the Capitol? I’ve always wanted to see an Arcticary.
Masqueraiths
Masquraiths are probably the most annoying and tiring monsters to deal with. The Masquraiths a species of monster that is made entirely out of black goo except of their eyes and mask. All of their masks are made of wood and have painted designs on them. Depending on the design on the mask, and Masquraith’s affinity will vary. One thing is for certain, they cannot have any affinity that includes the basic light affinity. They also cannot have an affinity for
fire. Luckily they usually live in very dense forests and in marsh and swamplands.
A Masquraith’s main food source is magical power, which is why they prey on kitters. However, kitters are not always readily available, so they also will drain magic power from the prisma flower. When hunting for kitters, these things will travel in packs or murders, which is one reason why they are extremely annoying to deal with. A way to keep them away is to have a light based kitter nearby who using a power that produces light to keep the Masquraiths away.
The question rises about how Masquraiths reproduce. It was recently found out that Masquraiths do not have sexes, but they still “mate”. Two masquraiths must release a special type of goo from their bodies, then the 2 pieces must combine, and after the new pile of goo is given a mask, it becomes a new Masquraith. The mask can be changed and replaced later in life.
A second reason of why the Masquraiths are annoying when you encounter them are that they can split pieces of their bodies and then rejoin them, they also sometimes carry another mask on them as a spare. However, there are several ways that you can kill a masquraith. If you have the misfortune to encounter one of these things in the dark, you must destroy the mask and then expose it to a strong light source, such as fire. Sometimes this will just scare it off unless you are able to trap it and expose it to the light for a longer period of time. This is pretty un-efficient though since they attack in murders. If a light based kitter or a fire kitter can release a powerful enough ability that releases enough light, the Masquraith will into ash instantly, only leaving the mask and the pile of it’s remains, but if you have a weaker light/fire kitter, then you must destroy the mask first and then expose it to any ability that releases a good amount of light.
Another way that they may die is from not having enough magical power. When they have very little magical power left, they start becoming hard and no longer gooy. Once they finally reach at the end of their supply, they turn to stone, their mask still a part of their statue. This may also just happen from old age, however it is not not entirely sure how long they live. The final way that they can die is from sun exposure, but it’s more like a curse. If a Masquraith loses its mask and cannot find one before sunrise, it turns to ash right at the moment the sun rises over the hills. If loses it while the sun is out, it immediately turns to ash.
Addendum by Hekate the Magic Shopkeeper:
Ooh, Masquraiths. The odd, but cute-looking things that you sometimes want to hug. However! You don’t want to get too close or they’ll make you sick! That’s right. The Masquraiths will absorb a kitter’s magical power to the point where the kitter is almost unable to walk. The lack of magical power can also sometimes make you sick as well. Oh! Did you know that they make all the masks themselves? Some kitters don’t believe it, Hazel, but they do! Where else would they get their masks, it’s not like there is a kitter making the masks for them. Their screams are described as goopy screeching, though I’ve never heard this call before. Most of the time they just sound like laughing hyenas, but let’s just say your not gonna be laughing with them if you hear one. They also migrate to Kitter Keep, or at least in the area, once a year, in october. There has been a rumor going around that you can tame one! Only for a limited time though,how disappointing. If you draw a special design on a mask, and write the deed you want on the back, destroy the existing mask of a Masquraith and “give” them the one you have they will be tamed until the task is completed, most of the time. Not a lot of kitters do this because if the Masquraith resists the taming or the mask is not destroyed, they can gain a lot of power and can even resist light! Making them almost impossible to kill. No one knows the official pattern of the tamed mask though, and what wood the mask must be made out of for it to be tamed, guess we’re gonna have to wait and see. Ack! I can’t wait to gather more information on these monsters. though I have to focus on other stuff. Maybe I should have some kind of fish for lunch…