Kyrias Wildlife

Kyrias Wildlife

Ruk: The Ruk is a large bird of prey that resides in the highest peaks of the Kyrias mountains and venture down to seek out prey. Ruk’s prefere fresh meat but are not beyond scavenging, as the large birds require a decent meal to sustain their energy. Their massive bodies and powerful wings are capable of carrying up to two riders on their back, and they can lift a grown man in one clawed foot easily. Their talons are roughly 3-4 inches long and sharp enough that they can gut an elephant in a single stroke. Their curved beaks can snap a man's head from his shoulders. Their plumage is surprisingly tough, and has been seen to deflect or slow arrows, making the tough to take down at range.

The giant birds are also commonly tamed and used by the heanta as a swift aerial mount. Ruks are communal birds, and live in groups of three to six. They are surprisingly friendly to their own kind, but will attack and chase off other predators, especially blackspire Wyverns who sometimes stray in from the badland mountains. While ruks aren’t quite as large as these wyverns, they are still capable of taking them on and surviving a fight and fast enough to outrun them if needed.

Voth’Kan warhorse: The Voth'Kan Warhorse is fast and fearless. These pitchblack horses are bred in Voth'Kan in the buring wastes, and have coats that shimmer in the light as if they're burning, and are often refered to as Fiery steeds. They deal exceptionally well with the heat of deserts, but do not like the cold. They may not be as large or powerful as Mondolin's Verdant stallions, but Voth'Kan horses have just as much courage, and are fast and steady on their feet. Their fearless but even temperament makes them the go to mount for the Sanguine Dominion.

Arvaern: The Arvaern are by far the most dangerous creature one can encounter in Kyrias. Extremely fast and agile, with six powerful legs, a highly flexible tail and two powerful lashes covered in barbs, these sleek black predators are capable of ending the life of almost anything that calls Kyrias home, including small magma Maulers. The Arvaern are often refered to as dark stalkers, they are nocturnal predators that live primarily in the forests and dark caves of Kyrias, but they can travel great distances in a single day, meaning you could find them just about anywhere in Kyrias including the Magma caverns.



They bury themselves deep under snow or ash during daylight hours, hunting and feasting at night. They are one of the most saught after mounts for heanta, and can be trained for the heat of war. They're capable of climbing trees and rock, and can use their barbed lashes to hang from branches or the ceiling of caves.

Kor’Kiresha: The Kor’Kiresha are slow lumbering beasts with large tusks, powerful forearms and thick chitinous armor covering their body. A dense, heat resistant fur juts out between these plates, and controls the creatures body temperature. Unlike Magma Maulers the Kor’Kiresha cannot submerge themselves in lava and survive, however they can survive close proximity without dying to the heat. Kor’Kiresha are primarily herbivores who feed on the tough plant life found in the burning wastes and magma chasms, however they also like to eat the crystals that form underground, and are capable of processing these crystals for nutritional benefit that seems to be a unique quality of their species. Certainly, the heanta find it very strange that something can survive by eating rocks, and the creatures are something of a mystery to them.

The Kor’Kiresha live in large groups, and while docile are extremely protective of their young. They’re ill suited to be kept as livestock, though they can make excellent pack beast, if one could tame them. The Kor’Kiresha’s large size and heavily protected body means that they are one of the toughest creatures to make one’s prey, however their population rarely gets to out of hand. One must consider however, with their size and toughness, what in the world might actually be capable of hunting them? It is a scary question to ask, and even scarier to have answered.

Magma Mauler: The apex predator of the burning wastes, the Magma Mauler is one of the largest known living creatures ever seen to walk  the face of Asmir. Magma Maulers seem to grow indefinitely, albeit slowly, and live for up to 300 years. While it is very uncommon for a Magma Mauler to actually reach this age, there have been instances. Magma Mauler Karesh is the largest documented of its kind, and its size rivaled that of a full grown adult dragon. Smaller Magma Maulers are commonly seen around the wastes, while the larger, older beasts seem to stick to the magma chasms, where they hunt Kor’Kiresha.

Magma Maulers breed slowly, but their numbers stay stable, as they are rarely hunted by anything or anyone. The only time heanta engage the beasts is when they get too close to the city, or become to big of a threat to ignore. Magma Maulers would be ideal war machines, if they weren’t so aggressive towards other creatures. They seem impossible to tame, though its probably for the best. Allowing them to reach full maturity in captivity would be bad for everyone involved.

Certals: Certals are small, snow white creatures resembling Mink or Ferrets. They roam the snowy mountains of Kyrias and though they are cute to look at, they are extremely aggressive, fast and dangerous in large groups. Carnivorous, they hunt anything they can catch or take down. With a toxic bite that can cause dizziness, confusion and sedative effects, these devious little critters take down large prey like elk and deer using cunning and guile. They do make excellent pets however, and can be easily tamed with the right coaxing.