Araxyd

Description: The Araxyd is a larger, meaner, and far more dangerous cousin of the Bognotti. Found primarily in the craggy mountains and shadowy foothills of Aetheris and the untamed Wilds of Luminaris, this beast can grow to be larger than an Aetherean adult—towering over most prey it encounters.

Unlike its smaller relative, the Araxyd doesn’t rely on sticky webs. While its webbing is incredibly strong, it lacks adhesion and is instead used to reinforce the walls of its tunnels and construct traps with deadly precision. Their webbing is also collected by artisans and used to turn into beautiful very strong silk fabrics and reinforce buildings.

Araxyds are ambush predators by nature, earning a fearsome reputation as the ultimate sneak attackers. They dig complex underground lairs with narrow, winding tunnels—perfect for confusing prey and launching surprise assaults.

Fast, brutally strong, and endlessly aggressive, the Araxyd hunts anything that moves, from wandering beasts to unwary travelers. Their hardened exoskeleton and immense physical power make them difficult to kill, and their cunning use of terrain turns every encounter into a deadly game of predator and prey.

Locations: Mountains of Aetheris and the Wilds of Luminaris

Size: Large

Element: Terra

Arrical

Description: The Arrical is a massive creature, standing ten feet tall when reared up on its hind legs. With a heavy, muscular frame, it is a formidable opponent. Its thick fur coat—ranging in shades of silver, white, or gray. Three short, stout horns protrude from its forehead, and above each crimson eye sits a gleaming moonstone embedded in the flesh.

Native to the Vaelwynd Mountain range, the arrical rarely descends into the valleys unless food becomes scarce. Omnivorous by nature, it will consume almost anything, though it prefers meat and fruit. During the long winters, it hibernates, stirring only if it catches the scent of prey nearby.

Despite its fearsome appearance, the arrical is generally shy and avoids conflict. But when provoked, it unleashes an earth-shattering roar before charging with relentless fury. In battle, it becomes a whirlwind of fur, muscle, and claws—unstoppable until either it or its foe falls. The arrical does not retreat. One must flee and hope to outrun it, or strike it down completely.

But even in death, the arrical is not easily defeated. If its corpse—or even a severed piece of it—is bathed in moonlight, its wounds begin to knit, and it rises again.

Locations: Vaelwynd Mountains, Aetheris

Size: Large

Element: Terra

Babosa

Description: Babosa are grotesque hybrids of slug and centipede, towering at twice the height of an adult Aetherean and stretching nearly four times that in length. Their bodies are sheathed in a segmented, flexible exoskeleton, typically glowing in vibrant hues of orange and yellow—though the larger and older they grow, the deeper and darker their coloration becomes. A single eye dominates the center of their head, flanked by thick, jagged horns capable of gouging stone and bone alike.

Despite their size, Babosa are alarmingly quick in short bursts, slithering and skittering with unsettling speed. Ravenous by nature, they consume anything that moves—and often, things that don’t. Their insatiable hunger and aggressive temperament made them one of Aetherealm’s most feared creatures.

Due to the danger they posed, Terryk declared an open bounty on all Babosa, urging hunters to thin their numbers. Over time, the population was driven to near-extinction, and now, a Babosa sighting is a rare and ominous event—one that often precedes chaos.

Locations: The Wilds, Luminaris

Size: Large

Element: Terra

Bognotti

Description: The Bognotti is a spider-like creature roughly the size of a dinner plate—or a full-grown Aetherean’s head. Covered in coarse brown bristles, it lacks venom but more than makes up for it with brute strength and its surprisingly adhesive webbing. Its webs are strong enough to restrain larger prey, and though its bite isn’t poisonous, it’s sharp enough to pierce thick hides and painful enough to leave a lasting mark.

Small but powerful, the Bognotti can drag its victims into its webbed lair, where it entangles them further and feeds at its own pace. These creatures prefer underground habitats, often taking over abandoned burrows or digging tunnels of their own.

In cities, Bognotti are regarded as pests. The extensive sewer systems and hidden tunnels give them ample room to hide and breed—and with an abundance of rodents to feed on, they often flourish out of sight until it’s too late.

Locations: Quite common all over Aetherealm.

Size: Small

Element: Terra

Cerlien

Description: Cerlien are born from violent winter storms at sea—formed of wild magic, lightning, and ice. According to legend, they were a failed creation of Arcaenion, cast into the ocean’s depths when they did not meet his expectations.

Resembling colossal serpents forged of living ice, each Cerlien is more than twice the size of an Aedaun Dovaa. Their translucent scales ripple with trapped seawater and arcs of flickering lightning, casting an eerie glow in their wake. Their heads are all maw and jagged teeth, with narrow slits for eyes that spark with electric fury. Jagged white ice shards jut from along their spines, and their sleek fins—also formed of ice—slice effortlessly through the water.

As volatile and unpredictable as the storms that birthed them, Cerlien are driven by a desire to destroy. Sailors whisper that if you see lightning flashing beneath the waves or hear thunder when no storm clouds stir above, a Cerlien is already hunting you.

Locations: Seas, prefers deep sea, but they can live along coast lines as well.

Size: Huge

Element: Ice, Electricity, & Water

Draugr

Description: Another unsettling consequence of the Blue Bloom Plague was the rise of the Draugr—mysterious, spectral beings said to be born from the anguish of the hunted. Many believe they are the vengeful remnants of beasts slain unjustly, their souls twisted by aether corruption and shadow.

Draugr dwell deep within the Wilds, rarely seen by daylight. Resembling massive birds cloaked in darkness, their elongated feathers trail like tattered veils in the wind. They haunt the night, their mournful shrieks echoing through the forests like ghostly laments. Though shy and reclusive by nature, the scent of blood can stir them from hiding. When it does, they descend with eerie silence, drawn to both hunter and prey in equal measure.

Most of the time, they remain dormant in shadowed groves and forgotten hollows. But on rare days when they are saturated with enough dark power to withstand the sun, they emerge—screeching to call for mates or challenge rivals. In this state, they are far more aggressive, needing fresh blood to sustain their strength beneath the daylight.

Whether they are spirits, beasts, or something in between, one thing is certain: when the Draugr cry, it’s best to stay far from the trees.

Locations: The Wilds

Size: Large

Element: Air & Shadow

Dunkel

Description: Dunkels are small, nocturnal mammals about the size of two adult Aetherean heads, with stout, wide bodies, oversized wings, and prominent ears that twitch at even the slightest sound. Despite their impressive wingspan, their eyesight is poor, relying instead on echolocation to navigate the darkness.

Feared by farmers across Aetherealm, Dunkels are notorious for their thirst—specifically, a thirst for blood. Though they occasionally feed on insects, fruit, or small animals, they vastly prefer the warm blood of larger, domesticated livestock. At night, they descend in flocks, silently latching onto their prey’s flank and tearing open shallow wounds with razor-sharp teeth. They drink until full, then vanish into the night—only to return again and again, often weakening the animal over time if left unchecked.

Their large ears grant them exceptional hearing, able to detect frequencies far beyond a typical Aetherean’s range. To combat them, farmers have begun purchasing magically enhanced sound emitters developed in Felrose. These devices release a piercing frequency undetectable to both people and livestock—but unbearable to Dunkels, driving them away before they can feed.

Though small, a single Dunkel can be a persistent menace. A colony of them? A farmer’s worst nightmare.

Locations: The Wilds as well as caves along the mountainous regions of Aetherealm.

Size: Small

Element: Shadow

Feureches

Description: The Feureches is a strange and striking creature—part serpent, part bird—its long, sinuous body adorned with delicate feathers, expansive wings, and oversized ears. Rarely seen on the ground, it spends most of its life soaring high above the treetops or nesting in the jagged cliffs of remote mountains. Though its slender form appears fragile, its muscles are strong and coiled with latent power.

With ears attuned to the faintest rustle and vision sharp enough to spot movement from incredible heights, the Feureches is a masterful aerial predator. It hunts by diving at remarkable speed, striking with a venomous bite before coiling its body around the prey mid-flight. Using powerful wingbeats, it lifts both itself and its victim back into the sky. Despite its size, a Feureches can carry prey twice its weight with ease.

While it typically feeds on small mammals, it has been known to attack the elusive Ond when desperate or emboldened. Its bite is laced with a mild venom—not fatal, but dangerously disorienting. Victims report waves of dizziness, burning veins, and a feverish haze that lingers for hours.

Feureches feathers are prized for their rare alchemical properties, often used in potions, salves, and enchantments across a variety of magical disciplines. Many believe the creature itself to be attuned to aetheric currents in the sky, making it both a wonder and a threat to those who dwell near its nesting grounds.

Locations: The Wilds

Size: Small

Element: Nature, Fire, & Ice respectively.

Goremaw

Description: The Goremaw is a nocturnal predator born of shadows, with the sharpest teeth and an unrelenting fury. Sleek and savage, it strikes with little warning—often with no provocation at all. Once it begins its assault, it rarely stops until its target lies dead. A patient hunter, the Goremaw is capable of stalking prey for hours in silence before choosing the perfect moment to strike.

Its body is sheathed in hard yet flexible armor that glints faintly in the dark. Often, the only sign of its approach is a sudden flash of light across its plated form just before it pounces. Equipped with claws like blades and teeth sharp enough to shred bone, the Goremaw is a nightmare to encounter—and is responsible for the deaths of many young Aethereans who wander too far from safety in search of Dovaa.

Its haunting victory cry—a piercing, echoing wail—follows each kill, sending a chill through the night air.

Solitary by nature, the Goremaw seeks out others of its kind only to mate. The male plays no role in raising the young, returning swiftly to its territory and continuing its lone, deadly existence.

Locations: Evermyst Forest, Aetheris

Size: Medium

Element: Shadow

Gourdekin

Description: Since the emergence of the Blue Bloom Plague, unstable pockets of raw aether have begun to seep into farmlands across Aetherealm, warping the natural order. In certain regions, this surge of wild magic has given rise to strange phenomena—most notably, the Gourdekin: animated gourd-creatures born from overgrown pumpkin patches and aether-saturated soil.

With glowing, carved faces and vine-like limbs, the Gourdekin exude a mischievous charm. Though many are harmless tricksters, some have developed a taste for chaos. These more volatile variants have been known to overrun entire fields, disrupting crops, frightening livestock, and turning peaceful farms into haunted battlegrounds of tangled roots and glowing eyes.

As the plague continues to spread, so too does the unpredictable presence of these strange, living gourds—harbingers of whimsy and wild magic in a world already teetering on the edge.

Locations: Around Aeiavael, Luminaris

Size: Medium

Element: Nature & Shadow

Groda

Description: The Groda is a large, vivid green amphibian known for its unusual blend of plant and animal traits. Roughly the size of a housecat, it uses its long, sticky tongue—capable of extending up to a meter—to snatch up anything resembling an insect. Bright, bioluminescent mushrooms grow from its back, a signature feature that is as dangerous as it is eye-catching. These fungi are highly toxic when consumed, serving as a natural deterrent to predators.

Groda live near still or slow-moving waters, where their deep croaking can be heard throughout the day. They are solitary creatures, thriving in murky environments that mask their presence while they hunt.

Unlike most amphibians, Groda do not lay eggs. Upon death, the mushrooms on their back release spores—either into the soil or into the stomach of whatever creature consumed them. Inside each cap is a single egg, nourished by decay or stomach acid. The hatchling can survive harsh environments long enough to escape and begin life anew. Within a year, it will have grown nearly to full size and developed the signature fungi that mark its adulthood.

Locations: Found around the lakes of Aetherealm.

Size: Small

Element: Nature & Water

Ikri

Description: Ikri are towering, polar bear-sized canines bred by nature to endure the harshest cold. Cloaked in dense, weather-resistant fur that ranges from stark glacial white to stormy grey-blue, these formidable beasts are built for strength and stamina in the most unforgiving terrain. Each Ikri bears two pairs of curved horns—used for defense and dominance displays—and four keen eyes: the upper set grants sweeping peripheral and long-range vision, while the lower pair is adapted for nocturnal hunting in near-total darkness.

They move in tightly bonded packs, led by an alpha—male or female—distinguished by sheer size and command. Hunters within the pack are smaller and swifter, known for their coordinated ambushes and silent strikes. Pups, though rare, are fiercely protected. If separated from the pack and carefully raised, a young Ikri can grow into a loyal companion—one capable of both fierce combat and serving as a powerful mount across frozen wilderness.

Locations: The Wilds & Mountains

Size: Large

Element: Ice

Kugel

Description: The Kugel is a sturdy, slow-moving creature well adapted to the sun-scorched Wilds. Broad and muscular, it ambles through the heat of the day on thick, padded feet that protect it from the searing sands. Its most distinctive feature is its heavy, bone-clubbed tail—used to fend off would-be predators with bone-shattering swings.

Primarily an omnivore, the Kugel feeds on trees, berries, grasses, shrubs, and the occasional small creature. While generally docile, its appetite is insatiable, making it more of a nuisance than a helper to most farmers. Left unattended, a Kugel will happily devour entire fields. Because of this, they’re rarely used in agricultural settings—but merchants and caravaners prize them as beasts of burden for their strength and endurance.

Though they appear sluggish, a Kugel can move with surprising speed in short bursts—fast enough to match a Wynsteed when provoked—and their ability to pivot while charging makes them formidable despite their size. In the Wilds, they roam in small herds of three to six, communicating with deep, rumbling calls that echo across the dunes.

During slumber, a Kugel curls into a tight ball, its thick hide and rounded form making it nearly indistinguishable from a boulder—a clever camouflage that keeps it safe until the danger passes.

Locations: The Beaches of Aetherealm

Size: Large

Element: Terra

Lumestra

Description: After the rise of the Blue Bloom Plague, eerie orbs of flickering blue or green flame—known as Lumestra—began to appear across Aetherealm. These ghostly spheres drift silently through graveyards, battlefields, and the shadowed paths of Mystvael, drawn to places soaked in sorrow and death. Wherever lives were lost, the Lumestra are not far behind.

Each orb burns with an otherworldly glow, and within the flames, faint faces can sometimes be seen. They emit only a soft whisper, like voices lost on the wind, just out of reach. Those who listen too closely often fall into madness… and if fortune favors them, death follows swiftly.

Legends claim that Lumestra are not merely echoes of the dead, but souls pulled back from the Veil, cursed to remind the living of what has been lost. Though passive at first, they become violent if disturbed—unleashing a shriek so unnatural it shatters resolve, while their once-soft flames erupt into searing heat capable of charring stone and bone alike.

Ghostlike and ethereal, Lumestra cannot be harmed by mundane means; only enchanted weapons or powerful aetheric spells can ward them off. Best to give them space, for few survive a second encounter.

Locations: Anywhere there has been death. They linger about graveyards and old battlefields, haunting swamps and forests where people have died. They can even be spotted about reefs.

Size: Small

Element: Fire, Shadow, & Light

Ond

Description: Onds are small, beetle-like creatures with iridescent shells that shimmer in hues of purple, green, yellow, and crimson—each color dancing over a glossy black body. Drawn to the faint trails of loose aether that linger in the air, they tend to gather in swarms during festivals, parades, or any place where joy is thick and magic runs high.

Mischievous by nature, Onds are known for playing light-hearted pranks on anyone not in a celebratory mood. Their tricks range from harmless illusions to playful light shows that flicker around their bodies. While their magic is modest, it’s just enough to create brief hallucinations, glowing trails, or glittering mirages meant to startle or amuse.

Despite their antics, Onds are entirely harmless. They don’t bite or sting—they just want everyone to join the fun. In fact, the grumpier you are, the more attention you’re likely to attract. So if you find yourself surrounded by a cloud of glowing beetles, you might want to put on a smile and dance it off—before they turn your shadow into a parade float.

Locations: The Wilds and Fields of Aetherealm

Size: Tiny

Element: Terra

Riistaja

Description: Riistaja are solitary predators that haunt the shadowy banks of Vaelaris Lake, emerging only under the cover of night. Bulky in build yet surprisingly agile, these creatures possess long, powerful legs built for short bursts of incredible speed. Riistaja are ambush hunters, relying on stealth rather than stamina. They strike swiftly—either from the tall grass or from the canopy above—before vanishing back into the dark.

Equally adept on the ground or in the trees, the Riistaja climbs with eerie silence, its claws hooking effortlessly into bark and stone. Their hides range from deep violet to pitch black, blending seamlessly with the night, while sharp blue or green spines trace a jagged line down their backs like warped thorns.

Perhaps their most chilling feature are their eyes—pale, glassy, and seemingly devoid of emotion. They catch the moonlight in a ghostly shimmer, and after a successful kill, they glow faintly, as though some remnant of stolen life lingers behind them.

Locations: Near Lake Vaelaris, Aetheris

Size: Medium 

Element: Shadow

Saergoth

Description: The Saergoth is a small, mammoth-faun hybrid creature domesticated by Aethereans for both labor and companionship. Known for their gentle temperament and surprising strength, Saergoths have long served as dependable farmhands—used to pull equipment, plow fields, and transport heavy loads with ease. Despite their compact size, their muscular build allows them to move large objects and assist in daily agricultural tasks much like donkeys.

Thanks to their manageable stature, adult Saergoths are commonly brought into towns and cities, where they excel at navigating narrow streets and hauling cargo through tight spaces. Though smaller than most adult Aethereans, they are strong enough to be ridden, offering a steady—if slower—alternative to the swifter Wynsteed.

Beyond their utility, Saergoths are beloved throughout Aetherealm. Even in households that don’t rely on them for labor, they are kept as affectionate, loyal companions—especially admired for their gentle demeanor around children and smaller beings.

Locations: Aetheris & Luminaris

Size: Medium

Element: Terra