Beasts

While the Undead and the Gwyllt are both grave threats to the safety of the Realms, one should not worry solely about the unnatural. There are many perfectly natural things that can kill the unwary traveller in the Five Realms. Tirneach has an abundance of bipedal beasts that one can expect to be menaced by on even a moonlit winter’s night.

– Treasna an’Fánach, A Survey of the Five Realms

Beasts of the Five Realms

Cúfiach

(English pronunciation: coo-fee-uck)

Nicknames: Thief Dogs, Robber Hounds

A kind of bipedal hounds native to Tiernach, they are known for their tenacity and viciousness, and striking orange and brown fur. Often a problem for unwary travellers and for farmers, some bandit gangs have taken to adopting and raising Cúfiach as attack dogs. They almost always work in packs, but are known to descend into infighting and cannibalism if prey becomes scarce. They can be found in most environments from mountains to forests, they used to be less common in urban settlements but some gangs and fighting pits have been changing that.

Those trained by bandits and thieves can even be trained into hunting and pulling away weapons and items that belong to the targets they down. Some conmen and robbers can even mark things with a potent scent that will draw in the hounds to hunt and retrieve what they have sold so as to "refresh" their stock.

Feargabhar

(English pronunciation: far-gow-er)

Found across the Five Realms of Tirneach, the feragabhar are a form of bipedal herbivores similar to the quadrepedal goats or deer, often with white and grey fur. They are known for their willingness to eat almost anything, as well as their belligerence and aggressively territorial nature. Though their meat is tough and greasy, they are often raised by farmers in mountains and other areas with poor grazing, due to their hardiness. They can often thrive too well in an area, and culling to prevent overpopulation of feargabhar is a common occurrence.

Common in Baol

Ollocras

(English pronunciation: uhl-uck-ross)

A kind of bipedal bear like creature native to Tiernach and Baol in particular, often found near mountains, lakes and rivers. They are large and powerful creatures with a great hunger, and very territorial. While they normally hunt in the wild, they are attracted by the scent of food so are known to attack campsites and smaller settlements. Their white fur with prominent brown and red markings (or blood in varying stages of dryness, who wishes to get close enough to tell?) as well as their ferocity make them rather noticeable. Some bandits follow their tracks at a distance to loot camps that have been attacked by Ollocras.

Ríspeir

(English pronunciation: ree-spare)

Nicknames: Thunder Lizards

A species of bipedal reptiles found almost solely in Baol, they are said to be very distant, diluted descendents of the dragons. While they might be mistaken for a Drakeblooded at a casual glance they are far more bestial, without the ability to speak. They tend to have scales in a solid silver, purple, or green with a light blue underscale.

Some even show a small glimpse of the power of their rumoured ancestors and though they are rare, they are prized by the Drakeblooded houses of Baol as status symbols.

Common in Bruid

Trotzdolch

(English pronunciation: trots-dolk)

Nicknames: Dagger Wasps, Knife Bastards, Dagger Bastards, Knife-Arses, Big Ass Bees, Wasps of Unusual Proportions

Known alternatively as Dagger Wasps or Knife Bastards, hives of them were brought by Krieger settlers to Bruid. They are known for their size, the sweetness of their honey which is often fermented into liquor, and the lethality of their sting. Their yellow and black stripes, as well as their incessant buzzing make them hard to miss.

Infant trotzdolch stings are normally just irritating unless in a swarm, but adult trotzdolch have potent venom and dangerous stingers, in particular the "Soldier" drones that protect the hive and guard the "Gatherer" Drones from potential predators. Some hives are kept on the outskirts of settlements for harvesting, but there are rumours of some escaping and setting up their own nests. This was proven to be the case in Bruid in particular

Unerwünschter Gast

(English pronunciation: un-air-voon-stir gast)

Nicknames: Bilge Rats

A creature native to the Krieger homeland of Schlachtfeld, they are pests and vermin, and generally thought to only be dangerous to the unwary. They are known to stow away on ships, their green and purple complexions allowing them to blend into dark seas, stealing supplies and sometimes attacking lone sailors when startled or provoked. Some stowed away on the ships of the Krieger who settled Bruid and have spread to the region as an invasive species, seeming to thrive in the woods and preying on unwary travellers and poorly protected settlement stores.

The ones found in Bruid are larger and more aggressive than their ancestors, they are often either in competition with or cooperating with Wenigadaí depending on circumstances.

Common in Draíod

Cúsinsear

(English pronunciation: coo-shin-shar)

Nicknames: Dire Wolves, Primal Hounds, Gold Dogs

A line of bipedal hounds closer to wolves, native to Tirneach and the oldest beast mentioned in either written or oral records. Often found in the mountains or plains, they are known to hunt and travel in packs, and attack livestock. They are known to attack travellers but generally out of desperation. They have been observed to be generally social and gregarious among their own kind.

They are believed to be the ancestor race for many of the other species of hound which makes them a subject of interest for some scholars in Draíod, while others find that their social nature lends itself well to being trained as guard dogs. Their white and gold fur mark them as particularly noble beasts, and the most golden are often found in the homes of Siabhlaigh nobility.

Cabhrúcailleach

(English pronunciation: cow-roo-call-ack)

Nicknames: Hex Cats

A bipedal catlike species found almost solely in Draíód, they are rumoured to have been created by the Vartach to assist them in their laboratories and in researching magical items. As such they are highly resistant to magic and obsessed with hoarding magical items.

They are said to have been made by infusing cats with magic, and their highly independent natures stand testament to this. These days it is rare to see a Cabhrúcailleach in a Vartach’s lab unless it is there to pilfer their magic stores. They are more commonly found roaming wild in the mountains, attacking either when threatened or for more enigmatic and cantankerous reasons. One can tell them from other feline bipeds by the brilliant multi-coloured streaks that shoot through their black fur.

During the Band's visit to Draíod in the Season of Graves, a White furred one called Bawn was encountered, this particular feline was exceptionally adept at seizing magical items and even dared to raid the Arcane College's stores. The Band mobilized quickly and slew every cat they could including Bawn, being rewarded with a high bounty for doing so and scattering the remaining animals of the clowder of Cabhrúcailleach that had troubled the land.

Common in Siabhal

Béaldianmhar

(English pronunciation: bail-dyan-ver)

Nicknames: Devil Badgers

A kind of bipedal badger-like creature with white and black fur, native to Tirneach and particularly Siabhal, they are very territorial, hostile, and untrainable. They live in groups and stake out an area, hunting and feeding there, and killing any trespassers. They are a particular problem for farms and settlements that wish to expand, and for hunters. They are known to be stubborn and not to flee fights, to relentlessly attack a target until they are down, and for dragging unconscious prey back to their set. Their belligerence is legendary, and “stubborn as a beáldianmhar” has become a common phrase for particularly difficult hagglers and customers in the markets of Siabhal.

Barrithe

(English pronunciation: barry-heh)

Nicknames: Famine Bugs

A particularly hated beast native to Siabhal, the barrithe travel in large swarms and can completely strip a field of crops in under an hour. Many a farmer has found their livelihood ruined by their all consuming hunger, and for this reason barrithe nests are destroyed whenever they are found. Though their pale green skin can blend in with fields from a distance, the barrithe are known for the droning hum they emit. “Hearing the barrithe in the fields” has become a Siabhal phrase for impending disaster or poverty.

Common in Uasa

Mordfrancach

(English pronunciation: mord-fran-cack)

A known nuisance and problem in Bruid that has spread to Baol and particularly thrived in the docks of Uasa, the mordfrancach are bipedal rodents of astonishing size, with grey and brown fur that scavenge food stores and are known to be aggressive and attack people when in swarms. They have an affinity for shiny things and can be easily distracted, and will often loot the dying.

Their pelts are often used in armour and clothes making due to how common they are, and their size.

Bádhcú

(English pronunciation: baw-coo)

Nicknames: Drowner Dogs, River Pests

Commonly found in the docks and waterways of Uasa, and believed to be a distant descendent of the cúsinsear, the bádhcú is a serious problem for fishers and dock workers. Known for their bewitching song and their preference for eating flesh rotted by the water, the bádhcú are blamed for many of the drowning deaths in Uasa. Their brown fur streaked with blue can often make them difficult to spot in murky water until it is too late.

Some smugglers have attempted to use them to guard their dens, however training them to only kill certain people has proved difficult.