Commander Ludwig Nicstaed’s ‘The Creatures and Monsters of Esdaria: A Bestiary Written in Blood’, Part Two of Six

Part two of Commander Ludwig's bestiary focuses upon the slightly more 'traditional' beasts that wander the continent of Esdaria and swim in the waters around it. Like the first part, he has a tendency to focus upon the most exciting creatures. For example, a complete list of beasts that inhabit Esdaria would include all manner of wild wolves, roaming deer, wild horses, and so-on. 

There are slightly less notes in this section, as a great deal of his work is corroborated. Gulons, for example, are common knowledge, as is the warg. Though both are rare, they require no further explanation than what Ludwig provides for them here.

Beasts – Those that Walk Upon the Land and Swim in the Sea

Gulon

The wolves that inhabit the green swathes of the Imperial Heartlands, the great empty spaces of Westmoor, and the rolling hills of the west, are all descended from the gulon. The size and shape of the largest dog one has ever seen, some even grow to the size of ponies. The gulon is a rare sight, however. They are broad-backed and strong-legged, with twice the number of fangs that a normal wolf or dog would possess. They are great shaggy creatures, with pitch-black fur and sparking amber eyes that can see as well in the night as they can in day. Their muzzles are often scarred and mutilated from decades of fighting, and they are fierce upon the eyes.

Kraken

Within the deepest, darkest reaches of the ocean lurk certain beasts that have fallen so far from the light of Vidoria that they have become truly monstrous in shape. The kraken is one such creature. With numerous, squid-like tentacles the size of the tallest towers, a kraken is capable of shattering entire vessels with one flex of its sucker-covered limbs. No-one has ever seen its face, though many have spoken of their thousands of sword-sized fangs and teeth that fill the terrible, gaping maw of a kraken. It is the second-largest creature to inhabit the oceans and seas that lie around Esdaria.

This is based heavily on Westernaean folklore. As a seafaring people by nature, the Westernaeans often tall tales of creatures such as kraken, and Ludwig’s account is likely heavily influenced by this. That said, however, there have been sightings of large, many-tentacled creatures lurking in the furthest reaches of the visible seas to the south and west of Esdaria.

Leviathan

Also known as a Kyrados Saean [Demon of the Sea], the leviathan is the largest creature in existence. Said to have been ancient when the world was young, some say the leviathans are the last remnants of old gods who once walked Esdaria. Said to be serpentine in appearance, its girth is larger than that of ten ships, and its length cannot be measured. It is said to be able to swallow kraken whole, and its eyes, which themselves are the size of whole sea-vessels, are said to burn like the dawn sun.

As with the account of the kraken, this is based heavily on Westernaean folklore. Outside of folk-culture, no record survives of a leviathan ever being sighted.

Unicorn

Distinguishable from the normal horse by its opalescent horn and glittering-white coat, the unicorn has not been seen in Esdaria for centuries. Supposedly ridden by the Elves of the First Age, it is thought that under their cruel whip the legendary creatures – which could supposedly talk – were driven to extinction.

Again, this particular account is taken straight from a folk-song called ‘Aedmund and the Horned-Horse’. In the story, Aedmund and the horse sing to one-another, and the horse tells him its name is ‘Yiynucron’, from which the legendary creature’s name ‘unicorn’ is derived. The unicorn laments that its people were destroyed by the Elves, and that they were a dying breed. Consequently, though, a unicorn has never been seen in Esdaria.

Warg

If one were to stand the common wolf or dog beside a gulon, the would seem very different. When they are considered beside a warg, however, the transition between a wolf and a gulon seems to make more sense. Neither as large, nor as shaggy and savage as a gulon, the warg is often found amongst packs of wolves or wild dogs as its alpha-male. They are dirty and bloody creatures, prone to violence. They have been known to attack fully-armoured Vidorian soldiers, and their jaws are said to be strong enough to tear through heavy leather, though they can do little against Vidorian steel.

Commander Ludwig Nicstaed’s ‘The Creatures and Monsters of Esdaria: A Bestiary Written in Blood’, Part One of Six

Ludwig Nicstaed, unlike writers such as Aethwyrd, had experienced much of what he wrote about. We are also lucky that a great deal of evidence survives surrounding Commander Ludwig, which is due to the Vidorian Inquisition’s reverence of him. Though never a member of the Inquisition, Commander Ludwig’s bestiary became the foremost text used by the Inquisition due to his experiences with the monsters and beasts of Esdaria. His work is in no way complete, nor entirely accurate in part, though commnts have been added in relevant places. His vivid descriptions, and his focus on the rarer and more dangerous creatures, have inspired hundreds of folk-tales and stories.

A Westernaean, Ludwig was born around fifty years after the beginning of the Second Age. The Vidorian Empire was still consolidating its power in regions such as Westernaea, and Ludwig, a devout worshipper of the Divine Empress – so his account reveals – was quick to rise through the ranks of the Imperial Legion as a result. Soon, be became a regional commander and was stationed Stonesport, in the north-westernmost corner of the province of Westernaea. Renowned when Ludwig was there for its sightings of monsters and creatures, the province was also gripped with rebellion that lasted over a decade. Insurgent fighting and skirmishes were common, and Ludwig’s account hints that the undead he often faced were, in fact, the reanimated corpses of foes he had already once slain.

The first part of his bestiary, which is ordered chronologically, focuses on some of the rarest and most exciting creatures that inhabit the skies and high-places of Esdaria. His account is written, most probably, to brag about those creatures which he has encountered and fought against. As a result, he does not include common birds and so-on.

Avians – Creatures that Inhabit the Skies

Ankyr

The ankyr is eagle-like in its appearance, with a great hooked beak and wide, dark wings. Where the eagle’s head is white, and its body brown, the ankyr’s is completely white. Also, where the eagle is small, the ankyr is the size of a warhorse, and has a wingspan as broad as a townhouse is tall. It has fiery red eyes that can see movement from twenty miles away. Its talons are the size of longswords and are capable of crushing through even the hardest and best-made steel as if it were paper. By Vidoria’s grace, however, the great bird rarely preys on Men – unless they disturb its nest.

They are rare and magnificent creatures, and touching the pristine white feathers of one – which themselves are as long as lances – is said to bring one eternal luck. This is hard to prove, however, as they tend to nest up in the highest peaks of mountains and rarely come down to ground-level to hunt, preferring the tougher and hardier prey in the mountains.

An ankyr has not been seen in the Vidorian Empire since the reign of Daeral I, and are assumed to have died out.

Chimaera

Commonly throught to have the appearance of a giant, three-headed, winged cat, only the most ancient of chimaera actually grow to have three heads. They are far more savage in appearance and behaviour than the cat found in the imperial provinces, as the chimaera is the size of a cow, has a wide, flat head and fangs the size of daggers. They lack the grace and agility of the common cat as well, for their legs and broad and their coats shaggy. They grow to the size of oxen and their leathery wings are often ragged and torn from fighting with their kin. Some grow horns upon their heads, but others do not.

Ludwig’s account of a chimaera is based extensively upon one provided by Odr who, when in the Aordun Mountains, claimed in one of his letters to have seen a ‘pack of savage winged cats as large as oxen, the largest and greyest of which had three heads’ in the rocky region below him, now named Gyn’dosh. In Odr’s letter, he details how the chimaera fell upon a mountain goat and ripped it to pieces and rejoicing in the kill. The meat of the creature itself was ignored, and the chiameras did not eat it.

Gryphon

Majestic yet savage, the gryphon is the largest of avian creatures, and one of the most proud. With the head, shoulders, and wings of a great eagle, they have fore and rear legs are remarkably similar to those of the chimaera. Gryphons are slightly larger than ankyr, and stand much taller at the shoulder – some twenty hands high. Their feathers are strong and can deflect weaker-shot arrows, whilst their legs are strong enough to carry off whole cattle. The claws that sit at the end of each large toe at the front of their paw-like feet are not as long as the talons of the ankyr, but are as strong as stone and devilishly sharp. Their eyes are a golden yellow colour, whilst their beaks, which are large enough to fit a man’s head inside, are oddly short, but very curved. Their yellow beaks come to a sharp point, which is ideal for tearing flesh.

The gryphon’s rear-quarters and tail are, surprisingly, free of feathers. Unlike its house-sized wings, shoulders, chest and head, the gryphon’s rear is covered in a light, luxuriously soft fur. Whatever colour their front-feathers are, the fur that covers their rears is also that shade. Under its feathers and fur, it has a tough, thick skin that is as durable as the finest leather and hard to pierce with a blade.

The gryphon is easily identifiable by its call: a long, high squall like that of an eagle but an hundred times the depth and volume. The shrill call is long and excited in its sound, starting at a high note and lowering itself towards the end of the cry.

Ludwig’s account here is very detailed anatomically. It has led many scholars to speculate that he either saw a dead gryphon or killed one himself, though the creatures are notoriously rare. The inclusion of details concerning arrows being deflected by feathers and tough skin ‘hard to pierce with a blade’ is suggestive of the latter.

Phoenix

Without doubt, the phoenix is the rarest and most beautiful of all creatures. The size of a gull, it stands with a straight back on talons made of solid gold. It swells its proud, puffed chest, which glitters with crimson and yellow feathers. Their feathers and sun-like plumage are all flecked at their tips with tiny golden particles that glitter and gleam in the light. Their tail feathers are longer than their bodies, and curl at the end with grace, power and elegance only surpassed by the Divine Empress herself. Legend says that the phoenix never stops growing, and when it reaches a certain age, its feathers begin to burn and it becomes an avatar of pure light – creatures utterly devoted to the will of the Divine Empress.

This account is a more-or-less complete copy of a verse from the Chant of the Divine Empress, in which the First Empress, Vidoria, turned into a phoenix upon her death and flew into the sun. Phoenixes are often recorded in literature as heralds of great change, and their sightings are revered as the highest forms of blessing amongst those faithful to the Divine Empress. Aside from the close-up description of a phoenix provided in the Chant of the Divine Empress, there is no other independent surviving account of a phoenix ever being encountered. In the eyes of the Church of the Divine Empress, this simply adds to the mythological and reverential status the creatures are deserving of.

Turn Your Eyes Westwards, and Beware of Monsters

You're probably wondering why on earth, despite promising you all stories and tales, there have so far been none. Instead, you've been inundated with lore and histories. Fear not, those of you who wish to see stories! for, now that this blog has been active for almost two weeks, I thought I'd take a moment just to set in stone a few things that are going to be happening here over the next few weeks.

First and most importantly, either at the end of this week  or the start of next week I will be releasing the first short story. Entitled Watcher of the West, this short(ish) story follows a young Hugh, the previously detailed son of a noble, tarnished with a bastard's name due to complicated circumstances surrounding his birth. It will be released in three or four parts over the week, culminating in an exciting finale.

For those who are more interested in the lore, or who simply wish to read something else alongside Watcher of the West, immediately after this post I will be releasing Commander Ludwig Nicstaed's The Creatures and Monsters of Esdaria: A Bestiary Written in Blood. This will provide information on some - but not all - of the creatures that inhabit Esdaria, and will be released in six parts alongside and in-between the parts of Watcher of the West.

So, onwards and upwards!

Odr's Letter to Ysrod, 'Of Giants and Trolls'

This account comes from a letter written by one of the earliest recorded Men to walk Esdaria. Odr, revered by the early Men to such a great extent that he was venerated as a god upon his death, wrote this letter as part of a series to his friend Ysrod, where he documents his travels through the Syladras, Great, and Aordun Mountains. It is unclear how these letters were ever delivered, as it seems somewhat unlikely that couriers were on-hand in the hostile and barely-accessible mountain ranges that separate the southern provinces from the Cold North. It seems likely that these letters were, in fact, written in diary-form and then presented to Ysrod on Odr's return. It is also unclear who Ysrod was. The colloquialisms and informal language Odr writes with have led scholars at the Imperial University to conclude he is a friend or Odr's, though it is just as likely he could be a clan-leader or king, as little is known of the social infrastructures of the early Men.

Odr's account even explains where the name of the Great Mountains comes from, as he terms them the ‘hurdun druria’, or ‘greater mountains’, stating how they were larger than the Syladras Mountains. It can be guessed that Odr and Ysrod came from a settlement somewhere at the north-westernmost foot of the Syladras mountains given how he speaks of them and the Silver Sea in another letter. In this extract, he details how he had a battle of wits with a giant chieftain and his troll bodyguard.

*

…And you would not believe it, Ysrod! For the Ysridian [Is-rid-ee-an; or Syladras] Mountains come to an end! What looks as if it is one long, unbroken range of high, rocky peaks is in fact two! A narrow gullet opens between them to the east, tall and stony, down which only the terrible, howling wind and the screeches of Gduyri [Guh-die-ree; Troll, plural] dare venture. I passed beyond it and headed into the eastern range, even hurdun [greater] than the Ysridian range.

I passed in amongst the rocks of the hurdun druria [note: literally ‘greater mountains’ – the modern name used by Men for these mountains; the ‘Great Mountains’ comes from Odr’s reference to them as such here]. Tall and indomitable, with great spires and sharp ledges. I walked for seven days and seven nights through the cliffs and precipices – I could nearly hear the echoes of the Halfling-folk beneath me, burrowing away for riches and treasurers in the great bowels of The World.

On the eighth morning I awoke to the sound of terrible footsteps. I quickly hid amongst the rocks and gravels, and then there, before me, as if melding out of the very mountainside itself, came seven figures. Six were smaller than the seventh, but broader and taller than men. They had long arms and heavy fists which they dragged along the floor, and they walked on their knuckles. Their skin was as hard and textured as if it were stone, and their mouths were full of tusks, and their teeth were as sharp and as grey as the great rocky spires around where I crouched. In the middle of them, though, was a creature like none I had ever seen before.

He was as a man, but twenty times as tall. Like the smaller beings with him, his skin was as if it were stone, but his eyes were glittery-bright and sharp like the chiseled gemstones of the Halfling-folk. His hands were the size of carts, and his feet like barns. In awe of him, I gasped, and one of his stone-skinned companions heard me.

I was dragged out from my hiding place and brought before this hyden [giant]. From forever above me, he gazed down at where I sprawled for a few moments, whilst his smaller-yet-still-large companions glared at me and gnashed their fangs. Eventually he spoke: ‘You are one if the Men-folk,’ he said. ‘A Man-folk of the West. Why are you here? Say or I shall crush you beneath my foot.’

‘I am Odr,’ I replied, ‘and I am a wanderer from the West, as you say.’ This hyden looked down at me and his great cliff of brow furrowed – if stone can do such a thing. ‘A wanderer?’ he said in a low growl that was as if a thousand feet walked across loose gravel at once. ‘Tell me, wanderer of the world, which peak in this hurd [great] range is the sharpest? Tell me, or I shall allow my Gduyri to eat you for breakfast.’

I gazed up at this great creature for a few moments. ‘That upon which I stand my own wit,’ I replied. ‘For those in my company seem slow and sluggish.’ I bowed my head and gestured to the great stone-like figure before me. ‘What say you to that, O Ael Druria [Mountain Man]?’

The giant’s gem-like eyes glittered and glared. ‘Ha!’ he roared in a voice like a rockslide. ‘You wish to duel wits, little creature of flesh and blood? You shall find my own as sharp as honed flint, whilst yours shall be like the intellect of these Gduyri in comparison!’ At his words, one Gduyr [Guh-die-ur; Troll, singular] roared in appreciation. He was silenced by a whack from one of his larger brethren. ‘Let me ask you this, O Faerdyn [Wanderer],’ the hyden said, ‘what is that which bites like a wolf, yet its teeth forever move and dance, even in the darkness?’

I laughed. ‘Fire.’ I said. The hyden seemed impressed and folded his pillar-like arms across his chest of boulders. ‘Answer me this!’ I cried aloud, ‘I am which cannot be seen nor touched, but felt all around. I am a thousand daggers at my worst, as piercing as the finest steel, and so honed that no armour may stop me; yet at my best I am a cloud upon the morning. What am I?’

The hyden scratched his head of rock for a moment. ‘The cold,’ he said. ‘That which turns one’s breath to wisps upon dawn, yet freezes and pierces like a thousand icicles in the darkest winter. Am I correct?’

I nodded. ‘Indeed. Another?’ I said. The giant nodded before me and opened his lips, which were like a gully in the mountain of his face. ‘Whether the sun sets or the moon rises, I exist. I walk silently amongst all living things – never seen, never heard. When I reach out my hand, only then am I known. My coming is met with tears and woe, and away with me all living things must go. What am I?’

The answer to his riddle was ‘Death,’ obvious, no? Yet the great behemoth of stone was so impressed that he let me be on my way. His Gduyri were furious, for they had hoped to feast upon my flesh that morning, but the hyden kicked them away with his great slabs of feet and wished me well…