I was excited to see this get high on the list until I realized there’s no easy way to explain this creature. There is no common form to them because of how they’re made. Not all of them are aggressive and you can never tell where a chimera can be found. You might find one in the ocean and another on top of a mountain with both of them looking nothing alike. It’s thought that many of the more unique creatures of Windemere are all chimera, but this is proven wrong if you find more than one of them. So, what exactly are these amalgamations?
Chimera are not born because they are formed by accident. Previously, they were a type of shaman called a spirit channeler. Similar to the magical version, these people can allow the spirit of a dead animal to take over their body. They can either use the creature’s abilities like a heightened sense of smell or give complete control to fully transform. The shaman’s mind remains in the background while the beast acts and the two are able to communicate. Even if they don’t speak the same language, there is an understanding on the psychic plane that can carry over to when the shaman is in control too. If one of these people are found arguing with something that isn’t there then one of they’re talking to one of their spirits.
Now, this is a very dangerous specialty because emotions need to remain stable. If a shaman is put under enough stress in any form then all of the spirits will attempt to take control. Sometimes, the strongest one will win and becoming a berserk version of their living form with occasional appearance of minor traits from the other spirits. Usually, this is a transition phase and all of them will merge into a unique creature that has physical pieces of all the non-shaman spirits and all of the abilities. The shaman is trapped within because his or her spirit has become too scared to function and it is impossible for them to be sure the danger has passed. They blindly depend on the merged spirits, but those have lost most of their individuality. At best, the chimera knows something is wrong and goes into hiding to figure things out.
Can a chimera be returned to their original state? Yes, but there is a short window before the spirits fuse. At most, you have a day and that’s only if the shaman is able to retain enough consciousness to fight. Even then, you would need either a powerful telepath, a more experienced spirit channeler, a special ritual, or an aura channeler that can manipulate raw energy. Sadly, most times a chimera is born, there are only enemies around. Any allies and innocents that might be around are at risk from the inevitable rampage.
Is this the biggest scene of War of Nytefall: Eradication? No. Is this a major plot point that will reveal all? No. Will it be a lot of fun to read? That’s the plan. It’s Monster vs Monster this time.
The Dread Boar is one of the creatures that came out of nowhere and racked up a ton of mileage quickly. Debuting in the Legends of Windemere series, they have also been mentioned and appeared in War of Nytefalland The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks. That covers a lot of ground, so you know these giant pigs are going to keep coming back. Honestly, they’ve kind of become my ‘go to’ wild beast when I need something big and aggressive. Not necessarily for a fight, but comparisons and declarations of toughness for blowhards. So, where did they come from?
Way back, I was adding wild beasts to a nature scene to set the stage and I got to the audible parts. I didn’t want to do solely real animals and I began thinking of a beast that could roar in the distance. My mind kept coming back to boars since I had recently read about the Gullinbursti of Norse mythology. So, I had the loud bellow of a . . . angry . . . dire . . . death . . . Dread Boar! I brought up the beast a few more times before I actually showed what it looked like. Even then, it was a group of shape-shifting monsters disguised as Dread Boars. Still, this was the first look at what they were and they acted the way they were supposed to. Calm until they feel threatened and then they go on an aggressive rampage that can mow down an entire forest if left unchecked.
I made them huge with rough hair after reading on how pigs can quickly go feral when they are released into the wild. They go from cute pink animals to the destructive boars that fictional barbarians battle when they have nothing better to do. This wasn’t fantasy enough for me, so I added metallic tusks and hooves. Dread Boars are not only strong, but they are fast and smart enough to use group tactics. This goes out the window if they are enraged, which happens if startled or threatened. Protecting their young isn’t as violent because they make a circle around the babies and scrape their tusks together to create an ear-wrenching screech. This scares off most animals and warns others in the area that the herd is nearby with children. When moving, they will knock over trees that are in their path, but their dung is a very powerful fertilizer. New plants grew fairly quickly in the wake of a Dread Boar.
So far, I’ve only had them on Ralian, so I haven’t decided on if you can find them on the other continents. Definitely not Shayd or Ambervale due to what they are. I might come up with variations for the other regions. Maybe have one kind be a little smaller like your African and Asian elephants. Another could be more aquatic if I put it in the Cerascent Archipelago. For monsters that are designed to be part of the wilderness, you can play with have different versions of the same species. After all, that’s how things work in the real world.
(Today starts ‘Wolf Awareness Week’. I made a post in 2023 about wolves, so I’m going to repost it today. Enjoy and maybe look up more videos of these amazing animals.)
Google Image Search
I’ve been hesitant about this animal for a while. Mostly because I really wanted to do a post on it, but it would be difficult. The reason for this is because there are 32 subspecies of wolf, which includes 24 New World and 8 Old World. That’s a really long post. So, I was happy to find that there’s a 3 species system. I’ll go with that, but maybe I’ll do some wolf subspecies posts down the road.
Now, people will want the conservation status. ENDANGERED is the easiest way to say it because many subspecies are in that category. Wolves have a negative reputation, especially in areas where people make money off livestock. They are seen as aggressive and dangerous beasts, so there have been many points in history where they have been wiped out around the world. For example, they were eliminated in Yellowstone National Park and Great Britain. The former resulted in an elk population boom, which threatened the environment. Wolves were eventually reintroduced and the ecosystem went back into balance, which shows the important of these animals.
So, what is a wolf? These are wild canines who are related to dogs. They run in packs to help with hunting and protecting the young. Most people know about them due to their placement as villains in kid stories and other media. Since they are related to dogs, they share aspects of appearance and habits. Alaskan malamutes are probably the closest breed to their wild relatives.
Big Note– Wolf packs don’t actually have an alpha male and female. The term was first used by a biologist named Rudolph Shenkel in 1944 while he observed wolves in a German zoo. Do yo see the issue? Wolves, like humans, act differently in captivity than they would in the wild. This is because they are strangers put together while packs in the wild are family units with the ‘alphas’ being mom and dad. This is why you don’t see the term used scientifically any more.
So, what are some interesting facts?
They run on their 4 toes and not their paw pads. Their speed are 36-38 mph.
Wolves mate for life.
Pups are born deaf and blind with bright blue eyes.
Wolves can hear sounds from up to 6 miles away
Their howls can be heard from around 10 miles away. They don’t howl at the moon either.
They have over 200 million scent cells
Wolves have 42 teeth with 20 on the top and 22 on the bottom.
Wolves have a bite pressure that is strong enough to break bones and get at the marrow.
Due to packs being family units, they typically range from 2 to 10 members with 6 being the average.
There have only been 41 fatal wolf attacks recorded in North America . . Ever.
There are signs that wolves are stressed out by the presence of humans and dogs as well as the death of pack members. This is done through studying cortisol levels in stool samples.
Now, what are the three general wolf species?
Eastern Wolf (debated)- Found in the Great Lakes Region
Gray Wolf- Found in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia
Red Wolf- Eastern North Carolina (14 left in wild)
This is for the general wolves, which seems to revolve around the Gray Wolf mostly. You have others like the Maned Wolves of South America, Ethiopian Wolves, African Golden Wolves, Dingoes in Australia, Coyotes, and the list keeps going. Many are seen as subspecies of the gray wolf too. So, let’s go right to the videos:
(The intro sounds so much like another song. Can’t put my finger on it though.)
This was a rough week due to the life event. I can’t go into any details on public forums, but things are still happening. Part of the week was prep for it and then the next stage, which left me exhausted. Still got through work while I felt beaten up on the inside and realized I have another month or two of needing antacids ahead. Part of me just wishes it could end so that my son can enjoy his senior year without a dark lining. He’s excited about college, senior events, and so much. Sucks that this life event is causing havoc as well.
Prior to having to focus on the above, I did manage to get a chapter section of Darwin & the Deadlands Queen completed. It was the merging of two sections, so it took a while to put together. I realized it’s a major transition chapter where the first act nears its end and the second act looms. Chapter 6 has one more section, which is going to be another merging. So, I’m hoping to get it started later today and finish it up tomorrow. Going to be tough with my son having an event and me having an eye exam then cooking dinner, so I’ll be happy with the single step. If done right, it will make chapter 7 easier in terms of act transition. Throwing in some unplanned foreshadowing is making it slower going as well.
The other issue is still Darwin being a positive, curious character, so I need the right mindset. I get emotionally derailed a lot lately. I tried writing Darwin when I was in a bad mood and it didn’t work. I have found that starting with a moodier character can help me get to where I was, but that’s not always an option. Add in that this book has a lot of conversations since the problem will be made a disaster if Darwin does his usual magical chaos. I’m getting some action scenes in, but I feel he’s reached a point where he can use his words more often. Not always the right words, but Darwin has to mature on some level and I know he’s capable of it. Looking at my outline, I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of action in general until near the end. Just how the story is going to go.
I managed to get all of the November posts set up, so I’m working on December. Really trying to make new posts, but I think the life event is taking too much out of me. I’m working on a list of future topics that I can tackle when I have more time. Barely about to get writing time in, so it would be weird to use what I have to make blog posts. I know this disappoints people, but I’m pulling stuff from around 10 years ago. Figure those posts could use a revival. I really put up a lot of writing posts too, which is why finding new topics a challenge. Doesn’t help that I’m not aware of current trends in writing, publishing, and marketing. Do people even read books or is A.I. simply downloading them into our dreams?
This coming week doesn’t look to be too crazy. A full week of work with no appointments to speak of. My son has a few things that need to be taken care of, but that’s more on his shoulders. College essays and applications are his focus now. I might get lucky and be able to write on a weekday. If I could start chapter 7 or tinker more with ‘Coven of the Gray’ then I’ll be happy. Really should try to touch on the latter. I’ve been lazy there since it’s in my work satchel and I keep leaving that downstairs. Keep laying down on my bed and losing the energy to get it. I try to run ideas through my head though . . . They’re not always on topic.
Only other thing going on is me getting back into cooking. Everything has worked out so far, including the taco pie with Doritos. I did plan on having leftovers of some of the meals, but I didn’t factor in the teenager’s appetite. So, I was left doing more take-out than expected. Can only do Nutella sandwiches for myself for so long before I want a burger or slice of pizza. The dinners for this weekend should last longer though. I’m doing pepperoni lasagna rolls tonight and a sweet kielbasa recipe with rice tomorrow. He couldn’t possibly eat 8 of the lasagna rolls and an entire kielbasa . . . I think. Kid is skinny even after gorging, which reminds me of when I had that type of metabolism. Hope he can maintain that.
This is one that can get confusing because their name is also used for the career and clothing. The thing to remember going forward is that the Jesters here are spelled with a capital ‘J’. Also that I won’t be talking about the other kind. They get the name because of how they dress . . . Although, the bell-tipped caps and colorful clothing are actually parts of their bodies. Segue into the description!
The Jesters are incredibly powerful beings that are said to have been born from chaotic magic. As I said, they have the clothing of the mortal career and they indulge in some of the same activities such as juggling and getting laughs. All Jesters are high energy and tend to be friendly, but they also have a curiosity that can be unnerving. For example, one meeting a pregnant woman could open her belly up like a door and take a peek without harming either mortal. This was actually done in a Dungeons & Dragons game that I ran and it freaked the mother out. You see, Jesters don’t pay attention to social norms, mortal rules, and laws of physics. They are composed of raw magic and can twist reality to some extent. Only gods and named demons can really hold a candle to their power, which they use at their leisure.
There is no social structure to these creatures because they are fairly whimsical. You might find several in a group for an extended period of time, but then there might be a solitary one. Some adventurers have stumbled onto hidden colonies, which are very rare due to the amount of magic in one area. Many Jesters wander around and search for areas that can entertain them. It could be a temporary weather pattern or a group of mortals that they will stick with until they get bored. Not being gods, they are allowed to interfere with mortal affairs and they will for laughs. It is unclear if Jesters can get angry or even kill people since neither have been recorded. They are more likely to send an enemy away or do something to embarrass them. Being near immortal, they understand the concept of death, but find it bland and refuse to be a part of it.
Jesters will continue to be a mystery, especially after the Great Cataclysm. Prior to this event, they were scattered about Windemere and were fairly active. Once the chaos had ended, only the Jesters that had been trapped in magical locations remained and they lived in secret. Various artifacts that unleashed reality-warping magic have been discovered and it is rumored that the Jesters were transformed by their own power into these items. Others believe they were reabsorbed into the chaotic magic that birthed them thousands of years ago. Nobody really wants to investigate in case they free something strong enough to kill the Jesters. Because of this, they have fallen into legend and appear in bard tales to entertain children.
In my books, Jesters first appeared in Legends of Windemere: Tribe of the Snow Tiger in the form of Fortunatos. He is the guardian of Aintaranurh, which is the holy temple of Timoran Wrath’s tribe. People enjoyed his appearance and antics, which I had a blast writing. Yet, this wasn’t the first time I used a Jester. In fact, he was originally going to be a genie, but I changed it once I got to the scene. They first appeared in that D&D game that I mentioned when I wanted a powerful being that will throw off the players. I had a problem with them attacking and destroying nearly everything that came across their path, so I made the Jesters nonthreatening and beyond their abilities. Even if they attacked, they wouldn’t do enough to warrant a counter. It was the first time I got to play a wacky and curious character, which would go on to influence my creation of Yola Biggs the Chaos Goddess. I do plan on bringing them into a few more stories too. Haven’t fully decided on that one yet.
(Anybody else grow up seeing things in the shadows when they were trying to fall asleep? Does it still happen? I didn’t really grow out of it, but my bad eyesight makes such things rather ridiculous.)
One of the first monsters that appears in Legends of Windemereare the Snake Fiends, which are based off the Naga. This is a mythological creature, but I wasn’t 100% certain of that when I wrote the story. The name kind of stuck. Sadly, this monster gets very little attention since it shows up so early and doesn’t make another appearance until Book 10. So they remain a mystery and it’s only recently that I did more with them.
Physically, the Snake Fiends have the hooded head of a human and a serpentine body with poisonous spines. A long spike is on their tail and they have multiple hearts, so they are a force to be reckoned with if you’re a young adventurer. More experienced warriors and casters see them more as a nuisance. A constricting snake can’t do much against platemail and the poisonous parts wouldn’t get very far either. So a Snake Fiend in the wild is more inclined to avoid travelers or hiss from a distance. They are only aggressive when they feel safe.
Now the reason the Snake Fiends were used is because that was what appeared in the game and I never thought to change it. Having them being underground creatures and a common treasure horde protector made sense. They can burrow through the piles of treasure and sense movement on the ground. In fact, you’ll learn that their burrowing ability is much more versatile than one would expect. A Snake Fiend in a field or any terrain with deep soil can hold its own against stronger creatures by moving beneath the surface. Using their vibration sense, they can use their tail spikes to stab from below. Their eyesight is better in caves because direct sunlight is too strong, but the hood helps if they face the right direction. There really wasn’t much depth to their design and habits. Sometimes a monster is closer to a simple animal than a complicated threat.
Yet, the snake fiend does become very important later on in Legends of Windemere. I was rather surprised how much mileage I got out of them. Can’t say much more than that without spoilers. It really does show that an author never knows which creation is going to make an impact.
Today, we have Timoran Wrath getting a well-deserved spotlight. I admit that I had to edit a little of the teaser to remove a piece of information. Want to know what changed? Then check out Legends of Windemere: Charms of the Feykin for 99 cents!
