#Tobenum

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Shellhounds

One of the methods I use to come up with many of the creatures in Tobenum involves several decks of flash cards from the show Planet Earth. I���ll pick two of the animal decks (Animals of the Sea, Animals of the Land, or Animals of the Sky), draw a random card from each of them, and then draw a card from the Geography deck, and then use those to inform traits of a creature, what it looks like, how it behaves, where it lives, that sort of thing. The cards I drew for this one were Arctic Wolf, Spiny Lobster, and Tropical Rainforest. The rainforest thing might not have been as prevalent in the lore as the Arctic Wolf was, but I like these guys all the same!

Shellhound. Other common names: spearwolf, blade-wolf, lancerunner, icehorn (in areas around the Shivering Mountains during mating season).

Description: The shellhound is a large terrestrial crustacean with mottled carapace in dark green, brown and gold colors that assist it in blending into the foliage of the rainforests all across Southeastern Granop it calls home. This carapace is rough and spiny on the head, forward torso, shoulder joints, hip joints, and lower forelegs of the animal and smoother towards the tail. The larger spines are conical and dark in color, with the largest ones approaching pitch black. Its tail is broad, with each section flaring out at the sides to form triangular shapes that slope backwards towards the tail tip. The tail ends in mobile tear-drop shaped plates that form a colorful fan, which the shellhound uses for communication between packmates on hunts, when sound would give away their position to the prey. This tail also assists in locomotion in the water during the wet season. The shellhound has four segmented legs arranged similarly to a wolf, with two forelegs with one joint each as an elbow, and two digitigrade hind limbs, as well as two smaller limbs ending in small crab-like claws towards the front of the body. These smaller limbs rest between the two forelegs and are usually kept close to the chest except when being used to assist in carrying meals or pups. Each of the four walking limbs ends in a “paw” with three digits: two longer digits with three segments that end in a hard, sharp claw to provide traction, and a smaller two-segmented digit that acts as a sort of thumb and helps when the shellhound attempts to climb trees to escape larger predators or chase prey. The body is segmented as well to allow better movement when running. A thick neck leads up to the head of the animal, which can be likened to a spear tip in shape with a long “nose” which it uses to impale its head into a kill to gain access to food that may be harder to reach. It has two dark eyes made of many incredibly small lenses. Two long and slender sensory antennae, dubbed the minor antennae, jut out from sockets just a little in front of the eyes that can sense smells as well as temperature. A plated mouth rests on the bottom of the head beneath the eyes. The mouth is made of many surprisingly delicate mouthparts, which are guarded by two flat plates that hinge downwards like two halves of a razor sharp jaw. These plates grind against the upper jaw to cut and grind food for easier chewing of the mouthparts. The most notable trait of the shellhound is its two larger antennae, the major antennae, above and behind the eyes, which have been adapted into sharp and sturdy weapons similar to rotating, dexterous horns. The major antennae have three segments: two spiny segments which move and rotate, and the third segment being a long conical horn made of extremely hardened chitin. Many dramatic writers have likened these antennae to spears, lances and swords, comparisons which are not unfounded based on what these structures are actually used for. Shellhounds hunt in coordinated packs and will utilize the major antennae by running up alongside fleeing prey and slashing at the flanks and legs and other vulnerable parts to weaken it. Shellhounds have been seen pursuing wounded prey for miles, resting occasionally but never ceasing their hunt until the prey finally falls, and then the shellhounds will pierce the flesh with their nose horns and proceed to tear out chunks of meat with their claws and mouthparts. But the truly impressive use of these “blades,”' and the one all the bards and poets write ballads about, comes during the mating season. 

At the start of the dry season in the rainforest, shellhounds will migrate far north to the peaks of the Shivering Mountains, where winter is just beginning, and there the shellhounds undergo a stunning transformation. Each shellhound molts their entire carapace to reveal their stark white winter shells, to better blend in with the snow-covered terrain. Then, the males will begin preparing for the yearly rut. Male shellhounds will scrape their blades against rocks, trees, or any suitably hard surface to both polish and sharpen them. Male shellhounds will continue to sharpen their blades until they take on a shining pearlescent sheen. Then they will seek out other males and, if females are nearby, proceed to rattle and scrape together the segments of their horns to make an unsettling screeching noise, almost akin to nails on a chalkboard. If neither backs down from this display, the two males will begin to duel. Witnesses to these duels have claimed that shellhounds display swordsmanship comparable or surpassing the skill of even the greatest masters, striking and parrying with expert precision as sparks fly from the clashing blades which seem to glow in the light from sun and moon. A duel during the rut only ends when one of the two contesting shellhounds backs down or dies. These duels, the shellhound’s tenacity and expertise in their hunting strategies, and the striking transformation between both their coloration and their choice of environment every year have made the shellhound a popular figure in heraldry and symbolism, its image often used to represent skill, persistence, and change. Unfortunately, these same traits have also made them a desirable target for hunting parties. 

Hunters and nobles commonly travel to Khymera to hunt shellhounds, especially the males, for their horns, desiring to have them made into the handle or outright blade of a weapon or simply a trophy display. The more superstitious of these hunters seem to believe some part of the shellhound’s skill in battle will transfer to them and make them better warriors. There is some small truth to this belief, as the horns of a shellhound remain incredibly durable and sharp even long after its death, and weapons using these horns have been known to chip and shatter even blades of steel. The horns of shellhounds in rut, known as winter blades, are especially valuable. The more brilliant the sheen, the better. The demand for these winter blades may perhaps be in part because they appear to be stronger and sharper than other shellhound horns, but the most likely reason is that they’re just really shiny.

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Bearbugs

The idea that spawned this species was basically, “What would happen if I sized up a tardigrade (water bear) to the size of an actual bear? And also gave it some of the ecological niche, behaviors, and superstitions about bears in our world? What would have to change about its biology to facilitate movement or a more omnivorous diet?” And that spiraled into this monstrosity. 

Bearbugs are massive eight-legged arthropods with nearly indestructible shells. They are highly omnivorous, with powerful crushing mandibles able to tear flesh and crush bone just as well as they can chew leaves and pulp wood. An extendable tube-like mouth with rotating teeth lies behind the mandibles, which sucks up or tears at soft organic matter like moss or lichen. Bearbugs have two dark compound eyes shielded by a headplate, atop which are two stubby antennae which act as the beast’s nose, picking up scents from even a mile away. Eight powerful legs, each ending in a four-clawed foot, propel the bearbug at surprising speeds, and are also used to either climb or knock over trees if they are small enough. Bearbug shells are smooth, are commonly seen in various blue and violet shades that gleam like gemstones, and are almost impossible to pierce, shatter, dent, chip, burn, freeze, or melt. Cannonfire is one of the few reliable ways to deal with bearbugs, and even then the shots are only expected to stun and drive off the creatures, not kill them. And that defense is something many kings, knights and nobles will pay whatever price to gain for themselves.

 Armor made of bearbug chitin is considered to be some of, if not the most sturdy in the world, able to deflect spellfire and shatter blades without so much as a scratch. Of course, acquiring enough chitin to make even a single glove is extremely dangerous, which only adds to the material’s rarity and value. To kill a bearbug requires training in the use of a specialized spear with bars jutting from the sides of the bladed end and enchanted with a strengthening spell. The spear is meant to be jabbed into the softer interior of the beast’s mouth, intending to either wound it enough that it dies from blood loss, or get lucky and pierce its brain. The bars to either side of the blade are intended to prevent the bearbug from pushing itself down the shaft of the spear and mutilating its would-be attacker, while the strengthening spell pulls double duty in empowering the wielder and preventing the weapon from being crushed to pieces by the weight of the bearbug or simply snapped by its mandibles. Even with the proper equipment and planning, bearbugs are still reportedly difficult to kill, with the popular opinion having been spread that they cannot be killed at all. Bearbugs, understandably at having a bunch of loud creatures try to shove pointy sticks in their faces, will not go down without a great ordeal of a fight. It would seem that taking the shell from an already dead bearbug would be a safer option as there is no difference between the durability of chitin taken from a freshly killed bearbug and that of one long deceased, but this avenue of acquiring bearbug chitin is often easier said than done, simply because of the difficulty in finding an already dead bearbug. Their lifespans can last for centuries or more, with a notable individual named Big Bella believed to be upwards of a thousand years old and is still causing trouble today. Bearbugs do molt occasionally, but these discarded shells do not nearly hold the same durability as intact chitin, so their best use is as supplemental plating for already durable armor and shields. And so the activity of bearbug hunting persists. 

Adding to their almost mythical indestructibility is the bearbug’s ability to go into a seemingly immortal hibernation. When finding themselves in extreme environments such as subzero temperatures, dry heat, or lack of food or water, bearbugs will burrow into the ground, tuck in their heads, cover all vulnerable spots (at least, any spots that could be remotely considered vulnerable) with their eight legs, go into a slowed and near death state, and wait until conditions become more favorable. Given their long lives and extremely resilient bodies, this strategy works far more often than not, though bugbears at the end of their lives will burrow in the same manner before passing on, explaining the difficulty in finding deceased bugbears. A notable case of bearbug revival occurred after some enterprising souls attempted to excavate the volcanic rock surrounding the site of the ancient eruption of Mount Koffenchohk, now dormant. The miners accidentally uncovered several hibernating bearbugs all huddled together to protect themselves from the cataclysm. To the miners’ horror, the bearbugs awoke upon exposure to fresh air and sunlight, and, hungry after their extended slumber, saw the hapless miners as a suitable food source. Only eight men and women out of the 57-strong expedition survived. 

Despite their well-documented fortitude across Granop and Takolas, in Khymera the signs tell a different story. Hollow bearbug shells have been sighted littering the rainforests of the southern end of the Western World, completely devoid of their former flesh. As if something ate it from the inside out. So now the question has been raised: What kills the unkillable?

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Tobenum

So I have this fantasy setting that is your standard “Kitchen Sink Fantasy” world. Well, maybe not standard exactly, but many of the typical modern D&D/Tolkien-esque species like elves and dwarves are in it, just in rather different forms than usual. I had so many different ideas that I didn’t think would fit in other settings I made up, so I threw them all in their own world and called it a day. The name Tobenum itself is a warping of To Be Named. You know, the Dragon Age method of world naming.

Anyway, a lot of the posts I make on this blog may be related to this world, so I thought I’d explain a few things I’ve figured out about it so far, and some things I’ll make up as I go. This post might go a little long, so keep reading if you’d like to hear the general beats of this setting.

First, there are at least two or maybe three known continents on Tobenum. The one- no, actually two (I’ve decided just now) continents most of civilization lives on are interconnected with an isthmus and a few islands, while the third is off to the west and whose existence was only “discovered (as much as any landmass with multiple thriving populations can be discovered)” relatively recently— about 50 or so years ago. The northern of the connected continents is called Granop, the southern is called Takolas, and the newly known western continent is called Khymera. Granop is the typical European styled medieval fantasy land, Takolas is a hot, hostile land with savannah cradling an arid desert. Khymera is easily the largest continent on Tobenum and is mostly temperate forest and grassy plains in the north and humid rainforest in the south, with hot shrublands and mesas between.

Instead of using “race” to refer to all the various peoples as if they aren’t different species entirely, the term for any sapient species on Tobenum that has a semblance of language and civilization is “Vocal Kind.” The capital letters are important— a parrot can be vocal, but it is not Vocal. A rat is a kind of rodent, but is not a Kind. I’ll try to go into each of the Kinds in their own post eventually, but my current list is something like this:

Humans (All over the place and have a bit of a reputation for bonding and mating with just about any other Vocal Kind)

Elphs (Elephant people who live in tree-cities where the line between civic construction and forestry is blurred beyond meaning. The elf equivalent of Tobenum)

Dwarves (Short reptilian people who live underground and take pride in their craftsmanship and history. Bearded dragons cosplaying as Tolkien dwarves)

Orcs (Tusked orca whale people who are the leading force in exploring and memorizing the world’s oceans)

Gobblins (Little green guys whose society practically runs on food)

Wyverns (The massive magical flying reptiles who hoard treasure and burninate the countryside— at least, before they settle down to run a bank or grocery store or something)

Wyvernborn (When a wyvern and a member of another Vocal Kind love each other very much- )

Trolls (Catfish people who are often found extorting people for access to bridges)

Domols (Flightless owl people who live in marvelous cities in the sky)

Venari (Lionfish humanoids who are making a concerning effort to conquer the surface world)

Mondodo (Secretive dodo monks/ninjas)

Zhee (Psychic bug people on Khymera)

Demons (Spiky theropod dinosaurs who heard buffalo the size of elephants on Khymera)

And yeah, that’s all I want to talk about for now. The creatures are what I’m really excited about, so I’ll probably be mostly making posts about them as I go into detail about Tobenum.