It’s the last day of the Monster/Magic Item/Whatever fun and here are all of the people who shot me short lists. First up is Chris McMullen:
Kheyjm
An aquatic predator found in the open ocean, the Kheyim travel in schools. They are modest-sized fish that are dark blue with a white dorsal fin and black tail fins. Their pectoral fins are clear and can be suddenly extended to deliver a slice to their target. The school will surround prey and dart around while slashing at it. Some studies have shown that they may do this to a fish they don’t intend to eat in order to attract their favorite meal: shark.
The next one is from Jo Robinson:
Daawkwiddle
Nobody is sure if they should classify this creature as a duck or a dog. It has the bill and webbed feet of a duck as well as a love of water. Yet, it has the shaggy fur, sharp teeth, and four legs of a Pomeranian. The typically gentle nature of the Daawkwiddle has led to it becoming a popular pet, but there is one complaint. It is a picky and difficult eater who switches from dog food to duck food (especially snails) without warning. Some have even been known to make the switch in the middle of a meal and knock over its food bowl in anger. It doesn’t attack, but struts off to mope under a table or couch.
Melissa Janda has given me the following 3:
Dasypoedidaewahl
Indigenous to cities in tropical climates, this crab-like parasite can be found on any of the armadillo family. It hides within their armor to occasionally feed off blood, but not enough to draw attention at first. When the Dasypoedidaewahl grows to the size of a quarter, it begins injecting a hardening agent into the host. It gradually sucks out the internal liquids to make room for the agent, which petrifies the armadillo. After hollowing the body out, the parasite lays its eggs and dies.
Jacinthewoky
A dance done by the men and women of the Kelpie Isles, it is performed during the Harvest Festival. Each person holds a white handkerchief and holds it out in front of them with both hands. They perform a series of complicated steps for an hour, which works up a sweat. Once the dance is done, the performers quickly tie the handkerchief around their heads where it either remains white or turns orange. If it turns orange then that person has been chosen to help pick the crops when they’re ripe.
Jettaturathicus
The victim of an Evil Eye done by the sixth female descendant of a third son born out of wedlock under a triple star eclipse. Those hit by this curse are made sterile, plagued by night terrors, and can never eat chocolate again.
LAST ONE AND IT’S A BIG ONE FROM ADAM ICKES!
Krimkiklekawanamung
This legendary beast is rumored to wander the Plains of Semikol, which has been a barren wasteland for centuries. Nobody knows what happened to the tribes or animals that lived here. One day they simply disappeared and left nothing but ruins and a sea of bones. Of course people blame the Krimkiklekawanamung since it might be the only creature left in the area. The problem is that it isn’t some large beast. If the stories are true then it’s actually a fist-sized beetle and there’s only one of them. It is dull orange with a black heart on its back and it darts around, never stopping for longer than an instant if it truly exists. Considering the Plains of Semikol span for a couple hundred thousand miles, it’s possible the Krimkiklekawanamung (translated to either Devourer of Life or Easily Crushed by a Rock) exists. The chance of it being the creature that turned the region into a near lifeless wasteland? Many don’t think it’s possible.




Wow! These are great! I love the Jacinthewoky dance. Sounds exhausting but fun.
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Definitely. Though I’ve yet to decide if manual labor is a real win or not. 😀
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You’ve certainly done the legendary Krimkiklekawanamung justice. The alternate translations are great!
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Thank you for the epic word. I wanted to do that one justice. Though spelling it correctly every time was the biggest challenge. 😀
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You have a gift, Charles!
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Thanks. 🙂
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🙂
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You do such a great job with these, Charles! I will be sad to see them end. Maybe you can do them again next year in April 🙂 When everyone else is doing NaPoWriMo, you can do Monster Month!
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A full month would be chaotic. I think I’ll pull this out of the closet around Halloween. 😀 Glad you liked it.
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Lewis Carroll may especially appreciate Jacinthewoky.
So that’s where I saw the kheyjm. Poor sharkies. 🙂
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And we thought sharks were the top of the food chain. How wrong we were.
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Somehow, that’s comforting.
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Cool, cool! Awesome! Pardon my excitement, but now I know who the pink duck is! Thank you Charles – these creatures are brilliant, and must have taken lots of your time to put such vivid life in.
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They didn’t really take a lot of individual time. I grabbed an idea and ran with it. Entirely flow of imagination with no brakes. 🙂
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You’re a genius. You so remind me of Piers Anthony – his Adept series, and Incarnations of Immortality all had characters and creatures that I’ve never seen another author be able to match – till now. 🙂
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Thanks. 🙂 Monster making is definitely one of my favorite parts of fantasy writing.
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Ha! I love what you did with the words suggested. You’re a very clever man. I think we need a visual of the jacinthewoky dance, though. And an audio of how to pronounce the last one. I’m not even going to try to spell it. 🙂
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Thanks. That last one is a mouthful. I had to take it slow every time and double check my spelling.
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Easily Crushed by a Rock. XD
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Had to double check on that one. Toughest part about that entry was writing the name.
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