Professor Rupert Wilton-Smythe’s Notes on the
Creatures of the Kingdom of Yarnolth
“Just when you think you’ve seen everything and nothing can surprise you anymore, something horrendous sticks its head out of a cave. It singes all your hair off, steals all your treasure and… much worse, it makes you want to give up drinking!”
– Albert The Bearkiller
Welcome, Noble Patron, to my Bestiary. I, Professor Rupert Wilton-Smythe, have spent the last two years gathering information about all the creatures that have been encountered by adventurers in the lands surrounding Yarnolth. I have collated all of these reports into a single volume for the benefit of all.
I hope, one day, to make this document available to all heroes of the land so that they may read it and benefit from the content within. My only wish is to aid the brave souls who risk their very lives in order to protect the rest of us who live in the safety of towns and cities. If this volume saves even a single life someday, it will have served its purpose.
Allow me to begin with a few notes about the creatures described in the following pages:
– Many of the reports of creatures’ abilities are contradictory. Though I have taken care to make sure everything I have written down came from a reliable source and not from the accounts of false adventurers (“Lyres”) that plague our realm, some inconsistencies are still present. Whenever possible, I have attempted to justify the contradictions through further research (and occasional logical speculation).
– I have eliminated all technical terminology to make this document as accessible as possible to those without my experience in anatomy. Therefore, several of the descriptions may be more imprecise than some of my more knowledgeable noble patrons are used to. This document is intended for a broad audience and not just the scientific community: as many adventurers do not have much education, it is important laymen understand this Bestiary.
– The renderings included are based on adventurers’ descriptions, collated into one coherent image. I have never seen these creatures with my own eyes. As such, there may be inaccuracies. I will be happy to provide any necessary revisions in the future.
– Some of the images and information portrayed in this document are graphic and may upset small children. I advise parental discretion in showing these documents to younger individuals. The creatures described within are genuine threats to the safety of the Kingdom and I refuse to abridge the information within to make the situation seem better than it truly is.
– I have avoided defining the size and weight of these creatures, for the most part. This is because I am unsure of the exact size – the reports vary, some wildly. As we all know, under times of stress, even the bravest adventurers can remember things inaccurately.
