The Books of Blutora

8 : Beasts, Brigands & Blutora

This is a guide for those with a passion for adventure, who seek to travel and discover, or those who just need to journey through the lands of Blutora at any given time. Many find that it isn't quite as simple as just point A to point B, there are many things to be wary of whether you're visiting family, a travelling merchant, or a wandering mercenary.

Amongst some of the Blutorian wildlife you can find a wide range and variety of temperaments, size, and danger. If you're travelling the deserts to the south, specifically within the province of Odelia, your biggest concern is going to be the Reyks. Scaly creatures no larger than a wolf, with a viscous temperament and a teeth-covered tail meant to inflict severe injury on prey. Sharing the same landscape of the arid, sandy south are also the Jylles, a small but long, furry creature known for occupying caves, and other small hidden spots away from the harsh sun along the rivers that interrupt the rolling dunes. The Jylles of the desert are known to have a skittish nature, it's common for them to run away at the sight of people, and their main predator is the Reyks.

In the grassland across central Blutora and the likes of Mel Alari, Yustreia, Struetan, Izheka and Elabet, you will find the most life calling the wilds home. From elks and deer to snakes and spiders as large as small dogs. Some of the more notable wildlife in these regions are the Yuli, Hyures, Kellips, and Tyzz. The Yuli for starters, are very similar to butterflies, with the largest difference being the Yuli are the size of a fully grown eagle. These creatures are passive and responsible in large part for controlling the spider population, their prey, as they use a scent they can release at will to paralyze the spiders and render them helpless. The Hyures are large creatures rivaling the size of a tiger, however sharing many similarities to a Hedgehog. These creatures however, are very aggressive and are known to attack people on sight. Their backs are lined with sharp needles and they use this to their advantage, often times charging at prey and curling into a ball in the last moment, using the force of their body along with the sharp needles covering its exterior to render prey helpless. When it comes to the Kellips, picture a young mammoth about halfway to a fully grown state. That's as large as they get, and as for their behavior you can expect them to be calm and friendly until aggravated. These creatures often times are befriended by people for the purpose of keeping them nearby, as they aren't naturally aggressive towards people, and scare away many of the smaller creatures that don't share that same mindset. Lastly in the mild grasslands and forests of Blutora, are the Tyzz - a deadly mix of crocodile and tiger. They are the size of, and as fast as a tiger on foot, but with a strong scaly exterior, and crocodile-like mouth packed full of sharp teeth. Towards the top of the food chain, these creatures are great hunters on both land and in water, very few people ever survive an encounter with a Tyzz. The only thing that can reliably stop one of these beasts is the scent produced by a Yuli, however most of the time both are in the same area, the Yuli would flee at the sight of a Tyzz.

In the northern lands of Blutora, among the spruce forests and cold tundra, you will find a handful of notable creatures in the wild. Other than your typical wolves, foxes and bears, wild life includes the Viik, Weigs, and Biel. The Viik for one, are very large beasts believed to be millions of years old. With white fur head to toe many inches long, these creatures stand on two feet, the height of an average birch tree and have a hundred teeth, all as sharp as swords. One of the rarest, and most feared of Blutorian wildlife, these beasts are known to attack on sight whether its people or other animals. With that being said, these creatures don't often travel much, and typically stick to hunting other wildlife such as wolves and bears for food. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Weigs, which are for the most part, penguins with proper wings and the ability to fly like any other birds. These creatures are calm and friendly, they never leave the cold northern tundra, and their diets consist of entirely fish. Unfortunately for these creatures however, they are a common target for poachers who seek to sell the very valuable Weig feathers. The last animal to make special note of in the north, is the Biel, similar to an otter in appearance and size, these mischievous creatures are known to sneak up on travelers and steal food and other small items from those unsuspecting. Many find these animals to be harmless, until long after they've left and come to find a bunch of their stuff missing. Very rarely have these creatures attacked or caused harm to people, and as such it isn't entirely uncommon for people to attempt to have the little kleptos as pets.

The creatures however, are only one part of the danger that awaits for those who plan to travel the lands of Blutora. The other half of the danger sits with the various bandits and brigands that plague the eleven provinces. Of these groups, the organized are the most dangerous, these include the KyLuven, Urantiels, Bintorbs, and the most notorious, Eshels. 

Starting with the KyLuven, this group of rogue's are known to inhabit southern Mel Alari, near the jungle border to Skoecia, from coast line and headed far inland. This group has been active for hundreds of years, first appearing in the early days of the D-era. While these brigands have a notable presence in the lands they occupy, they are known primarily for thievery rather than violence. With that being said, they aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, they just prefer not to have that much of a bounty on them at any given time. They are led by a smart, cunning woman known as Fryr. Rumor has it she stands only five feet tall, but nobody who has ever crossed her kept their fingers.  

The second group of note are the Urantiels of Moorufell. This group has been around the longest, since early in the C-era, residing in the capital of Blutora, Balmoral, right under the noses of the highest royalty and most dense population on the continent. This group is known to be the foundation of the black market that currently exists, using the connected cave systems and sewers beneath Balmoral in a perfect manner, any member of the Urantiels are able to be in and out, or from one end to the other of the city undetected within a matter of minutes. Perfecting the art of smuggling, and business out of the light of the law, these people are not known to take to violence whatsoever, with a strict rule against it. 

Thirdly, the Bintorbs are the bandits of the north, residing specifically in northern Struetan and southern Kyn Alora, this group of bandits are as true to the word as it gets. Unafraid to burn homes, steal wealth, strike down innocents and live outside of the law, this group is relatively new, having only been a prominent name for around a couple hundred years. Their influence and deadly reach has been known to stretch as far as Icrifivalon to the north, Melelune to the west, A'Hethas to the south, and Lethio to the east.

The last, and most notorious of these brigand groups are known simply as the Eshels. With their primary place of residence being in the desert wasteland of Odelia, they are known to have the strongest presence in the kingdom of Schium. These brigands are the most violent of the four groups, and the most recently formed. Not even a hundred years since formation, this group has left their mark on Blutorian history in a large way already, and not for heroic acts. Stemming from a resistance to the Schiumian crown, the group eventually drifted far from their goal of new leadership in Schium, into a crowd of murderous, thieving, savages. Their reach spreads well north and west into Moorufell, south into Mariteia and east into Elabet. Any person unlucky enough to encounter a group of the Eshels will find themselves robbed entirely of all goods, beaten and tied up, only to be dragged in the dirt behind their horses if you're lucky. Those few who survive this ritualistic abuse earn the respect of the group, and are offered a way to slowly earn their trust and join their ranks. They are led by a very smart, very brutal man known as Fidril. His name is well known through the cities that dot Blutora, but only for good reasons. Known as a successful businessman across all eleven provinces, some of the most notable places in which he holds good favor include Schium and Icrifivalon. Unbeknownst to everyone outside of the Eshels, Fidril plays a masterful game of remaining a beloved public figure while leading the most savage brigands the land of Blutora has ever seen.

There's always dangers to travelling, whether its Kyn Alora in the north, or Mariteia in the south. It's important to be equipped with knowledge, to be prepared for what you might face. Regardless of whether you're an adventurer, a merchant or a mercenary, one thing remains true, if you can master travelling across Blutora unscathed, you're ready for anything.