Creatures Lessons

[Qamar Amadi]

Week One

I shall dispense lessons from here. Sometimes I will bring in an example.

First Years

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Familiars - Before I can advance with the syllabus I have planned, the school requires me to teach you of familiars.

Familiars are often a wizard's closest animal companion. They often assist in the creation of spells, pass messages to other wizards, and protect their master or mistress or anything in between. Native American shamans often used familiars to gain other powers, such as the eyesight of a hawk or the wisdom of an owl, or the ferociousness of a wolf. However, for simplicity's sake, I will only teach you how to attract one familiar.

It is simple. Sit outside on the New Moon, in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Face west or whichever direction you believe corresponds with water. Clear your mind and imagine a shining ball of light, hovering in front of you. Imagine this light is the energy of your familiar, bringing you in tune with your intuition and sharpening your magic skill. Breathe in and out to the count of four, and continue until you truly feel the presence of this ball of light.

Whenever you are ready, release the ball and allow it to track down whichever animal is meant to be your familiar. Wait a few minutes, then go for a walk with the express purpose of finding your familiar. The first animal you see will be your familiar.

You are not required to find a familiar, of course, but they help greatly with your magic down the line and will be helpful with your magic in the long term.

Second Years

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Multiple Cultures - Greetings. For the next few weeks, you will be studying creatures that are found in various cultures. We have quite a bit to get through, so let's get started.

The hippocampus is featured in both Greek and medieval cultures. It has the top half of a horse, including the head, neck, and forelegs, and the lower part of a fish, dolphin, or in rare cases a serpent. It is, quite literally, a sea-horse. The name, derived from the Greek words "hippos" and "kampos" means "horse sea monsters". Hippocampi often appear in bronzeware, silverware and paintings, mostly in the art of the ancient Greeks but also in the art of India and Mesopotamia. Hippocampi are also the mounts of nereids and are related to the leokampos, taurokampos, pardalokampos, and aigikampos, which are a fish-tailed lion, bull, leopard, and goat, respectively.

Amphipteres are a type of dragon that appears in both medieval heraldry and Native American imagery. It is a limbless dragon or a snake with wings. For future reference, a typical dragon has two legs and two arms, while a wyvern has only legs and no arms. Dragons with no arms, legs, or wings are simply known as wurms. One common image of the amphiptere is one with yellowish-green feathers on its body along with bat-like wings and an extended snout, though there are many species of this beast. In medieval times, it was often used as a crest for a powerful warrior.

One of the most dangerous creatures by far is the basilisk, a winged serpent with a crest on its head. Everything about this beast is poisonous; its bite will kill almost instantly, as will its gaze. However, it is terrified of cockerels, so it is a good idea to carry one around in the event you run into one, I suppose. Basilisks are mostly found in Europe and the Middle East. It is believed that the first basilisk was born in the deserts of Lybya. Its name, derived from the Greek term "basileus" means King of Serpents. If you ever see one of these, flee.

Third Years

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Pacific - Leyaks are similar to vampires and populate Bali, Indonesia. It resembles a flying head with entrails such as the heart, liver and lungs protruding from its severed neck. It has two bulging eyes, sharp tusks and a long tongue, and its face is covered with long black hair. Cannibals by nature, leyaks will often seek out a pregnant woman to suck the blood of her newborn child. Leyaks also have the power to transform into flying pigs and appear as ordinary humans in the daylight.

Veli are the tree fairies of the kauri and kabea rivers of the Vuniwaivutuka near the Navua River on Fiji Islands. They wear cloths of papayrus and have pigtails of woolly hair. They are very small - a full-grown veli is about a half meter tall. They usually eat fruit and drink an alcoholic beverage known as yaqona, distilled from pepper. They are friendly towards people, so long as the trees they call home are not threatened. Those that chop at the tree of a veli will be punished with the small people beating them back. Veli males usually have several wives who do most of the work for them, and they love stealing iron tools.

The Tumu-Ra'i-Fuena is a large octopus with spotted skin and tentacles so long they stretch across the earth and up to the heavens. It hides deep in the waters around Tahiti, in Polynesia, and grips the world tight so the earth and the heavens remain combined together. As the legends tell, the god Rua once used all his magic to try to get the beast to release its grip, but he could not make it move. Ironically, Rua was the one that had created the Tumu-Ra'i-Fuena in the first place.

Fourth Years

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Modern Day - The Mongolian Death Worms live in the Gobi desert and it is, quite obviously, a large, segmented worm. It is deep red and sometimes has large dark spots or is spined. It has a large hole for its mouth that is lined with several rows of sharp teeth. Most interestingly, this worm can kill from a distance using electric bolts. It is venomous as well, possessing the ability to spit corrosive acid from its mouth. These worms live in underground caves and only come out when it has rained and the ground is wet. Besides humans, it also enjoys the taste of the goyo plant.

Dingbelles have not been sighted since World War II in the mundane world. These creatres are invisible and were skilled in triggering public address systems for disclosure of personal conversations, as well as jamming the key mechanisms on typewriters when the timing was urgent. They would also flip photographs of handsome officers from a woman's personal bag while she was on a date or display a photo of her significant other while she was on a date with someone else. Dingbelles vanished soon after World War II and have not been sighted since.

 

[Qamar Amadi]

Week Two

First Years

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Middle Eastern - Now that we have completed the teachings of familiars, it's time to move on into the real syllabus. We will first be discussing creatures hailing from the Middle East.

Of all middle eastern creatures, none are as famous as the great djinn. Djinn are spirits that are attached to an object of holding, such as an urn, a box, or, most famously, a lamp. Once a djinni is summoned, they grant the summoner three wishes. However, one must tread very carefully when dealing with djinn, as many of them will find a way to turn your wish on its head and make it a bad thing. There are very few ways to kill a djinni, as they are spirits, but it's possible to imprison them with iron.

Afrit are a species of djinn that are specifically fire-based demons. They often prey on children and take the form of a human with goat's legs and horns on their head. They are usually found in deserts, but have been sighted as far as Kenyan marshes. Afrits are the highest class of djinn and are even mentioned in the Qur'an - the holy book of Islam. Early in civilization, afrits were believed to be created from the blood spilt by a murderer.

The Roc is a monstrous bird with devilish eyes and horns on its head. It has power over lightning and is known to carry humans to its massive nests. Sinbad the sailor once discovered an island made entirely of wooden sticks... at least, he believed it to be an island before he found eggs and realized it to be the Roc's nest. When the Roc returned, Sinbad held onto its claws and used the bird to fly back to safety with the Roc never even realizing it was carrying someone.

Second Years

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Multiple Cultures - Griffins are one of the most majestic creatures on the planet, I think. They have been recorded in history as far back as Egypt and Mesopotamia. Griffins have the body of a lion, the head of a bird with a wickedly-curved beak, and wings. Some species of griffin also have a serpent for a tail, or even the tail of a scorpion. Their diet is typically comprised of berries, mice, and horses, and many of them live in caves or on mountaintops. Griffins are exceptionally smart, and for this reason make excellent animal companions. However, they are very difficult to train or tame, and for this reason make terrible animal companions.

Cynocephali are dog-headed humans that are usually found on the Andamanese Islands and on the island of Macumeran. They are cruel and hunt humans as their source of sustenance, often keeping them in herds for easier picking. Some scientists believe cynocephali to be the link between humans and dogs, while others will argue against this theory for it being outright ridiculous. Some species of the cynocephali can breathe fire as well. Please do not seek these creatures out, they are terrifying.

Even more terrifying than the cynocephali is the manticore, a beast springing from the forests of India. This creature has the body of a lion, the face of a man and a spiked scorpion tail. Manticores are aggressive and cause chaos, their tail being their weapon of choice - the spikes can be volleyed towards their target and pump their victim full of poison. Manticores are born from the ground and grow quickly, as hunters will often target young manticores and crush their tails before killing them. Manticores are deadly, fast, and should be avoided at all costs.

Third Years

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Pacific - Barong are lion-like creatures with large eyes, sporting two large tusks, a large tapering tail, and shaggy white hair covering its entire body. The most famous barong is known for fighting the goddess Ragna in a Balinese legend. This barong, known as Banas Pati Raja, is a good-natured spirit that protects children. Much of its power is hidden away in what has faded into legend, back when much more of the world believed in the power of animals. Barongs possess defensive magic that can be used on both themselves and others. They are friendly to humans and spotting one is usually a sign of good fortune.

Masalai are animals spirits of the Melanesian people who take the form of men, women, children, and those in between. Depending on the spirit, it will cause harm or help other humans, as masalai are fickle creatures. Males are more typical to transform into hounds and mate with women, while females are more partial to transforming into beautiful women and marrying men.

Fourth Years

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Modern Day - Aerikas are demons living in Greece, made of air and impossible to see by conventional means. They are, however, able to possess a human form. The nature of an aerika varies from demon to demon, as some spread disease while others provide assistance. Aerikas in their natural form can be seen with charms or spells, though it is not possible to spot them with glamour as opposed to most "invisible" creatures.

Blood drifters are creatures with piercing red eyes that have made the urban cities of Costa Rica their home. They crawl through the alleys on rollerblades, searching for their next victim, and cuts them using nothing but shadows. There is never blood found at the scene, only a limb from the victim. One theory suggests that blood drifters are trying to make themselves human by taking human limbs and recreating a body for themselves. They are always reported with piercing red eyes and the ability to manipulate the shadows to their will.