Bestiary

Britannia and the various worlds visited through the ages are often perilous. This section shall provide both information and warning, a description of every foe, animal, and monster that can be encountered. The emphasis of this bestiary shall be the flora and fauna found in Britannia and other worlds throughout the ages. Tables showing when and where these creatures are located can be found here: Bestiary through the ages

The Bestiary[edit]

Britannia[edit]

Livestock and Domestic Animals[edit]

These animals are of no danger at all – and some only if provoked. They have long been domesticated by the populace and either play part in the agriculture of the land or are simply pets to keep people company and thus are often seen in villages and towns.

Wild Animals and Invertebrates[edit]

These animals on the other hand are found in the wilderness and seas. Some of them are simply content with their existence and some will not attack unless being attacked first, while others are predators hungry for flesh, which are a danger when traveling through the wilderness of Britannia.

Monstrous Animals and Invertebrates[edit]

Unlike their natural cousins, these animals were altered – may it be by natural, magical or other forces – to grow to a size much bigger than natural. Coupled with the increase in size in general also comes an increase in aggressiveness and these beasts in general have to be slain in battle.

Humanoids[edit]

Humanoids in general are – with very few exceptions – intelligent beings. While many of them are civilized and only attack to defend themselves from an aggressor, others have developed cultures of wickedness, where might makes right. These foes prey on those they feel as weak in order to enrich themselves.

Creatures of the Land[edit]

All kind of monstrous creatures that roam the lands and skies of Britannia are collected in this section. The creatures are of a great variation, but they all share the trait of being highly aggressive and attacking everyone they come across – seeing them as prey to be slaughtered.

Creatures of the Water[edit]

The seas of Britannia are also host to dangerous creatures which are highly affronted at anything they see at entering their domain and hunt down these intruders restlessly. Since water is the element of these creatures, fighting them in general is difficult without ship cannons.

Hostile Flora[edit]

Not only the wildlife of Britannia can be dangerous, sometimes even the flora of the lands has been twisted into massive dangerous to the traveler. These plants, while obviously stationary, are a massive hassle if being in the way.

From Beyond the Grave[edit]

Even the dead of Britannia at times are restless. Often is is dark magic that brings them back from the grave to do the bidding of dark wizards, while at other times it is due to magical disturbances. These undead hate the living and will show no mercy once they spot them until either they are destroyed or everyone around them is also dead.

Human Foes[edit]

Not creatures, but human opponents, many of whom will not hesitate to kill to gain what they want. While some are part of society and only act in self-defense, most have long given up on being part of society and have turned to crime and wickedness. Killing such people in self-defense is allowed by the law.

Extraplanar Creatures[edit]

Creatures that come from other dimensions or planes of reality. They are not bound to any world and often are imbued with great magical powers with they love to use and kill what they see as sub-creatures. Their arrogance has some root in reality, however, as their powers are indeed great.

Serpent Isle[edit]

Creatures that can be only encountered on the Serpent Isle are listed here.

Pagan[edit]

Creatures that can be only encountered on Pagan are listed here.

Mars[edit]

Creatures that can be only encountered on Mars are listed here.

Eodon[edit]

Creatures that can be only encountered on the valley of Eodon are listed here.

Talorus[edit]

Creatures from the world of Talorus are listed here.

Anodunos[edit]

Creatures from the world of Anodunos are listed here.

Yeti

Lore[edit]

“	The Realm of Sosaria is populated by a variety of creatures, both natural and unnatural. The latter group hath been on the increase since the coming of the Evil One. Through the efforts of a posterity minded few, a collection of names and descriptions of the more common beasts hath been compiled and may be perused herein. – from The First Age of Darkness (Ultima I)

“	Wild creatures, intelligent and not, roam the countryside; others frequent the waters. Few of these creatures are evil; but many attack out of hunger or when surprised. – from The Book of Lore (Ultima V)

“

Numerous and diverse are the beasts that inhabit the plains, forests, waterways and dungeons of Britannia. Attempts to catalog them all have met with only limited success — such an endeavor requires the researcher to put his life in grave peril in order to make his first observations. Therefore, much of what follows is information collected from first hand accounts of travelers and adventurers who have managed to return with their tales.

– from Compendium (Ultima VI)

“

I note with dread the upcoming end of blank pages in Mr. Malone's fabled notebook, and will strive to distill the rest of my commentary. In so doing, I will no more than briefly mention the more "mundane" varieties of animal life to be found here — a great variety of snakes (principally vipers; constrictors do not seem to have survived here), a large and beautiful species of black jaguar which has been very successful in this environment, a great variety of parrots — and will instead concentrate on the more extraordinary forms of animal life to be found here.

– from Ultimate Adventures Magazine (Savage Empire)

“

As recently as the late 1800's, Mars teemed with life. As dangerous as the cold and lack of oxygen may be, the most serious threat to human life on Mars is the danger posed by these decidedly alien and often hostile creatures. According to Lowell's reports, there is little difference between those Martian lifeforms described as "flora" and those we would call "fauna." All Martian life appears to fall into one of two categories: There are plant-like creatures (dubbed "plantimals" by Lowell) and worm-like creatures.

– from Mysteries of the Red Planet (Martian Dreams)

“	The prospective member of our community should not be discouraged to learn that there are many fierce beasts which inhabit the Abyss. Numerous and diverse as they are, they have proved no match for the swords of our Knights. (or so the knights tell us -Corby) – from Memoirs of Sir Cabirus (Ultima Underworld)

“

The wilderness of Britannia is the home of a multitude of strange beasts and magical creatures. While many creatures are mundane and harmless, others are terribly dangerous and barely understood. For the traveller it is vitally important to be able to recognize any type of beast that may be encountered so that one can respond accordingly. The following is a list of beasts now known to live in Britannia.

– from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)

“

Since the Guardian’s corrupting influence touched our land, Britannia has once again been blighted with all manner of dangerous beings, which menace those who would stray far from our cities and towns, or venture underground. These entities, some animal, some sentient and even some vegetable life, live apart from our ordered society, and prey on unwary travelers. As part of the reconstruction, we hope to civilize the more intelligent of Britannia's monsters, and eliminate those which prove hopelessly vicious. In particular, the Avatar's exploration of the Great Stygian Abyss demonstrated that trolls and goblins are quite reasonable, and are capable of interacting successfully with civilized beings. What follows is partly the result of a systematic investigation on my part, but largely a matter of folk tales and hearsay.

– from A Safe Passage Through Britannia (Ultima Underworld II)

“

As I had expected, the fauna here bear much resemblance to the creatures we left behind. Once part of Sosaria, Serpent Isle has changed little since the days before Mondain. However, it behooves me to record the details of all observable life here, however common, if for no other reason than to compare it to that in Sosaria. There are, no doubt, indigenous life forms unknown to me. I leave it to the more adventurous to discover them and report to me their findings, that I may update this list in the future.

– from Beyond the Serpent Pillars (Ultima VII Part Two)

“

Much has been done to scrub the most populous territories of these rough beasts, yet few types have been eradicated from Britannia. The most cunning have retreated to lonelier climes, deeper waters, and danker pits wherein they await the unsuspecting traveler. From the long roads through moors and mountains, many travelers have never emerged, their remains never found. Which of these foul creatures did them in? Perhaps none, for the most adept hunters never reveal themselves to their prey which, in turn, never reveal the secret of their demise.

– from Journal (Ultima IX)