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Wild Animals

‘The Marwyn’ - Considered some of the most dangerous animals in the forest, ‘The Marwyn’, though they normally appear to hunt alone, the fact that it is exceptionally fast leads some to question this is true, or if they works in perfectly coordinated packs. Many hunters have lost their lives to these creatures, and in truth only Royals are ‘allowed’ to hunt these animals for fur. Their pelts are some of the most luxurious to be found in the Blackwood. A heavy white undercoat with a patterned pelt of beautiful blues like the thickest ice at the foot of the mountains mingled with a clear cold sky.
Besides their speed they are well known for their intelligence. Some say that those lost to the forest in search of the ‘Old Gods’ become the Marwyn, cursed and having lost their humanity forever to become the most elegant and dangerous beasts known to the Kingdom.
Long, thick, heavy tails give them balance. Their teeth are well designed for tearing, sabre like in length. Their belly fur is long and serves to help turn their wide pawed, shallow tracks into what seems little more than wind swept snow. Only an experienced hunter would be able to pick out with any ease the signs of their large paws. Their claws when unsheathed are said to be as sharp as, or perhaps sharper than even Cleinstone, though only royals and the royal surgeons are allowed to use these claws to any end.


Grussbhar – Omnivorous creatures, anyone in the woods should be careful hunting them, while they are hard to find they can be a handful. They may seem to lumber as they search the woods for anything that they can sink their teeth into, but they can pick up good speed if one of them is angered. Best if a hunter wants to kill one, to be sure their strike will hold true, the last thing even a professional hunter might see is an angry Grussbhar bearing down on them.

Vharcet – roughly the same size as wulfkind, these large predatory animals sport short tails but enormous wide feet and long wavy hair the color of mountain stones. They are a plague upon the farmers who raise Longharn, even when they can prey on Lochear and those who ride them. Their faces are wide and flat which gives them an odd appearance, but the wide noses give evidence of their tremendous sense of smell.

Brachenbau - Mid-sized tree dwellers, their quickness can make them a challenge to hunt. A hunter would want to hone their climbing and jumping skills to gain a true advantage in catching them, but if they do they are a rich dark meat and a tasty catch. They are skittish and cautious, but can be dangerous when cornered, their nails [while not exceptionally long] are blunt and wide, capable of ripping into the lighter armor that tree specializing hunters would likely opt to wear.

Hernbrau - Wide branching antlers make these creatures a force to be reckoned with, particularly during the mating season. They are prolific, breeding quickly, and fleet of foot they outstrip the predators who would feast on them. A leaner ‘cut’ to be sure, and gamey, but this is the most common meat that any lower to middle towns man would enjoy.

Audenheir - Hard to see in the snow, the best hope of catching one of these small white creatures is to lay snares, else, to dare drawing close to the strange areas of bright green towards the heart of the woods. Their fur is soft and fine and makes for excellent trades. They are very lean, and anyone who tried to live on their meat alone would find himself suffering for it. If nothing else is added by way of meat a man will starve even if he gorges himself. This curious effect is said to be caused by the fact that the Audenheir are brave enough to venture into ‘the green’ and may in fact eat the strange vegetation. The stories say that a man would gain the hunger of the Audenheir if the only meat he ate was theirs. Some say the risk is worth it however, if for no other reason than the velvety quality of their pelt.

Nachtenwar - Scavenging birds who can be found around fresh kills, some hunters use the Nachtenwar to find fallen comrades; others say that if you find a kill that lacks Nachtenwar that it is a sure sign that the beast or man found was prey of The Marwyn. Old myths suggest that the Nachtenwar are the eyes of the spirits, carrying with them lost souls to be consumed by the woods. The best to be hoped for off of these birds is to sell their fine dark feathers.

Riverhund- slick skinned creatures with feathery gills and black beady eyes that rise out of the mud of the river every spring. The river fish will not eat them because they have a terrible bitter taste in their skins, however this skin, when boiled down makes an excellent pain killer, using too much however can result in an addiction to it.

Svhel – they follow the river every summer chasing the seasonal fish. Their skins are invaluable for those who work the caves for farming because they are resistant to water. Baby Svhel are a very downy grey or white to blend in with the stones and muddy edges of the river. Adults are a soft brown with darker mottled spots and large button eyes. The meat is rich and fatty; even the eyes are considered a delicious treat and are given to children lucky enough to be present at the catching of one of these creatures. They are quite swift in the water but more or less lumber on land.

Skhal – fish that swarm up the river in the early spring, a time of great bounty for the city as a whole. The fish travel the river to lay spawn, their scales are bright and colorful and not only that, but beyond a tasty meal their skins are excellent for common rain gear, favored because of their bright colors. Some even grind the scales for pigment for everything from inks to dying clothing, they make up some of the more exotic colors because they are only available once a year and the fact they can be used as rain-gear put the skins in great demand.