WRITING/IMAGINATION EXERCISE: DRAFT UP SOME BESTIARY ENTRIES!

Posts

Pages: 1
So some of you might know that I'm big on lore and worldbuilding in my games, from item descriptions, sidequests, NPCs, to the main narrative exposition itself. A lore whore, if you will. Making your world feel like a living, breathing entity goes a long way into making it enjoyable and memorable, and to that end, imagination is important.

That's why I thought it would be fun to have a writing exercise for everyone featuring one of the classic staples of RPG worldbuilding and lore; bestiaries! In addition to providing vital gameplay and statistic information about your foes (which my bestiary has, but not pictured), bestiaries can provide interesting information on some of the most consistent features of your game, your enemies!

So I'd like to make it an event, and possibly something you can use for your own project (or to take inspiration from others) to make some cool bestiary entries! You can either make an actual one in your game and post it up (like I did), make a mockup, or just draft something up and post up a picture of the enemy.

And of course, we can actually discuss bestiaries as well, so don't feel like you have to participate to post. I'll start.



This seems like a bit of fun I love world building lore! (I'd discuss/add a bit more but I'm on mobile and it's late :P)

'Busker Bat'
"A large bat-like creature, it primarily lives in dark areas like caves, abandoned buildings, and occasionally dark forests hoarding large quantities of money and other valuables. All types have a large array of magical talents.

Buskers being people who preform for money on streets, attributing to their magical skills and love of money."
Honestly, I am more about building up my characters but I do like to build my world to as that is always important.

Here is a creature from my game.

Incilius Alvarius
This toad lives near the water of damp caves. Watch out! If it licks you there is a chance you could be poisoned.
Oh ho. Oh ho ho. As Dudesoft could tell you, don't let me near something like this or you'll get too much information. Lemme do one and stretch my fingers a little, hm?

Ghost Packs of Arket

When the city of Arket fell into ruin after the Great Blighting (see Page 122), the pets that lived within the city were left to fend for themselves in the aftermath. Being that the people of the city came mainly from the Estarn Isles, where dogs are considered part of the clans and grow up as companions to the people there, the majority of those animals left behind were intelligent, well-trained canines.

The sudden abandonment of the animals caused them to turn on each other and humans, forming packs of free-roaming, intelligent groups who descended apon any travellers to the empty city. Soon they overran the surrounding country-side, hunting all manner of prey and making co-ordinated attacks on the outer farms.

Before long the farmers of the region demanded the destruction of the packs, and the Great Emperor Caldius replied by sending out an elite force to deal with the creatures. What happened when the armed force arrived in the city shook all of the Empire to the bone as not a one returned - each and every knight had been killed and their bodies stripped to the bone.

The Emperor, in retaliation, rode out himself with his Mage House, five companies of the Men, two companies of Ender Kah and his own wife, the Sorceress Almeta. There, apon the ruins of what used to be the shining City of Dance, a battle was fought against what appeared to be beasts changed by the Great Blighting into intelligent, capable warriors (albeit with four legs).

Magics and Might eventually won the day over the mangy warriors, and the Emperor returned victorious. However, there was something that no-one counted on, not even the Empress, Sorceress Almeta herself.

The Great Blighting had had an averse effect on the lands about the city of Arket, cursing the lands and those who were lost within... Soon there were reports of ghostly packs of the creatures roaming the city and the lands about it. Fearful of what would happen when the creatures spread across the land, superstitious farm folk demanded the Lord Emperor rid the land of the spirit hounds who had began to stray farther from the city every night.

After much talk the Empress and ten of the best and brightest of the Mage House declared the city of Arket a cursed land, then cast a great magic that bound the souls of the hounds to that area only. An unintended effect of the spell left the city shrouded in eternal twilight.

Even today travellers who stray too near the city ruins report hearing ghostly howls of hunting packs and glowing eyes apon the walls. The feeling of being watched, being hunted, never leaves until such time as they are beyond sight of the walls.

Reports from those who have engaged in combat with the hounds describe them as large war-like dogs with shaggy fur, silver teeth and glowing ember eyes. Though they are spirits, such is the curse of that land that they can cause damage to one, leaving burning scars that look like bite marks on the skin. Their howls are also incredibly effective at evoking fear in the soul of even the stoutest warrior, causing many to flee in terror, only to be torn down by a pack.

They hunt in groups of 3-5 but some reports say there may be as many as 50 or 60 of the beasts in a pack. There are rumours that among the packs exist an Alpha wolf, whose size, ferocity and skill are more potent than others, though these remain merely rumours.

Extreme caution is recommended when going too near the city. The city itself is off bounds by order of the Emperor. Enter at your own risk.



...ahem.
>.<;
Libby does love to type...a lot.

Geez Libs I see a wall of text after text. Don't forget to breath, breathing is very important. Breath in; breath out. Repeat.
This sounds fun. I will try to come up with something.
Terrifying Creatures and How to Hide From Them?
Twilight Creeper (Shadow Beast) - Revised 1993 Entry (Excerpt)
by Leopard Thomas Stonehill, Professor of Medical-Magical Psychology Reasearch of Bode University
Written for ‘Center Press Bestiary of the Magical and Mundane’ in the ‘Special Release 14th Edition’


-Removed Illustration by Barney Williams-

APPEARANCE-
!NOTE: This description is based off what people who would be considered ‘unreliable witnesses’ by authorities, and the mentally-ill!
7’0” to 7’7” in height and humanoid in shape with small reflective white-red eyes, pure black skin *with the appearance of scales across it’s body*, *long retractable claws*, *a circular mouth constantly open mouth*, and a collection small glowing spikes across it’s back.

BEHAVIOR-
Twilight Creepers have only been seen in the minutes before dawn and dusk, where half of their namesake comes from.
Twilight Creepers seem to be unaffected by the Keys as all individuals who where attacked all had Keys with them *and when they were found their Keys had been melted into a shining blob or missing*.
*They seem to dislike sound and both the light and dark more so than the other beasts. Despite this they have only been seen in cities*.
*They have been heard making soft clicking and growling noises*.

WEAKNESSES-

!NOTE: Based off ‘unreliable witnesses’!
Light, Dark, Noise

AFFECTS-
People who have seen the Twilight Creeper are often left in a state of coma that so far for each one has lasted nearly 3 (three) weeks. After they wake they are left in an near uncontrollable terror state, as they are scared of everything we had to administer a variety of drugs, more than a normal healthy person could handle, to calm them enough for them to gain some basic functions back.
*When one patient was semi-coherent they said the Beast could directly touch their Keys unlike nearly any other known Beast* .

SIGHTINGS-

The months following the Gate opening their have been few sightings of this creature across Center, and even fewer across the oceans in Arkaiv and Novis .
After a Twilight Creeper attack is reported the city where the attack happened a mandatory early curfew is put into place for at least 3 weeks, It is considered cruel to not let someone into your building after curfew .

NOTES-

*Asterisks with italics means this is new information*.
Original entry was written and published in March 1992 in the 14th Edition.
My own websites with my own digitized research can be found on .
Dr. Jamie Polza’s entry of a Beast suspected to be or be related to the Twilight Creeper can be found on .
Marco Kincaid’s essays on Key Lancers and Jokers .
Official reports from the Ri Domain, Independent New Central Coalition, and the North Current Trade Confederacy .
My nephew got 1 (one) week of jail time for not letting in a old lady in .

*sips last of orange juice*
I don't know if I'm gonna have a bestiary in my game yet.
Here's another one.

If any if you get the reference, I love you. (hint: the original (and now current) name for this enemy was Sentinel)

author=Altered
Eureka 7?


lol nope.

Think more meta. It's another video game thing, though. If nobody gets it I'll fess up what it is.
So far, the only time I attempted a bestiary resulted in tiny little 2 line entries that you can read right from the menu. I stored them as "items", so you could read the entry without having to select the item itself to read it.

I would post an example, but for some reason photobucket keeps logging me out whenever I click the upload button. >_>
author=Aegix_Drakan
So far, the only time I attempted a bestiary resulted in tiny little 2 line entries that you can read right from the menu. I stored them as "items", so you could read the entry without having to select the item itself to read it.

I would post an example, but for some reason photobucket keeps logging me out whenever I click the upload button. >_>

Host it here!
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
There might be a "Sentinel" boss in Final Fantasy 6, but, I don't necessarily remember anything about needing to neutering offense, or weakening it's defense. It's been a long time since I've played that game, though, so...

For some reason, "Trask", a boss of Wild Arms 2/Wild Arms 3 comes to mind, since you can weaken it's shell with casting Cremate followed by Refrigerate.
I predict that nobody here is going to catch the reference (I'd bet on the wider audience getting it, hopefully), so I'll save you the all the brain scratching. It's only one of the most popular phenomenons in fighting games!

Mahvel Baybee!


Oh, no wonder I couldn't discern what it was. I've played/read about barely any fighting games! I would have just guessed FF, as well.
I have only played Tekken and a little street fighter.
AtiyaTheSeeker
In all fairness, bird shrapnel isn't as deadly as wood shrapnel
5424
Golly, do I love monster lore. Will see if I can't whip up something myself, once I find an idea. I might go with the OP and make an image for my bestiary pages. :3

EDIT: Here are a trio of them! Battler images are by Cradle of Cyanide.





Will add random pictures I find later.
And yes, I was one of those kids who read the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual for fun...And every PnP gamebook I could get my paws on, hehe.


Devil Squirrel
(Game Series; Legends of Perren, by me)

"-And then the furry (curmudgeon) set Dad's shed on fire before we could grab the gun. Later we tracked it to a nest burrowed into an old scrapyard. Never knew they could chew through six feet of rust.-"
~Mina Tomeki

(Description)
Devil Squirrels are large rodents, resembling its smaller non-monstrous cousins, and vary wildly in size and weight depending on subspecies, mutations, or magical influence. Common varieties average a length of 2.6 feet and weigh 20 pounds. Noteably, almost every variety of Devil Squirrel has the ability to breath fire. These gouts can extend upwards of 12 feet and 2-3 feet wide. This ability does not appear to be fully under the monster's conscious control. Some species have toxin glands in their mouth or paws.
(Ecology)
Devil Squirrels are most likely not wholey native to this world. Several theories exist, with the more popular suggesting it was a sub-planar mutation during the Night of Awe. They are well adapted to many environments. Considered a nuisance at best by humans due to the Devil Squirrels habit of starting fires. They have also been known to accidently set fires to their nests, brush, and forests.
(Economy)
Their hides are prized for its durability and heat resistance, but the poor fur quality has kept it from being a luxury commodity. Hunting DS is common among the Acomat territories where the vermin is pervasive. The meat is edible if properly cleaned with fern fronds, whitecap mushroom spores, or copious amounts of high proof alcohol. (See 'Cooking with Mina, a guide for Adventurers' for more info.)
(Common Sub-Species)
Black Head, Silver Streak, Jawless, Flying, Jorren's, Rock Biter, Arctic, Sand, Plague Skin, Markut Nanfested, Eastern.
Pages: 1