Lore of Sinai: Flora and Fauna

Lore of Sinai: Flora and Fauna Lore of Sinai: Flora and Fauna

Sinai has several different beasts that fill the role of mount or pack animal. Of these, dromodons are the most common, followed closely by drokars. The average Rephidimite may not even know about most of the others.

1.1 Drokars

Drokars are pseudo-reptilian quadrupeds with mammalian features. They are "dragon-horses", resembling equines, but with fine, elongated features, and exotic coloration, often used as riding beasts, but expensive to maintain. They generally require a large pasture to roam and graze in, and therefore are not often seen in Rephidim, except when used by the especially wealthy and elite. On the surface, they are prized mounts, and sometimes used in teams to draw carriages.

1.2 Dromodons

Dromodons are hardy beasts, used to pull wagons or plows, and occasionally as mounts in especially rugged terrain. It is believed that they store water and nutrients in the large humps on their backs, allowing them to go for great periods without sustenance in some of the more barren regions. Some varieties of dromodons are also raised as livestock.

Dromodons have thick hides, offering them some modicum of protection against the claws of wild beasts, or even against arrows of bandits, making them favored beasts to pull wagons for caravans going through unfamiliar territory. Also, despite their quasi-reptilian features, they are actually warm-blooded, making them useful in colder climates.

1.3 Kooshkies

Kooshkies are strange creatures found in the Sea of Sand that "swim" through the sand at high speeds by means of semi-prehensile flagellate limbs that radiate out from their tiny core bodies. Their means of reproduction and of sustenance is as of yet unknown and defiant of study, as Kooshkies unfortunately do not survive for long in captivity.

While they normally travel just under the surface of the sand, they are also capable of leaping considerable distances and bouncing or even rolling along the dunes. They are playful creatures at times, apparently showing affection to each other by bounding into the air and crashing into each other, making a distinctive "koosh" sound when they do so. Otherwise, they are completely silent.

Largely, the Kooshkies are prey to various desert denizens, but teams of them may be captured and trained by Nohbakims to draw Kooshkie Sleds. At times, Kooshkie sleds can be seen trailing across the desert, drawn by unseen mounts, with a Nohbakim standing on the sled, cracking a whip in the air and yelling, "Hooska, Kooshkies! Hooska!" The word "Hooska" appears to have no other use in the language of the Nohbakim, and its meaning is not even known for sure by the Nohbakim (though they are never short on opinions).

1.4 N'gyahs

N'gyahs are another type of beast of burden, resembling cartoony versions of horses, with lumpy proportions and legs that suggest those of an elephant in their roughly cylindrical shape. N'gyahs are true mammals, and grow thick shaggy coats in the winter, making them more adaptable to the colder climates of the far north and far south than pseudo-reptiles like Drokars and Dromodons.

1.6 Pteras

Pteras are winged pseudo-reptilians that can be found over a wide range over Sinai, even more so since they are favored for beast-drawn airships. They are prized for their tolerance of temperature extremes, their exceptional endurance, and also that they can be trained. They can be found "wild" in any number of areas on Sinai, as well as occasionally roosting on the smaller sky islands.

1.6 Rakhtors

When traveling by air, the beasts of burden of choice are the large avians known as Rakhtors (alternate spelling: Raktors). These great, carnivorous birds are quite ferocious and dangerous when found in the wild, but if raised from the point of hatching, they can be trained to carry riders, or to work in groups to ferry airborne "carriages" from point to point when an airship won't suffice.

1.7 Sea Kings

Not all beasts of burden are meant for use on land. Sea Kings are totally restricted to the water, looking like nothing so much as giant versions of seahorses, though with slightly varied proportions. Sea Kings are sometimes used as mounts, or else in large teams to pull cargoes through the water.

1.8 Selonas

These almost horse-sized, swift-footed lizards can be found in abundance in some areas of the Savan Territories, capable of climbing up the gigantic trees found in the jungle territories, or scaling rocky cliffs. In the cities of the Nagai Empire, they are rigged up to rickshaws (with suction-cup wheels) and used as a fairly reckless means of fast transportation through the urban environment. (May the pedestrian beware!)

One "hazard" that may be encountered by a rider of a selona rickshaw is that, if two male selonas should happen to approach each other head on, they will come to a halt and then start engaging in a head-bobbing contest, trying to look bigger and tougher than each other, much to the chagrin of a driver trying to keep them moving.

1.9 Serendips

In use along the coastal areas and in the seas are the amphibious Serendips. Serendips look like a cross between a mythical hippocampus and a small "sea serpent", having forequarters that look vaguely horselike, but with four legs that end in flippers instead of hooves. Their tails are somewhat whale-like, and their heads are mounted on long, gently curving necks. These docile creatures are vegetarian, and take well to the water, as well as having a limited and sluggish ability to traverse short distances across land.

1.10 Wyrms

Wyrms are rare creatures that resemble big and ugly versions of gooshurms, with three bat-like wings radiating out from their giant worm-like bodies, and spined, poisonous trifiburcated mouths. These creatures fly along at fairly fast speeds, leaving a plume of fire and smoke in their wake, acting as natural "jet engines" -- though they can't break the sound barrier. Some members of the Knights Templar have dared to learn to ride some of these creatures, and there are legends of some Nohbakim that somehow used them to pull an airship. These creatures are found wild in the Forbidden Zone of Shabar, but might be found in other regions as well -- They prey upon drifting waashu, but might attack the occasional airship as well.

2.0 Waashu

Among the various sights and hazards to be found on the skyways, the Waashu rank among the most dazzling yet potentially deadly. In short, they are giant living gasbags, which look like gargantuan semi-translucent rainbow-colored jellyfish which float on the winds at high altitudes. Their movements are largely subject to the wind, but they are capable of some maneuvering by means of sucking in gulps of air and expelling it. (At a distance, Waashu may be pleasant to see. Much closer, the odor suggests that of sulphur, and is disagreeable.)

Waashu have hanging tentacles that have paralyzing stingers on the ends, much like more familiar jellyfish. The stingers are primarily used for reflexive defensive purposes, while the tentacles are used to gather in their food -- which is generally anything they can reach. For this reason, particularly large Waashu can be a hazard to airships who might blunder into them in dense cloud cover, as the giant gasbags will immediately try to grapple for the ship and anything on it.

Rarely does a Waashu get much of a meal out of this, but many a ship has been destroyed by such encounters.

In regards to how one combats the Waashu, fire is the weapon of choice. While it is not all that easy to penetrate the rubbery hide of a living Waashu, the gases inside prove to be very flammable. It is also often possible to ignite a gasball in the vicinity of the Waashu, sometimes sufficient to drive it away. However, once the Waashu is within close range of the ship, this tends to be a very suicidal method. The hide of a living Waashu has limited self-sealing abilities, and it has multiple "sacs" inside, so simply puncturing it with, say, arrow fire, will generally have little more effect than to make the odor worse. However, no better method of saving an entangled ship is yet known -- short of a suicidal gesture or magic -- than to riddle it with arrow fire and cut and hack at it until hopefully it might slip free and sink as the gases escape.

At times, dead Waashu may be spotted, and it is hard to tell from a distance the difference between a living and dead one. In general, the skin of the Waashu becomes more opaque and dark, and is also more easily punctured. The Waashu may float for many days, even weeks, before eventually the build-up of gases and weakening of its hide is such that it simply bursts and collapses inward, falling to the ground below. (The sound of this event, as it is reported but rarely witnessed, sounds much like giving one the "raspberries". The odor is reputedly unbearable.)

Near as can be told, Waashu are no more intelligent than plants, and no brain can be found in dissected corpses. Smaller Waashu are sometimes preyed upon by iron-bellied airborne carnivores, and can be found in cloud-like swarms during the short period after being ejected upon "birth", before being dispersed by the winds. At this stage, their stingers are not all that potent, and there are tall tales and jokes told of starved airship sailors over the oceans who harvested a cloud of these things and ate them, only to begin floating away once full of the little creatures.

"Waashu sauce" is famed as being among the spiciest available anywhere, though sometimes the term is used to describe a spicy concoction that may or may not actually contain Waashu extracts.

3.0 Sky Gardens

The Waashu are not alone insofar as natural-born gasbags to be found on Sinai. There are many varieties of plants that disperse their seeds -- or seedlings -- by not so dissimilar methods. The result is what looks like a floating clump of vegetation, bouyed by thin-skinned "melons" containing lighter-than-air gases. These membranes are not quite so air-tight, and the gases will eventually seep out, causing the seedlings to descend after being borne upon the wind for many miles. Some are indeed edible, and may bear fruit, vegetables or nuts.

Insofar as the Waashu are concerned, all of these are edible, and comprise most of their diet. (After all, Sky Gardens don't try to escape, and don't put up much of a fight once absorbed, either.) One must be careful when munching on Sky Gardens, of course -- there are varieties that are poisonous to varying degrees. One must be especially careful about the various types of berries.

Then, there are also tales of those who, lacking common sense, cut into the "exploding melons". Smaller "pop-berries", however, not having enough buoyance to actually float on their own, are often considered a fun (if short-lived) toy for airship sailors to bring back to their youngsters. Unlike Waashu, floating plants aren't generally accompanied by disagreeable odors.

At certain times of the year, in agreeable climes, sometimes one can see vast clusters of flower-bearing floating seedlings, hence the name "Sky Garden".

(Tales are also told of not-so-bright airship sailors who, upon finding a big conglomerate of sky seedlings, mistook it for a floating island, swung their ship about, then leapt onto the "island", only to plummet to their dooms far below. Airship sailors really get a rough time in these stories.)

There are also variations of Sky Gardens believed to float over the Nordikan wasteland territories known as the Wandering Roams. These Sky Gardens shed small leaves that contain seedlings and nutrients, some of which may find purchase in a rare patch of fertile ground in the Roams and eventually spawn another Sky Garden. Some bands of nomads, such as the Xients, roam after these Sky Gardens, subsisting largely off of the organic matter that rains to the ground, their travels dictated by the movements of the wind.

4.0 Pests

Sinai has its share of familiar pests: non-morphic rats and mice, flies, fleas, ticks, mosquitos, and so forth. However, it also has a few more exotic nuisances:

4.1 Blood Flies

One of the more distasteful varieties of "fauna" to be found in the jungle regions of the Savan and parts of the plains is the dreaded Blood Fly. These creatures have an uncanny ability to scent blood as far as a mile away, and will arrive in swarms in a matter of minutes (or less). In a sense, they serve as "janitors" of the jungle, But, they are a genuine hazard to wounded creatures. They swarm over fallen victims, blanketing them and cramming into every available orifice, killing by suffocation. After that ... it's just another meal.

The best defense against Blood Flies (other than simply never bleeding) is to keep moving. They track by scent, not sight, so even if a swarm is in the same clearing, there is still hope to get moving, and hope to find water. Getting into water is the second method -- On the one hand, washing away blood helps. On the other, Blood Flies drown very easily, and the best way to save a victim covered with the flies is to dunk him quickly.

4.2 Chigas

These are tiny biting insects found widely distributed in the Savan, named after mythical Nagai demons. The sap of the thistlebark tree has been found to be an effective repellent against these creatures.

4.3 Jeebits

Jeebits are particularly malevolent (and small) creatures found in the Wandering Roams (though preferably NOT found if it can be managed). They are no larger than 6 inches in height, though on their surprisingly powerful legs, they are capable of leaping several feet. They capture prey by means of shocking them with their antennae. They also attack creatures they have no intention of preying upon, for all intents and purposes just to be annoying, for all anyone can tell. Despite this malicious bent, they are apparently non-sapient.

4.4 Razorworms

Razorworms are small, wiggly and quite voracious pests that have a taste for wood, and which live in the Sea of Sand of the Himaat Desert. They are a considerable hazard for sand-ships, as they can find their way through the sand toward wood at a fairly fast pace, and can eat through wood nearly as quickly. The best way to deal with them is by locating bore-holes in an infected ship and dousing the worms with poison as quickly as possible.

4.5 Vermites

Vermites resemble, more than anything else, a cross between a rat and some manner of hairy insect. They are found widely over Sinai, even somehow on the sky islands, and are greatly hated pests, often carrying disease. Only those with the most hardy of countenances can actually eat them without getting sick.

They are generally found in swarms, and some have claimed that when they are found in large numbers, they seem to behave as if they have a cunning intelligence. This has led to some studies into this phenomenon, to see if they might somehow have a "hive mentality", but nothing conclusive has been discovered yet.

5.0 Cattle

Sinai has a number of different types of beasts raised for meat, including:

5.1 Bromthen Forest-Hogs

Despite the name, these large boar-like creatures are not restricted solely to the territory of Bromthen. They look like large, squat, distorted versions of boars, with disproportionately large tusks. They are valued for their meat and for the ivory of their tusks, but they are also sometimes used to root out their favorite food -- the legendarily large Pumpkin Truffles. These creatures are ill-tempered and strong, though not particularly bright. Some attempts have been made to raise them as livestock, but these are hazardous operations.

5.2 Chibix

Chibix are nocturnal quasi-arthropods that fly on somewhat bat-like wings, and feed on fruits and seeds, found scattered across the globe, though mostly in more temperate climates. They are shelled creatures that bear some remote resemblance to bats, and, indeed, in Rephidim Standard, when one refers to "bats" in the generic, if one is not referring to an Eeee, one is likely referring to one of these creatures.

While Chibix wings are very fragile, the creatures themselves are shelled, and have some ability to regenerate (slowly), making them fairly hardy. They tend to be about the size of true bats, though there are rumors that in some regions they may reach truly legendary wingspans.

In the Ashdod Territories, they are raised as a food staple by the Eeee. Some Eeee nobles consider it a delicacy to pluck the wings from a chibix, then pry loose its shell and eat from its fatty hump, while the creature shrieks loudly, making a "pleasing" sound.

5.3 Rughrats

Rughrats are six-legged hairy beasts that are cow-like in general appearance and disposition. Rughrats are considered as being native to the continent of Ur, especially in the lowlands of the Ashdod Territories, where large herds are shepherded by the Eeee and the Fnerfs. Smaller farms are occasionally found elsewhere, where Rughrats are raised for meat, milk and for their hairy hides.

5.4 Shikk'ahn

Native to the plains of Saskanar on the western side of the Ashdod Territories, these creatures somewhat resemble velociraptors, and are quite ferocious in the wild ... but it was discovered that they make for pretty good eating, and they have subsequently been domesticated. The domesticated versions have their killing claws either bred out or removed, and are fairly docile, unless they've not been fed in a week.

5.5 Squibbits These sluggish, lumpy creatures don't look particularly appetizing, and have a consistency of gristle. However, their bodies are capable of regenerating most of their flesh, as long as the poisonous green head is not consumed. Due to the amazing resilience of these disgusting little creatures from the Savan, they are sometimes used as field rations.

5.6 Yiffles

These small blue furred creatures resemble a cross between a fox and a pig, with powerful lungs and a disagreeable temperament. If their ancestors had any intelligence, it has long since been bred out of them. Yiffles seem to exist only to eat, reproduce, expel waste products, and make rude noises. Yiffle meat is not considered to be very tasty in the least, but they are most often eaten by Nagas, who swallow rather than chew their food. The texture of Yiffle fur and the way it wiggles as it goes down is deemed to be especially pleasing to the Nagai.

6.0 Foodstuffs

While many of the types of grain, vegetables and fruits that can be found on Earth are also found on Sinai, there are a number of food products that are unique to Sinai.

6.1 Bromthen Pumpkin-Truffles

This oversized "truffle", the size of a pumpkin as the name suggests, is found exclusively in the jungles of the Savan. It is associated with the Bromthen Forest-Hog, which is its primary "predator", for the oversized boar-like creatures are unsurpassed at sniffing out and digging up these growths with their enormous tusks.

In appearance, the truffle looks like a giant, hairy pumpkin. The outer husk is thick and durable, requiring some effort to break. The inside consists of nodules of a carob-like substance. Pumpkin truffles are sometimes sought out as delicacies, but their relative rarity and the lack of ease in finding them makes them even more a rarity on anyone's dinner plate (except, perhaps, that of a Bromthen Forest-Hog...).

Sometimes Forest-Hogs have been used to root out these truffles, but (unfortunately for truffle connosieurs and for the Forest-Hog), the boar-like creature is rather tasty as well, and his ivory tusks are far more valuable than any truffles ... so he's not likely to be kept on as a pet. (Besides, Bromthen Forest-Hogs are impossible to truly "tame".)

6.2 Kyootcumber

Kyootcumbers are spicy vegetables that grow on vines in abundance on the undersides of the sky islands, and thus are harvested by fliers. While not as spicy as "Waashu sauce", various kyootcumber extracts are used to flavor foods, especially in Rephidim (since there is a ready supply on the Underside).

6.3 Lovan

Lovan fruits can be found in the Savan Territories, cantalope-sized melon-like fruits that grow on vines, and which have a spongy, bread-like interior with light coloration. The fruit is more or less tasteless, but in especially arid seasons, water collects in the spongy interiors, thus making it a good resource for those short on water. Also, with some preparation, recipes using lovan can make a pretty good substitute for bread or cake.

6.4 Mateh

A small fernlike plant found in hot jungle regions of Sinai and widely cultivated, Mateh's long, thin brown roots contain caffiene. These roots are harvested, dry-roasted and ground. Boiling water filtered through this powder will produce a dark, rich, slightly bitter beverage that is usually sweetened with honey, sugarfir leaf, or sugar. Cream or milk may also be added, as may xochlatl. Due to its properties as a stimulant, a hot cup of mateh is enjoyed as a "wakeup" beverage by many species able to tolerate caffiene. Mateh root also varies in taste and aroma depending on its place of origin; certain prized varieties will be more costly than a "common" variety such as one might find in any low-priced inn.

6.5 Pala-Fruit

This fruit bearing tree can be found in many varieties in oases of the Himaat and other arid regions. It is distinguishable by having tiny leaves and similarly tiny fruits as well. The trees do not grow in great numbers, and therefore the fruit is fairly rare, since it is a very "finicky" plant if raised outside its natural habitat. Therefore, the fruit of this tree is somewhat rare and is considered mostly a "delicacy" and food of the wealthy.

6.6 Sugarfir

Mostly associated with the territories of Aelfhem, Sugarfir trees have black bark, offset by bright pink leaves. These leaves have seedling bulbs in the base removed, and are then ground up to provide a popular sweetener. Groves of Sugarfir are grown for this purpose in the Ashdod Territories, though it's held that the rare varieties cultivated in Aelfhem are of superior quality.

7.0 Gooshurms and Zolk

Gooshurms are large worm-like creatures found in the Himar Region on the continent of Ai, either in the Himar Territories or portions of the Himaat. They have trifiburcated mouths, and three prehensile tongues, and a tendency to slobber excessively. They are best known for burrowing underneath the soil, then popping up to assault foxes and fox-like creatures, slobbering all over them and then disappearing, leaving a dripping wet (and shocked) victim.

This behavior is apparently based upon the Gooshurm's relationship with another creature that shares its trilateral symmetry: the Burrowbit. Burrowbits roughly resemble a cross between a giant worm and a mole, digging underneath the ground. Burrowbits store nutrients (usually fungus) in pouches inside their body. As a defense mechanism, when attacked, Burrowbits basically expel their insides, allowing predators to munch on them, and hopefully stuff themselves enough so that they won't feel compelled to tear the Burrowbit to pieces in the process.

The Gooshurm obviously takes advantage of this process, simply seeking out Burrowbits and then slobbering on them. The Burrowbit obligingly expels its nutrients, and the Gooshurm consumes them, then flees. Apparently, something about foxes must cause Gooshurms to mistake them for Burrowbits.

Gooshurms are not mere pests, though. It is believed that they are responsible for the creation of the material known as zolk. "Zolk prospectors" sometimes traverse the Sea of Sand in the Himaat, in search of patches of "zolk threads" that can be used in the process of creating zolk fabric. There are several grades of zolk, the rarest exhibiting amazing properties of durability. "Platinum" zolk, the rarest variety, has a metallic white sheen, and is held to be highly puncture resistant, somewhat like kevlar. Some believe that these "zolk threads" are in fact sheddings from the stomach linings of Gooshurms, as the sand wears away at their insides while they sift the sand for nourishment.

8.0 Pets and Guard Animals

While some people will try to make a pet out of just about anything, there are still a few creatures that are the closest to "dog and cat" equivalents for Sinai (or at least Rephidimite society), insofar as pets and "guard dogs" go.

8.1 Beasthounds

Beasthounds are dog-equivalent pseudoreptiles, having scaly hides interspersed with sparse hairs, a ridge of sharp needle-like spines down their backs (making the act of petting them very hazardous), and muzzles that sport two triangle sets of sharp teeth. They are often employed as guard-dogs, though they are a bit too temperamental (and dangerous) to be used as true pets on any wide basis.

8.2 Creens

Creens are small serpentine lizards with feathered wings and sometimes tail-plumes in bright, festive colors. They are found in many colors and varieties in tropical areas, especially in the jungles. They are found on all of the major continents, not constrained to a particular region.

They are insectivores, and some varieties are capable of being taught to mimic sounds, much like parrots, hence making them somewhat popular as exotic pets for those who can afford them.

8.3 Fuff'nars

Native to Lamu, but found in many areas all across Sinai, the fuff'nars are very odd creatures. Their appearance can best be described as 'cute'. They are about a foot to a foot and a half long, followed by a ringed tail that is equal to their bodies in length. Fur color is tawny beige, with reddish brown stripes marking their back and legs. Scavengers by nature, they usually travel in small packs and live off the pickings of larger predators. They are capable of bringing down their own prey if their numbers are great enough in a particular pack.

For some reason, many nobles have taken to procuring fuff'nars as pets. If kept well fed, they've proven to be tame and affectionate -- although if they go for any length of time without food, there's an excellent chance they'll attack their owner. Thusly, when the fuff'nar owmer decides to take the pet for a walk... it's a good idea to keep them muzzled.

Fuff'nars have one amazing trait; they can actually mimic a person's voice -- often repeating words said to it by the master. They tend to pick up words relating to their lifestyle and scavenger nature, usually words like "dead" and "kill".

8.4 Groks

Groks are quasi-insectoid "dog"-type creatures domesticated by the Eeee of the Ashdod Territories (and also found running wild in the wilderness). They are completely blind, having no eyes, but have keen senses of smelling, hearing, and are very sensitive to air movements that hint at the presence of prey or intruders. They are reasonably well-armored, with chitinous shells, but are not very bright.

8.5 Krenns

Alternate name: "Blue-Hunter".

A small but fierce carnivore found in the Savan, noted for its large and sensitive ears, long snout, faintly blue-tinged fur, and large claws. These creatures are often hunted for their pelts, but can be trained as pets and guardians.

They are not so powerful or resilient as Beasthounds or Groks, lacking thick hides or body armor. However, they are known to fight in a flurry of tooth and claw (mostly claw), sufficient to drive off most enemies twice their size. They're also more favored as pets since they're more easily house-trained than most combat beasts, and tend to be slightly more sociable.

8.6 Vanderats

Vanderats are, in short, furry velociraptors that come in a wide variety of colorful markings, and which are raised and bred for their speed, found in the lands of the Khattan Emirate of the Himaat.

Vanderat races are a popular spectator sport in Abu Dhabi, with organized gambling over which ones are expected to win or place.

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