Elementals
Created by the Titan Day, the Elementals guard Earth, Air, Fire and Water in the Twelve Kingdoms, as well as several other satellite worlds.
HYDOEMI (HIGH-dough-me) Masters of the Water, the Hydoemi's greatest gift is their song which can move the hearts of men to great or terrible deeds. The Hydoemi can take on four shapes: water, fish, human, or a hybrid of any of these three. Perhaps because of the Fairy Sirena's love for the Hydoemi, these Elementals are the most human of all their kin, and frequently take on their full or half-human forms. WYDOEMI (WHY-dough-me) Masters of Air and Wind, the Wydoemi's song is but a little less powerful than their cousins'. Their truest magic is in whispers, particularly between those who have traveled to the Mountains of Morning, and those still on earth. For this reason, they have been much pursued by Necromancers. Twelve sisters rule the Wydoemi, governing the twelve months. The Wydoemi can take on four shapes: air, bird, human, or a hybrid. PYRAE (PIE-ray) Masters of Fire, the Pyrae speak directly to the heart in words mortals cannot fully understand. Their songs must be tempered by another of the Elementals' or else merely hearing the fire's melody will make a man lose his reason. Although the Pyrae can take on four forms - fire, salamander, human or hybrid - they rarely venture out of their fire form, and are therefore rarely seen. Twenty-four brothers govern the hours. VERTAE (VEHR-tay) Masters of the Earth, the Vertae keep their court within a stronghold that shifts shape as each of the four brothers takes his turn governing the seasons. They have domain over Day's lesser creatures: fauns, griffins, and various other hybrids. They themselves have a multitude of forms - from earth to human to trees or stones, animal, vegetable and mineral. |
Fantastic Beasts
Although the Twelve Kingdoms are full of many familiar mythical creatures - such as manticores, bansidhes and chimeras - only those beasts which are native or surprising to this world are listed below.
ÆSPELOI
(EH-speh-loy) Related to dragons, these winged and legless serpents wait among tree branches and dart down with their poisoned beaks to devour or infect men. They do not mate together, but lay their eggs within the carcasses of their prey. It is said that if you ingest the egg of an æspel while living, you become one of them yourself. AINSIDHE (ANN-shee) One of the Gorwynymgràin, a deer - both male and female - that carry balls of light within their three-pronged antlers. CWYNADD (KWINN-eth) A creature with the head of a dog and the body of a monkey. They are stupid but deadly: their tail and their fangs are venomous. They will attack viciously, but are easily cowed if rapped about the head and hindquarters. DEMON DOGS OF CADOC (CWN CADOC) (Kwinn KAH-dock) Related to the Wolf King, they were created by the Uncreator's closest follower, twisted from many of the Father's creations. They were sent through many of the Coliseum of Gates as Gatanea began its conquest of the MultiWorlds. DRAGONS Ruled over by the Dragon Prince and now confined to the easternmost mountains thanks to the Titans, the dragon range from their great sanguine master to the smallest wyvern who has only one set of legs to recommend him. They are deceivers, and have no words except those they pluck from their victims' minds. |
FIREÒIN
(FEER-ri-oin) Also known as the "Winds of Eyre," these blue eagles can speak the words of man directly into the mind. They are associated with the rightful Lords of Eyre and were instrumental in the wooing of Niamh.
GORWYNYMGRÀIN
(Gore-WIN-him-grain) Animals from each of the four elements - fish, deer (see Ainsidhe above), swans, and salamanders - which at Day's instruction swallowed lights and were scattered through the earth to help illuminate the land during the age of Perpetual Twilight.
LIGHTS OF AODH
(Lights of Eed) Sentient will-o-wisps, and minor Pyrae Elementals created by Day. Some say they were the sparks from Day's mind as he descended into madness. Rarely are they helpful.
PHOOKA HORSE
An unseelie stallion that will ride off with whomever is foolish enough to mount it. Some say that those who fall prey to the phooka horse are bucked off the edge of the world and fall to their deaths.
UNICORNS
Born from several sacred pools, including the Sea of Memory, unicorns enter the world when a soul is born who requires their aid. To that one, the unicorn entrusts his dying breath, his horn, and his blood, which combined have healing powers.
(FEER-ri-oin) Also known as the "Winds of Eyre," these blue eagles can speak the words of man directly into the mind. They are associated with the rightful Lords of Eyre and were instrumental in the wooing of Niamh.
GORWYNYMGRÀIN
(Gore-WIN-him-grain) Animals from each of the four elements - fish, deer (see Ainsidhe above), swans, and salamanders - which at Day's instruction swallowed lights and were scattered through the earth to help illuminate the land during the age of Perpetual Twilight.
LIGHTS OF AODH
(Lights of Eed) Sentient will-o-wisps, and minor Pyrae Elementals created by Day. Some say they were the sparks from Day's mind as he descended into madness. Rarely are they helpful.
PHOOKA HORSE
An unseelie stallion that will ride off with whomever is foolish enough to mount it. Some say that those who fall prey to the phooka horse are bucked off the edge of the world and fall to their deaths.
UNICORNS
Born from several sacred pools, including the Sea of Memory, unicorns enter the world when a soul is born who requires their aid. To that one, the unicorn entrusts his dying breath, his horn, and his blood, which combined have healing powers.
Other Races and Ethnicities
DWARVES
This race dwells primarily beneath the blasted hills of Malinka. Their caverns extend deep into the foundations of the Twelve Kingdoms, although not all the way to the True World. The Dwarves are miners and craftsmen and closely aligned to the Vertae court. GIANTS A great race of men who roamed freely while the Titans slept. They were a cold-hearted race and crafty, holding grudges against any who did them wrong, even their own. By the Fairies' coming, most of the Giants had fled north where their cold-heartedness had changed them to men of ice, like mountains. GATELINGS The generic name in the Twelve Kingdoms for any human emigrating from another world through the Gates. |
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(c) Emily C. A. Snyder