# Best New Critters



## psychotick (Apr 7, 2015)

Hi,

I was reading the world building thread about re-mything which I enjoyed when it occurred to me that as sci fi fantasy writers we really should be coming up with a few of our own unique critters / races instead of just using the established tropes.

So I thought why not have a place where we can share our own creations.

To start things off if people are interested, I thought I'd include a couple of my own and see what you guys think of them.

Snap Dragon - this is a monster I developed for my book Wildling. It's not really a dragon despite the name. It's a walking forest sort of shaped a little like a dragon / reptile. It lives on a high central plateau and most of the time just looks like a copse. But every so often - normally at night - it sort of uproots itself and starts hunting unfortunate campers. It has no muscles or skin, but is in fact just comprised of densely interwoven branches and roots, and it hunts by essentially sneaking up on its prey and then crushing them underfoot so to speak. After that it settles back down and slowly absorbs their crushed juicy remains through its root system. The name comes because it is roughly shaped like a dragon, and because of the snapping sound it makes when its foot comes crashing down on an unfortunate victim. It is essentially huge, slow moving and indestructible to most weapons, but if you can set it on fire and run away for long enough it'll burn to ash.

Sprig - these are living trees rather like the spriggen in some RPG's. They come from the book I'm just finishing up called The Arcanist. In essence they are extremely thin - think not much thicker than brook handles - humanoid shaped trees with shoulders and hips but no heads etc. Each shoulder might have two or three arms sprouting from it, each hip two or three legs, and of course the arms and legs are essentially thin branches. They have no intelligence but can obey orders and be used as an army. They kill because each end of an arm or leg is essentially a spear point, that can be driven through flesh or mild steel. They walk slowly and in jerky movements, but are very hard to kill. They're very hard to hit with a gun because of their thinness, and you wouldn't want to face one with sword in hand because lets face it - they might have six or more spears to impale you with while you're trying to defend against one.

Anyway, there's two of mine. Let me know what you think and I'd love to see some of yours.

Cheers, Greg.


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## acapes (Apr 8, 2015)

Awesome, Greg! I love the Snap Dragon especially, great creatures. 

None of mine come to mind right now but I'll have a think. I made something scaly the other day but nothing really distinctive.


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## stephenspower (Apr 8, 2015)

I've never created a monster, so how about these:

Silk: A silk tree is like a bare weeping willow native to sandy, acidic soil with little nitrogen and other nutrients. It draws water from the ground, but instead of gaining sustenance from photosynthesis and soil nutrients it devours all sorts of underground critters with it web of roots. To spread its seeds, it grows long white hairs with a tiny seed at one end that it releases into the wind the way some spiders throw up a filament of web for use as a sail. Hence the name "silk." Most silks get caught in trees and starve, but the lucky ones land on creatures. They're so light they aren't noticed. The silk wraps itself around the creature and contracts, curl tighter and tighter, digging deeper into the creatures skin, slowly killing it. Silks have been known to take off a deer's leg or a child's head. When the creature dies, the silk embeds the seed in the corpse, from which it springs another silk tree.


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## Hainted (Apr 8, 2015)

Not original bu a couple I took from American Folklore instead of European....

Snawfus: A large snow white deer native to the southern mountain ranges. 6 feet at the shoulder the males grow a massive set of antlers that bloom with flowers during the spring and summer. Their breath comes out as a fine bluish mist and legend says that's what's responsible for the fogs that seem to cling to the peaks of the mountains.

Hodag: Believed to be a member of the same family as the Manticore a Hodag is a large quadruped about the size of a grizzly bear with a large almost oversized head and jaws. The head is topped in both male and females with long pointed bull-like horns. A single row of dorsal spines go down the creature's back and the tail ends in a bony spike. Fur color ranges from Black(Cave Hodags) through to shades of brown and grey(Shovel Nose Hodag)

Wampus: The wampus is a large predatory cat with an almost human intelligence. Their fur is patterned and colored to blend into the forests of the region, and their cries can mimic the distress calls of several prey species with some even learning to mimic human children.


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## psychotick (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi,

Stephen, I like your deadly seeds. The only thing I would say is that it seems unlikely that a tiny strand of silk could amputate body parts. It might be better if the silk could somehow burrow into the skin, slowly growing through the victim and killinh him by penetrating vital organs etc.

Hainted, the wampus sounds like a brilliant ambush predator and I love the thought of a cat luring its prey by sounding like distressed children etc. There's something brilliantly manipulative in that. I may use something similar in one of my books.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Ireth (Apr 8, 2015)

Here's one taken from a nightmare I had this morning:

The wawl is a type of hive-minded, parasitic fungus. When dormant, the fungus resembles a squishy, transparent cucumber. If woken, the fungus becomes teardrop-shaped, grows limbs in front and behind and a mouth at the narrow end, and a coat of short fur-like bristles. The active wawl somewhat resembles a rat without eyes, ears or tail. Each core wawl can have up to five living offshoots at a time; these offshoots are mobile, and draw nutrients to the core by seeking animals and even humans as prey, latching on with their limbs and tearing off chunks of flesh. The bitten prey experiences paralysis and laryngitis until the wawl or wawls are removed from them.


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## Tom (Apr 8, 2015)

Cool thread! Here's a critter I haven't used in years. 

The Luan--

In its true form, the luan is a vaguely humanoid monster with black skin, yellow eyes, and numerous spines sprouting from its head, arms, and back. A creature of the supernatural, it is not entirely corporeal, which gives it the appearance of an animate shadow. 

The Luan cannot live in its true form for more than a few years, or else it will fade away. Instead, it feeds on the life force of its victims (usually humans, occasionally large mammals such as deer) and inhabits their bodies after they have died. It lures its victims to it by creating an illusion of something they value--a dead loved one's voice calling, or perhaps a spring of clean water--and then engulfs them in its shadow-like body. It sucks away their energy, leaving an empty shell behind, which the luan then enters.

To survive in its victims' bodies, the luan has to be an expert at mimicry. It integrates the victim's memories into its own, essentially becoming its own prey. Often it will "return" to its victims' homes and live with their families and friends without detection. In this way, when it has spent its current form's energy, it has a variety of new victims to choose from. 

However, the luan's greatest strength is also its greatest curse. Sometimes the host's memories are too powerful, and the luan's own mind is overwhelmed. It may be confused at first as to which memories are its own. Occasionally, if the victim's mind is especially strong, the luan will _become_ its host. It will lose all memory of its own life and believe it is its host until its death, or until its original memories are reawakened.


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## skrite (Apr 8, 2015)

Tom Nimenai said:


> The Luan--
> 
> In its true form, the luan is a vaguely humanoid monster with black skin, yellow eyes, and numerous spines sprouting from its head, arms, and back. A creature of the supernatural, it is not entirely corporeal, which gives it the appearance of an animate shadow. .



This creature absolutely rocks!


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## Saigonnus (Apr 8, 2015)

Nightmare hounds: these creatures don't eat, sleep, drink or rest. They hunt the goddess Arasti's chosen in small packs of 3 or 4. Their saliva is acidic and they regenerate very quickly, a matter of minutes from almost dead to chasing the chosen once more. The only way to kill them is to remove their head, which is exceptionally difficult for chosen, since most are animals much like the hounds themselves. Usually they have to rely on the two-legs to kill them, the reason for their long association with the humanoid races of the world. 

Creeper vines: created by wizards to serve as a defense mechanism, these plants have long tendrils that creep along the ground relentlessly. They overrun buildings, tear down masonry or stone in a matter of weeks, but are relatively easy to keep at bay using axes and woodknives. A cousin to the creepers are strangle vines that; like their cousin, grow fairly fast and spread quickly. The difference is their tendrils are covered with contact sensitive hairs. Like the name suggests, anyone touching the tendrils might be trapped by the vine, which uses more tendrils to subdue the victim. They don't eat per se, but hold the victim still until they decay, the vitamins leeching into the soils beneath the vines. 

Half mile tree: the fruit of this tree is delicious, sweet and smells heavenly. If a fruit is eaten, by the time you are a half-mile from the tree, you fall into a coma. What's more, it makes you sweat a substance that smells like rotting meat, making you a tempting target for carnivores and scavengers that live in the area.


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## psychotick (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi,

Tom the Luan sounds awesome. There was a Philip K Dick novel that reminds me a little ofit. The MC was an android on a mission to destroy part of humanity, who had been programmed to act as a particular human being that he had replaced. And the book is about his struggle to recognise that he was not the human being he had replaced - at which point he could blow up and destroy the dome etc!

You could do something very similar to that.

Cheers, Greg.


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## psychotick (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi,

Saigonnus love the name of your half mile tree. I love it when people name critters descriptively for some aspect of them rather than making up some name that has no meaning to a reader.

Cheers, Greg.


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## psychotick (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi,

Ireth, I like your wawl. My only thoughts are where do the teeth come from? And the name is difficult to say in my head.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Hainted (Apr 8, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Hi,
> 
> Stephen, I like your deadly seeds. The only thing I would say is that it seems unlikely that a tiny strand of silk could amputate body parts. It might be better if the silk could somehow burrow into the skin, slowly growing through the victim and killinh him by penetrating vital organs etc.
> 
> ...



There's actually 3 different legends about the Wampus,  or Wampus Cat depending on where in the South you hear the story. One's just a large black cat with inhuman intelligence and a hatred of people. One is a Native American legend about a woman that is turned into a large cat for violating sacred laws. The last is about  a large cat that has hunted the mountainsides for so long the legs on one side of it's body are shorter than the other. You escape it by running past it, and as it turns to pursue it tumbles down the mountainside. Good luck with the story.


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## Saigonnus (Apr 8, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Hi,
> 
> Saigonnus love the name of your half mile tree. I love it when people name critters descriptively for some aspect of them rather than making up some name that has no meaning to a reader.
> 
> Cheers, Greg.



Thanks Greg, I thought about that too when I chose that name. I haven't truthfully used it any stories as yet, just designed it for a story concept as part of a magically created/natural defensive network used to keep people from traveling beyond the city that was originally their prison after a great war. 

I think it takes something away if the author has to explain why it has that name, instead of showing why.


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## Svrtnsse (Apr 8, 2015)

Night Squirrel

The night squirrel is similar to the regular squirrel, except it's blue, with dark purple markings. It's also nocturnal (hence the name). 
When the night squirrel is threatened or in danger it can light up its tail in a sudden bright flash of light - similar to a camera flash. In this way it can blind predators and escape from harms way.


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## skrite (Apr 8, 2015)

I love the nightmare hounds and the half-mile tree. Just too cool.

I have a creature in my WIP called a howler. A howler is why some people believed in warewolves because they have a similar appearance. When a vampire has fed on a person for so long, as the victim looses more of him/her self, it becomes more and more of just a beast that is a slave to it's master vampire. They howl at night, not as pack hunters, but out of sorrow for what they have become.


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## psychotick (Apr 8, 2015)

Hi,

Skrite, that is brilliant. You could create whole stories about the howlers and the sense of loss they feel. Deeply emotional stuff about redemption, despair and pain. I'd be tempted to call them thralls though.

Svrtnsse your night squirrels would be a brilliant alarm system. Simply stock a garden, orchard etc with them and whenever an intruder approaches by night - assassin maybe - everyone's alerted as they pass under the trees.

Cheers, Greg.


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## stephenspower (Apr 8, 2015)

Children could capture night squirrels and put them in jars.


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## Elrik Blackhaven (Apr 9, 2015)

I have several but the only one I can easily find is this one:

Drindox-

A large, horse-like animal, roughly the size of a Clydesdale. It has sharp, cloven hooves and very sharp, pointed teeth. Their eyes have slit irises, similar to a goat. They are carnivorous and group together in herds but hunt in packs. Males are the leaders and rule by brute force, dominating and requiring other members of the herd to show submission to the leader. sick or injured members of the herd are attacked by the herd and either driven off or killed and consumed. They are vicious and deadly. They pose a real threat to any creature their size or even slightly larger. They have no consistent predators in their natural habitat, although dragons and other large predators will occasionally hunt them, as a result, there are fearless opponents. They are highly intelligent and are able to adapt to changing situations quickly. They use tactics when they hunt, flanking maneuvers and herding prey into ambushes, ect. They have infra-vision which allows them to see heat signatures, especially effective for night hunting. Due to their intelligence, they are extremely difficult to hunt and/or capture. 

Captured Drindox are used to pull mining carts. They are very sure-footed and can move large amounts of ore. They are only used above ground because they become uncontrollable below ground or in confined spaces. Drindox are never tamed or even domesticated. The only way to get a Drndox to follow commands or allow itself to be ridden it to force it into submission by a display of superior force. This has to be reinforced often and any sign of weakness by its "master" will cause the Drindox to launch into a brutal attack. Dominated Drindox must be furnished with a regular supply of meat or they will go into a frenzy and become uncontrollable. Regular mistreatment and/or pain infliction will also cause a dominated Drindox attack it's "master" and any others near by.


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## skrite (Apr 9, 2015)

Elrik Blackhaven, the Drindox is an example of why I like these forums so much. Nice work.


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## Devor (Apr 9, 2015)

I've got a bunch of critters that I've developed.  I'll list a handful of the more mundane ones for now.

*The Baiyak* is a wooly, four hooved animal with a long trunk and a hump, like the cross between an elephant, a yak, and the way we picture a camel.  It serves as a slow but reliable mount or pack animal that can store a lot of water in its hump and release it miles away.  A herd of baiyak can reshape their landscape, and domesticated baiyak can work marvels for irrigating their society.

*The Peacefowl* is a bright and colorful bird, like a quail, that's found all over the continent.  But within each region they naturally gather in groups of different color shapes and patterns, so that each region has their own special breed of peacefowl that represents them.  Nations can show them off on their banners during peacetime and hold contest like dog shows.  There's an entire art form dedicated to breeding the most perfect peacefowl, and artists collect rare birds from across the continent hoping to add their color patterns into the breeding mix of their prized specimens.

*The Afstelian Clade* is a group of red-furred animals ranging from weasels to raccoon and even small wild cats which have evolved in the region.  Although they appear very normal, as a group they possess certain traits, such as their distinctive red and black fur, a willingness to show themselves to humans, an above normal intelligence for animals, and a leg-strength that makes them fast and difficult to catch or hunt.  Domesticated, they can be incredibly useful.  But there's something of a curse on the region that occasionally affects them, transforming the occasional wild animal into a savage little imp monster that tears people apart.


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## stephenspower (Apr 9, 2015)

Neat idea, the peacefowl.


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## Steerpike (Apr 9, 2015)

*Suburbanshee* - *The spirit of a neglected wife and mother, tied to this plane beyond death for reasons that are not entirely understood. The suburbanshee is commonly sighted near soccer fields or in and around mini vans. The creature's wail instills a sense of listlessness and boredom in the hearer that cannot be broken, the unfortunate victim often succumbing to dehydration, starvation, or lapsing into a catatonic state in front of broadcast network programming. The tormented spirit can be exorcised by offering up tokens of recognition and gratitude for the spirit's duties in life.

*(Thank you, Fish, for the word).


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## Svrtnsse (Apr 9, 2015)

@Steerpike - that's hilarious


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## skrite (Apr 9, 2015)

Svrtnsse said:


> @Steerpike - that's hilarious



i agree. funny stuff !


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## psychotick (Apr 9, 2015)

Hi Elrick,

I like your nightmares too! But I keep thinking it would be the perfect steed for an arch villain instead of used for pulling ore. Also what would happen if a Drindox and a normal horse got together and had foal?

Cheers, Greg.


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## psychotick (Apr 9, 2015)

Hi,

Devor, one of the things I should mention is that camels don't store water in their humps. Their humps are mainly fat. Also I'm having some dark thoughts about how exactly they release their water. I can only think of one way people release most of their water and I wouldn't want to drink it!

But the peacefowl is great. You could explore that and come up with an entire heraldry based on them. What do the different colours mean? The station taken  eg rampant or reclined?

And Steerpike, I laughed myself silly. Tell me, is it any minivan they like to haunt - or Chevy Suburbans?!

Cheers, Greg.


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## Trick (Apr 9, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Hi Elrick,
> 
> I like your nightmares too! But I keep thinking it would be the perfect steed for an arch villain instead of used for pulling ore. Also what would happen if a Drindox and a normal horse got together and had foal?
> 
> Cheers, Greg.



Heck, I think it would be a cool steed for a hero! He'd have to be tough as nails but it'd be awesome.

I definitely have more fantasy creatures than I need but here are a couple:

*Konga*: A large creature used as a steed by mages only. It looks to be a cross between a raptor, dog, ram and horse. They have smooth, thick fur that comes in various earth tones. Their hind legs are stocky at the hip and lean at the ankle with hoof/foot combinations and they run on these two legs only. They drop to all fours at slower speeds. Their front limbs resemble dog legs with nearly humanoid hands that are very thick and tough with sturdy claws for gripping and fighting. They are largely carnivorous but known to eat some greenery. On their heads are symmetrical spiral horns that grow straight forward after one 360 degree turn and these never stop growing, necessitating lots of grinding on rocks and hardwood trees to make eating easier but it also keeps them sharp. Their long, heavy tails taper to points and are ideal for balance and battle because there are several long spikes at the end. Their origin is believed to be via mage creation and they serve their masters as steed and protector. There are few wild kongas but those that do roam free live in family units, male, female and cubs. The wild males are very aggressive and totally untamable but there has been success in capturing pregnant females, taming them and then raising their offspring domesticated.   

*Aenganyn*:A flying beast with a canid appearance. Their wings are massive which dictates their chosen environment. They are roughly the size of a very large cat (think siberian tiger). They tend to live in the mountains or in very high valleys. If they descend to the lowlands to hunt, open fields are a dangerous place to be. Their night vision is nearly better than their day vision though they are diurnal for the most part and they can fly silently due to the structures of their wings dampening sound. They prey on livestock when their natural fair, mountain goats etc, are sparse. There is only a single record of one ever being domesticated and it was discovered near it's dead mother.


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## Devor (Apr 9, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Devor, one of the things I should mention is that camels don't store water in their humps. Their humps are mainly fat. Also I'm having some dark thoughts about how exactly they release their water. I can only think of one way people release most of their water and I wouldn't want to drink it!
> 
> But the peacefowl is great. You could explore that and come up with an entire heraldry based on them. What do the different colours mean? The station taken  eg rampant or reclined?



Thanks!  It's kind of an Asian setting where I understand heraldry can work a little different, but I hope to do similar things with it.

Regarding the Baiyak, I know that's not really how camels work - that was just for explanation's sake.  But I wanted an animal that could reshape their environment as much as the beaver does.  And an "intake bladder" or series of them for that purpose doesn't seem like too much of a fantastical stretch.


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## Feo Takahari (Apr 9, 2015)

*The We*--Only found in areas that have seen magical warfare, these shapeless blobs are composed from the fragments of soulstuff left behind when people and animals are annihilated down to the spiritual level. Kludged together into rough individuals, they retain the drive to survive and consume, but lack strong memories or deeper impulses. Those formed primarily from humanoids are capable of reason, but without a strong will or sense of ethics, they're easily manipulated by the first person they meet. They can be guided into great good or great evil, and most see little difference between the two.

The We have the ability to mimic beings they encounter, taking on their forms and mannerisms, and to some extent acquiring their abilities. The more they analyze one person, the better they'll be able to replicate that person's talents. They also show an unusual aptitude for magic, surprising given that magic is usually the domain of the strong-willed.

We that have studied many people for a long period of time may be able to pick and choose what parts of their personalities to mimic, effectively constructing new identities for themselves. In rare cases, some We have also retained the personalities of people whose souls contributed to them.

"The We" is their most common manner of referring to themselves, due to their near-compulsive avoidance of singular pronouns. Among other species, they may be known as wraiths, slimes, or simply monsters.


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## psychotick (Apr 10, 2015)

Hi Trick,

I see your Aenganyn as similar to a simurgh - a Persion mythological winged dog. (Their equivalent of the griffin I suppose.) One of the things about the simugh was that it was a strictly good creature and from memory it could also heal the sick with its feathers.

Feo, your The We would make an interesting character. It's hard to be sure, depending on how much intelligence it has, but it could make a ghost story like no other.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Elrik Blackhaven (Apr 14, 2015)

Hi,
Actually, some of the humanoid races of that world use The Drindox as a rite of passage of sorts. Orcs in particular will send young males into Drindox herds so they can attempt to ride one for a certain distance or for a certain amount of time. Being able to dismount and get away intact is even more impressive. 
They don't make very good mounts. They are high maintenance and can't be brought around people or other animals so, entering cities or towns is a disaster. They are also large enough that they are uncomfortable for the average person to ride for long periods of time or over great distances. 
Drindox see horses as prey instead of mates. They have been know to ride down wild horses and consume them. 

Mike


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## psychotick (Apr 15, 2015)

Hi,

You realise that makes them even better as the bad guy's steed?! Now he rides a beast that will eat the good guys horses - how cool is that?! And the right of passage thing is good too since it talks about dominance and power. The arch villain can ride the drindox because he's even more bad arse.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Saigonnus (Apr 15, 2015)

Anything can be tamed through magical means. Just stating. If a mage could make an earring to charm their lackeys into obedience, the same could be done with a drindox. Might be cool if the baddie rides one, but the heroes figure out how and remove the earring. The drindox might even turn on the baddie.


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## psychotick (Apr 16, 2015)

Hi,

But writing a story is often about setting a scene and creating an image. It's about setting up a character to fit his role. The heroic knight rushing in on his great white stallion etc. The heroic knight sort of trotting in on his somewhat tired old mule just doesn't have the same sort of oomph to it.

That's what the Drindox is to my mind. A set of credentials. It's just such a mean steed that who would ride it? Someone even meaner! And it's so dangerous and headstrong that who would ride it? Someone even tougher!

If it was easy to tame one through a magical earring etc, it's just not the same as if this fire breathing nightmare simply obeys because it recognises the true evil of its master.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Trick (Apr 16, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Hi,
> 
> But writing a story is often about setting a scene and creating an image. It's about setting up a character to fit his role. The heroic knight rushing in on his great white stallion etc. The heroic knight sort of trotting in on his somewhat tired old mule just doesn't have the same sort of oomph to it.
> 
> ...



It would be a good setup though, for appearances only. The villain appears to have tamed a drindox and it makes him seem very scary indeed, until the hero figures out he used a charm and uses that to his advantage. 

I'm into the anti-hero thing right now so my MC taming a drindox (more like forcing it into submission) would be awesome.


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## MineOwnKing (Apr 16, 2015)

Hainted said:


> Hodag




The hodag was used by the lumber barons of Rhinelander Wisconsin to scare the Norwegian immigrants. The working conditions were dangerous and they were treated poorly. They were told that there was a hodag in the woods to keep them from running away. 
Now they have the yearly hodag festival. Good excuse to drink beer.


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## Hainted (Apr 16, 2015)

We need an excuse to drink beer?


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## psychotick (Apr 17, 2015)

Hi,

There's actually a real mythic critter called the Hodag? And he has a festival named for him? Lucky beggar!

Cheers, Greg.


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## ArenRax (Apr 17, 2015)

Can I Post a race I have thought of?


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## psychotick (Apr 17, 2015)

Hi,

Yes of course. I created this thread really as a showcase for fantasy authors to brag a little bit about their creations.

Cheers, Greg.


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## ArenRax (Apr 17, 2015)

The av'e are a race of pale white, white haired, elf looking race that are are highly powerful, practically Immortal, and are some of the most adept at magic. They are also one of the most smartest race ever.
Grrr, there were other races but i cant remember them of the top of my head but I never have tried thinking of a hostile or passive  creature before.


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## psychotick (Apr 18, 2015)

Hi,

White elves? The only thing that occurs to me is that I look at their name and I don't know how to pronounce it. That's going to be an issue for readers. I think you need to flesh this out a bit more. Tell me what makes them so powerful. Their magic and their knowledge? Or something else. Also something about their culture would be good. This is one of the differences between critters and races. A critter you just assume is going to be mean or nice because that's what it is. People need to be explained.

One of the things I have always liked about Trek is the way the racial identities are nailed down to archetypes. Some say it's shallow and unrealistic and that not all Klingons would be warriors etc, not all Ferengi would be greedy. And of course they're right. But still when you look at a klingon on the screen unless you've been living in a cave for the last thirty years, you instantly have an understanding of the sort of person he is.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Manalodia (Apr 18, 2015)

*Madalox*

The Madalox are one of the many races of Nis, though one of the most elusive besides the Gitanon. Besides their semblance to ferline (which they resent), they have a curious nature that imparts the same quotes to the slinky house-pets. When not wandering to and fro in whatever new fancy catches their eye, they tend to stay within Gardens, communities deep within forests and mountains that are shared by other Nisrian or Nuhuema races.

Over time their relationship with the neighbors has backslidden because of their choice of modernizing themselves with abodes similar to huema and other nuhuema that befriended those that took their lands. They believe learning their strengths while maintaining their bond to nature and All Spirit will allow them to prosper over them in time.

Interesting Facts: 

The Madalox and Moon Clan used to be of the same tribe long ago.

Marriage to Madalox is called "unity". It is a large aspect of their social lives, as the betrothed are inseparable from that day forward, even following their partner to death in the extremist cases. They choose a mating site, mark it and before they die, return there. This means Madalox have no sense of burial rites except that if any come across a site, they leave a gift of some kind.

Despite being a peaceful people, Madalox train in the ways of war, something that is new to the Nuhuema but necessary to defend themselves and territory from further Huema expansion. Sharing the same hand-to-hand combat techniques as the Moon Clan, Madalox have furthered into weapon crafting; at this point it is limited to woodwork and iron crafting observed in the Huema provinces.

One reason they are elusive around Huema and even Ariem is that once they were hunted for their fur, which is likened to silk. The act of barbarism has left a mark on them, so they never linger long outside the Gardens and near considered espers with how quickly they appear and disappear.

*The Laust*

So interwoven with the essence of nature, the Laust are considered by modern historians as nature's response to mankind's presence, learning and responding to the races. This is based on the theory that nature is a living sentient of itself, the Laust acting as ambassadors to the will of the world. However, with the recorded appearance of the Everlaust, the theory has lost ground.

The Laust live within the thickest depths of the forests, swamps, any habitation where flora is present. Their coexistence with nature is more symbiotic than being of the same origin,as the Laust feed off of the vegetation around them; this can be through oral consumption or through the pores of their "skin". Humanoid in appearance, their bodies are either comprised of what could be described as an exoskeleton. Though mimicking the plant life around them, their vine-like muscle structure, leaf and petal extremities can harden as a defensive reaction.

Their bodies are not static however and are able to change shape; when in the Gardens, the Laust meld into the environment around them as if they were part of the earth and trees. This is not only how they sleep, but heal themselves from physical wounds and illness. At one point in time they were called "fyries" and worshiped by some groups; this still occurs.
A relatively new development the Laust have taken on is they transition between a male and female form. The reason is unknown since they are asexual creatures reproducing through their _ovacore_. It may simply be a accommodation to better communicate with the sexes.

Just like plantae however, the Laust possess cryptochromes that detect magnetic fields; this serves them to avoid areas where there is a high concentration of abyss or magik. They can sense chemical reactions in plant life, alerting them to unseen danger or even contamination. Not just this, but can produce their own as an alternative to"network signaling" (_sangwela_ to them) communication. Sangwela takes place when bonded with nature, their collected stimuli and memory somehow being transferred between them in sleep or idleness. This is not the same thing as a hive-mind, but does allow them to pass information to one another over vast distances. They possess an electrophysiology that extends beyond that of plantae, granting them immunity response to electricity-based magik.

Proof of not being a hive community, the Laust recognize individuality among them through their display of floral decor, which can identify their age depending on the pattern of colours and display. They have their own language, called "earth speech" by the other Nisrian community, but really is a communication of tones to reflect emotion and severity of what they seek to rely; sangwela is there preferred mode of relation between one another.

Interestingly, Laust are considered lazy, even among themselves. Because they have very little need to move beyond their habitations where all is provided, the only time they do is when Huema or other Nuhuema/Nisrian race's development pushes them out. Preferring to blend into their surroundings and ambush threats, some have taken to the arte of war they learn from the Moon Clan and Madalox. This is somewhat unnecessary considering they are able to manipulate plantae to protect and dismay threats.

The Everlaust or "Aruna" are a new or small group of Laust signified by their red and brownish bodies covered with thorns. Because they were first seen in the service of Pankaja, a mystical hermit that attempted to gain the powers of the Phantom Sorcerer Orion, it is believed they are Laust twisted by intense exposure to the abyss. Unlike the Laust, they can produce toxins within their body, acidic enough to melt steel or cause instant death to those it touches.
Feb Laust and Naira of Wendigo-Phinx defeated those that appeared, Feb Laust losing its life in the process.

Beyond them, the Laust do speak of more of their kind living in the sea, yet not even the Aqualyte can confirm this.

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*I'll write more later that are actually creatures of the world rather than races.


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## psychotick (Apr 19, 2015)

Hi,

Wow, you've put a lot of work into your races. My only thought would be that it's too complex to absorb simply as a blurb like that. They really need to be fleshed out in a story format, but what you've got down would make good plot points for a novel.

Cheers, Greg.


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## K.S. Crooks (Apr 19, 2015)

I created a species called the Melus Iridis. These beings have the power of musical illustration. What this means is when they play music anybody actually watching them perform will see a series of illusions floating through the air. The visions seen depend on the song and parts of the image can be changed by them playing the same song in different ways.

Another is called an Obsidian. It has two heads, each with four eyes, multiple rows of large sharp teeth and bone protrusions lining its noses and brows. Each head is attached by a short neck to a massive body. It has thick dark green scales, ridges along its back and a tail with a bone club at the end. It is related to dragons, though differs in that it lives primarily underground, it cannot fly, and instead of fire it spits out molten rocks.


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## Manalodia (Apr 19, 2015)

Thank you very much, psychotick! Unfortunately, I don't have any story material introducing them as of yet, but eventually  A lot of that is taken from a collection of notes, so it is a condensed bit of info.

---------------------

K.S. Cooks- I have a question about the Melus Iridis. If your world so happens to have magic, are there enchantments and spells that deal with illusions? The reason I ask this is per chance you run into keeping an attribute of this race unique. What I mean is how can you tell someone using a spell causing others to see imagery while a bard plays music from a Melus Iridis innate ability? In my story, the mother is singing to her daughter while creating images of pyreflies (little fairy-like creatures) dancing about as part of a lullaby.
Perhaps what makes it unique is the imagery induced is based on the individual, the Melus Iridis able to draw this out. Maybe the imagery is from the race themselves and how they chronicle their history, tales?

And rock spitters! Do they do what alligators do and eat stones? Rather than sit in their belly and grind rotting meat, they turn it into fiery projectiles; or even they eat molten rock?


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## psychotick (Apr 19, 2015)

Hi KS,

That musical illustration power is way cool. It reminds me a little of the holophone player from Futurama.

Cheers, Greg.


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## ArenRax (Apr 20, 2015)

eh, sorry, and your right I'm still working on the race.


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## Manalodia (Apr 20, 2015)

ArenRax said:


> eh, sorry, and your right I'm still working on the race.



I think you have a pretty good idea of what you want, it is just the details needing filled in. If it is more a concept your working with than one in your story, then just interweave how they interact, live and add to their world. You already know they are advanced above the other races.


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## ArenRax (Apr 20, 2015)

correct they're like a precursor. Just like the Ur'then are sort of a Dwarvish precursor race. If might say if the names I use actually mean something in real life, please could someone inform me. I wouldnt want to accidently say something bad or rude in another language.


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## psychotick (Apr 20, 2015)

Hi,

I wouldn't worry too much about other languages. A long time ago I knew a girl who always used to redden every time someone said they were going to a tut (tutorial). Turns out she was Danish and tut in Danish refers to a man's dick. She adapted.

Cheers, Greg.


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## K.S. Crooks (Apr 25, 2015)

The Melus Iridis ability is something inherent to their species. They create the same illusion for everyone listening to them perform, but the illusion changes if they play the song differently. Same as having a different conductor for a symphony even though all the songs are the same. To humans it is a special power, but to them it is natural. They are minor characters in my novel, which I created because I wanted something interesting to happen in a village one o the main characters was passing through. However I liked them so much they appear again later in the story.
In my world magic exists, however it is not seen often. I'm generally not a fan of characters who can make or find a spell for any and all situations. I tend to have the special abilities of my characters be something within them and they have to learn to use it and make to grow.
The obsidian lives under ground and will eat stone to for the minerals and as a result of digging tunnels or holes. They are related to dragons. their fire is combined with the rocks to create the molten projectile.


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## psychotick (Apr 25, 2015)

Hi,

It could still be a useful ability as well as an artistic endeavour. Consider that one of them could carry images of a battlefield and enemy positions / troop deployments and numbers to a general on the other side - much more than just a "they're over there?" Also they might make great eye witnesses in a court.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Shreddies (Apr 27, 2015)

Hmm.. Well I have a few new plants and animals, but most of them aren't really fleshed out very well. Here's a few.

*Great Northern Indolent Pines:*
A family of trees that are so incredibly lazy that they don't even fall down when cut. They have to be pulled down instead. Their resin is used for a variety of things, such as sleep inducing incense and Lazy Amber.

In order to harvest the resin, which normally only flows _just_ enough to cover the damaged area, you have to tell them exciting stories or play thrilling music (or spooky stories) 'to get their blood pumping'. (This is technically not true, but many farmers still do it anyway, believing it will increase production.)

Lazy Amber is used to slow down light and turn it into a gaseous liquid, which is then bottled and used for flashlights, night lights, miners' headlamps, various arcane things, and so on.
The thicker the amber, the slower the light.

*Restless Pines:*
A relative of Indolent Pines. They tend to move about at night if they haven't been moved recently, and are attracted to upbeat or rousing music but keep their distance from campfires. They are constantly shedding pine needles that enrich the soil beneath them, but the needles make the soil very acidic, so it is not suitable for all crops.

Pine Wranglers (or Pineherds) play music at night around a campfire to draw Restless Pines to them and, by doing so, move them from place to place to fertilize different areas. The fire keeps them far enough away that they don't crowd the wranglers out, and the music has to be upbeat enough to draw the pine's interest.

Copses of Restless Pines are left in place for a year, then moved so the crops can be planted in the newly enriched soil.

*Unnamed Thing #12:* Any suggestions for a name?
It is a creature that takes your breath away, literally. If you realize one is looking at you and you talk, it will steal your breath, suffocating you. And the closer the victim is to death, the more the creature looks like them. Once the victim dies the creature assumes his identity. Two ways to save the victim is either kill the creature quickly (which restores the victim's condition immediately, with a little struggling to breath again), or put enough distance between the creature and the victim (at which time the victim recovers slowly).

They're drawn to voices and unusual sounds, so if you place a radio (or something similar) nearby with people talking on it, the creatures will be fascinated by it (since it's a voice without breath/life). They do eventually lose interest, but by then you'd be long gone.


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## skrite (Apr 27, 2015)

Shreddies said:


> *Unnamed Thing #12:* Any suggestions for a name?
> It is a creature that takes your breath away, literally. If you realize one is looking at you and you talk, it will steal your breath, suffocating you. And the closer the victim is to death, the more the creature looks like them. Once the victim dies the creature assumes his identity. Two ways to save the victim is either kill the creature quickly (which restores the victim's condition immediately, with a little struggling to breath again), or put enough distance between the creature and the victim (at which time the victim recovers slowly).
> 
> They're drawn to voices and unusual sounds, so if you place a radio (or something similar) nearby with people talking on it, the creatures will be fascinated by it (since it's a voice without breath/life). They do eventually lose interest, but by then you'd be long gone.



A name for this thing escapes me too, but it's a very intriguing creature you've come up with here. Cool.


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## psychotick (Apr 28, 2015)

Hi,

Love the indolent pines though the description - too lazy to even fall down - sort of reminds me of Pratchett. As for the amber, I probably wouldn't call it lazy - more likely slow amber.

Your unamed critter I think might be a wraith of a sort.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Shreddies (May 11, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Love the indolent pines though the description - too lazy to even fall down - sort of reminds me of Pratchett. As for the amber, I probably wouldn't call it lazy - more likely slow amber.



Thanks, I was kind of going for a Pratchettian feel to it.

If Lazy Amber doesn't roll off the tongue well enough I could try switching it to Idle Amber, or Dilatory, or Tardy, or . . . I'll have to think about it some more.


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## Lunaairis (May 11, 2015)

Shreddies said:


> Thanks, I was kind of going for a Pratchettian feel to it.
> 
> If Lazy Amber doesn't roll off the tongue well enough I could try switching it to Idle Amber, or Dilatory, or Tardy, or . . . I'll have to think about it some more.



Idle amber and tardy are great names!


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## X Equestris (May 20, 2015)

Today I added a new animal/monster to my list of creatures, the strix.  They're based upon the creature of the same name in Greco-Roman mythology, with some major differences.  

The strix resemble gigantic owls, averaging something close to the height of a ten-year-old child.  Their wingspan is quite substantial, though I haven't nailed down a specific size.  Strix prey on a number of animals, but their favorite targets are humans.  It's quite possible for one to pick up a small child and carry him or her off.  

What sets the strix apart from large birds of prey, aside from their targeting humans, is that they have a limited innate ability to use magic, something few animals can do.  Their shriek is a blood magic spell, which renders their target's mind unable to tell its body to run.  This lets the strix tear their prey apart with relative ease.  Only members of the Order of the Watchers, who are immune to blood magic suggestion, are able to effectively combat them.  The strix are also able to cast a simple lightning spell, though they rarely use it unless their shriek fails.  

Human blood is able to serve as a conduit for considerable magic energy, which can be used for sustenance.  Many scholars believe this is why strix tend to target humans.  In this way, they sort of resemble vampires, though the strix are purely animals, whereas my vampires are normal, non-mage humans possessed by a demon.


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## psychotick (May 21, 2015)

Hi,

I've always quite liked owls so the thought of them as maneaters seems a little off to me. A hawk or an eagle I'd understand more. The shriek I like - it fits with an animal attack. But the lighning cast doesn't seem to me to work so well. The strix are still animals and so in my mind shouldn't be able to cast magic. That takes some sort of intelligence. Having magic on the other hand that you don't need to cast works better. So maybe lightning sometimes flashes from their talons when they strike - that sort of thing? Magic that is in keeping with instinct etc.

Cheers, Greg.


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## X Equestris (May 21, 2015)

They aren't actually owls, that's just the closest physical resemblance.  Their wings, for example, are more on the scale of the smallest of the prehistoric teratorns.  

As for magic, they are somewhat intelligent, though not  comparable to humans.  Their intelligence and problem solving skills are greater than that of of any modern bird.  I think the closest Earth animal in terms of intelligence would be an elephant.

Edit: and the magic itself is more along the lines of a dragon's breath attack than a spell that would be cast by a human magic user.


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## Mindfire (May 21, 2015)

Tom Nimenai said:


> Cool thread! Here's a critter I haven't used in years.
> 
> The Luan--
> 
> ...



Inventive! It sounds like something that would be on Doctor Who.


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## Mindfire (May 21, 2015)

Here are a few of my more unconventional specimens:

*Makai:* a dangerous creature with the appearance of a human woman from the waist up and a giant spider from the waist down. They are extremely venomous and can excrete webbing of exceptional strength. According to legend, they occasionally fall in love with and kidnap human males, and can transform their spider half into a vaguely humanoid form in order to facilitate this. What happens afterward is not known.

*Sapsucker:* semi-sentient plant parasites that derive sustenance from dryad tree hosts. They can also use the astral forms projected by their host dryad as a puppet once they gain full control. A sapsucker's influence causes a dryad to gradually weaken and its mind to become confused and unstable. Eventually the sapsucker will strangle the dryad or poison its heartwood, causing death. Once this occurs, it will seek out a new host. Sapsuckers will also devour humans and animals, luring them with bright fruit or deceptive smells.

*Rashayat:* also called fire-phantoms, these are malevolent, amorphous creatures of fire and liquid glass which haunt the desert at night and terrorize weary travelers, bringing nightmares and presenting cunning illusions of their victim's deepest fears. Their true nature is unknown, but accounts of their origins abound, including a version which claims they are the disembodied spirits of conceited wilderness ascetics who spent so much time meditating on their own magical power that their neglected bodies withered away and they lost their humanity, causing them to seek to regain it by feeding on the emotions of others.


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## Shreddies (May 22, 2015)

Mindfire said:


> *Makai:* a dangerous creature with the appearance of a human woman from the waist up and a giant spider from the waist down. They are extremely venomous and can excrete webbing of exceptional strength. According to legend, they occasionally fall in love with and kidnap human males, and can transform their spider half into a vaguely humanoid form in order to facilitate this. What happens afterward is not known.



Sounds a bit like the Jorōgumo from Japanese folklore. Half-woman half-spider with the ability to change into a human woman (or, more likely, simply appear as one). Lures men into a secluded area then eats them.


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## Mindfire (May 22, 2015)

Shreddies said:


> Sounds a bit like the Jorōgumo from Japanese folklore. Half-woman half-spider with the ability to change into a human woman (or, more likely, simply appear as one). Lures men into a secluded area then eats them.



That's actually what I based on (Spider Woman - East Asian mythical creature), though I didn't know it by that name at the time. Now that I know its actual name I might change the name of mine to reflect that. Perhaps a shortened version of the original name.


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## psychotick (May 23, 2015)

Hi,

Just to add there's half dark elf (drow) half spider creatures from Neverwinter and D and D called the driders.

Cheers, Greg.


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## Miskatonic (May 23, 2015)

Probably not my invention but a forest full of plants and trees that drink blood is a part of my story. It's the location where the vampires were created and the curse they inherited turned the forest into a hideous place.


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## skrite (May 24, 2015)

Miskatonic said:


> Probably not my invention but a forest full of plants and trees that drink blood is a part of my story. It's the location where the vampires were created and the curse they inherited turned the forest into a hideous place.



very very cool.


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## psychotick (May 24, 2015)

Hi,

Agreed. Vampire trees! Are they also undead?

Cheers, Greg.


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## Miskatonic (May 25, 2015)

psychotick said:


> Hi,
> 
> Agreed. Vampire trees! Are they also undead?
> 
> Cheers, Greg.



Technically I guess they could be. They wouldn't need to rely on sunlight, water, etc. in order to keep from withering away.


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## skrite (May 25, 2015)

there are some carnivorous plants, like the venus fly trap.


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