Vansyr/Native Species

Mammals

Ralessi

Main Article: Ralessi

Ralessi are a camel-like ungulate. They share similar temperament to desert camels, making them useful mounts. They are on average 2m (6.6 ft) at the shoulder and weigh about 590 kg (1,300 lbs). They have a long, thick coat of white fur, and two ibex-like horns. Their diet consists primarily of pine and mountain shrubs, though they can eat almost any plant life, including some species of lichens. Ralessi spend most of their time browsing or grazing, with about as much time spent ruminating.

They inhabit the northern section of Halaevide, mostly in the mountains. A group of Ralessi are called a herd. A herd contains 6-7 individuals, and any young still being nurtured.

Vansyri Red Elk

A large, stocky elk with brownish-red fur, and large black antlers. Bulls are, on average, 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall and 331 kg (720 lbs) in weight. Cows are 1.3 m (4.3 ft) tall and weigh 241 kg (531 lbs). Red elk are primary grazers, but also browse, similar to deer.

They inhabit most areas of Halaevide, with the exception of the desert and the swamps.

Pitbeast

Main Article: Pitbeast

The pitbeast is a large, predatory mammal about the size of a lion. They have short, bristly fur in light tan, grey, or black. They have a large, mustelid-like skull, with a slim, feline body, and a long, thick tail with a large tuft of fur at the tip. Pitbeasts are both solitary and pack hunters, depending on location and nearby prey. They are highly intelligent, and extremely deadly with razor-sharp claws, powerful jaws, and bone-crushing strength. They are common in the forests and swamps of Halaevide.

Grassland Mammoth

Main Article: Grassland Mammoth

Similar to Terra's African Elephant, the grassland mammoth is a species of mammoth that inhabits the grasslands of central and Midwestern Halaevide. They stand at 4 m (13 ft) and weigh 8-10 tonnes (18,000-22,00 lbs). They are gentle giants, for the most part, but quickly turn deadly if a threat is perceived. Grassland mammoths are favorites for trading clans, as they are smart enough to be easily trained, gentle with humans, yet they are large and sturdy enough to carry large amounts of weight. They have grey skin, covered in a thin layer of brown or black hair, with large curved tusks.

They browse and graze for food, preferring to browse during the warmer seasons. Wild mammoths travel in familial herds that can reach dozens of individuals.

Sleiphorse

Main Article: Sleiphorse

Similar to a normal horse, sleiphorses are large ungulates domesticated by humans. Sleiphorses are very rare--many people consider them to be myths. They average the size of a large warhorse, with the chief difference being that sleiphorses have two pairs of front legs, for a total of six legs. They are faster than normal horses and maneuver over rocky terrain much better than most animals. It is thought they naturally lived in the mountains, but it is not known if any sleiphorses live in the wild anymore.

Reptilians

Nagdamsaeng

Main Article: Nagdamsaeng

Nagdamsaeng are large reptiles, closely related to desert tortoises. They are large and strong enough for average-sized humanoids to ride on, and surprisingly quick. Nagdamsaeng do not have large carapaces like tortoises, but instead have thick plates covering the majority of the body. They have long necks, and large, thick skulls. They have beaked mouths with powerful jaws. Nagdamsaeng have stocky torsos and are tetrapedal. They have a small, vestigial tail.

Nagamsaeng are popular mounts in the desert and arid regions, due to needing little food and water for long trips in the harsh enviornment. Furthermore, they are friendly and easy to tame.

Psuedowyverns

Medium-sized winged reptilians with a lithe, streamlined body, two powerful hind legs, and forelimbs that allow for gliding, but not true flight. As the name suggests, pseudowyverns are not true wyverns, because their 'wings' are not true wings, but rather forelimbs with 3 claws and 2 wing digits. They are capable of slow, powerful flight, but are much more suited to ground movements. Generally, walking takes place on all four limbs, but when sprinting, pseudowyverns pick up their forelimbs and tuck them in, allowing for a more aerodynamic form. Their scales are small and overlapping, yet still quite thick. Generally they are colored in varying shades of grey, and white, to camouflage themselves on the mountainsides.

Pseudowyverns are solitary, highly territorial carnivores. They spend most of their time hunting, choosing to build nests high in the mountains where they can spot prey, then glide down and ambush the target. They are tamable, although it is extremely difficult, and generally they retain the intense aggression of their wild counterparts.

Amphibians

Myripyo

Main Article: Myripyo

Myripyo is a large, predatory amphibian that inhabits the swamps of Southwestern Halaevide. They are similar in size to a leopard, with a surprisingly similar body structure. They have eight limbs--a pair of hind legs, two pairs of forelegs, and a pair of fin-like appendages on the center of their back. Myripyo also have long tails with folding fins on the end to aid in quicker swimming speeds. They have digitigrade feet, with retractable claws and webbed toes. They have flat heads, wide jaws, and blunt snouts with round eyes on the side of their head. Their eyes can rotate independently. They have nostrils at the tip of their snout, with a pair of pits right beneath that detect body heat from other animals. Myripyos have two rows of flat, serrated teeth that can tear through soft tissue with ease. Their skin is smooth, and a mix of brown and green in color that lets them blend in with the riverbeds. Myripyo are thought to be able to breathe through their skin, and even underwater.

Myripyos are solitary creatures, gathering once in the spring to find mates. They are advanced hunters, with extremely acute senses--a myripyo can detect prey from several kilometers away. However, they do not indiscriminately attack. Generally they do not pose a threat to humans unless their nest is disturbed.

Similar to other amphibians, myripyo lay a clutch of eggs in rivers or lakes that hatch into small tadpoles that eventually grow limbs and develop the ability to leave the water.

Mollusks

Kraken

A massive octopus that inhabits the oceans of Vansyr. They are estimated to be about 35 m (110 ft) in length, and weighing nearly 750 kg (1,650 lbs). Generally they are dark grey or red in color, with lateral papillary folds all over their body. Krakens have the potential to move quickly to chase prey, but generally wait as ambush predators, camouflaging themselves normally as boulders on the ocean floor, grabbing nearby prey when it gets close.

In addition to hooked suckers and a powerful beak, the mantle contains specialized appendages that when filled with blood, become solid spines full of neurotoxin. Krakens do not have ink, like many other mollusks.

Cnidarians

Zeppelin Jellyfish

A species of massive jellyfish that begin as small polyps in the water, both in saltwater and freshwater, then mature to massive blimp-shaped creatures with long tentacles that float through the air, using hydrogen gas to stay afloat. They average 15 m (50 ft) long, with a circumference of 6 m (20 ft). They eat anything that gets tangled in their tentacles as they float through the sky. The tentacles release extremely deadly stings, powerful enough to kill even large animals in a matter of minutes.

They have no natural predators, because their gelatinous flesh has little nutritional value, tastes horrible, and the release of hydrogen gas is potentially dangerous. However, there are a couple of animals immune to the stinging tentacles. Furthermore, if the tentacles can be safely gathered, the stinging cells within can be used to make deadly poisons.