#siþleon

[rwby-redux]

Amendment

Aura: Noteworthy Figures

Aura has been a notoriously difficult subject to study, compounded by two independent factors. The first is its semi-immaterial nature, and the second is the cultural sensibilities of people. As such, most major breakthroughs pertaining to Aura have only occurred within the last two-and-a-half centuries, in tandem with the invention of new technology. In the case of the latter, global paradigm shifts have worked to destigmatize the former, making scientific undertakings less publicly contentious.

The events that brought humanity to its current understanding of Aura—and the people responsible for that momentum—have been recorded for posterity. Listed below are their names, along with their contributions.

Dossiers

Cinchona Rigel — The founder of pneumatophysics. A separate post exploring the details of his life will be released on a later date.

Cerise Maida — The Kingdom of Atlas is famous for producing some of the world’s leaders in pneumatophysics, and Maida was no exception. Curiously, though, her work with Aura began not in a laboratory, but on a military base. As the archivist stationed at Fort Nubuck, Maida had access to numerous military records—including those dating back to the Great War. Despite the Old Mantic government’s conservative stance on Aura, she was surprised by the existence of an exhaustive catalog of Semblances, recorded from then-enlisted soldiers. Apothymetic data collation of that size was unheard of, given the public’s general lack of forthcomingness toward Semblance studies. Seized by the opportunity, Maida began to arduously sort them into categories, using the wide variety at her disposal to define them by unified criteria. Due to a provision in international law, military records from the Great War were considered public access, and thus exempt from nondisclosure statutes. The publication of her work overhauled the Semblance classification system into the fourteen categories used in the modern day. It’s a generally accepted fact that Maida’s successive work became the foundation of the Atlesian military’s Aura Research Division.

Purrow Gathao — Before she began her career in pneumatophysics, Gathao was apprenticed to an engineer in Coquina. In the fifteen years since the Great War ended, her workshop became a common stopover for Huntsmen seeking repairs on their armor and weapons. Gathao grew accustomed to idle chitchat as she hammered out dents and whetted blades. A recurring topic among her clients, she noticed, was the issue of Aura depletion. Huntsmen contending with Vacuo’s arid climate frequently had to expend their Aura on shielding, Semblance-usage, and thermoregulation. Without a way to monitor the rate at which it was consumed, many would find themselves stranded in the middle of the desert, with their Aura suddenly and abruptly depleted. The creation of the portable Aura-measuring device—the pulse—was Gathao’s solution. Over the years she refined the pulse, from simply measuring a person’s total Aura depletion rate, to determining what percentage of Aura usage was being alloted to each function. The original design (in the form of a wristband) remains the industry’s default model, although newer versions have been manufactured, such as scroll apps and collars/anklets for familiars.

Ilere Koya-Hark — Determining the factors for Semblance discovery was no small undertaking, especially when one considered the many competing theories that existed. Depending on who you asked, the answer varied, with some claiming that your Semblance could be determined by factors like your gender, or your name. Such was Hark’s experience when attempting to identify the underlying mechanisms. Over the course of two decades, they traveled across Anima, interviewing people who had unlocked their Semblance, and trying to identify common triggers. Hark saw the diversity of Semblances—and the scenarios in which they manifested—as evidence of an adaptive, multivariate phenomenon. They likened such a latent variable to cellular pluripotency, but without more concrete data, their observations were dismissed as anecdotes. That all changed when Hark demonstrated Auratic plasticity by venturing out into a thunderstorm, and walking away with an electrokinetic Semblance. Their unconventional experiment, while it laid the groundwork for hierarchical prioritization, set an unforeseen precedent. In the Mistrali language, the word koya has taken on a secondary meaning—to unlock a specific Semblance by subjecting oneself to danger. Healthcare professionals and academy professors alike are quick to condemn the practice of “baiting one’s Aura”; conversely, those in the field of dilonometry laud Hark’s experiment as the gateway to so-called designer Semblances.

Siþleon — Few individuals are as polarizing as Siþleon, the Matsu god-caller who, ironically, was responsible for colonizing Remnant’s pole. Not long after the first wave of immigrants arrived on Solitas’ shores, Siþleon claimed to have received a vision of a paradise at world’s end. If they followed the auroras inland, they would reach the place “where the lights touched the earth.” The residents of the recently-founded Evadne were skeptical—after all, vast expanses of inhospitable tundra, populated by Grimm, lay between them and their destination. In the end, Siþleon managed to convince a handful of followers to accompany him on his expedition north, where after several weeks of exhaustion, hunger, and predation, they found a Dust vortex. The City of Old Mantle was quickly established at the heart of the Auroral Plains. Unlike the other figures on this list, Siþleon’s contributions to Aura have less to do with pneumatophysics, and more to do with cultural and social norms. Siþleon wasn’t blind to his followers’ reverence, and he wasted no time in monopolizing it. Much of Atlas’ conservative ideology was set by him. The taboo of sharing what your Semblance is with another person is perhaps his most widespread legacy. The cultural backlash against Aura research of any kind can similarly trace its roots to Siþleon’s teachings, which held that Aura was holy, and to tamper with it in any way was blasphemous.

Arthur Watts — A distinguished polymath and the pride of Atlas, prior to his death. He was the kingdom’s foremost expert on Aura regenerative therapy, and a consultant for the SDC. His academic publications and achievements spanned a wide array of fields—archotherology, prostheses and orthotics, mechanical engineering, cybersecurity, and chemical engineering, just to name a few. By the time Watts entered his thirties, he had already made a name for himself in both his home country and abroad. With the eyes of the world upon him, perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising how quickly news spread when he was stripped of his medical license. The full extent of what happened isn’t known to the public (the Atlesian council made sure of that), but if rumors are to be believed, he appropriated government research and used it to perform an illegal surgery that resulted in someone’s death. However, before the council could conclude their investigation and formally level charges, Watts committed suicide. The controversy, public backlash, and nature of his death continue to be a source of gossip, even two decades later.

[rwby-redux]

Hey, anon. Remember when I said, “I can’t think of any minor OCs I’ve created”?

Well, turns out that was a fucking lie.

Your question haunted me while I was at work today, as I was in the middle of packaging bougie kitchen towels. I kept thinking, hang on, that’s not right, I know that I would’ve anticipated having to create space-filler characters at some point.

After my shift was up I went home, grabbed my laptop, and after combing through a 50K-word document, I finally found ’em.

While yes, the vast majority of the characters in the Redux are canon, several OCs had to be created to fill in small but important roles—notably, teachers for the various Huntsman Academies. I haven’t finished creating the full staff roster for each school, but by and large the list for Beacon is done.

And I’m kicking myself for not even considering this, but a lot of the scientists for pneumatophysics, rhizology, and archotherology are also OCs.

Oh, and the Huntsman saints. Can’t forget about them.

You can imagine how terribly embarrassing this is. Well. Anyway. Here’s the list of minor OCs that I’ve created for the Redux.

Beacon Professors

Thales Melanion — The head of the Anthropology Department.

Francis Ojutai — A professor who teaches Anthropology.

Tyto Maurice — A professor who teaches Applied Combat.

Oshoku Tzu — A professor who teaches Applied Combat.

Sonali Venti — A professor who teaches Aura and Semblances.

Aaron Balche — A professor who teaches Aura and Semblances.

Dyson Iris — The head of the Dust Studies Department.

Jocasta West — A professor who teaches Dust Studies.

Avery Loch — A professor who teaches Grimm Studies.

Cressida Theria — A professor who teaches Grimm Studies.

Louise Baldemar — The head of the Weapons and Maintenance Department, and Beacon’s on-site weaponsmith.

Morgan Currant — A professor who teaches Weapons and Maintenance.

Rory Volpex — A professor who teaches Weapons and Maintenance.

Gamle Björnen — A professor who teaches Wilderness Survival.

Raya Austringer — A professor who teaches Wilderness Survival. Also responsible for lodging, care, and paperwork for all student- and professor-owned animals used as familiars.

Linden Ross — Beacon Academy’s on-site physician. Oversees healthcare for both students and professors.

Haven Professors

Ferrifex — The head of the Weapons and Maintenance Department, and Haven’s on-site weaponsmith. In the canon, Ferrifex is the unnamed dying Huntsman that RNJR encountered in Shion.

Caspian Toma — The head of the Aura and Semblances Department, and Leo’s current deputy.

Atlas Professors

Sel Lefebvre — The head of the Weapons and Maintenance Department, and Atlas’ on-site weaponsmith.

Notable Figures in the Field of Pneumatophysics

Cinchona Rigel — The founder of pneumatophysics.

Cerise Maida — A pneumatophysicist who created the original template for classifying and categorizing Semblances.

Purrow Gathao — The inventor of the portable Aura-measuring device known as the pulse. Wrote numerous papers on Aura in non-humanoid animals, and theorized on the possibility of animals being able to attain Semblances.

Ilere Koya-Hark — A pneumatophysicist who documented the underlying phenomena that dictate Semblance manifestation (Auratic plasticity and hierarchical prioritization).

Siþleon — The prophet who led the first settlers of Solitas into the far north. Discovered the Dust vortex known as the Auroral Plains, which would later become the site for the City of Mantle. His contributions to Aura and Semblances have less to do with scientific advancements, and more to do with setting the precedent for Old Mantle’s conservative culture.

Notable Figures in the Field of Rhizology

Jordan of Anima — The founder of rhizology, who hailed from the bygone city of Chamenos, Remnant’s largest psychometric imprint.

Djura Gannet — A retired war veteran who studied the reactivity of Dust when exposed to ambient Aura. Later published research on Dust vortices that gave rise to the infamous conundrum known as Gannet’s paradox.

Rednine — A rhizologist whose name comes from the eponymous flower native to Tsahïk Forest. Helped develop life-saving pharmaceutical drugs derived from the rednine flower that were later manufactured into Aura suppressants.

Tiago Torgal — A rhizologist who famously stress-tested/documented the effects of various Dust types by using himself as a test subject.

Kyrii Piers — A doctor who investigated the health conditions of Faunus employed in Dust mines. Made several breakthrough discoveries on Dust poisoning that eventually led to the implementation of stricter mining legislation to protect colliers.

Notable Figures in the Field of Archotherology

Yuan Socotra — The founder of archotherology and author of The Archotheria, an encyclopedic book that details all manner of information concerning the Grimm.

Naomi Dantalion — A city guard from Mistral who ousted a cult of archotherolatrists (Grimm-worshippers) that were responsible for dozens of deaths. Dantalion’s observations from her time posing as a cultist gave rise to a Huntsman Grimm-management strategy known as the habituation tactic.

Evan S. Bantien — A soldier who served in the King of Vale’s army during the Great War, and in the postwar era used his Semblance to study Grimm up-close. He partnered with archotherologist Ezio Perez and together developed the category system.

Ezio Perez — An archotherologist who contacted Evan Bantien, and proposed collaborating on a system for designating Grimm by their threat level. The two later married. 

Isolda Bifrons — A frontiersman whose meticulous record-keeping led to the discovery of previously-undocumented psychometric imprints across Remnant.

The Huntsman Saints

Solaire, the Arbiter — The orator of the saints, whose sphere is synergy.

Faron, the Warrior — The weaponsmith of the saints, whose sphere is martial ingenuity.

Derecho, the Hunter — The woodsman of the saints, whose sphere is animals.

Iosefka, the Guide — The artisan of the saints, whose sphere is self-expression.

Oziel, the Scholar — The lorekeeper of the saints, whose sphere is storytelling.

Miscellaneous Characters

Hector Calavera — Maria’s father, who served in the King of Vale’s army during the Great War. He was also a famous poet.

Rhona — Ozma’s first host.

[rwby-redux]

Amendment

Dust: Vortices

A reservoir of energy. A paradox of nature. A sight unparalleled.

For as long as people have integrated Dust into their societies, so too have they placed great significance upon Dust vortices (sg. vortex). Classified by researchers as rhizological biomes, these insular ecosystems form from dense, usually superterranean (aboveground) concentrations of Dust. Deposits of this nature are exceedingly rare. The collective effect that these Dust crystals exert on their immediate surroundings creates unique, self-contained communities with endemic biota and abiotic features. The disparity between the vortical and ambient climates results in abrupt ecotones (boundary lines) that delineate the vortex, and thus make identifying them relatively straightforward.

There is no understating the degree of utilitarian and cultural influence that Dust vortices have had on people over the generations. Some, like Lake Matsu, are the theological bedrock of the native religion; others, like the Auroral Plains of Solitas, made the difference between survival and death for the early settlers of Mantle. This value, however, has not exempted them from the consequences of overexploitation. Even in the postwar era, Dust manufacturing companies continue to lobby governments for mining concessions and laxer environmental regulations. The obvious need to strike a balance between conservation and harvesting has made vortices a divisive topic, and will likely remain that way for years to come.

Locations

Lake Matsu — [Dust Type: Gravity] In addition to being the largest lake on Remnant, Lake Matsu is home to the planet’s sole airborne archipelago. The levitating islands are covered in dense mats of foliage, such as broadleaf trees and trailing lianas. Many of the flora species rely upon wind-dispersal methods for propagation, in order to traverse the distance between volant landmasses. The sight of gliding agamid lizards, and cascading waterfalls whose foam dissipates into clouds of vapor, creates a stunning visual that sustains year-round tourism for the settlements of Skiron, Shion, Higanbana, and the Mistrali capital. Ecologically, the lake is a vital stopover for thousands of migratory bird species, as well as the spawning grounds for the commercially-important Matsu salmon. Spiritually, the lake—both the waters below and the islands above—represents the birthplace of Mistral’s two primary deities, Monahven and Silalük, who are honored by a shrine at the headwaters of the Lonmet River. Dust mining was historically confined to the peninsula known as the Rhoyn, which provided the elevation necessary for early Mistrali to access the islands above. With the invention of airships, however, mining operations soon expanded to the entirety of the vortex. Only when anthropogenic pollution began to decimate the ecosystem, and interfered with the cultural heritage of the lakeside cities, did the Mistrali government scale back mining operations. Today, only the islands above the Rhoyn can be legally excavated.

The Auroral Plains — [Dust Type: Fire] To this day, no one is sure how the prophet Siþleon knew of the Dust vortex at the heart of the pole. The only explanation given was that he received a vision of a place at world’s edge, “where the auroras end and the lights touch the earth.” Through uncertainty and peril, he led his followers north, until, at last, they arrived at the site of what would one day become the City of Mantle: a Dust vortex. According to eyewitness accounts, it was a sight like none other—an oasis of verdant green, sustained by the heat that radiated from the Fire Dust. Dozens of endemic species—the red-tailed skink, the nepenthe orchid, the tessellated phantomfly—were only able to call the arctic home because of the high temperatures created by the vortex. The availability of resources, along with access to abundant Dust, kickstarted Mantle’s technological revolution, and the Auroral Plains became the precursor to modern Atlas’ climate-control grid. Green was (and continues to be) a sacred color to the Mantic god-callers, given that its rarity was reflected in both the vortical foliage and the auroras above. (Green eyes were similarly adopted as the beauty standard for those born within the kingdom.) Unfortunately, centuries of overreliance exhausted much of the vortex’s Dust supply, and led to the endangerment and extinction of many native species. Today, only 15% of the original vortex remains intact, and is primarily concentrated around the shores of the Mirror and Glacier lakes.

Aboleth — [Dust Type: Glow] A topic of many stories and poems, which warn of the vortex’s deceptive beauty, and the dangers it conceals. Taken from the Old Mistrali-Mantic word for star, Aboleth is a segment of Suicide Valley whose cliffs and foothills are embedded with crystals of Glow Dust. The constant emission of light drove the evolution of numerous arthropods (and several vertebrates) toward bioluminescence as a form of mimesis. The vortex’s superimposition on a psychometric imprint makes Dust extraction a costly, dangerous, and rather pointless endeavor, due to the high number of Grimm. An exception was the town of Kuebiko, which—prior to its fall during the Great War—was renowned for a fossorial dog breed that was trained to enter the vortex unaccompanied, dig up crystals, and return them to its master. With the loss of the town, however, came the loss of that specialized breeding and training, which have been difficult to replicate since.

Windsong Valley — [Dust Type: Wind] North of the Senche River is the Kingdom of Vale’s only pseudo-arid ecosystem. Large Wind Dust nodes mimic the sub-aerial processes needed to form the slot canyons of the eponymous valley, giving rise to striated bands of sandstone. A low, persistent roar akin to turbulent water can be heard echoing throughout the smooth, flowing passageways, due to the omnipresent eddies of wind. The eroded canyon walls not only supply Avonford with revenue from ecotourism, but were the basis for the invention of nautical bellows used by the seafaring Sanorum. Unique to the area are bristlecone pines that form krummholz from constant weathering.

Tsahïk Forest — [Dust Type: Steam] In the language of the Ancient Animoigne, tsahïk (alternatively spelled tsahyk or tsahique) means mist, and it’s easy to see why the name stuck. The moisture-laded vapor released from the Steam Dust hinders the expansion of the Hraketet Desert through the formation of a loma (or mist oasis). In a region with virtually no rainfall, southeastern Anima’s pocket of lush vegetation can only exist because of the vortex. In addition to being integral to the culture of Sirocco, Tsahïk Forest is the sole place on Remnant where the medically-valuable rednine flower grows. The pharmaceutical compounds extracted from the rednine can be manufactured into drugs known as Aura suppressants, which artificially dampen a person’s Aura, and render it temporarily inactive. It’s been suspected (but not conclusively proven) that the concentration of Dust crystals within the vortex influenced the biochemistry of the rednine, and that other vortices might yield similar botanical drugs. For this reason (among others), Tsahïk Forest was declared a federally-protected site 30 years ago, after the SDC had its mining permit rescinded.

The Cauldron — [Dust Type: Fire] To the south of Vale’s Gossic cities, at the base of the Cirithel Mountains, lies an actively boiling lake. Unlike the geothermal springs of southern Solitas, the Cauldron’s scalding waters are derived from Fire Dust on the lakebed. At 215 ��F, the lake is incapable of sustaining life, save for communities of thermophilic microorganisms. Even brief contact with the water can induce a second- or third-degree burn. For this reason, the perimeter of the shoreline is fenced off, and warnings are signposted throughout the area—a stark contrast to ages past, when before the formation of the Valin monarchy, convicted criminals were executed by submerging them in the lake. Residents of the Gossic cities still jokingly refer to the Cauldron by its other name: death’s jacuzzi.

Sunspire — [Dust Type: Electricity] Whereas other Dust vortices are exposed to Remnant’s sky, Sunspire is underground. Within the darkness of the caves, wide veins of Electricity Dust spiderweb across the walls, ceilings, and floors. Electricity frequently arcs between the nodes, and sparks are released whenever a crystal is disturbed. The lightshow, while impressive, is almost secondary to the effects that the Dust has on the geology of the cavern. Because of the constant charge imparted on the substrate, the surrounding minerals are magnetized. Not only do the electromagnetic currents interfere with technology, but they can repel and attract loose debris. The presence of iron-suffused rocks creates the right conditions to suspend them above the ground, when sufficiently charged.

Lake Corona — [Dust Type: Water] Unlike most endorheic bodies of water, Lake Corona is neither ephemeral nor within a desert. Its appearance, however, is rather dissonant with the subtropical forests of its surroundings, as the lake has tufa columns jutting from the shallows, and shorelines dominated by halophytic plants. The riparian zone of Lake Corona consists largely of tamarisk, chamisa, samphire, and orache, which are acclimated to the high-salinity, alkaline water. Due to a lack of outlets for sediment runoff, mineral buildup has rendered the lake inhospitable to fish and amphibians. Brine shrimp and saltworms, on the other hand, thrive under these conditions, and their populations sustain both migratory birds and residential species that venture in from the nearby forests. Traditionally, the pupae of the saltworm were harvested by the native Mistrali as a source of food, as was samphire. Since the end of the Great War, Mistral has been interested in mining the lake’s Water Dust as a potential export for trade with Vacuo. Attempts to efficiently mine it have been stymied somewhat by the Dust being underwater, and the lake itself being rather buoyant from all the salt.

Pontil Forest — [Dust Type: Glass] Despite what its name might imply, this vortex isn’t, strictly speaking, a forest. Its structure is that of gouged, vertically-aligned needles of glass that form serrated plateaus similar to karst. Because of the plateau’s transparent nature, light can penetrate deep into the fissures, and provide sunlight for vegetation that would otherwise be immersed in darkness. Much of the endemic wildlife is descended from common ancestors shared with the fauna and flora west of the neighboring Sandshield Mountains. Xerophytic scrub and succulents find whatever perches they can in pockets of soil, as do plants with silvery, felt-like leaves. Curiously, there is a homogeneity amongst the vertebrates of Pontil Forest, with geckos being disproportionately representative of the animals there. It’s speculated that a species of ancestral gecko wandered in from the adjacent chaparral, and, because of its adhesive capabilities, was primed to adaptively radiate into the 40 species that currently reside there. Pontil Forest is notoriously difficult to explore, with the plateaus above capable of slicing through flesh, and the fissures below creating a disorienting labyrinth of glass. Every year, at least ten deaths are attributed to injuries from laceration, falling, or dehydration.

[rwby-redux]

Amendment

Huntsmen: Named Grimm

Breathe not the sounds that define, Lest to this fate words consign. Titled, it resists the blade; Name it not, or it shan’t fade.

— From an ancient Sanorum poem

There are many lingering superstitions (particularly within Central Vale) that warn against naming Grimm. Uttering the words is likened to the casting of a spell which wards them against death. Because, suddenly, that Grimm is no longer a faceless, nameless one-of-many; it now bears a title. Distinction. Individuality. Something that separates it from the rest of its kin.

If names are indeed the province of the soul, then what becomes of the soulless when bequeathed one? Or so the argument goes.

Sometimes, though, that distinction is necessary. For the Grimm that have acquired notoriety—either through distinguishable characteristics, outlying behaviors, or sheer danger—after a while it gets tedious saying, “The big Nevermore with the scarred beak that’s missing a talon on its left foot, you know the one.”

If nothing else, a name takes considerably less time to yell when running for your life.

Dossiers

Hoarfrost — [Species: Hartless. Status: Eliminated.] The first documented encounter with this Grimm comes from the writings of the prophet Siþleon. When leading his followers north, toward what would become the eventual site of modern-day Mantle, the group was intercepted. During the thick of a snowstorm, a haunting ululation echoed across the tundra. As the group paused to identify the direction it came from, a Hartless charged from the gale and gored two of his followers. With the still-screaming victims impaled upon its antlers, the Grimm vanished back into the blizzard. Over the next five centuries, dozens of fatal attacks were attributed to Hoarfrost. It became known for its signature tactic of ambushing travelers under the cloak of whiteouts, and carrying them off to die from either blood loss or hypothermia. Sometime after the Great War ended, a Dust excavation team—under the employ of the recently-founded SDC—was stranded during a freak blizzard. While waiting for their transport to arrive, the team was attacked by Hoarfrost. Of the ten workers, only one survived. For the next two weeks, Nicholas Schnee carefully monitored the local forecast, and when the next snowstorm came, he armed himself and marched out onto the tundra. When he returned to the City of Mantle, it was upon the back of a glittering white stag.

Legion — [Species: Ravager. Status: Active.] On a clear day, a person could easily mistake it for a cloud. But amidst the hissing winds of a sandstorm, it’s nigh invisible. Unlike the other named Grimm, Legion isn’t one, but many. Like all Ravagers, they travel in dense colonies, but what separates this flock from others is their degree of coordination. Legion—the name which collectively refers to all members of the colony—has adapted to fly like a murmuration of starlings; controlled, efficient, synchronized. An otherwise mesmerizing sight, were it not for the imminent danger. To try and eliminate Legion is Sisyphean. Each time one is killed, a new Ravager eventually swells the ranks. The most a person can do is periodically cull the flock (which also serves to deter them from attacking any of Vacuo’s cities). For now, Legion seems content to patrol the vast desert, preying upon unlucky travelers and nomads.

Carnassial — [Species: Beowolf. Status: Eliminated.] Carnassial is equal parts a subject of intrigue among historians, and a cautionary tale to the masses. Some four hundred years ago, Petrichor was the base of operation for a syndicate that catered to criminal factions across Vale’s eastern front. Of the activities it helped facilitate, “naturalized” body disposal was perhaps its most sought-after service. When a victim needed to be discreetly killed, the syndicate would arrange for their transport to a nearby area that was known for Grimm activity. The syndicate would then uncage one of their Grimm, and allow it to kill the victim. The body would bear the telltale marks of the Grimm’s handiwork, and thus preempt suspicions of murder. Given that Grimm are predisposed to expiring in their enclosures, the syndicate was forced to frequently replace their stock—with one exception. “Carnassial” was the name affectionately given to the Beowolf that was able to survive containment. Why remains a matter of debate, but it managed to do so long enough that it was sometimes jokingly referred to as an employee. There’s an unspoken truth when it comes to caging Grimm: that it will either perish, or escape. And having yet to die under their watch, perhaps that should have been the obvious warning sign. To this day, no one’s certain how Carnassial freed itself. And with all of the syndicate members being subsequently dead, there was no one left to ask. Not long after, Carnassial was slain by the warrior, Faron.

Sovereign — [Species: Leviathan. Status: Unknown.] Upon being asked which they’d rather face—a maelstrom or a Leviathan—sailors always refuse to answer; for according to them, there is no difference. With teeth the length of a polearm, and dorsal fins that could rival a barque, Sovereign was a ship’s worst nightmare. Although no one has seen this Leviathan in over seventy years, memories of the terror that it inspired are still deeply ingrained in the collective population. Its current range—if it’s even still alive—is the North Polar Ocean, the body of water that encompasses Mistral’s and Vale’s northern coasts, and the waters that encircle Solitas. Its appearances were far and few in between, but when it did surface, the devastation it left behind was incomparable. Sovereign was most prominently seen during the Great War (unsurprising, given that Category 5 Grimm are only drawn by mass panic). In particular, it would disrupt naval battles by dragging ships underwater, or blasting directly through their hulls. If it attacked ships close enough to shore, massive tidal waves would slam into the continent, and flood any nearby settlements. The last recorded sighting came from a fishing vessel, five miles north of Argus.

Shipbiter — [Species: Sea Feilong. Status: Active.] It’s said that when merchant ships come to port, they bring more with them than just their wares. The tradition of depicting sea serpents on maps is often attributed to this Grimm. Cartographers drew inspiration from the countless stories and songs of a beast that cut through the water like a sinewy ribbon, black as sin. Estimates vary on Shipbiter’s current length, but numbers consistently fall between 35 and 40 meters. An analysis of attacks and sightings over the last eight centuries firmly places its geographic range within the southern hemisphere. Shipbiter prowls the waters between northern Menagerie and southern Mistral (known as Seafarer’s Regret), and the sea that separates Vale’s eastern coast from Mistral’s western front (known as the Crosswaters). Its appearance is a testament to its age, with rusted harpoons lodged in its flanks. Shipbiter’s name is a fairly accurate description of its method of attack—that is, sinking its teeth and claws into a boat’s hull, and then waiting for it to founder. Once the helpless crew is adrift in the water, it discharges a powerful electric current. Any person not immediately killed by the high voltage often drowns from paralysis, or is bitten clean in half. In recent years, there’s been talk of a joint Valin-Mistrali naval effort to track it with sonar, but an understandable reluctance to implement it. Not many people (Huntsmen included) are keen to volunteer.

Merlot’s Beast — [Species: Unknown. Status: Unknown.] Virtually nothing is known of the Grimm that destroyed Merlot’s facility. What it was, its age, where Merlot got it from—any records would have been destroyed by the ensuing fires that engulfed the building. Attempts have been made to identify it, of course, but with little success. Both Huntsmen and archotherologists were consulted during autopsies, but with how badly mangled and charred the corpses were, it was impossible to deduce anything. The Grimm’s intended escape route—if it managed to escape at all—likely took it south of Lower Cairn. With the Gossic cities directly along the coast, Merlot’s Beast would’ve had no choice but to flee east into the Cirithel Mountains, if it wanted to avoid detection. Even for Grimm, the mountains are fairly impassable, given their high altitude and steep cliffs. An alternative to summiting the peaks would have been for Merlot’s Beast to navigate the sprawling cave network that runs throughout the range. However, the odds of survival are unlikely—cave openings can be difficult to locate, and without any people to hunt, it’s uncertain how long the Grimm could have lasted underground. Even so, the ambiguity that surrounds it has only added to the mystique, and led to plenty of campfire and bedside stories told late at night.

Ne’er-do-well — [Species: Nevermore. Status: Eliminated.] The largest Nevermore in recorded history that was far and away the most complex of its kind. At nearly 30 meters from wingtip to wingtip, this titan was said to have eclipsed the sun every time it took flight. Its wingspan was already unusual—it’s rare for Grimm to reach such sizes and go unnoticed for as long as this one did—but what made Ne’er-do-well stand out was its behavior. Nearly two and a half centuries ago, Ne’er-do-well crossed paths with a Mistrali airship, and in the ensuing skirmish lost both an eye and a talon. For several months after, the Grimm wasn’t seen, presumed to have retreated and nursing its wounds in some remote lair. Then, just as all concern of its existence had waned, the disappearances started. Entire airships (and their crews) failed to report in at the end of their patrols. In response, the fleet launched coordinated searches, and it wasn’t long before they found their missing pilots—or rather, what was left of them. When the first eyewitness accounts surfaced, people were unsettled to learn that the perpetrator was a single Grimm—a ragged, one-eyed Nevermore. Even more disturbingly, Ne’er-do-well was ambushing ships along their patrol routes, and then pillaging the wreckage for anything bearing Mistral’s coat-of-arms, such as sails, flags, or banners. Not only had it spent months memorizing its victims’ intended paths, but it was taking trophies. In the end, it took the combined might of Mistral’s fleet to bring it down.

Maw — [Species: Hellhound. Status: Unknown.] It bears mentioning that Grimm are not required, but instead choose, to feed. Such was the case of the Hellhound appropriately named Maw. Although no one in living memory has seen it, descriptions of its appearance are vivid and exact—a wolflike Grimm the size of an elk, its muzzle coated in steaming blood as it soundlessly lopes across the fields. Nearly every city and town across Vale has its own stories of Maw, each as distinct and horrifying as the next: a shadowy blur that lunges from the foliage, and pulls travelers off the path; eyes that smolder like baleful coals as it rends flesh from bone. If some of the ghastlier accounts are to be believed, Maw not only developed an affinity for consuming people, but prefers to do so while they’re still alive. Perhaps for this reason, superstitious populations insist on carrying with them talismans carved from aragonite, in the hopes of repelling Grimm such as Maw. And sure, some Huntsman agree, a talisman could protect you—provided it’s sharp enough to stab someone.