Mogera

Rumor has it, that during the Age of Primordial Wonder, demigods bred Mogeras for subterranean works. Most curious being, on upper body mogera has elastic, constantly renewing exoskeleton, formed by secretion of its skin. Its main burrowing (as well as hunting) instrument is sharpened beak, snake-like tail is used exclusively for movement and four developed limbs, each ending with strong chela, give beast significant freedom in manipulating objects big and small.

Mogeras dig deep complex tunnels cementing them with the same slimy secretion which forms their exoskeleton. Once on the walls, slime hardens, turning into tough, resilient layer of polymer – which makes mogera tunnels almost impenetrable for outsiders. Some say, that somewhere deep within this labyrinth strange secrets lie hidden, yet undiscovered even by Administratum. It is also speculated, that these tunnels played very important role in Ages past and through them one may access ancient underground cities, once glorious, but now abandoned – and holding immense treasures. However, no one has ever provided any proof that he’d been there.

And the mogera is one good reason for that.

Silent, solitary predators, mogeras dwell in the haunted darkness of their underground labyrinth. They usually hunt on the surface, during the night. If successful, they always taking their prey down into the tunnels, to swallow it whole and digest slowly, prolonging the process for months. But that is a good fate. Woe to those who dare to tread into the tunnels voluntarily. Mogeras are very territorial, and any intruder will face their wrath – even of their own kind. Heavy beak and four crab-like claws leave the opponent quite a little chance to prevail in such fight.

To tame a mogera is a task difficult indeed – not only because of their aggressive nature and strong individualism but also because of very special conditions they require. Should a Keeper leave his mogera untended and without proper supervision, surprisingly soon he may find under his estate an underground network stretching for miles. And angered neighbors, whose estates happen to be above it.

Dymetropsid

These frightful reptile-like creatures dwell in the barren plains of Europa’s western hemisphere. This land is poorly suited for humans to live in due to its dry climate, drastic temperature changes during the day-night cycle, and harsh winters. Most of the Beast Keepers and other explorers show little interest in these plains, for it seems there never were any settlements erected here, even in the Age of Primordial Wonder. Scarce remnants hint that certain construction projects had taken place there, but had never been finished, along with terraforming efforts that were presumably attempts to make these lands livable.

But the Dymetropsid fits in just fine in this unwelcoming realm. Gathering in flocks, they migrate throughout the land in constant search for food. Once they find a pasture they stop until its been eaten bare before continuing their migration in search of a new spot. Though cold-blooded, they possess a pair of large sails on their backs formed from elongated spines extending from the vertebrae. One sail grows on the Beast’s head, and the other from its lower back down to the end of its short tail. These sails are used as sun batteries, warming the Dymetropsid after the freezing night in the plain.

The fact that these Beasts are herbivorous should not deceive a Keeper who encounters them. They are very territorial, highly protective creatures who would not hesitate in attacking a trespasser. Even the Sentinels tend not to disturb the migrating flocks of Dymetropsids, cautious of their aggressive nature. They are intelligent enough, but this doesn’t make them eager for contact. Constant food shortages, merciless predators, and territorial wars with rival flocks all add up as a sum of factors that have lead to them considering any encountered creature as an enemy.

The origins of these rare Beasts are completely unknown – as well as most of the other inhabitants of the Western plains. The land itself offers little to study and uncover, and neither Administratum nor the Warlock-Rovers have ever shared any significant facts about Dymetropsids. The most seemingly true theory states that demigods had some Grand Design for this land, but for some reason rejected it and left the land forsaken, slowly degenerating to the pitiful condition we witness now. Whether that tale of the land they reside in is true or false, Dymetropsids are considered by most Beast Keepers to be a hard-to-obtain and little-to-gain prize.

Xelicepter

While the lakes and rivers of Europa may seem tranquil and serene, do not let their visage deceive you – they can be dangerous, or even deadly. One of the most common water predators is the Xelicepter. Up to ten feet from the head to the tail, this creature lurks in the bottom sludge waiting patiently for its prey. As any ambushing predator would, an xelicepter may spend the day lying entirely motionless, ending his waiting with one deadly, lightning-quick burst of energy. They dwell exclusively in fresh water and can stay on shore for a significant amount of time, persistently pursuing their prey untill it has been caught.

A Xelicepter is armored in ultra-hard chitin, strong enough to endure a direct impact of an arrow or a sword (and glancing of a bolt or a bullet), which is one more reason to avoid this monster. The Sentinels of the Wyld speculate that Xelicepters maintain a natural balance in their river and lake ecosystems but, in most cases, this balance is easily disturbed and destroyed. If their population is left unrestrained, sooner or later their numbers grow so large that they submit to cannibalism – this is due to there being nothing left to hunt except their own kind.

According to the Warlock-Rovers’ archives, these monsters have remained dormant since the Age of Primordial Wonder. There are also clues suggesting that they were “experiments-gone-wrong,” secluded from the environment by the demigods until they could be reconstructed. If this is the case, the demigods never got around to fixing their work.

An additional problem with Xelicepters lies in their mental abilities. Unlike most of Europa’s beasts, they are far from intelligent. Their behavior is completely instinctive, driven mostly by hunger or sexual urge. During the reproductive cycle, the females stand as sacrificial mothers, eaten alive by their own brood as soon as they hatch.

Any body of water discovered to be inhabited by Xelicepters should be cleared of their presence by any means necessary – not by some law or order, but by common sense. Over the years some Keepers have attempted to use these beasts as “biological weapons,“ infesting the domains of their rivals with their presence. Such instances are the reason why bringing Xelicepters into Beastopia is a crime that is punished severely by both the High Council and the Administratum. Any Beast Keeper who dares to commit such a crime may find himself dealing with enormous fines or, even worse, facing exile.

Pseudotanace

In the thick of the dense, hot jungle, there is a silent hunter who waits cautiously for its prey. It is a perfect ambusher which can remain immobile for days, and even weeks, at a time. It is a monster remarkable indeed, for it can barely be called an animal.

This incredible monstrous creature is the Pseudotanace. Those who meet this monstrosity for the first time may mistake it as some kind of carnivorous plant. And, to a certain degree, this description may be considered correct, although not completely. It is true that a Pseudotanace can plant roots to receive water and some nutrition from the soil but, should it remain on such a diet, it would perish. These monsters require meat as it is the only source from which they can obtain protein, their main building material.

While waiting for its prey, a Pseudotanace camouflages itself as a plant-covered rock. It has poor eyesight and relies heavily on its sense of smell and hearing. As soon as anything alive and moving gets into its reach, the Pseudotanace strikes – it lashes out with lightning speed and possesses a surprisingly long reach, for its neck stays hidden until the moment is right for an attack. But the worst thing with this monster plant is that it can actually walk, and even run. A Pseudotanace usually only uses this ability to change their spot after diminishing their food supply from their previous area. It drops its roots, leaving them in the ground, and it is possible for a newborn to form from them. However, this reproduction method is an additional one to a more traditional way with mating and laying eggs.

There are only a few ways to spot a Pseudotanace, and it can be quite tricky, to be honest. During their mating period, they can be detected by a specific sweet-tasting scent they exude. In any other time, however, it is only by the complete absence of birds and other animals in their vicinity that you can detect a Pseudotanace is rooted nearby. Unfortunately, newly rooted monsters may not have had the time to produce such a dead spot, so a traveler’s only hope of getting away after stumbling upon a Pseudotanace is to find them already digesting a less fortunate soul.

Little is known of their origin. Rumor has it that they bred as an uncontrolled mutation in the Age of Long Dark. Some industrial disaster may have caused contamination in the past, polluting the jungle and causing overgrowth and mass mutations. The jungles are still dense as Hell and creatures such as Pseudotanaces (and even deadlier ones) keep them guarded, but perhaps traveling into such dangerous regions may offer up a valuable reward. Who knows what ancient mysteries may be buried there?

Cancrid

On the rocky, icy shores, where seaweed covered reefs jut out from the cold, dark depths of the Ocean, a reckless explorer might stumble upon a phenomena of otherworldly magnificence and beauty. Large fields of glowing crystals cover the rocky bottom. Fragile blue lights pulse hypnotically, refracted and twisted by the azure waters. But should any imprudent beast rush for these tempting treasures, so alluring and close, it might find itself in great peril – for they are not simple stones, but rather living beings, ravenous monsters, ever hungry for flesh.

Cancrids are strange symbionts, some kind of giant hermit crabs that somehow managed to use growing crystals as defensive shells. These shells are the main source of interest any Beast Keeper has in these creatures, for they are made of crystal and can be recycled to produce a significant amount of energy. But, unfortunately, Cancrids are very dangerous creatures who are highly territorial and aggressive towards trespassers. That, plus their habit to gather in large colonies, makes the direct hunting of Cancrids almost impossible. However a ritualistic tradition has developed among local communities in areas populated by Cancrids, primarily isolated fishing hamlets, which has gone on for centuries to wire a reflexive behavior into these dim-witted creatures.

The fishermen in these areas were well aware of the potential enegy these crystal shells posessed and utilized them as a means to heat their home. This practice has gone on for generations and, in that time, they have established a creatively keen way of obtaining them from the monstrous Cancrids.

As any Cancrid grows larger it is forced to molt off its now-too-small shell so that it can grow a new one, just as any other arthropod species would. Cancrids are naturally drawn to their old shells as a food source, eating and digesting its shell to replenish its mineral balance so that it can begin to make itself a new protective armor casing from the crystal as soon as possible. Something in this digestive process is what is believed to create the high amount of energetic potential contained within the crystals that makes them so valued by fishermen, and it was discovered that there was no need for Cancrids to consume the same type of mineral to obtain their crystalline shells.

How and when this was discovered, or even who first realized this fact, has been lost in the eons. It is theorized that the discovery took place back during the Age of Long Dark, during the time when isolated settlements had to find ways to survive on their own. Regardless of its origins a divine ritual has developed around it, one in which fishermen make offerings of marble, crystal, and other rare stones, hoping that the empty shells would then be delivered to them as gifts from the sea gods. In turn this practice led to a shift in the behavior of the Cancrids whose colonies began to settle in the nearby hamlets, leading to them molting along the banks where these offerings were left as it was a large source of minerals for them to digest to create their new shells. These creatures are lacking in intelligence, however, and do not know how to discern the reason for these ritual gifts or how to distinguish them from their shells. As such they will not purposely leave their molted shells untouched and it is only by luck, thanks to the overwhelming amount of mineral goods supplied for them to eat instead, that any shells survive the feeding process, some surpringly whole while others are lacking a few bites.

Reducenta

It is written in the most ancient and arcane scrolls of the past that in the times before the Age of Primordial Wonder when the Sun was younger and smaller, the entirety of Europa was covered in thick ice. Before the demigods set foot on its surface, there were no islands there – only icy deserts under which a dark, lightless ocean laid in eternal slumber.

But as it is written, this ocean wasn’t lifeless.

Primitive creatures dwelled at the very bottom of this ocean. Feeding on the warmth of volcanic rifts and the hydrogen sulfide those rifts produced, these creatures evolved at a slow but steady pace. Having developed a symbiosis with bacteria, they gained the ability to reduce organic material into simple non-organic elements, using them to construct their own bodies. Finally, after a million-years-long evolution process, they achieved a result truly wondrous – they gained the freedom of movement.

It was in this state that the demigods found them; crystal-like drifters, striding across the ocean bottom from one rift to another, seemingly the only life form truly originating from Europa itself. It has been speculated by some visionaries among the Sentinels of the Wyld that these Riftias were the basis the demigods used to build the whole of Europa’s life, but this can hardly be true. However, with no concrete evidence remaining from this ancient time to fully disprove their speculations, this origin theory has yet to be outright rejected.

No evidence has been found to suggest that the Riftias existed during the Age of Primordial, and no one spoke of them throughout the Age of Long Dark. However, proof of the descendants of this alien life form revealed itself not long ago in the Age of Discovery. Strange creatures that came to be known as Etelias were discovered in the Far South area called Dark Antarctica. The Beast Keepers of Europa became so fascinated with these semi-organic crystal beings that they brought them back to the warmer regions of Europa, leading to the phenomena called Long Winter, the consequences of which were quite dire. The Sentinels of the Wyld declared the shift in balance to be fatal to the land, urging the forced decrease of the Etelia population. Common folk and Beast Keepers alike followed this urge to cut down the Etelias’ numbers, which in the end lead to great unrest in Beastopia. But the final strike came from the Europa Arcane Mechanism (initiated by the Administratum according to some gossips). Thallo, the great Kami of Spring, manifested herself, restoring the climate back to normal and sadly leading to the demise of many Etelias. Since then, through the eon change, these graceful creatures have completely disappeared…

But only a few eons after, in the icy archipelago of Arctyda that rests at Europa’s north pole, a new species was discovered, very different from Etelias but in some ways similar, which allowed the Beast Lords who discovered them to assume they were both descendants of the same ancestors – Riftias.

These curious but rather dangerous beings were called Reducentas, after their ability to reduce organics into non-organics, forming crystal bodies of unmatched vigor and endurance. Where Etelias were peaceful things of silent beauty, the Reducentas are monsters of rampant horror.  Their ability to completely transform any organics into energy and body material makes them ever-hungry and ever-growing. Some Keepers who ventured far into Arctyda speak of the iceberg-like colossuses stalking the frozen shores, constantly consuming every single being along their way  - from plankton to the great sea serpents and even Keepers’ warships.

But those larger, ancient horrors may prove to be far less dangerous than their younger siblings, for they are slow and easily avoidable. On the contrary, smaller Reducentas are fast, tireless, and extremely deadly predators. Their primitive consciousness works to their advantage – the only chance you have to throw one off your tail is to inflict it a serious damage which, considering their body structure, may prove to be more than difficult.

Ambushers by nature, Reducentas spend most of their lives slowly drifting under the ice, consuming plankton and seaweed as they wait for larger prey to show up. They use their sharp thorn-like excrescences to crash through the thick ice as soon as they sense an organic lifeform on the surface. These excrescences also prove useful during the pursuit of underwater prey, making the Reducenta’s body streamlined and capable of turbine-propelled movement – high energy-consuming, but deadly fast. 

Due to the manner in which Reducentas take in organic matter to create their bodies from non-organic substances, they can mold their forms in different ways. Some among their kind build strong limbs in order to make themselves more suited for surface movement, granting them the ability to venture deep into the icy lands of Arctyda. The most ancient of Reducentas became enormously gigantic beings, bearing little resemblance to any living creature.

Any traveler who dares venture into the far north should be aware that Reducentas are mindless monsters that cannot be reasoned with, tamed, or even scared off. One can attempt to distract or wound them, but these are only temporary measures when dealing with Reducentas. Do not dare to wander Arctyda unprepared, for this realm is unforgiving and its masters in their hunt are truly relentless.

Sooo can we like, tame most of these, or do we have to fight them on islands and stuff?

Monsters can't be tamed. Some of them are completely useless as pets, some are too dangerous, some are unprofitable to keep. You will encounter them in explore mode and challenge for loot, quests or possibility to pass.

oh rats.... i think the ice thing is cute

Thrinax

These small omnivorous pests are a true scourge of Europa settlements. Barely one foot tall, they eagerly infest cellars, attics, barns, and workshops - any place close enough to men and tamed beasts to provide a suitable source of food, such as leftovers and other organic materials these nuisances can scavenge from the area. Their gastronomical variety may surprise an unprepared Keeper as Thrinaxes can digest not only rotten food but dry wood, fur and feathers, chitin, thrown-off horns and talons, and eggs (including the shell). And of course, they wouldn’t mind a bite of fresh meat.

Thrinaxes inhabit not only populated cities and mansions, but abandoned ones as well. It is not unusual to encounter a whole swarm of them in some ruined tower or half-buried complex. Despite their small size, in these instances, Thrinaxes can be extremely dangerous for they can easily overrun a large beast, using their immense numbers to overpower and subdue them. However, achieving success in such a battle can be a profitable endeavor because of the many curious relics that can be found in the nests of Thrinaxes.

For eons the cities of Europa have struggled with Thrinax infestations and yet, despite extermination efforts, this struggling has shown no real success. These pests bring harm to city structures, eating through supports and damaging the structure’s integrity, and spoil food stocks. On top of this, rampart hoards of these pests have been known to spread diseases and parasites, and their omnivorous appetites and taste for fresh meat make them dangerous to fledgling pets. As with other pest infestations, physical extermination usually has little effect, so a wise Beast Keeper, should he find himself the victim of an invading Thrinax outbreak, will have to be inventive and persistent to be the victor in the ensuing confrontation. Poisons, traps, special training for house pets, nest-finding – he’ll need to invest in all of these methods, and more, to have a chance of driving the nuisances from his manor.

During the peaks of infestations, which happen from time to time, the High Council initiates a “call to arms,“ forming special parties to actively reduce the number of pests. Such parties must be well-prepared and proven efficient in this sphere. Participation in the Great Thrinax Hunts is a deed both honorable and profitable, so usually there is no lack of volunteers.  However, it’s not just any Keeper who is allowed to take part in these hunts - they must exhibit great skill and cunning to effectively combat the growing Thrinax populations. Obtaining experience in dealing with the great Thrinax threat will be of great help for an ambitious Lord or Keeper, both for maintaining their own manor and for gaining the right to participate in the Great Hunts.

Kinodo

In times long past, eons after the demigods’ demise but eons before the Beast Lords began to reign supreme over Europa, thanks to the diligence and keen supervision of the Administratum and the sublime help of the Warlock-Rovers, there was an Age full of horrors and disasters nowadays known only as the Age of Long Dark. This dark Age was an epoch for the ancient order of things to be completely lost and way-too-soon forgotten. The Age of Long Dark was a time for usurpers, impostors, and deviants. All manner of ill-minded experiments took place in order to seize power by their performers. Some of these experiments awoke creations of malice and horror so singular in their atrociousness that nobody could even presume of what use they might have been for the demigods.

And then there were others who were, by all accounts, far worse than those who awakened such monstrous beings, for they created monsters of their own - abominations so vile so as to be even more improper and misplaced due to their creators’ ignorance.

Some might assume that the gigantic omnivorous snails named Kinodo - after some long-forgotten place far out of Europa, perhaps, on that mysterious home planet of the demigod origins - are not to be of this monstrous variety of creature. However an encounter with one would prove such a person terribly, fatally wrong. These glowing slugs, inhabiting reefs and shallow water shores, hiding in underwater caves during the daytime, repulsive to sunlight, may, in a chance encounter, easily put a careless explorer at risk. Though unaggressive by nature, they are vulnerable to direct lighting, and it can easily drive them mad. To protect themselves they eject a cloud of dark-blue fluid, not only opaque to conceal themselves but also highly toxic to other lifeforms.

Strangely enough, Kinodo produce a light of their own – a dim blue glow that allures some small fish and crustaceans (usually to end up eaten by the Kinodo). Additionally, the brightness and shade of a Kinodo’s light determines its place in the primitive social structure they formed. It is possible that bright light can injure the gentle luminescent organs of these beings that emits this glow, creating their elusion to sunlight. 

The toxic weaponry that is the dark-blue fluid they emit makes Kinodo undesirable as prey and hard-to-pass when they are an obstacle in a Keeper’s way. But the word between Keepers is that carefully calibrated light can be used as a means of communication with the Kinodo and perhaps can even be utilized as a tool to control them. A tempting variety of possibilities are hidden in that method, but to what extent they can stretch currently remains undiscovered. 

Cathartif

Among the common folk of Europa, these bizarre creatures are often viewed as some flawed version of Gryphons, a genetic variation on these noble and intelligent beasts that are the most common and widespread pet kept by the illustrious Beast Keepers. But any Keeper or Lord would laugh at such a comparison, stating the obvious differences of these species and calling their common features “Convergence.” And a Warlock-Rover, should one have the chance to overhear such a statement by the Lords, would grin sarcastically and murmur something like “Divergence” in response.

Cathartifs do have some features in common with Gryphons. They are quadruped creatures with the head of a bird (vultures in particular). But that is where all comparisons of the two end. The legs of a Cathartif end with small deer-like hooves and, most importantly, it has no wings and almost no feathers.

These monsters inhabit flat and hot savannas, their population spread out among a few large tropical islands. There, where soil is just a little less fruitless than in a desert, Cathartifs rove in an ongoing search for food, acting like something between a wolf pack and a horse herd. They feed exclusively on dead flesh and can spend a month before finding some in these barren lands. Their phyical traits have all evolved in such a manner to allow them to adapt to living in such harsh environments. Their bare skin, bearing a lack of feathers and fur, ensures the Cathartif won’t overheat itself under the scorching sun with no protective shade. The powerful, sharp beaks they possess are perfect for slicing rotten corpses while acting as a good defensive weapon against enemies, although Cathertifs aren’t a very aggressive species and prefer to keep their distance from any sort of disturbance. They do not have their own territory and do not build nests, so it is quite hard to force them to fight back. And there is little need for that – Cathartifs are useless both captured or dead. 

But alive they do possess some value. If an explorer tries to track down a person or group who has recently gone missing, or tries to find one who has been said to have been lost in the savannah, they can use the migration trails of Cathartifs as a guide. These monsters find their would-be dinner by scent and sight and follow it, keeping their distance for as long as it takes for their prey to finally perish so that they, as scavengers, can get their meal. Following the Cathartifs will lead an explorer to either the missing person he seeks or, at the very least, to the person’s remains. 

Being aware of that fact, some Beast packs check fresh Cathartif trails even without a particular goal just to test their luck. It is not uncommon to save somebody’s life this way… or to find  valuables which will no longer be of any use to their previous owner (an owner of which has likely been reduced to just a pile of bones lying aroud somewhere in the desolate savannah wastelands). 

Is there a place to find credit, so to possibly also find an online gallery, of the artist/s who draw for BeastEon? I love so many of the designs! =)

Mandalay, sure! :) 

Here's a DA page of our monster artist: https://ket-dawnatsunset.deviantart.com

She is a super talented person, we're extremely happy to have her in our team :)

Thank you Angel! Awesome gallery, even though I had not more than five minutes to have a quick look right now. °bookmarks for later°

I see why you are so happy. ^^

P.S.: Now I am curious if you would have gallery links to the other artists too? Playable Beasts artist/s, item artist/s, background/environment artist/s and so on?

You certainly have made a good choice with your artist. I so look forward to BEon release. But I am also very happy that I decided to join and play BKeeper while I wait. It became my most-played petsite/petsim lately. ^^"