Extraordinary Zoology (22 page)
swampies:
A swamp-dwelling people, usually of Morridane or Arjun ancestry, most commonly found in Cygnar and eastern Ord. Swampies do not consider the term pejorative but these people are frequently subject to prejudice by city-dwellers who regard them as unsophisticated and ignorant.
tatzylwurms:
Snake-like predators notorious for their ability to leap great distances. A versatile species with various sub-breeds, some of which can climb surprisingly well while others are at home in aquatic environments.
Tharn:
Savage, man-eating humanoid tribesmen who inhabit the depths of the Thornwood and are feared for their ferocity and their ability to transform into a bestial form as a blessing of the Devourer Wurm. While legend holds that they were once human, they are no longer viewed as such, nor do they identify themselves as such.
Thornwood mauler:
Fierce and powerful predators that are found in wooded areas, maulers are known for their incredible sense of smell.
Thornwood:
A large forest that was originally part of the northern territories of Cygnar. It was recently occupied by Khador before being beset by a large number of Cryxian forces. It remains a contested territory and the site of many recent battles.
troll:
A large, brutish species possessing limited language and inclined toward violence motivated by hunger. They are widely considered by humanity to be monsters, since trolls eat humans without hesitation. They are sometimes referred to as “full-blood trolls” to differentiate them from their trollkin cousins.
trollkin:
A hardy and intelligent race that live both in their own communities in the wilderness and within cities of man. They possess a complex and rich culture, including their own written language. Most trollkin worship the goddess Dhunia.
Urcaen:
A mysterious cosmological realm that is the spiritual counterpart of Caen. Most of the gods reside here, and this is also where most souls spend the afterlife. Urcaen is divided between protected divine domains and the hellish wilds stalked by the Devourer Wurm.
vektiss:
Intelligent, insect-like creatures that hunt in packs and paralyze their prey with poisonous bites.
warbeast:
Casually, any powerful beast employed in war. More technically, any supernatural beast capable of bonding to a warlock and manifesting an animus. This term is not widely used in western Immoren but is employed by the skorne, whose armies make heavy use of enslaved beasts. Other groups employing warbeasts include the Circle Orboros, the Legion of Everblight, trollkin, gatormen, and farrow. Most warlocks require an affinity to specific types of warbeasts to bond to them.
warjack:
A highly advanced and well-armed steamjack created or modified for war. Some warjacks use power sources other than steam and are not technically steamjacks but are still referred to as such as a matter of custom.
warlock:
An arcanist with the ability to bond to and mentally control savage or enslaved beasts.
Widower’s Wood:
A dark and marsh-filled forest that surrounds the city of Corvis in northern Cygnar and extends north of the city and beyond Cygnar’s borders to the east into the edges of the Bloodstone Marches.
wilding:
A spontaneous manifestation of druidic power in humans that usually occurs at an early age and is often mistaken for madness. The Circle Orboros is scrupulous about collecting those who manifest the wilding, although their means of detecting this are unknown.
Wyrmwall Mountains:
The largest mountain range in southwestern Immoren, taking up a sizable portion of the kingdom of Cygnar. This expanse is divided into a number of lesser mountain ranges, including the Upper Wyrmwall, the Watcher Peaks, and Helmsreach.
About the Author
Howard Tayler writes and illustrates
Schlock Mercenary
(
schlockmercenary.com
)
, co-hosts the
Writing Excuses
podcast with Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, and Mary Robinette Kowal
(
writingexcuses.com
)
, and writes fantasy, horror, and science fiction in such free time as remains. He lives with his wife (and business partner, and fellow writer) Sandra and their four children in Orem, Utah.
He plays Trollbloods, Circle, Minions, Mercenaries, and Cygnar, but not nearly so often as he would like. This novella was carved at great personal sacrifice from what used to be his painting time.
Extraordinary Zoology
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First printing: July 25, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-939480-31-6
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