Legendary beasts
Not everything exists in the Empire closed-world campaign, but some magical creatures are quite real. While this section talks about using parts of these legendary beasts in costume, or their parts in magic, it shouldn't be taken to be an endorsement of that practice in the real world.
Legendary beasts are often used in magic; a magician can evoke the spirit or qualities of a legendary beast when performing magic that grants special characteristics to an ally. For example the chimera and the unicorn both may be evoked when casting a spell or ritual to empower a comrade, while the yale or the hydra may be mentioned when a healing spell is cast.
Gryphon
The gryphon is a beast that combines the aspect of an eagle and a lion. They are about the size of an adult ox with the forequarters of a great bird of prey and the hindquarters of a predatory cat. Despite their size they are not built to be ridden' there are tales of slightly built heroes and children riding on the back of gryphons but they are almost certainly fanciful. It is doubtful a gryphon could get off the ground with a rider, and even less doubtful that they would tolerate one for any period of time.
An adult gryphon is a match for an armoured knight. Their sharp talons tear through light armour to deliver crippling injuries. They favour hilly and mountainous areas that overlook fertile plains. A pride of gryphon will hunt across a large area, and they have been known to be a nuisance to animal herders in their territory. They mostly avoid humans but they are noted for their ferocity when threatened. They are particularly defensive of their young (which are born live, rather than in eggs) and there are stories of a pride tracking someone who has injured one of their cubs across hundreds of miles. They are capable of coordinated tactics, and work together to bring down larger prey; legends from Wintermark speak of the now-extinct gryphons of the mountains to the west of Skarsind hunting and bringing down adult mammoths.
These majestic beasts are very rare within the Empire; there are a few prides on the lower slopes of Urizen and the mountains of southern Kharaman but otherwise they have been hunted and driven out of areas claimed by Imperial citizens. Much larger specimens are believed to be found in the Realm of Summer, immense creatures that are powerful enough to be ridden by the Eternals of that realm; the gryphons of Summer are said to be intelligent, and capable of conversing. Their relationship, if any, to the beast found in the mortal realm is not known.
The gryphon is used extensively in the heraldry of Dawn. It is an enduring symbol of victory, prowess, pride and potency, and is strongly identified with the runes of Summer. Some Suaq hunters paint gryphons on their leather to draw on their powerful senses and hunting abilities. There is also some small trade in gryphon parts; magicians use feathers in rituals designed to grant strength, courage or pride and artisans are known to work talons, hide, bones and feathers into the construction of some enchanted items.
Gryphon in Play
Gryphon provably exist. They are dangerous opponents, and their ability to fly makes them difficult to fight. It's worth reiterating that they don't serve as steeds; a gryphon would throw someone who tried to ride it onto the ground then tear them apart. They are rare in the Empire, but it is perfectly acceptable to roleplay that fur, feathers or talons are pieces from a gryphon, or to use pieces of them in ritual magic
Unicorn
A unicorn is a horse with a single spiral horn on the forehead, usually with a goat's beard and cloven hooves. They are often white, although not exclusively so. They represent strength, ferocity and nobility of spirit. They are characterised as gentle in peace and implacable warriors in battle. According to stories, unicorns have the ability to variously sense "evil", malignant spirits, cowardice and in some cases unvirtuous souls and attack them without mercy. They also appear in tales as protectors of the innocent, defending lone children from the depredations of monsters or bandits, or aiding those who have been wronged to gain justice from their persecutors. All of these things are just stories, however.
Unicorns do not exist in the mortal realm. Highborn cataphracts sometimes equipped their war horses with armour designed to evoke the image of the unicorn, with specially reinforced headpieces as part of their barding, but the horns were largely ceremonial. This unicorn barding was popular with the limited Dawnish cavalry, and some pieces are still preserved in both nations as relics of a bygone age.
These beautiful beasts are used in the heraldry of Daw as symbols of pride and courage. They are quintessentially noble creatures, proud and regal on the one hand, ferocious and brave on the other. A black unicorn is sometimes used to suggest great passion, while blue and violet unicorns have been used in a few places to represent houses that have a higher-than-normal proportion of War Witches among their number.
As with many legendary beasts, unicorns are said to exist in the Realm of Summer. Some Eternals possess rods and wands that they claim are made from the horns of unicorns, but there is no real way to verify this.
Unicorns in Play
Unicorns are not real. It is perfectly fine to have pieces that you claim come from a unicorn, but such artefacts are not actually from this legendary beast - a unicorn horn is likely to be a carved mammoth tusk, for example. People who claim to have seen unicorns are often pitied, but it must be said that there are plenty of tales of people who swear they've seen the beasts in the wilderness. Claiming to have seen or ridden a unicorn is analagous to claiming to have been abucted by aliens in the real world.
Winged Horses
A horse with wings is an enduring image. Sometimes depicted as a hippalectryon (a creature with the forequarters of a horse and the hindquarters of a rooster) or a hippogryph (a creature like a gryphon but with the body and tail of a horse rather than a lion), it is a symbol of speed, grace and pride. Sometimes armoured knights are shown mounted on these creatures, often swooping down on their enemies with devastating effect.
The winged horse, like the unicorn, is referenced in early cavalry. Leather barding was often crafted to suggest wings, drawing attention to the incredible speeds a mounted rider could achieve..They are used in heraldry and art, often representing pride, loyalty, grace or ambition.
Winged Horses in Play
Sadly these creatures are entirely fictional. Humans still dream of riding flying mounts into the sky, of aerial cavalry that can strike with pinpoint accuracy into the heart of enemy forces ... but dreams are all they have.
Chimera
The term chimera is used to describe any number of creatures that combine the parts of three or more animals. The traditional chimera appears as a lion with two heads - the second being that of a goat, stag or a dragon - with a tail that ends in a serpent's head, often possessing metallic scales on the forequarters. They are often shown as having wings. When presented in heraldry, there are many other versions of this beast incorporating different animals, lacking wings, having more than four legs and so on.
In stories they are ferocious monsters, usually encountered singly, and usually representing some terrible challenge that has claimed the lives of many other heroes. They sometimes appear in Varushkan folk-tales as extremely destructive forces that must be tamed by cleverness - Varushkan chimera are usually wingless but often capable of speech, but presented as monumentally stupid and easily duped. In the stories, the chimera is usually tricked a symbolic three times before it is ultimately defeated and either killed by some natural force (drowning, being caught in a landslide or burnt alive in a forest fire of its own creation) or tamed and made to serve the wise heroine in the completion of further tasks.
The chimera is a legendary symbol of a ferocious, dangerous opponent that is supremely adaptable to battle, whether tearing into an opponent with it's talons, poisoning them with it's serpentine tail, terrorizing them with it's roar or knocking them prone with an overwhelming charge. In some legends the chimera can even breathe fire or spit poison, adding a ranged component to it's deadly arsenal. In the heraldry of Dawn it is used by houses that are especially proud of their battlefield prowess. As with the unicorn, the chimera is sometimes evoked by those casting spells designed to empower their allies with martial prowess.
Chimera in Play
Chimera do not appear to be real.
Firebird
The firebird, also known as the phoenix, is a massive bird of prey that burns with the light of the sun. Some version depict them as being close to great hawks, while others have more of the appearance of a bird-of-paradise. They are strongly associated with fire, and according to legends their feathers continue to burn even when removed from the beast, providing enough light to illuminate a room, lead a hero through a dark night, or keep predatory monsters at bay. Depending on the story the firebird may be able to burn enemies with it's gaze or the slash of its talons.
The phoenix is a variant of the firebird; the phoenix is said to be very long lived, and when it dies it is consumed in a conflagration of irresistible flame. This creature is sometimes seen as a symbol of reincarnation; some priests of the Way consider this to be blasphemous and claim that the phoenix actually represents the idea of resurrection. The bird is reborn not as a new bird, but as a younger incarnation of the same creature. When these legendary beasts appear in stories they are usually presented as being very wise, and possessed of the power of speech; as such they are sometimes connected to the Realm of Day..
The typical role of a firebird is as the object of a difficult quest. It is also a powerful metaphor for ambition - while the hero aspires to capture a firebird, he must take care not to be consumed by its magical flames. The phoenix is often sought in a story in the role of a magical sage whose many lifetimes It is often used in the heraldry of Dawn to suggest ambition, or wisdom.
Firebirds in Play
There do not seem to be any real firebirds in the Empire. There are stories of firebirds existing in foreign lands, but these are not verified.
Yale
The yale is usually depicted as a goat- or antelope-like creature with massive curling horns and a body spotted like that of a leopard, often with a lion-like tail and occasionally with clawed feet instead of hooves. While sometimes dismissed as being comical, they are used in heraldry to present both the idea of a house whose strength is underestimated, and a house that is proud of its ability to defend its territory and its people. Their goat-like characteristics are greatly exaggerated, and so the yale comes to symbolise great tenacity, stubbornness or a refusal to give in despite the odds.
Some images depict the yale as having a more feline appearance. like a large horned leopard.
While the yale is often believed to be entirely fictional within the Empire, it actually exists in foreign parts. The spotted antelope-like creature does indeed have clawed feet, and is known to live in hot, scrubby grassland. They are omnivorous creatures hunted by certain foreigners and prized for their horns and spotted hides.
Yale in Play
Yale are not found in the Empire, but parts of them are imported by traders. It is fine to claim that horn and spotted furs are parts of a yale.
Centaur
A centaur is the body of a horse with the torso, arms and head of a human replacing the head. They are symbols that combine the strength and dignity of the horse with the skill and intelligence of a man. Some versions present a more slender creature with a body clsoer to that of a deer, often with the pointed-ears and spiral birthmarks of a Changeling.
A centaur bedecked in plate with a shield and lance is a powerful symbol of nobility, and is popular in the heraldry of a Dawnish Knight-errant. Some priests object to this union of human and animal characteristics as being inappropriate, but their complaints are rarely taken very seriously.
Centaurs in Play
Sadly these creatures are fictional. While creatures that seem to combine human and animal characteristics certainly exist, the centaur does not.
Winged Serpents
The winged serpent or amphiptere is a great scaled snake with bat- or bird-like wings. They are sometimes shown covered in feathers, at other times they may possess a scorpion-like stinger. They never have arms or legs. They are used in Dawnish heraldry as symbols for cleverness and mystical insight.
The winged serpent does not exist in the mortal world, but is said to be the natural form of the Eternals of the Realm of Night. As a consequence, it is sometimes used on the heraldry of houses that have a higher-than-usual population of Naga. Outside the Empire, a species of flying serpent called a jaculi is known to exist in tropical jungles. No longer than a man's arm, with brightly coloured scales and feathered wings, they are said to glide between trees and to possess a painful, but rarely deadly, sting.
Winged Serpents in Play
These creatures are Eternals and so might be encountered in the same way that other eternals are. Jaculi are rare in the Empire, but it is not impossible for a character to have encountered them or to have some relic of them from a trip to foreign parts.
Dragons, Wyverns and Wyrms
TBC. probably they need their own page.
Dragon in Play
TBC.