#borometz

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Pyraustra

The pyraustra (Draco minumus or Musca flammea), is a being of much mystery. While some scholars hold that it is an insect with the ability to produce continual flame, others speculate that it might be the smallest species of dragon. The truth may be impossible to find, as the pyraustra's heat destroys any scientific tools that get too close, and its body burns up upon death, leaving only a small pile of soot. Either way, a pyraustra is relatively easy to tame, but not recommended for beginners, due to their tendency to alight on flammable objects, like trees, furniture, and people.

— Rufy

(Author's note: I changed the pyraustra a little from the original Greek and Latin descriptions, in which they just lived in fire, but did not produce it. But then Aristotle and Pliny were trying to make sense of the wild stories they'd heard; I'm trying to make an RPG monster.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

[oldsardens]

Antonio Possenti - Borometz

[briefbestiary]

A perplexing mythical lamb, this medieval beast was a legend about an area of the world that Europe knew little about at the time. The vegetable lamb itself was a product of the, as of then, many unknowns.

[omnybus]

Borometz (MM Preview)

Meant to post this the other week; sorry folks!

Been reading Dungeon Meshi (one of my new fav mangas which I highly recommend) and was introduced to a new kind of mythical creature: the "Borometz", AKA the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary. It's a plant with an entire sheep growing from it, who grazes on nearby plants until it runs out of food. And given my newfound hobby of drawing cute caprines, I thought it'd be a great subject to draw!

–-- Every Wednesday I post “Midweek Moleskines” to my Patreon, sketch drawings exclusive to Patreon backers. This is just one of them- Follow the link below to see the rest! My Patreon

[lpbestiary]

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary is a legendary creature from medieval European mythology. It is described as somewhere between a vegetable and animal, a cotton-like plant that grows a lamb as its fruit.

The lamb is said to be connected to the plant by an umbilical cord, grazing the land around it. When all available fodder is gone, both plant and lamb will die. Some believe the lamb to be an actual creature of flesh and blood, while others say it is only a plant that resembles a lamb.

Image source.

Monster master list.

Suggest a spook.

[katiajewelbox]

An enigmatic botanical cryptid has finally been captured! This creature may look like a sheep, but it is in fact a highly modified seed pod of the Tartary Lamb Plant (Borometz tartaricus). An intrepid team of botanists, anthropologists, and ecologists used documents from the 16th century in European archives to locate the plant’s habitat in Central Asia. The team managed to study the plant in the wild and bring back a complete specimen, shown in the official photo. This species belongs to the Malvales which include Hollyhocks, Cacao, and Baobab. The Tartary Lamb Plant starts as a spreading plant with a rosette of large leaves followed by a single hibiscus-like flower the size of a bicycle tire. Once fertilised, the flower develops into large seed pods with a dense woolly coating. The shocking transformation occurs when limb-like protrusions grow from these seed pods and it morphs into a quadruped resembling a lamb. A long stalk connects the quadruped seedpod is connected to the main plant while it feeds on grass and plants in a radius around the rosette. The lamb-like seed pod ceases movement and dries up when it has eaten all the surrounding grass. The quadruped’s body splits open as it dries to release the seeds inside, which are covered in an exquisite fine wool-like fibre. Indigenous people in Central Asia have closely guarded the secret origin of this special fibre used in their traditional textiles for centuries. In Persia, locals even killed German explorers who came close to observing the Tartary Vegetable Lamb in the 1600’s.   This extraordinary specimen was collected in a remote area of Kazakhstan in the summer of 2022 and is currently being studied by Dr. Katarzyna Podrobka and her colleagues at the esteemed Piltdown Institute of Natural History in the UK. APRIL FOOLS! The Tartary Lamb was a botanical hoax inspired by the real Levant Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum). This cotton species grows in Sub Sharan Africa and Arabia, and its seed coat fibres have been used for textiles for at least 6000 years in Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, South Asia, China, and Central Asia. However, Northern Europe was ignorant of cotton cloth until the Renaissance period. During the Medieval times, travellers’ reports of cotton plants in India and Arabia became distorted into the myth of the Tartary Vegetable Lamb. Cotton is a plant that bears a wool-like fibre, so it was only a few jumps of the imagination to entire sheep growing on trees! The Tartary Lamb is similar to my hoax post, and as late as the 17th century European naturalists went on expeditions to locate the beast. The “lamb” in the photo, constructed from the roots and fibres of the Chinese tree fern (Cibotium barometz), belonged to the gardener and collector John Tradescant (1580 – 1638) and is housed at London’s Garden Museum. Remember, use your critical thinking at all times on the internet – not just on April Fools! #AprilFoolsDay #AprilFools #HOAX #fakenews #jokes #mythology #mythicalcreatures #lamb #plants #botany #cryptid #cryptozoology #weirdnature #plantbiology #cotton

[atmaflare]

-Barometz,  The vegetable lamb of Tartary- Also known as Borometz, Borametz or Boranetz. A legendary creature from Tartary (an old blanket term for Central Asia) that's part animal and part vegetable, believed to be a misinterpretation of a cotton plant. It produces fruit in the shape of sheep, with flesh, bones and all, which spend all their lives connected to the plant by a stem, grazing the land around it. If the stem is severed, the sheep dies. It's wool can then be used to make articles of clothing, and the blood is said to be sweet like honey.

[cadbanecringecompilation]

Reposting this because for some reason it was deleted— here’s one of my three Hellboy/BPRD ocs, Nanny. I’m pretty confident and proud with this smol lamb bimbo ;u;.

With some knowledge of plant based spells, Agent Nanny can spawn plant based things such as trees, vines, cactuses that grow at a rapid pace when she is at least around some sort of soil. If not then my vegetable lamb bimbo is kinda useless. She can use this ability to attack stupid dumb poopy enemies. Nannys species is heavily based off of the Borometz/Vegetable lamb of tartary so it kinda makes sense for her to have these kinds of abilities. I shall work more on her and share more about her overtime, but here’s some facts about her anyway:

-Because of where the Borometz originates, she can fluently speak Kazakhan. She also knows Mongolian, Russian and English.

-Was married to a human woman thousands of years back. She went as far as to use a spell to grow horns so she would look more like a ram borametz around the time so they could marry. Sadly though because her wife was human, she died of old age. So uHHhH. Ladies, She is single if you’re into old women.

-She can cook. But pleaaaase please make her 100% follow a recipe. Nanny had a very concerting appetite and fucking combines soda and coffee together thanks to another homie of mines oc.

-Nanny’s knowledge of spells comes from a wizard that she used to assist thousands of years back.

-Nannys species can be either purple or green colors.

-Good luck with finding other plant sheeple though. For fucked up reasons, they are believed to be going extinct.

-The B.P.R.D. named her Nanny.

You are all free to critique this baby! I have been wanting to rework on her for so long and now that I’ve finally started reading the comics, I am a lot more motivated to do so!

[thecreaturecodex]

Yeduah

“Borometz”  © Traci Shepard. Accessed @crittercompendium here

[Another monster that was rendered somewhat redundant by Bestiary 4. My version is a much lower CR, however, and incorporates more of the mythology, namely the idea that the barometz is rooted to the ground. Incidentally, “yeduah” is a Hebrew name for a similar creature, so that got borrowed.]

Yeduah A woolly ram glares from beneath its curling horns, its skin the texture of bark. From its underside grows a long thin vine, which coils and loops from the creature into the soil.

The yeduah, also known as the “vegetable ram”, is a strange creature that combines elements of animal and plant life. Yeduah are insatiable grazers, stripping the lands around them bare of grass while simultaneously drawing nutrient from the soil.  Once a patch is bare, a Yeduah will uproot itself and move to greener pastures. They themselves are preyed upon by herbivores and carnivores alike. Humanoids exploit yeduah for both their wool—which can be woven into light, durable fabrics—and for their sticky sap, which is honey-like in sweetness.

Yeduah react belligerently to intrusion into the radii of their umbilical vine, regardless of the danger level presented by the threat. As such, yeduah tend to have a very high mortality rate, which is matched by their high fertility. Young yeduah, or vegetable lambs, are completely immobile until sexual maturity, resembling an ordinary plant with a slightly wooly tuft of fibers growing amongst its leaves. As the yeduah ages, its mobile body becomes more and more formed as its woody stem grows thinner and less durable—eventually this stem loses its rigidity altogether and becomes the flexible umbilical vine.

Yeduah                 CR 2 XP 600 N Medium plant Init +1; Senses low-light vision, Perception +7 Defense AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +3 natural) hp 22 (3d8+9), fast healing 2 Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2 Defensive Abilities sap-blooded Weakness umbilical vine Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee gore +4 (1d8+3) Statistics Str 14, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 7 Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 15 Feats Improved Bull’s Rush, Power Attack Skills Perception +7 Ecology Environment temperate hills Organization solitary, pair or flock (3-12) Treasure none Special Abilities Sap-blooded (Ex) Any creature that strikes a yeduah with a slashing or piercing melee weapon must succeed a DC 14 Reflex save or have their weapon gain the broken condition for 1 minute from being mired in sticky sap. Multiple applications of sap-blood do not stack, but do increase the duration. Washing the weapon in at least a gallon of alcohol dissolves the sap and removes the penalty. Any creature that strikes a yeduah with a natural weapon that deals slashing or piercing damage must succeed a DC 14 Reflex save or be entangled for 1 minute. The save DC is Constitution based. Umbilical Vine (Ex) A yeduah’ vine is planted in the soil, giving it a radius of 60 feet in which it can freely move. It can detach or reattach its umbilical vine as a move action, but doing so negates its fast healing for as long as it remains unattached. An umbilical vine can be severed by making a successful sunder attempt against it using a slashing weapon—an umbilical vine has hit points equal to 1/5th those of its yeduah (5 for a typical specimen). If an umbilical vine is sundered, the yeduah can move freely, but cannot make use of its fast healing until the vine regrows one week later.

[apriorisymposium]

V is for Vegetable Lamb by Deimos-Remus

“Name: Vegetable Lamb, Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, Scythian Lamb, Borometz Area of origin: Various, Medieval origins

The Vegetable Lamb is a legendary Cryptid Zoophyte; an animal that resembles plantlife. It is said to have been found in Central Asia, and has appeared in different texts from a myriad of cultures across time. The myth goes that there was a plant believed to grow sheep as opposed to fruit or other crops. The sheep that would be grown from its stalks were tied to the plant through an umbilical cord cemented in its roots. This would physically prevent the sheep from wandering too far from the plant, but also only allowed them to graze the land surrounding it. When all accessible foliage was eaten, the sheep would die and so would the plant. Apparently the blood of the lamb tasted sweet like honey, though this detail isn't present in all variations of the myth. Underlying the myth is a real plant which supposedly the basis for the creature. Cibotium Barometz is a species of tree fern native to areas of China and to the western side of the Malay Peninsula. The plant had a hairy, wool-like covering and a strange grouping of roots that when cut, resembled the shape of a small quadrupedal animal.”

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Tsuchinoko

The tsuchinoko (Serpens meitei) is a very rotund snake. It has powerful venom and is far more cunning than most snakes, but otherwise that's about it. It can be a very good pet if you can convince it to like you, but is very definitely not recommended for children due to its love of alcohol, and I do not want angry parents after me. Don't drink, kids. (Note to any vampires reading: don't drink kids, either. Ew.)

— Rufy

(Author’s note: another example of my favourite kind of mythical creature, the small and silly, although this is definitely one of the more well-known examples.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

Pyraustra

Amphisbaena

Caladrius

Jackalope

Slime

[notthatkindofnormalstuff]

The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary

Variations: Scythian Lamb, Borometz, Barometz, Borametz, Planta Tartarica Barometz Location: Central Asia (Tartary and Scythia) The vegetable lamb of Tartary is a notable cryptid, which was said to grow sheep instead of fruit. It was first reported in the 11th century. Henry Lee wrote in his book about the plant written in 1887, that the Scythian lamb was both animal, and plant. It was given the Latin name “Agnus scythicus”.

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Slime

The slime (Pituita monstrum) is a mysterious being. Translucent and vaguely acidic, the slime is... well, a big blob of goo. Researchers are baffled and all efforts to categorise the creature have ended in failure, and occasionally madness. As a pet, the slime is quite dangerous, as it seems unable to recognise its owner, or indeed anything else, and many have fallen victim to their own slimes' digestive enzymes. They also breed by splitting, so one slime can quickly become dozens.

— Rufy

(Author’s note: slimes are a relatively new addition to the world of monsters, with the earliest known examples being only about a hundred years old. However, they are such a ubiquitous sight in modern fantasy RPGs that I had to include them.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

Pyraustra

Amphisbaena

Caladrius

Jackalope

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Jackalope

The jackalope (Lepus cornatus) is a rabbit with bony protrusions on its head, not unlike antlers. They are a common pest with farmers due to their dangerous gore attack and fondness for carrots. Removal of the horns can be dangerous to the jackalope, and even blunting them is not recommended due to causing trauma. Despite this, they are generally easy to tame, and make very loyal companions.

— Rufy

(Author’s note: although usually associated with America, horned rabbits are actually a worldwide phenomenon, and are thought to be due to a disease that causes antler-like bony growths, usually on the rabbit's head.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

Pyraustra

Amphisbaena

Caladrius

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Caladrius

The caladrius (Aves medicinalis) is a snow-white bird endowed with the magical power of healing. From a scratch or bruise up to the most deadly wounds and diseases, the caladrius will heal it, short of actual death, and indeed, draws sustenance from doing so. It is said that each caladrius has its own preference with regards to diseases and woundings, but a given caladrius will heal anything if hungry enough. Although its docile and friendly nature would normally make it a good pet for beginner collectors, it is not recommended due to requiring a steady stream of injuries in order to feed.

— Rufy

(Author's note: it is always quite sad that the strong and scary mythical creatures get all the fame while the small and sweet – and silly – ones are generally forgotten.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

Pyraustra

Amphisbaena

[parrotwatcher]

Rufy's Bestiary: the Amphisbaena

The amphisbaena (Serpens bicapitis), is a snake with the curious feature of possessing a head at each end of its body. This allows it to see behind itself and to change directions in an instant, but it also has the noted downside that the two heads may start fighting due to the slightest disagreement. Not recommended for beginner collectors, due to their venom and aggressive nature, and the fact that you need to pet both heads at once, or the other will become jealous.

— Rufy

(Author's note: the amphisbaena was likely inspired by certain legless lizards such as the slowworm and worm lizard, the latter of which was itself named "amphisbaena" after the mythical creature. This does rather raise the question of what counts as an actual mythical creature and what's just a misinterpretation of something real, but I think having two heads definitely lets this version count as a "real" monster.)

Download Hub of the World (RPG Demo) here.

Older bestiary entries:

Borometz

Pyraustra