Xiuhcoatl

Cryptologic Name: Fterophidia xiuhcoatl
Planar Origin: Ilhuicatl-Teotlatlauhco
Habitat: Tropical climate, primarily jungle habitat
Diet: Carnivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Xiuhcoatls are one of many creatures in the Ophidiaves family, which display features of both snakes and birds. These particular creatures have long, serpentine bodies covered in small, colorful feathers and plain snake scales along their bellies. A bright ruff of larger feathers extends from the base of the creature’s neck, and can be raised like a frill when the xiuhcoatl is displaying. They also have a spiked, colorful ridge on their snout which matches in height the length of its head. From the tip of the tail protrudes a bony structure resembling a club which comes to a sharp point. The xiuhcoatl hatches at a length of 50-70cm and can reach lengths of up to 10m in length when fully grown, though it takes decades for these creatures to reach such a size.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
Like many nonmagical snakes, the xiuhcoatl is an ambush predator, meaning it usually waits until prey wanders within strike range before seizing it in its coils. Their large shout ridge can shift in color and even produce flashes of light, which they use in a similar fashion to anglerfish, creating dazzling displays to entice prey to into their waiting jaws. This display has an explicitly magical mesmerizing effect, so it is important to take proper precautions when observing these creatures. Study has shown that the magic only takes effect when the observer can perceive both the colors and pattern of the flashing lights, so people who are colorblind have a natural immunity to their effects, as well as other creatures who perceive light differently. As a full grown adult, xiuhcoatls will often prey upon smaller species of dragons, as their mesmeric display seems to be particularly effective on draconic creatures. In addition, their body feathers having a natural flame-retardant quality which protects them from the dragon’s fiery breath.

Aside from their use in luring prey, xiuhcoatls will also use these colorful displays to attract mates and to defend territory. The mating display involves an intricate interplay between males and females, while the defensive display is similar and is always accompanied by a raising of the feathered frill on the creature’s neck. Territorial disputes can often lead to fierce fights between these creatures; the xiuhcoatl will use its bony tail club to lash out, often attempting to damage the nose ridge of the adversary and disrupt its ability to properly execute its mesmerizing display. Individuals who take extensive damage to their snouts have a much harder time capturing prey than their intact counterparts.

Field Notes

• While I don’t wish to downplay the danger these creatures pose to humans, I do find the young of these creatures to be quite charming and mostly harmless so long as they’re under about 2m in length. It takes time for the creatures to master their mesmerizing patterns, and while they do have sharp teeth and reasonably strong jaws, these are not venomous creatures.

Caladrius

Cryptologic Name: Passeridia asthentroia
Planar Origin: Caelum
Habitat: Various
Diet: Manavorous

Appearance & Morphology
The caladrius is a small, white bird with long, tufted tail feathers. They are about the size of wrens, averaging about 15cm from beak to the tips of their long tail feathers. Many of their wing feathers have a pearly or iridescent sheen to them, making the caladrius appear vibrant and colorful in the right light.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
Caladrius are disease-eaters, surviving by absorbing specific pathogens from a variety of plant and animal hosts. Each individual only has a limited range of maladies which it can consume, most of which are closely related. As such these birds are not the miraculous cure-alls that early mages had hoped when they discovered their talents.

The caladrius is incredibly selective when it comes to consuming pathogens, evidently because its appetite is quite insubstantial. These birds will normally only eat about once a month before migrating great distances around the Earth. Unfortunately this makes them an ill-effective measure against large outbreaks of disease, even if there is a caladrius in the area who can consume the specific pathogens present, as it will only absorb the illness from one, perhaps two individuals before moving on. It is unclear why they have such a limited appetite, particularly when they travel so far between feedings. It is likely that a more complicated magical process is going on when they “eat” these diseases than what we can easily observe.

Field Notes

• Very few of these amazing birds have ever been successfully raised or kept in captivity. They appear to have an intrinsic wanderlust that causes them great distress when they are confined to more limited spaces. As such most will become ill or even die if they don’t have sufficient space to roam; it would require a massive birdcage to keep one of these creatures both contained and content.

Peryton

Cryptologic Name: C. cervidaves
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Temperate forests
Diet: Carnivorous, preying on a variety of animals, including humans

Appearance & Morphology
The peryton is a large half-cervine, half-avian creature with the head, forelegs and torso of a deer and the hindquarters, wings, and tail of a large bird. Despite having a head normally seen on an herbivore, these creatures are voracious predators and have long, razor-sharp fangs in their otherwise unassuming mouths. All perytons have antlers regardless of sex, much like reindeer, and will use them to gore larger prey.

Behavior & Magical Abilities
Perytons are very unusual creatures; they cast a humanoid shadow despite their shape, but their shadow will return to “normal” by eating the heart of a human being. The intrinsic magic in this is not remotely understood and, given the ethical implications, this is a difficult subject to research. What we do know, however, is that perytons can only reproduce when their shadows have returned to their own shape. Young peryton are cared for by their mothers; unlike nonmagical deer, fawns do not drink milk, but rather will lap blood from the doe’s kills while she consumes the majority of the meat.

Field Notes

• Despite being hybrid creatures that could feasibly fall under the griff umbrella, perytons are a naturally-occurring species. While it is possible for alchemists to create a griff that resembles the peryton, such a creature is unlikely to be a carnivore, given the arrangement of features. While I am not familiar with any alchemists who have created a creature of this type, the hippalectryon (horse front and rooster rear) is a similar enough creation to draw some inferences.

Thunderbird

Cryptologic Name: Fulgaquila wakinyan
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Arid regions
Diet: Carnivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Thunderbirds are giant raptors resembling golden-feathered eagles. These birds have three pairs of wings and two long, bare tails that end in feathery tufts. Thunderbirds’ sharp, hooked beaks; powerful talons; and powerful wings make them incredibly fierce hunters. These enormous creatures can pick up fully grown bison to take back to their nests to feed at their leisure.

Behavior & Magical Abilities
Thunderbirds are rather aptly named, as they create thunderclaps when they beat all 3 pairs of wings in tandem. They don’t always use all three sets when they fly, as it’s rather difficult to take prey by surprise when they’re constantly making loud noises as they fly. When these magnificent birds beat their wings repeatedly, they will summon severe thunderstorms, particularly when multiple individuals are flying together. They can direct lightning generated in the clouds, though it takes a good deal of concentration for them to control it with any kind of accuracy.

Thunderbirds are generally solitary creatures, and are fiercely territorial. When territory disputes occur, the birds can call up dangerously powerful storms as they vie for territory. Aside from territorial disputes, these birds usually only come together to mate and care for their young; usually only having broods of 1-2 at a time. Both parents share responsibility of caring for the eggs and hatchings, usually alternating between guarding the nest and hunting. Thunderbird chicks usually fledge about 14-16 weeks after hatching, and are taught to fly and hunt by their mother, at which time the father generally leaves to reclaim his former territory.

Field Notes

• While thunderbirds do cause storms, this is not meant to suggest that all thunderstorms are a result of thunderbirds’ magic; like any weather phenomenon, most instances occur completely naturally as a result of atmospheric conditions.

• Thunderbird quills are potent magical materials, often used in magical rituals or as wand cores, though wands with thunderbird feather cores tend to be temperamental unless used by a highly skilled mage.

Alicanto

Cryptologic Name: Alchimiave aurum
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Arid regions
Diet: Carnivorous, eating mostly insects

Appearance & Morphology
The alicanto, commonly known as the “alchemy bird,” is a small songbird that is primarily golden in color, with dark patterns on its brow and belly and a white patch on its chin. These birds have long, streaming tails and a metallic shimmer to many of their feathers. The alicanto’s eyes glow silvery-white in low light.

Magical Abilities
These incredible birds live up to their common moniker as their excrement contains a powerful alchemical reagent that can turn sand into gold. This reagent works on sand in many different forms including sandstone and some other materials that are similar in chemical structure (the silica seems to be the most relevant ingredient but appears not to be the only necessary component)

Behavior
Like many creatures that make their homes in the desert, the alicanto is nocturnal, emerging at night to hunt for insects and returning to their homes before dawn. These birds are rather unique in that it only nests in sheltered caves. Because of this and the unique properties of the bird’s droppings, an alicanto’s cave will become gilded over time. This makes them incredibly valuable for anyone who can find them, but between the natural dangers of the desert as well as the wiles of the birds themselves, it is not an easy endeavor to claim an alicanto’s treasure.

Field Notes

• Alicantos are cunning and mischievous creatures; they seem to have an understanding of the value of the gold they produce and as such are very protective of it. When they become aware that they are being followed, these cunning birds will often lead their pursuers over cliffs, into pits of quicksand, or sometimes into areas with dangerous predators. If you come across an alicanto and wish to find its lair, but very cautious that the bird doesn’t see you, or at the very least be vigilant in observing your surroundings.

• There is a related species, A. argenti, known as the “silver alicanto,” for its corresponding grey and metallic silver coloration. As you might guess, they also have alchemical poop that turns things to silver rather than gold. These birds are much rarer than their gold counterparts.

Phoenix

Cryptologic Name: Polifotia foinix
Planar Origin: Olympia
Habitat: Mountainous regions
Diet: Carnivorous; eating small rodents and fish

Appearance & Morphology
The most well-known member of the polifotia genus (the firebirds), the phoenix is a large, crane-like bird with plumage in bright red, orange, and yellow. They have long, curved beaks that are golden in color and elaborate plumage cresting their heads.

Magical Abilities
The phoenix is venerated among the most magical creatures know to us, and has a number of magical abilities. Primary among them is their ability to self-combust; this skill is most well-known to be used by elderly phoenixes who have reached the end of their lifetimes and will immolate themselves to be reborn from the ashes of their previous body. This is a very limited scope of this power, however, as mature phoenixes can cause their wing and tail feathers to ignite at will. This does not scorch their feathers, but simply creates a wreath of flame that burns on their surface.

Beyond their iconic flames, these amazing birds have other magical properties. Their unique songs can be used to communicate, not only with other phoenixes, but with people and other sentient beings. They do not speak, in the conventional sense of the word, but they can communicate feelings and ideas through their songs. We believe there is some telepathic component but as yet cannot confirm this.

Phoenixes also have unique magic centered around their flight. When grasping an object with its talons, the weight of that object is significantly reduced, allowing them to fly carrying great burdens with ease.

Phoenix blood and phoenix feathers are both known to have incredible magical properties on their own. Their blood has incredible restorative properties and is often used in healing and cleansing potions, and their feathers are powerful magical catalysts, used in enhancing a wide variety of spells.

Behavior
The phoenix is an incredibly intelligent, curious, and long-lived bird, and as such is held as a very wise animal. Phoenixes are known to live in a single body for hundreds of years before being reborn, and it is believed that memories of their previous incarnations are regained over time in their new bodies.

Most phoenixes live solitary lives, only coming together to mate, which is a very infrequent occurrence. Given phoenixes’ long lifespans, they don’t reach sexual maturity until they are approximately 90-100 years old, and global populations are fairly small, so phoenix chicks are very few and far between.

Field Notes

• While phoenixes are known to be highly intelligent, they are also generally rather distrusting of humanity, and with good reason given the uses of their feathers and blood as magical ingredients. On rare occasion, however, their curiosity aligns with our own and a phoenix will befriend a unique individual in whom it has taken an interest. This is the primary way in which we’ve been able to study these amazing creatures, as they tend to avoid us otherwise.

Tammer

Cryptologic Name: Oryctolagus voluns
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: Temperate forests and prarieland
Diet: Herbivore; prefers wildflowers

Appearance/Morphology
The tammer is physiologically very similar to the common jackrabbit with a few distinctive additions: they have long tails with tufted ends, wings on their backs, and marsupial-like pouches on their bellies. Their colors and patterns vary but most commonly they are white, tan, black and/or brown. These creatures are quite agile both on land and in the air.

Magical Abilities
Tammers are one member of a trio of magical lagomorphs (rabbits) including the woltperinger and the jackalope. These three creatures are interrelated, but each species has distinct magical abilities. Tammers have the unique ability to locate and teleport to any individual on Earth by using a special item associated with that person, which cryptozoologists refer to as a ‘token.’ By placing this token in their pouch, they can travel instantly to their targets.

The token has rather specific qualifications to be useful for the tammer. The item must be a gift given by the intended target to another. The connection is most potent when the token is something given by the target to the sender, however it seems to work even if the individual sending the tammer was not the recipient of said gift.

It should be noted that tammers can also locate and travel to individuals with whom they’ve bonded without needing to use a token. As such they work well as delivery creatures for large families because each member of the family can bond with the tammer and thus the creature can travel freely between everyone without needing tokens.

A tammer’s teleportation ability is also unique in that it functions in a fundamentally different way than apparition; as such tammers can teleport to locations where most magical travel isn’t possible. There are barriers that can keep tammers out, but they are more sophisticated than most commonly used protection spells. This posed a particular problem in early wizarding prisons as random objects, weapons, and the like would occasionally appear in inmates’ cells without explanation.

Behavior
Highly intelligent compared to their nonmagical, and even their related magical rabbit species, the tammer can understand human speech when trained. Though their vocal chords do not allow them to speak. Many mages who have tammers as companions and/or delivery animals will train them to use bodily signals, such as the raising and lowering of ears, flexing of wings, etc. to communicate.

Field Notes

• Before the implementation of the Owl Post system, tammers were much more widely used as delivery animals. They were very efficient at making deliveries, assuming you had something that would function as a token. Because the tammer teleports, rather than flying to their destination, they can transport a variety of objects that would be too large for owls. In addition, they are impossible to track by ordinary means as owls and other delivery birds are. The main drawback and reason that tammers are not as widely used today is because of the token qualifications required for their magic to work. For owls to make deliveries, all that is required is an address

• The token is a unique concept in the magical world as the tammer seems to be the only creature we are aware of that uses an object with these qualifications as part of its magical abilities. In addition, the word ‘gift’ may be a bit misleading, as a tammer can generally use anything that was given by the recipient to another living being, even if it is not what we would conventionally consider a gift. Whatever magical properties exist in the giving of a token from one individual to another such that it triggers the tammer’s natural abilities is a subject that I truly believe deserves further research. My hypothesis is that there is some sort of empathic energy that is imbued in objects given as gifts, and that this energy is unique from person to person. This might also explain their ability to locate those with whom they have a connection even without the use of a token.

  We see evidence of this sort of empathic connection elsewhere in the magical world as in some rare cases witches and wizards possess the ability to sense and influence the emotions of others (I myself posess such abilities). In addition, there is the amustelid, who has very strong empathic powers and seems to form connections with other living beings that allow it to maintain its empathic connection over great distances. I would very much like to test this theory but have yet to come up with a good idea as to the method.

Griffin

Cryptologic Name: Felidaves s.
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Highly varied
Diet: Carnivorous, they are voracious hunters (most of them anyway)

Appearance & Morphology
Griffins (alt. griffon or gryphon) are a widely varied genus if chimeric creatures that posess the body, hindquarters, and tail of a a feline and the head and wings of a bird. The forelegs are often bird talons as well, but in some variants they are also feline in morphology. Coloration, size, and shape are all dependent upon the core species of the creature, and as such an extensive variety of species exist within this genus.

Magical Abilities
As stated above, griffins are chimeric creatures; this means that they were created using alchemy to fuse different animals together. While the process of their creation is purely magical in origin, they don’t possess any particular magical powers of their own, unless their component creatures are magical in nature, and then the crafted griffin with generally possess similar abilities.

Griffins are rather unique amongst chimeric creatures as they can breed with others of their species. It is unclear how this is possible when most chimeric creatures cannot breed. This does mean, however, that there are now wild populations of griffin species in the world.

While they may not possess any magical abilities in their own right, some of their components have use in potion-making in a way that their predecessors do not. It is unclear why this is, but the theory is that it has something to do with the alchemical process of their creation. Griffin claws (from the feline hind legs) are used in many curative potions and the feathers are used in a special potion that allows blind people to see for a limited duration.

Behavior
Griffins, being such a disparate and varied group, have similarly varied behavior patterns. Most of these creature’s behaviors are reasonably linked to their base species, thus a traditional griffin crafted from a lion and eagle is likely to be a voracious predator, whereas a griffin crafted from a house cat and a songbird is more likely to be fairly docile. The general trend is that the avian half of the pair tends to influence the expected behavior more than the feline half, likely because the head, and thus brain, are avian.

There are a few traits seen across species that are worth noting. First, is that griffins mate for life, and will care for their young through adolescence. Courtship among griffins is rather unique in that they seem to have inherited their avian ancestor’s flair for courtship rituals. Many griffins will display their plumage, sing, or perform elaborate dances in an attempt to attract a mate. This does suppose, however, that other individuals of their particular species exist, which is not always the case.

Field Notes

• The first and most important note I feel should be made is related to the welfare of the species used to create griffins. While early alchemists did use a living lion and eagle to create the first griffins, modern alchemists no longer use living animals in their work. It does require DNA from the species and a collection of other organic matter, but the lives of two living animals are no longer combined into a single being to create these creatures.

• The first griffins, created by alchemists millenia ago, were all crafted from the same set of creatures: a lion and an eagle. This had great cultural significance at the time as the lion was considered the “king of beasts” and the eagle the “king of birds,” thus the union of the two was an especially powerful symbol, not to mention an exceptionally fierce creature. It wasn’t until more recently in history that alchemists began to branch out and experiment on their own, combining any odd combination of bird and cat they were so inspired to. This makes for rather odd ecology for these creatures, as some species only have single individuals existing at any given time, and thus will never form wild populations. This is somewhat vexing for cryptozoologists like myself, as a great deal of information can only be gleaned by observing creatures in the wild. Admittedly it has tempted me to learn alchemical techniques such that I could create my own griffins, but there are enough wild species of cryptids in our world that my work is cut out for me without needing to create more for myself.

• Presently there are six species known to have wild populations on earth:

  • F. aquileo: “True griffin,” created from a lion and eagle, living in mountainous regions around the world. These are the most prolific species.

  • F. corvatus: “Black griffin,” created from a common raven and domestic cat. Much smaller than true griffin, they generally live in temperate forests and human-inhabited areas, and are scavengers much like their avian ancestors.

  • F. tytocal: “Owl griffin,” while there are a number of owl griffin species, only one has a wild population, and it is a species consisting of a barn owl and a caracal. These creatures are found throughout Africa and Europe.

  • F. domesticus: “Sparrow griffin,” the smallest wild griffin species, these consist of a house sparrow and domestic cat. This species can be found across the northern hemisphere.

  • F. pardarauna: “Parrot griffin,” consisting of a blue-and-yellow macaw and a leaopard, these are the most colorful wild griffin species, as well as the only species found in South America.

  • F. jugrinus: “Swift Griffin,” crafted using two of the quickest of their respective species, the peregrine falcon and the cheetah. This species is found primarily in northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

• The griffin pictured here is under my personal care, and is not a wild owl griffin, but a related species, F. nebucola, created from a great grey owl and a domestic cat. He was given to me by an alchemist friend of mine, who was experimenting with different griffin breeds. He is quite playful and loves hunting squirrels in our back yard. He is a recent addition to the menagerie and as yet doesn’t have a name, so I welcome any suggestions.

Polycerus

Cryptologic Name: Canis multicerus
Planar Origin: Olympia
Habitat: Highly varied, depending primarily on their progenitors
Diet: Omnivorous; primarily eat meat but will also consume grains and vegetables

Appearance & Morphology
Polyceri are a diverse group of canines possessing multiple heads. Three-headed individuals are the most common morphs, with two-headed dogs being somewhat rarer. Other multiples are possible but exceedingly rare; to date the highest known head-count on a single individual is thirteen. Because the two and three-headed variants are more common, they are commonly called “orthrus” and “cerberus,” respectively. These names come from the first known records of polyceri in myths of ancient Greece.

These creatures’ origins are purely magical, meaning that they are generally born from single-headed dogs under specific conditions. Those conditions, however, are not entirely clear to us at present and may, in fact, simply be a random “mutation.” From a biological standpoint, polyceri are not a distinct species from its canine progenitors (nor from other polyceri with different numbers of heads) as they can procreate with other dogs with any number of heads. We do know that multi-headed parents will more often produce multi-headed offspring but are not guaranteed to do so; breeding a pair of cerberi has yielded single-headed puppies on many occasions.

Aside from the extra head(s), polyceri physically resemble their single-headed counterparts in all other respects; they inherit coloration, size, and shape based on their genetics. Thus, an orthrus born from a pair of golden retrievers will simply look like a golden retriever with an extra head.

Magical Abilities
Polyceri only have a singular known magical ability: they can see things that are invisible. This includes creatures that are intrinsically or can become invisible, as well as magic spells and objects which turn things invisible or conceal objects or living things though other methods. This even includes beings that are entirely incorporeal, such as phantoms. Thus far, no method has yet been devised to “fool” a polycerus’s eyes. This ability, combined with their naturally keen senses of smell and hearing, mean that polyceri make very effective guard dogs.

It should be noted that magical hounds (such as coin-sithe, hell hounds, etc.) are also capable of producing polyceri and these multi-headed hounds retain any magical abilities of their parents.

Behavior
Much like their appearance, these creatures are dogs through-and-through in terms of behavior as well. They are social creatures, moderately intelligent (though much of this is based on breed), easily trainable, and generally form strong bonds with their companions.

Temperaments in polyceri can vary widely, with trends following those of their breed fairly closely, but quirks tend to be more pronounced compared to their single-headed relatives on account of having multiple dog brains at work. Thus, multi-headed chihuahuas will likely be even yappier and more excitable, border collies will have greater herding tendencies, etc. Each head also seems to have a distinct personality, though they tend to align fairly closely. Furthermore, all the heads work in tandem to control the creature’s body collectively, which tends to make them a little more derpy when the heads don’t coordinate properly; you tend to see this the most in puppies, as they generally learn how to coordinate better as they age.

Field Notes

• It’s worth noting that “dog” is used as a fairly wide classification when describing the species that can become polyceri. Any creature in the biological family Canidae can produce a polycerus, which includes domestic dogs, wild dogs, jackals, raccoon dogs, all species of wolf, and all species of fox. It addition, as stated above, magical canines can also produce polyceri, so it would appear that either the overall morphology of canines, or perhaps simply the idea of canines as a group of animals is what gives rise to these creatures.

Cù-Sìth

Cryptologic Name: Sylva Canis
Planar Origin: Fae
Habitat: Prefer temperate fields and forests
Diet: Decomposer; only consumes dead material

Appearance
Coin-Sìth, also known as “mossdogs” or “faerie dogs,” are large canines who resemble either wolves or foxes in overall body shape, and have mottled green and brown fur and long, braided tails. The vulpine (fox-shaped) coin-sìth are more commonly seen in the Americas, while the lupine (wolf-shaped) variant are more commonly seen in Europe and western Asia), A variety of mosses, wildflowers, mushrooms, other plants grow in the canine’s fur.

Magical Abilities
The cù-sìth is strongly associated with death, given that they consume only dead plants and animals. These creatures are known to predict when living things in their vicinity are close to death, and will howl to indicate this, similar to the wail of the banshee. Their pelts also have the ability to grow all manner of plant and fungal life. These creatures secrete a magical substance from their skin that acts as a fertilizer, causing plants and fungi to germinate and grow much more rapidly than usual. This substance is also particularly good at growing magical flora.

Behavior
While widely feared (particularly in the British Isles) as harbingers of death, these creatures are actually quite docile, inquisitive and playful creatures. While it is true that they tend to bark or howl in anticipation of a living being’s death (similar to the wail of a banshee), they are never responsible for the death itself. They simply feed off decomposing meat and plants, and howl when they sense death approaching. They howl far more often for dying trees, plants, and wild animals than they do for people, but like many magical creatures associated with death, misfortune, and other unpleasant occurrences, they often get a bad reputation through no fault of their own. In truth they are just as much harbingers of life as death; the energy absorbed from the dead plants and animals which they eat fosters the life growing on their coats.

Field Notes

• As might be expected, these creatures are popular companions for herbologists, as magical fauna seems to grow particularly well in their fur. In fact, many magical plants and fungi would be nearly impossible to cultivate otherwise. Beyond serving herbologists as a growing medium, they also consume dead plant matter, meaning they will happily dead-head flowers and remove dead vegetation without damaging the living plants around them. While not commonly kept as pets, those who do agree that they make for a nice alternative to composting since coin-sìth will faithfully dispose of food waste, even the parts we don’t generally eat like fruit peels and meat trimmings. They do seem less fond of overly processed foods though, so don’t expect them to clean up your leftover Velveeta dip.

• Because of their knack for growing magical plants and fungi, coin-sith often glow in the dark as a result of the bio-luminescence that is often seen in magical species of flora