Creatures The Yankun Bestiary
- Thread starter Leyrah
- Start date
The Obsidian Prowler
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designation | Nocturnal Bird of Prey |
| Average Height | ~1 – 1.5 meters |
| Average Length | 80 cm - 1 meter in Wingspan |
| Average Mass | 6-10 kilograms |
| Colouration | Dark grey to black feathers, large white eyebrows that forms a crescent above it’s eyes. |
| Distinctions | Large round eyes that are pitch black, reflecting no light at all. |
The Obsidian Prowler is commonly found in the forests near Slavish on Yankun. They are especially seen on the southern and western parts of the continent.
They always hunt in pairs during darkness, never more or less than two.
Their talons are coated in a venomous liquid that’s a very potent paralysing venom, able to take down even people if not handled within minutes. The pair attacks their prey with speed to just scratch the target and make the venom seep into the wound to then escape and then simply hovers above until it falls over, where they will begin eating the victim while it's still conscious.
People are too large for them to eat, so they will simply eat part of them before moving on, so many loggers are seen with deep scars after encounters with them if they are lucky enough the Prowlers stayed away from anything lethal. Their eyes are quite a delicacy with a rich salty flavour, and has also been rumoured to have properties used in healing salves, especially against infections.
Nightstalker Lynox
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designation | Mammalian feline predator |
| Average Height | ~1.2 meters (shoulder) |
| Average Length | ~2.8 meters (head to tail tip) |
| Average Mass | 140–180 kilograms |
| Colouration | Deep charcoal to black with muted blue-grey undertones |
| Distinctions | Luminous green eyes; light-absorbing fur; arboreal build; nocturnal |
A stealthy, nocturnal predator native to the temperate forests of Yankun, most commonly encountered in woodland regions near Slavish. The Nightstalker Lynox is frequently cited in Imperial records alongside the Ironclaw Bruen as a significant wildlife hazard to workers operating near forest edges.
The Lynox hunts primarily from the canopy, remaining above ground level and striking downward with little warning. It is rarely observed directly, its presence often inferred by sudden silence in the surrounding forest or unexplained disappearances of smaller fauna.
Solitary and territorial, the species exhibits extreme patience, remaining motionless for extended periods before attacking. It avoids artificial light and fortified areas but poses a notable risk to isolated individuals, particularly during night operations.
Among local workers, the Lynox is regarded as more dangerous than larger predators due to its stealth rather than its size. This is caused by the strange almost feather-like fur along its body, which seems not to reflect light, but absorb it; as such, the eyes and the silence of the forest are the biggest tells that a Lynox stalks the area.
Ironclaw Bruen
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Designation | Mammalian (Armoured) |
| Average Height | 2.3 meters (at dorsal ridge) |
| Average Length | 4.5 meters (snout to tail) |
| Average Mass | 900–1,200 kilograms |
| Colouration | Dull iron grey to deep umber, often mottled with rust red scoring |
| Distinctions | Segmented dermal armour, reinforced forelimbs with mineralized claws, blunt cranial ram |
The Ironclaw Bruen stands low and massive in the forests surrounding Slavish, its sheer weight seeming to press the ground beneath it deeper into the earth. Overlapping plates of iron grey and rust stained armour cover its body, chipped and scored as though shaped by years of forcing its way through stone and timber rather than by any deliberate design. Its forelimbs are thick and powerful, ending in broad, brutal claws that bite deep into soil and root alike.
The creature’s head is blunt and wedge shaped, built for impact rather than finesse, with dark, recessed eyes that watch without any hint of glow or emotion. Spines and ridges rise along its back like broken shards of metal, blending almost seamlessly with fallen branches and exposed stone. In the dim forest light, the Bruen feels less like an animal and more like a moving part of the landscape, slow, deliberate, and utterly indifferent to anything fragile enough to be in its path.
For workers operating out of Slavish, the Ironclaw Bruen represents a persistent and unpredictable hazard. Logging crews, survey teams, and slave work details are most at risk when clearing forest corridors or expanding extraction zones, as the creature shows little tolerance for disruption within its territory. Encounters rarely involve pursuit, but when disturbed the Bruen advances directly, relying on mass and armour rather than speed. Several recorded incidents describe collapsed equipment, crushed personnel, and work sites rendered unusable after a single confrontation, leading overseers to mark known Bruen territories as exclusion zones rather than attempt removal.
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Valkiryn
Category | Details |
| Designation | Vulpine |
| Average Height | 70-90 cm (shoulder) |
| Average Length | 90-120 cm (head to start of tail) |
| Average Mass | ~20-25 kg |
| Colouration | Black, grey, and white intermittently |
| Distinctions | Untamed, cultural significance |
Native to the forested slopes and open plains of Galia, the Valkiryn is a graceful, long-limbed predator known for its fluid movement and spectral presence. Its dark, silken coat is marked by pale silver streaks that shimmer faintly in low light, blending it seamlessly into the underbrush and misty glades. Valkiryn are solitary by nature, though a juvenile is often seen accompanying a single adult - presumed to be a parent - mirroring its every movement with uncanny coordination. Despite efforts, Valkiryn resist all attempts at captivity or relocation, and their movements are near impossible to predict. Among townsfolk, it’s said, “You never see a Valkiryn twice - unless it wants you to.”The Mournsong is the rare, melodic call of the Valkiryn - an eerie, rising note that drifts through the forests of Galia perhaps only a handful of times in a generation. Scientifically believed to be a long-range contact call between widely dispersed Valkiryn, it is almost never heard by settlers or researchers. This rarity has made the Mournsong the stuff of legend: stories abound of hermits who heard it just before vanishing into the wilds, or of children who awoke to the sound and returned with tales of glowing eyes and watchful silhouettes. Though grounded in mundane biology, the Mournsong remains a near-mystical symbol to the people of Yankun - and so it stands as an echo of the planet’s untamed heart.
Glidewing Raptor
| Designation | Avian |
| Average Wingspan | 3 meters |
| Average Mass | 80 kilograms |
| Colouration | Translucent wings, near crystalline white body |
| Distinctions | Exceptionally silent, keen eyesight. |
A predatory bird with large, translucent wings that allow it to glide silently through the jungle canopy. The Glidewing Raptor uses its sharp talons and keen eyesight to hunt small to medium-sized prey, swooping down with deadly precision.
Fungoid Spiker
| Designation | Unknown |
| Average Length | 1 meter |
| Average Mass | 60 kilograms |
| Colouration | Brightly coloured patterns |
| Distinctions | Paralytic poison spikes along its back; occasionally hides to attack prey. |
A large, spore-producing creature resembling a cross between a mushroom and a spider. It moves slowly but is covered in sharp, toxic spines that can inject a paralyzing venom. The Fungoid Spiker is often found near damp, fungal growths, where it hunts smaller animals.
Swampstrider
| Designation | Amphibian |
| Average Height | 8 meters |
| Average Mass | 120 kilograms |
| Colouration | Bark- and tree-colouration |
| Distinctions | Surprisingly stealthy for its size. |
A large, amphibious creature adapted to the wetlands. Its long, webbed limbs allow it to navigate through the murky waters effortlessly. The Swampstrider is known for its patience, lying in wait for hours to ambush prey.
Ruvira Drak
| Designation | Reptile |
| Average Length | 7 meters |
| Average Mass | 350 kilograms |
| Colouration | Varying natural patterns. |
| Distinctions | Armoured hide and powerful limbs; apex predator. |
A large, predatory reptile with a thick, armored hide and powerful limbs. As an apex predator, the Drak hunts both large mammals and smaller creatures, using its stealth and strength to dominate its territory.
Thornback Serpent
Designation | Snake |
Average Length | 10 meters |
Average Mass | 200 kilograms |
Colouration | Varying natural patterns, matching with the environment of the Expanse. |
Distinctions | Exceedingly sharp, thorn-like scales. Tough hide, resistant to blaster shots. |
A massive, venomous snake reaching up to 10 meters in length. Its back is covered in thorn-like scales that provide defense against predators. Highly aggressive and territorial, encounters with the Thornback Serpent are perilous.
Vorpalus
| Designation | Amphibian |
| Average Height | 4 meters |
| Average Length | 6 meters |
| Average Mass | 500 kilograms |
| Colouration | Blue-green with a pale yellow-orange underbelly |
| Distinctions | Exceedingly sharp, razor-like teeth and spines. Tough hide, resistant to blaster shots. |
Located in the jungles of Yankun, these behemoth amphibians seem to have evolved to predominantly survive on the consumption of fish, juding by their razor-like teeth. Exceptionally fast while submerged, desipte their evolutionary diet, these creatures will eat anything they can get their gaping maws on.
The Vorpalus tends to nest in a lair, often within a wet and muggy cave. Prey they cannot eat immediately is dragged within the cave, and remains of previous meals often cause a stench that is near unbearable within the murky confines.
Females of the species lay eggs, in clutches of up to a half-dozen. The young develop their hardened hide over time, their teeth developing before the spines on their backs and lower jaws. Perhaps a remnant of evolution, the hide of the Vorpalus is toxic to the touch, and poisonous if consumed. (Detox 2 and 2 successes needed.)
Logged by Tiln'anar after a hunt with Aresand