Codes and secrets are scatterered ... only the chosen will find them.
Venus Hydra
Venus Hydra
It lurks in the dark shadows within the scorched mangrove swamp. It's known to travelers as the Hydra's Den. The Venus Hydra is the apex predator of every reachable square-inch available to its reach.
It's heart is rooted deep beneath the soil, the hearth for a complex tangle of vines and nerves that stretch beneath the mangroves for miles. Its colossal size gives it the illusion of mobility, when in fact the reach of any individual head from the Hydra's Heart is about a kilometer in total distance.
In addition to gaining energy from photosynthesizing, the Hydra consumes anything possible in its reach as protein intake is essential to its predatory nerve function.
It possesses a powerful intelligence, however no one has ever laid eyes upon its heart in order to study the creature. Its teeth are long and thin.
When it contracts its jaws on its prey, the sharp teeth mince the prey's body instantly. Rumors of a Hydra's Cult circulated for a long time in the Eastern Appalachian area, but all were put to rest when religious robes were found tattered and dangling from the jaws of the hydra.
This is a monster with cold blood.
Dire Bird
Dire Bird
Seven feet tall with 15-18 foot wingspans. This wingspan to height ratio is designed similarly to bald eagles.
They have long, thin necks similar to vultures which they can contract and retract easily. The width and strength of their wings create gusts of winds underneath their broad flapping.
Their talons are barbed, meant to be able to pluck prey by spearing them through dense canopy. The inside edges of their beaks are razor sharp, meant for tearing through skin and thick hide.
Female Dire Birds have straight beaks, pointed and shaped like a sword blade, meant for sawing through limbs. Male Dire Birds have more vulture-like hooked beaks, meant for scavenging through dead meats.
Mimic Birds
Mimic Birds
These birds have an assortment of rainbow feathers, side-facing eyes, and are only about 2-3 feet in height.
Their ability to copy noises and voices in their environment is useful for luring prey and warding away predators alike. The function evolved initially to attract prey to their roost, by mimicking mating sounds of various smaller birds.
Travelers have documented instances of these birds copying human voices, but the purpose of which is unknown.
Silver Fang Cat
Silver Fang Cat
Its head is arrow shaped in a way, coming to a sharp point at its nose. Its jaw is wide, with large silver fangs growing from both its upper and lower jaw.
The silver is used to prevent scratching and damage against thick bone. The width and power of the lion's lower jaw is used to crunch through bone seamlessly, allowing for its ability to hunt animals with exoskeletons, like Antlesaurs, and to hunt animals with thick hides, like Camoo.
It's an isolated stalker, not traveling in groups, and only hunting at night. They sleep during the day in dark spaces with acoustic echoes. Their skin and muscle are thick, making difficult to pierce with traditional weapons.
Its paws are wide, meant for supporting heavy weight against rough terrain and has retractable claws.
This is a monster with cold blood.
Fire Fish
Fire Fish
The gas inside of these fish keeps them buoyant and provides top-heavy balance when navigating harsh currents.
Fire Fish use this to their advantage and travel in schools through these currents in order to evade larger predators who lack the control to flow with the currents.
The gas inside of them is often ignited at cold enough temperatures, where the fish's warm blood floods their internal gas pocket with oxygen in order to keep them warm.
This doubles as a defense mechanism.