Drakatrice

Cryptologic Name: Fidoura anapsis
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Temperate wetlands
Diet: Omnivorous

Appearance & Morphology
The drakatrice, also commonly referred to as the “duckatrice,” resembles a nonmagical duck in overall morphology with the exception of a serpent-like tail with a ribbed fin toward the end. These creatures come in a variety of shapes and colors, based on their lineage, but all share one commonality: solid yellow eyes. Much like their nonmagical counterparts, drakatrices are built for the water with water-resistant down; webbed feet; and a strong, finned tail to help propel them through the water.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
As one might guess based on their nomenclature and morphology, the drakatrice is related to the more common cockatrice, though are significantly less dangerous than their gallinaceous cousins. Both of these species are purely magical in nature and do not mate to reproduce, but rather spawn from eggs of nonmagical birds (chickens and ducks). While cockatrice chicks will often kill their parents, drakatrice ducklings pose no threat to their family members and are almost always accepted and raised by their nonmagical parents, usually remaining with flocks of their nonmagical relatives throughout their lives. Also similar to the cockatrice, the drakatrice has a magical gaze which is its primary defense mechanism against predators. While a drakatrice’s gaze won’t turn you to stone, it will cause your entire body to freeze in place for a period of time, allowing the creature and its flock to continue grazing in peace before moving on at their leisure. Ducks related to the individual drakatrice are immune to this power, as well as other drakatrices.

Field Notes

• Drakatrices may pose less of a threat than cockatrices, however they should still be approached with caution. While the effects their freezing gaze are temporary, if you are caught by it in a bad moment it can be quite troublesome or even deadly. For example, if you were to startle one of these creatures while swimming, you would be at serious risk of drowning.

Scintillavir

Cryptologic Name: Mikromageia scintillavir
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Various
Diet: Manavorous

Appearance & Morphology
Scintillavir, also known as splinterfolk, are small creatures with wispy, colorful bodies in a variety of hues. Their heads are unique to each individual often resemble something related to their provenance (a topic that will be discussed in the next section). These creatures are semi-corporeal, as they are essentially a coalescence of mana with a spark of consciousness, but they can manipulate the mana that makes up their bodies in order to become more or less solid, such that they can interact with the material world as they desire. Furthermore, they can alter their shape and form in a variety of ways, though they are most commonly seen as humanoid in appearance.

Behavior & Magical Abilities
Scintillavir are purely magical in origin, and as such do not reproduce biologically. Each individual springs to life from something small that is imbued with magical energy; these are referred to as the scintillavir’s “provenance.” The provenance is generally a small piece or amount of something, and can be nearly anything which contains mana. Often when a piece of a magical object or creature is split off from the main body, it retains some of its magical power, and these small fragments of magic can come to life as scintillavum. It is unclear why only small slivers of magic can become alive in this way, as much about how these creatures come to be is still a mystery, but we do know that it is a rare phenomenon.

The provenance of a scintillavum is often incorporated into their being or effects, depending on the nature of said provenance. For example, a scintillavum birthed from the ceramic chip of a teacup, that chip might become a part of the scitillavir’s body or perhaps they will turn it into some sort of jewelry to wear. Not all provenances are physical objects, however, so they can manifest in other ways as well. A stray moonbeam which spawns a scintillavum may manifest itself as a pale glow emanating from their body which changes with the phases of the moon.

Splinterfolk can sustain themselves by continuing to absorb mana from their surroundings, and can also manipulate mana that is similar to that which spawned them. Because each provenance is different, this means each individual has unique magical abilities.

As you’ve gathered by now, splinterfolk are a very diverse group of beings because their magical origins are so varied. It should come as no surprise that the range of personalities and behavior patterns can be wildly different between individuals, and that the nature of their provenance has a great impact on their temperaments and identities. One common ability scintillavir all seem to possess is the ability to communicate. They do not explicitly have a language (though a few whose origins were closely tied to language can speak and/or write in a collection of languages related to their provenance), but they can communicate thoughts and feelings telepathically. It can take some time to learn how to interpret them, but these unique little creatures can have quite a lot to “say” when they find someone who is willing to listen.

Field Notes

• Because they don’t reproduce biologically, scintillavir are sexless. They do, however, often express gender as part of their identity. While it is unclear why exactly this happens, I believe splinterfolk are impacted by human perception (or the perception of other sentient beings in their vicinity). While this is still only a theory, it might explain why these creatures often choose humanoid forms, and why they tend to surround themselves with things that we would connote with their provenances.

• As these delightful creatures are so varied in characteristics, personalities, and powers, I’ve decided to keep a catalogue of all the individuals I’ve met in my tenure as a cryptozoologist. You can find that record HERE

Blarnsneep

Cryptologic Name: Daimicro polychroma
Planar Origin: Faerie
Habitat: Forested areas
Diet: Omnivorous, mostly eating berries, insects, and flowers

Appearance & Morphology
Blarnsneeps, are small, fuzzy, colorful fae beings with large eyes and pointed ears. They have two short, birdlike legs and a long flexible tail with a large tuft on the end. Most of their species have white ears and tail tufts, but body fur in a wide range of colors bright including pink, blue, green, orange, and yellow.

Behavior & Magical Abilities
The blarnsneep is often called a “paint gremlin” (or “paint pixie” for those who appreciate alliteration) due to a set of glands at the end of their tail which secrete a colorful paste. The individual can control the hue of their tail paint, though it appears that their diet influences the range of colors available to them at any given time. These creatures will then use their tail tufts as a brush to paint elaborate murals on a variety of surfaces in their home territories. They also have very fine control over the hairs at the ends of their tails, allowing them to achieve a surprising degree of fine detail in their artwork. If you are ever in a forested area and find rocks or trees with colorful designs on them, there is a good chance that a blarnsneep lives nearby.
While some of these creatures’ paintings are abstract, many of them are more concrete representations of objects and experiences they witness in their lives. Wild blarnsneep paintings often include motifs of the night sky, bodies of water, and other creatures that live in their habitat. Blarnsneep that live with humans have been known to paint intensely lifelike portraits of the people they are close to.
The blarnsneep loves when its artwork is appreciated, often preening and chirruping excitedly when people and other creatures show an interest in their paintings. While these creatures cannot speak in human languages, those that live amongst us have shown an aptitude for understanding human feeling and speech and a respectable knack for finding ways to communicate their own feelings and ideas.

Field Notes

• Aside from the artistic and alchemical value of the blarnsneep’s paintings, it also serves to mark territory and is involved in the creature’s mating rituals. When a female is ready to mate, she will paint a part of a stone or tree within her territory; the paint used for this has pheromones to attract males and indicate that she is looking for a partner. Eligible bachelors will then add to her painting with their own marks and the female will choose based on the resulting mural.

• While these creatures enjoy it when their artwork is appreciated, they can also be rather vain and scornful when their artwork goes unappreciated. This is much more common in individuals who live with humans than in wild populations; they have been known to throw tantrums if they create a new work of art its people fail to notice and praise it.

Florachnid

Cryptologic Name: Araloulou s.
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: They occupy a variety of habitats, but are most common in temperate and subtropical climates
Diet: Herbivorous, subsisting primarily on nectar

Appearance & Morphology
Florachnids, sometimes called “flower spiders,” are an unusual genus of creature which resemble spiders with flowers for their abdomens. There is a wide variety of species, each with a unique type of flower growing from their rear segment. Body color varies between the species, but most are in the range of green to brown, with a few others being white or other bright colors. Like their nonmagical counterparts, these creatures have a cephalothorax and four pairs of segmented legs.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
While florachnids may look very similar to nonmagical spiders, but do not spin webs or eat insects like their counterparts, in fact they subsist almost exclusively on flower nectar. These creatures can most commonly be found in areas where you will find flowers matching those on their abdomen, whether wild or cultivated. Nectar from matching flower species seems to be preferred, though they will drink nectar from other flowers when necessary. Because their primary source of food is only available seasonally in most of their natural environments, florachnids will hibernate through the winter. Their floral abdomens will also wither as the stored nutrients are absorbed through the cold months, eventually being replaced by a new bud in late winter, which will begin to bloom as soon as they come out of hibernation. Species that live in more tropical regions do not follow this cycle, remaining active throughout the year.

Reproduction in these creatures is unique because it relies entirely on their plant-like qualities, and is reliant on plants matching the characteristics of their floral abdomens. Just like their plant counterparts, these creatures have to be pollenated in order to reproduce. While they don’t produce pollen themselves (in other words all florachnids are female), they require pollen from a related species to reproduce. Florachnids have a functioning pseudostamen in their floral abdomens which will collect pollen from their corresponding species and fertilize their ova. Many rely on the same methods as their botanical counterparts, such as bee and bird species who normally help pollenate the corresponding flowers, however florachnids have the benefit of being able to move freely and as such they can collect the pollen they need on their own in the absence of cooperative species. Although these creatures use pollen to reproduce, their offspring are laid as eggs and not seeds, growing in a fashion more like their animal equivalents than their plant ones.

These odd creatures do not have active magical abilities, but the petals of their floral abdomens are especially potent ingredients in potions and spellwork. Any magical work which calls for petals of a specific species of flower can substitute petals from a florachnid to increase the potency of that magic.

Field Notes

• There has been a great deal of debate on whether to classify these creatures as plants or animals, given their unusual morphology and characteristics from each group, particularly their reproductive methods. There are plenty of mobile and sentient plant species in the magical world so it would not be out of place to put these creatures into that category, however the current accepted classification is under the animal class, as they cannot photosynthesize.

Chameleon Silkwing Moth

Cryptologic Name: Ostentinea s.
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Temperate and sub-tropical regions
Diet: Herbivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Chameleon silkwing moths are a genus of magical insects that fairly closely resemble their nonmagical counterparts in morphology and lifecycle. Individual species vary in size and wing shape, but all species possess the same set of magical abilities.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
The most notable magical trait of the adult chameleon silkwing, and indeed where this creature gets its name, is its ability to alter its coloration and patterning at will. This change can be done very quickly, with colors and patterns shifting in mere seconds. The purpose of this ability appears to be twofold; first they will use bright patterns and colors to attract mates, as we often see in the animal world, with males using bright displays to catch the attention of females. The second purpose is predator deterrence; these moths will often settle on drab coloring to match their surroundings as effective camouflage against predators, but when they become aware of a predator’s interest they will flash bright displays in an attempt to confuse them, or as a form of Batesian mimicry (when a harmless species imitates the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both).

In addition to this remarkable ability these creatures have as adults, their larval/pupal stage also has unique magical properties. The silk threads the chameleon silkwing caterpillar produces will react to ambient mana flow and will change color in response. This “chameleon silk” is a highly sought-after material which is used by mages in a variety of ways. Much like nonmagical silk, it is most often spun into thread and woven into fabric rather than used raw. The resulting textile is often used to embellish haute couture outfits in the upper echelons of mage society. It can also be used in tools meant to detect ambient mana or locate magical leylines.

Field Notes

• Harvesting and spinning chameleon silk is an elaborate and painstaking process and as such the material is prohibitively expensive for most mages. An ancient mage-king was said to have had an elaborate robe made entirely from the material, and he would wear it any time he cast spells so that his clothing would dance with color as he channeled mana into his works.

• Chameleon silk threads change color consistently in the presence of different wavelengths of mana, and as such can be used to identify specific types of mana in an area. Nervalia Ensantos is noted as the first mage to have experimented with chameleon silk and catalogued the different hues the material adopts when exposed to specific mana. Her initial index has been expanded since her time but the base work she did is still in use by modern mages.

• In my own menagerie of magical creatures individuals of three species represented.

  • O. hyalophora, the largest of the chameleon silkmoth species, whose wing shape resembles that of the cecropia moth.

  • O. actias, easily distinguishable with its longitailed wings.

  • O. automeris, a mid-sized species which often displays different colors on its hindwings than its forewings (sadly as I was photographing mine, it showed no interest in demonstrating this tendency)

O. hylaphora

O. actias

O. automeris

Devil's Eye Moth

Cryptologic Name: Capuridae Diaboculus
Planar Origin: Materia
Habitat: Forested mountainsides
Diet: Herbivore; primary diet is tree sap

Appearance & Morphology
The devil’s eye moth is a large species of magical moth which is primarily brown in coloration. Both its fore and hindwings have bands of blue-violet color across the width of the wing and golden yellow along the outer margins. Their most recognizable trait is the presence of large, red eye spots in the center of their hindwings, for which they earned their name.

Magical Abilities & Behavior
This moth’s active magical abilities center around these large red eye spots on their wings, which glow ominously when revealed and will cause a temporary state of stasis in any living creature which sees them. This stasis essentially renders the creature frozen in place for approximately 4-5 minutes before regaining faculty. This is often compared to the eyes of petrifying species such as the gorgon, basilisk, or cockatrice in that it requires the creature to see the source of the magical power (the eye spots of this moth or the actual eyes of the other species mentioned). As such appropriate countermeasures can be used when dealing with these creatures such as enchanted ocular devices and the like.

Like many of their nonmagical counterparts, these moths rest with their wings folded back, obscuring the red eye spots and making them fairly well-camouflaged on the trunks of the large trees they will land on to drink the sap and making their eye spots inactive on any random forest creatures that happen to be passing by. Being moths, however, they are rather tasty prey for many creatures and will generally use their power as a defense mechanism against such predators, allowing them to escape. Unfortunately this is not a particularly effective strategy against one of their primary predators, bats, as they generally use echolocation rather than vision to locate their prey.

Field Notes

• While discussing the magical state of stasis the devil’s eye moth produces in creatures who see its glowing red eye spots, I noted that it is often compared to the petrifying gaze of several other species. There are a few key differences, however, in how this power works which should be noted. First and foremost, gorgon and basilisk eyes retain their magical qualities even if the creature is no longer alive, while cockatrice eyes and the spots on the devil’s eye moth require mana to actively be supplied in order to achieve the effect, which means that if the creature is no longer alive, the power ceases to work. As such you cannot as easily petrify/stun creatures in the same manner as Perseus, by simply lopping the relevant part off and waving it at your enemies. It is possible to channel mana through the wings to recreate the moth’s power, but it takes a great deal of research and practice to be able to manipulate the mana in a specific and subtle enough way to successfully achieve this.

• I should also note, though if you’ve made it this far you’ve probably figured it out already, but the moth’s power also doesn’t function through photographs, so you don’t need to worry about becoming frozen by seeing pictures of these creatures, even if they are displaying their eye spots.

Caravan Snail

Cryptologic Name: Gymnosalidae akolomagia
Planar Origin: Fae
Habitat: Temperate forests & fields
Diet: Herbivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Caravan snails are fae creatures that resemble land slugs with light undersides and brightly-colored patterns on their backs. These creatures usually grow to between 10-15cm in length and have a pair of retractable tentacles on their heads which are sensitive to ambient mana.

Behavior & Magical Abilities
These unusual fae creatures are able to sense mana in their immediate surroundings, and will follow the flow of energy along natural leylines. This natural tendency to migrate along these natural routes of mana flow has led them to be used as beasts of burden for tiny, nomadic race of faerie know as vagare. Mana from leylines is used in a variety of ways in their magical rituals, and as such they have come to rely on these snails to locate and follow their flow. The vagare will attach riding platforms to these creatures, on top of which they will build their homes. This practice is where caravan snails got their common name, as the vagare will form large communities together atop a herd of them, who will migtare over time along a leyline’s current. While the vagare will attach bridles to their snail’s head such that they can actively direct the creature’s movement, they don’t often use them, allowing the snail to move about of its own volition.

Field Notes

• Because of their ability to sense ambient mana and innate tendencies to follow mana currents, caravan snails can be used as indicator species for mages to locate mana currents, though this can be a time-consuming process as they are slugs and therefore move at a more leisurely pace than most mages are willing to deal with for such a task when there are more expedient methods.

• While they are known as “caravan snails,” this is somewhat of a misnomer, though that is not unusual in the common names of animals, magical or otherwise. I say this because caravan snails do not naturally have shells and therefore their anatomy much more resembles slugs. It’s likely that they were named this way because of the vagare homes that are so commonly seen on them, which do seem to mirror a snail’s shell in that we consider it to be the snail’s “home,” and a literal house is build upon them. This distinction is probably unnecessary but seemed worth mentioning.

Manaweaver

Cryptologic Name: Mageistos s.
Planar Origin: Fae
Habitat: Temperate forests
Diet: Manavore

Appearance & Morphology
Manaweavers are a genus of fae creatures that resemble brilliantly-colored spiders with glowing abdomens. This genus varies greatly in both size and appearance between its many species, with individuals small enough to barely be visible to the naked eye, to giant creatures with legs over a meter long. While these creatures do look very similar to nonmagical spiders, they have a distinct morphological difference from them. Manaweavers have distinct head and thorax sections, rather than a single cephalothorax as nonmagical spiders do, meaning an individual can mover its head around while keeping the rest of its bodies still.

Magical Abilities
These unique arachniforms weave webs much like their nonmagical kin, but these webs have very special properties. Manaweaver webs consist of a special silk that exists as a part of the veil, meaning that it exists both on the material and ethereal plane simultaneously [for more info on planar theory, you can look at my primer here…. which I haven’t finished writing yet but I’ll link it once it’s posted]. As such, these webs cause ambient mana to condense and “stick” to them, so to speak, which the manaweaver will then consume. Each species feeds on a particular type of mana, and as such each web is woven into particular shapes and patterns which attract the desired type. This mana can be used in a variety of ways after it is consumed, but is primarily used to sustain the creature’s life force.

Behavior
Because these creatures subsist on condensed mana and not physical sustenance, they are not predators like their nonmagical kin. However, because they absorb pure mana, they are prey for other fae creatures on their home planes, and can defend themselves using the mana they’ve absorbed in a variety of ways, depending on what type of mana they specialize in. For example M. mandigni, which consumes fire mana, will generally create small explosions in an attempt to scare away predators, or breathe fire on would-be attackers who get too close. Each variety of manaweaver has common tactics across a species, but we also see innovation among individuals, meaning they are highly intelligent creatures who can craft magic much like mages can.

Field Notes

• The individual pictured above is from my own collection, and is an M. lumanducar, which traps and consumes mana associated with light and illusion magic. As such, components of this species are sometimes used in potions that produce mirages. Naturally their defense mechanisms revolve around distracting predators with illusions, though my particular manaweaver has a penchant for creating bright flashes of light that are temporarily blinding. While I’ve never startled him intentionally, it does happen every once in a while, and I’m hoping it doesn’t cause any long-term damage to my retinas.

Arcwhale

Cryptologic Name: Falaptera s.
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: Upper atmosphere
Diet: Somnivore (see “magical abilities” below)

Appearance & Morphology
Arcwhales are, simply put, whales with pairs of feathered wings on their backs, extending out near their dorsal fins. There are a variety of arcwhale species, each resembling a species of their aquatic counterparts.

Magical Abilities
Arcwhales have a variety of magical abilities common across their different species. First, arcwhales naturally float in the air by magical means, meaning they are never earthbound even when they are born. These creatures seem to have an organ akin to a fish’s swim bladder, which allows them to control their altitude in the atmosphere. In addition to their floating, arcwhales causes water in the air around them to condense, meaning that they are always surrounded by a dense cloud.

Lastly, arcwhales are somnivores, or “dream eaters,” meaning they subsist on energy absorbed from the dreams of other living creatures. It is generally believed that nightmares are more potent (i.e. have greater energy potential), and as such are often siphoned off by the archwhales, over pleasant/peaceful dreams. As such, many consider these creatures to be naturally occurring dreamcatchers, which are generally crafted to produce the same effects.

Behavior
While arcwhales’ wings are not large or powerful enough to keep these massive creatures aloft, they do help propel the creatures forward as they float through the sky and their flippers and tails are used to help steer.

Because their food source is more widely available at night, arcwhales are generally considered to be nocturnal creatures. This is only partially accurate because arcwhales don’t sleep, though they are less active during the day, floating lazily in the upper atmosphere. In the evening, they will venture lower so they can more easily siphon dream energy from sleeping creatures, usually returning to greater altitudes by mid morning.

Field Notes

• If you ever notice heavy fog in your neighborhood after dark, there is a good chance the arcwhales are about and you can expect good dreams, assuming you’re on a normal sleep schedule. This isn’t a guarantee, however, since fog does occur naturally under the right conditions.

• While the true origins of most magical creatures are unknown, myth and legend surround many, including the arcwhale. It is said that the ancient whales envied the birds that soared the skies, and would dream of taking flight with their avian companions. No creature wished more for this than Rakhnam, King of the Whales, and each night he would absorb the dreams of his pod until one night his spirit grew wings of light and he soared up into the sky, never again to be bound by the watery seas.

Capriccio

Cryptologic Name: Minmalum capricus
Planar Origin: Baator
Habitat: Varied
Diet:: Hemovore

Appearance/Morphology
Capriccios are small goats-like creatures, only standing about 8-12” tall at the shoulder, with curved horns, sharp canines, and a small flame that floats above their heads, centered between the horns.They are a member of the Daemonia family, which includes all species of demon.

Magical Abilities
These small demons are known to be able to temporarily hypnotize people by making eye contact with them. This hypnosis lulls them into somewhat of a trance, but does not give any sort of controlling abilities over them, likely because they cannot use language to direct their victims.

Their only other magical aspect is the ever-burning flame that floats above their heads. The flame itself has the qualities of hellfire, meaning that it cannot be extinguished through nonmagical means (such as dumping water on them), and in the case of these creatures, if their flame is extinguished it results in their death.

Behavior
Despite being a member of the demon family, the capriccio is fairly harmless. They tend toward playfulness and mischief and they are not overly aggressive. The capriccio most often uses its hypnotic gaze to pacify people and other animals when it’s hungry. Given its small size and minimal strength, it cannot physically overpower its prey, so instead it lulls them into passiveness and drinks at its leisure. Capriccios generally only drink about 300-400mL of blood at a time, which not enough to put the average adult at risk (this is around what they would take if you were donating blood), however young children and smaller animals could come to serious harm if drained to that extent. They lack the frenzy and literal bloodlust that most other hemovores, such as vampires and chupacabras have, and as such, they can fairly safely be kept as pets if properly trained and fed.

Field Notes

• The capriccio has a variety of nicknames, such as “infenral goat,” “demon goat,” and “Baphito.” The last name, often used in Latin American countries, means “little Baphomet,” referring to the demonic lord Baphomet, who is known to have the head of a goat and a crown of flames.

• In keeping my own capriccio, I’ve discovered that while they don’t have conscious control over the their flames, the fire is directly connected to the creature’s psyche. While the flame usually glows blue (an indication that it is quite hot), the flame flickers to yellow-orange when he is hungry or tired, and will often diminish to something akin to a flickering candle when he is asleep. Alternatively, the firelight flares when he is agitated or excited.

Poshepocket

Cryptologic Name: Imito perus
Planar Origin: Crystallis
Habitat: Poshepockets don’t seem to have a preferred habitat, they seem to appear almost anywhere
Diet: Pseudo-carnivorous/parasitic; will engulf any animal that stumbles across it, however it doesn’t “eat” them in the traditional sense

Appearance & Morphology
The poshepocket, sometimes referred to as a “pouch mimic,” is an unusual creature, even by cryptozoological standards. This nickname is purely from their appearance, as they are entirely unrelated to the true mimic. The poshepocket resembles a furry bag or pouch; they have no limbs or other outward appendages but have a pair of eyes and a gaping mouth filled with rows of teeth that are pointed and rough but not particularly sharp.

The poshepocket’s mouth is quite remarkable, as it has the ability to expand an incredible amount given the usual size of the creature (most only grow to be about a foot long, and roughly 8-10” wide). Expanding their jaws seems to take the creatures a while to accomplish, however, so they most commonly attach themselves to an extremity of their prey and slowly expand and devour them, much like a snake.

Magical Abilities
The poshepocket’s maw serves as an entrance to its own pocket dimension, which seems to slowly siphon life energy from any living creatures inside it. This appears to be the reason that their teeth are blunt rather than sharp; they are meant to grip rather than pierce. The poshepocket doesn’t wish to kill or mortally wound its prey, or it would lose most of the potential nourishment that it could harvest

The pocket dimension within these creatures is not exactly a void; while not having much in the way of physical features, it does have breathable atmosphere inside it, which is likely to prolong the life of their prey such that they can continue to siphon energy for as long as possible. In addition, objects in the void will rest as though on a surface with gravity, though no surfaces seem to physically exist, nor does gravity pull in any particular direction. What is perhaps most unusual is that creatures and objects with the ability to move can travel as though they were moving across a flat surface, but movement is not restricted to two dimensions. It appears that you can orient yourself in any direction and just walk, the physics of which no one yet understands. This does mean, however, that it is possible to get back out of a phoshepocket once completely devoured if you don’t wander too far from the opening; while the pocket dimension cannot be truly infinite as it has a fixed beginning/entrance, cryptozoologists have yet to come to any sort of conclusion on how large the pocket dimension actually is. This is also contingent on the creature being willing to cooperate and open its jaw wide enough to regurgitate you.

Behavior
Much like the true mimics from which they get their nickname, pouch mimics are sit-and-wait predators, remaining hidden and still until something comes close enough for them to pounce. And yes, despite being limbless creatures normally moving by ineptly squirming across the ground, they are in fact capable of launching themselves at their prey when the opportunity arises.

Field Notes

• Poshepockets can make for useful storage vessels when properly trained, as they can store a near-infinite number of items while occupying only a very small amount of space on the physical plane. We see similar concepts used in the magical community, but this sort of spatial magic is highly advanced and requires a great deal of study and practice to properly employ.

Conduit Hare

Cryptologic Name: Silvilagus transveho
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: Temperate fields and forests
Diet: Herbivorous

Appearance/Morphology
Conduit rabbits, better known as “portal bunnies,” are nearly identical in size, shape, and morphology to cottontail rabbits with white, black, brown, or multicolored fur. The way to visually distinguish this magical creature from its nonmagical counterparts is to look at the rabbit’s nose. Conduit rabbits will have brightly colored noses, most often either blue or orange, and they will glow faintly. These glowing noses are the source of their magical abilities. Conduit rabbits are always born in pairs; the twins are not always identical in fur coloration, but they will always have noses of different colors.

Magical Abilities
When a conduit rabbit touches something with its nose, this activates its magical powers and causes the object to vanish and reappear in the vicinity of its twin. Both rabbits’ noses flash brightly when this power activates, which leads researchers to believe that the constant faint glow from these rabbits’ noses may be due to a steady transmission of dust and other particles that come into contact with them.

When a conduit hare’s power activates, transmission is not altogether instantaneous, generally taking anywhere from 1-3 seconds for the vanished object to reappear. Unfortunately, we don’t have a clear understanding of why this is, or what’s happening to the object/living thing during teleportation. Many studies have been done to attempt to understand this phenomenon, but tracking spells are ineffective at establishing a location during transmission, and when people have allowed themselves to be teleported, their perception always seems to be that the travel was instantaneous. This suggests that the subject of the teleportation “loses” those few seconds as part of the process.

These rabbits are immune to their own powers, so scratching their noses doesn’t cause them to teleport to their twin, nor will they teleport when touching the nose of another rabbit.

Behavior
Just as with their appearance, their behavior mimics that of nonmagical rabbits as well. They are prey animals so they tend to be cautious but will become curious and playful when they are in comfortable surroundings.

In the wild, these rabbits will often use their powers as a defense mechanism against predators, as sudden teleportation is generally quite disorienting for any would-be attacker. This strategy does potentially put the rabbit’s twin in some danger, however we believe that they can sense, in some manner, what sort of thing is being teleported to them, and as such can take measures to escape if it is something dangerous. This is similarly relevant when the set of twins is close to one another, in a spatial sense.

Field Notes

• The practical use of conduit rabbits by mages is fairly straightforward, offering an easy, near-instantaneous transportation system between two fixed points. However, despite this seemingly ubiquitous method of transportation, they are very infrequently used in such a manner by any who are not well-versed in cryptozoology. The imprecision of the teleportation is the first major concern, as the exit point of the teleportation is seemingly random. Objects appear in the vicinity of the sender’s twin, but this “vicinity” encompasses approximately 1.5-2m radius around the rabbit, meaning you could end up appearing reasonably high in the air. Thankfully an object has never been known to reappear in the ground or in another nearby object upon arrival. The biggest concern is the potential for a hard fall upon arrival, which makes the transport of people and fragile goods somewhat precarious.

  There does seem to be a correlation between the size of the object/living thing being teleported and how close it ends up to the receiving rabbit, though not enough research has yet been done to develop any sort of mathematical prediction model based on size or mass. There also seems to be an upper limit on the size of thing being teleported. As such, large objects such as cars, buildings, etc. would never be at risk of suddenly appearing and crushing anyone nearby.

• If it is in fact the case that this time is lost during transmission via a conduit hare, theoretically this could offer a route to immortality via constant teleportation. Obviously, this is not a practical option given the necessity to continuously teleport between rabbits and inability to do anything else productive during the process, but the possibility does at least exist in a theoretical context. Perhaps it would be better stated that this offers a route more akin to time travel than immortality.

Amustelid

Cryptologic Name: Lutra Gaudium
Planar Origin: Mithyrea
Habitat: Semi-aquatic; prefer streams, lakes, and ponds in forested areas
Diet: Carnivorous; primarily eat fish, but will also consume insects and small rodents

Appearance
The amustelid, also commonly referred to as the “bliss otter,” morphologically resembles the North American River Otter in both shape and size with two-toned purple fur (darker violet on the dorsal side and a lighter lavender color on the ventral).

Magical Abilities
Amustelid has strong empathic powers that allow them to sense the emotions of living beings around them. In addition, these creatures emanate an aura of joy in their immediate vicinity, which is how they earned the nickname “bliss otter.” These empathic abilities are both passive and active in nature.

While the amustelid naturally emits its aura, giving a faint cheerfulness to any living beings within a relatively small radius, it can also consciously control and focus this power to create a more intense feeling of euphoria in an individual.

Behavior
Bliss otters, much like their nonmagical cousins, are perfectly at home in the water, being strong swimmers and feeding almost exclusively on fish. These creatures are curious and playful but can be fiercely protective of their companions if they sense a threat. Their empathic feedback serves as a good survival mechanism for them, as they are acutely aware when any of the animals around them become frightened.

Amustelids are social animals by nature and appear to need external emotional energy to sustain them. They will often form bonds with a variety of different species in their habitats, particularly if their population is low. Additionally, we know that solitary amustelids are more prone to illness and injury when they don’t have other creatures around to bond with. Forming these bonds with other creatures also augments their empathic abilities; amustelids normally only receive and transmit emotional energy to animals in their vicinity, however when this creature forms a bond with another individual it creates an emotional “tether” which allows the transmission of emotional energy over a much larger distance, possibly an unlimited distance (though further research is required on that front).

Amustelids are also known to be compassionate creatures; they will often use their powers to ease the pain of sick or injured animals in the wild. In addition, they will often focus their power on prey, such that they do not experience fear or pain as they’re being hunted and killed. This may also simply be to make their prey easier to catch but I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that it is not an entirely selfish action. This power is also commonly used as a defense mechanism to lull would-be attackers into lethargy and/or disorientation.

Field Notes

• Amustelids’ name is derived from the word “amuse” and “Mustela” or “Mustelidae,” which is the taxonomic family containing weasels, badgers, otters, and other related species.

• These amazing creatures are highly sought-after in a number of fields for the use of their powers. Cryptozoologists will often use them (besides to simply study them) to help with the collection and study of a myriad of creatures that might otherwise be too dangerous or skittish to easily interact with. Amustelids are also often found in hospitals and other healing establishments because of their ability to ease pain when they focus their powers. This can be a trying job however, as they can exhaust themselves when they actively focus their powers for extended periods of time. But even without focusing their powers, their elated aura can provide some relief to those suffering.

• I have my own amustelid companion who I found while hiking near Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. While he was initially skittish I believe he sensed my curiosity and excitement in finding him and eventually came closer to investigate. We spent a good bit of time playing in the river that afternoon and when I eventually started my trek home he followed me. Knowing that solitary amustelids do not fare as well in the wild, and that they require companions in order to thrive, I gladly brought him with me and he has been a member of the family ever since; we call him Anders.

• Thanks to my strong bond with Anders, I seem to have made an intriguing new discovery about amustelids. Due to the nature of their empathic tethers with people/animals with whom they’ve established a strong bond and the emotional feedback they get from those companions, it would appear that they can establish a bond with someone without ever meeting them in person.
  A few months back I met someone at a convention and we quickly developed a strong connection. While it is certainly a long-distance relationship with us being in two different states we do communicate quite regularly and have become very close. Recently he came to visit and Anders immediately greeted him in a manner quite similar to how he does when Jordan or I are away for a time and come home. It’s as though he’s developed this empathic connection through me. While I cannot say for certain whether he established an actual tether to this person prior to their meeting, the fact that he felt immediately comfortable with this new person when he is generally quite wary of strangers seems telling enough on its own.