Coming up, in this month’s Crystal Ball article for our patrons:
Beasts of Burden
Most creatures of the Five Lands are similar enough to Earth animals as to be indistinguishable. Fjordstadians might say “snow camel”, but we would call the same creature a “white rabbit”. They also ride gigantic squirrels (see the Crystal Ball for January, Rodents of Unusual Size), but despite the white horse’s size and tamability, it’s basically just, well, a big squirrel.
Here are three creatures from around the Lands, used by the locals to do the work that they can’t or won’t do themselves.
Dour Raven
A dour raven – not to be confused with the sullen raven, the glum raven or the bleak raven, all of which are also native to Bogovia – is a short, flightless bird that is eyeing you suspiciously.
Hull Leviathans
The hull leviathans are an uncommon, but old and well-established mode of transportation in the western Islands, where the winds are relatively calm and sails aren’t as effective as having a huge whale-like creature that pulls your boat.
Sisyphean Bear
Maseia is a Land of rolling hills – and of things rolling on hills. The sisyphean bear is a strange breed of brown bear, who learned to use the hilly terrain and tall grass in order to hunt slowly but efficiently, using a truly bizarre method.
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