Translucent ribbons flitting through the Tundral skies, shimmering in sunlight and glimmering in moonlight, an absolutely breathtaking sight to behold. The Seiruns have long been considered the most beautiful Magnus’ (apart from the Valemer) by scholars and naturalists of Ethia. Not only are they masters of navigating through the skies, but they move just as nimbly through the icy cold waters of the Frigid Tundra.
Seiruns are observed to have 2 different paths for evolution, the high-flying Seirel and the grounded Seiron. Both these evolutions primarily feed underwater, and usually sup on the underwater vegetation. The cold waters of the Tundra is at the perfect temperature for Ballonions to thrive, which the Seiruns seem particularly partial to. When diving into Tundral waters, it is common to see Seiruns of all kinds coiling around the Ballonions while nibbling on the fruit.
The Seirun is able to use it’s body to bend light and use it as a tool for scaring off predators and attackers. Attacked Seiruns are usually seen dispersing cones of concentrated light into the eyes of their enemies, which normally result in the unfortunate creature being blinded and then taken apart by their intended quarry. In legend, the Seirellius and Seironius are considered to be the “Bringer of Storms” and “Bringer of Cold” respectively, and is used to explain why the Tundra is constantly covered by a blanket of Snow and Ice.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #31 Budthorn
Traversing the dunes of the Everdust, it is not uncommon for one to come across various species of cacti thriving throughout the bone dry desert. However, one should always be aware of a certain magnus that looks remarkably similar to the other unsuspicious cactus. The Budthorn lies in wait above the sand, posing still as its prey gets closer and strikes when it is already too late for its target to escape.
The Budthorn has the ability to shoot its needles out at quite a distance, there has been stories of travellers in caravans that were hit unsuspectingly by a barrage of needles and were unable to see where the attacks were coming from. The same cannot be said with the evolutions of the Budthorn, both the Cacthorn and Dualthorn lose their ability to shoot their spike but instead gains the more terrifying ability to rapidly grow their spikes underground to impale their targets.
All Budthorns have the ability to absorb energy from the Sun, using it as temporary sustenance or as a battery to charge their beam attacks. The two head of the Dualthorn are surmised to have their own intelligences and act independently from each other, though we are unsure who or how they control their shared body. Observation of the Dualthorn shows that the two heads can get antagonistic with each other, sometimes even resulting in one head pulling off the other.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #30 Bunsnub
Hiding beneath the snowscapes of the Frigid Tundra, a curious little magnus hides itself from the rest of the world. Bunsnubs are magnus local to the cold and unforgiving tundra, constantly burrowing into the solid cold earth with relative ease. When first trying to observe them, it was quite the challenge to pick out the Bunsnub from all the snow on the ground. The colour of the Bunsnub camouflages it very well, and its ability to not move for long periods of time further contributes to the difficulty of spotting it.
The first contact with the Bunsnub was rather uneventful, they are extremely passive creatures that would not even budge even when approached by my expedition team. We were puzzled at their lack of acknowledgement, since they did not appear to be predators and were much rather the opposite. The Bunsnubs would also not enter their shells, but rather would lie on their bellies even when angrier looking magnus appeared.
The piece of the puzzle was the extreme resilience of the Bunsnub’s anatomy and the array of unique skills that help it to survive in the harsh conditions. Not only does the shell block most attacks, the fur of the Bunsnub also provides incredible protection to its body. The Bunsnub is also able to release extremely cold winds that slows and sometimes immobilizes their attacker, giving it ample chance to escape or attack. Attack a Bunsub only when you have adequately high attack power, or not at all.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #29 Dunepup
The Howl beyond the Dunes, the Blur in the Sands, many travellers to the Everdust would have encountered the Dunehounds during their trek across the desert. Such encounters, though frequent, should be avoided at all cost. The Dunehounds are known to be extremely aggressive and would attack human caravans no matter its size. A single Dunepooch would be troublesome to deal with, however they usually hunt together in packs along with the older members.
Observing the Dunepups in their habitat was a dangerous endeavour, sneaking did little to mask our scent from the Dunehound’s keen sense of smell. We were fortunate enough to find a vantage point that allowed us to look down into a Dunewolf’s den. The Dunepups were observed playing among each other whilst being protected by the larger Dunewolves. There were times when a Dunepup would sneak past a Dunewolf and follow a hunting pack, but then they would swiftly be sent back once discovered.
The hunting tactic of the Dunehounds is to hit hard and hit fast, they were observed to dash straight into their target and attack with fang and claw. The howls of the Dunehound also have a mind-altering quality that usually throws their victims into disarray. Survivors of the Dunehound attacks would tell us that they would be filled with anger and resentment whenever hearing the howls up close, though the reliability of said information is questionable at best.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #28 Saggithorn
It’s no mystery why the Frigid Tundra is named as such, with the constant torrent of snow and ice all year long, it leaves a lot to be desired in the warmth department. The local populace of Penguins are able to withstand the cold temperatures and many of the magnus on the island actually require the cold weather to live comfortably in their habitat. There is however one Magnus that thrives on warmth, the Saggithorn, and it achieves it in a rather amusing way.
Wandering through the Tundra, there often are times when you can feel a warm (or at least far less cold) wind blowing, and most of the time you can find a Saggithorn nearby. These magnus will release heat from their own bodies in order to create a warm area around it. It would seem that scales on their back are responsible for permeating heat into the air. The green on their scales are actually little plants like moss that cling onto them for warmth and protection.
If you are planning on travelling through the Frigid Tundra, it would be wise to bring along a Saggithorn. Sleeping in the cold for nights on end will do untold damage to an adventurer’s psyche and having a warm friend to rest upon certainly doesn’t hurt. The Saggithorn is also really passive, which means that it won’t attack you despite having some serious looking spikes on their tail. Just make sure not to bother them too much while they are sleeping.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #26 Shime
The Frigid Tundra is a dangerous place to traverse through, both explorers and residents alike are subjected to unrelenting winds and subzero temperatures. It is not uncommon for one to claim seeing phantasms in the day or wild visions of beasts in the night. If you strain your ears and listen closely, you can almost hear a soft melody of bells and chimes whenever in the Tundra, you would be forgiven for assuming it a hallucination but in fact it is simply the Magnus, Shime.
The Shime are a peculiar bunch of magnus that grows natural musical bells and instruments on their body. The Library is unsure whether the Shime is mimicking the instruments that it has seen before, or if our human instruments are in fact imitations of the Shime’s physiology. The music of the Shime has a two-fold effect, it can both aid and harm the listener depending on the intention of the Shime. There are testimonies of explorers having different reactions to the same song of the Shime.
My personal encounter with the Shime is quite uneventful. During our trek towards the elevated areas of the Tundra, my party came across a group of wondering Shime clinking and ringing in the air. We stayed quite a distance away from them until one of my party was brave enough to approach quietly. When he came about a couple of yards away, the Shimes immediately bunched together in a defensive position, a constant ring permeating the air. We backed down quite hurriedly and took another path up the mountain.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #25 Sarvillion
The Everdust is a harsh mistress, the dry near endless sands of the dunes provide little in terms of protection and sustenance. Anything living outside of the Oasis are subjected to near unbearable living conditions, but the crafty creatures of the Everdust have found ways to combat this environmental disadvantage. One such creature is the Sarvillion, an armored magnus that hides under the desert sands.
Sarvillions start of its life as a quadruped, the heavy scales on its back weigh it down and its upper body has not developed enough strength to carry the load. This however works as an advantage to the sarvillion as it protects the vulnerable areas of its back. As the Sarvillion matures, it learns to move upright and its arms also develop drastically to the point where it has one of the strongest arms in all of Ethia.
Energy is hard to come by in the Everdust, most creatures scrape through by doing little or getting food from unconventional sources. The Sarvillions however, supplements their energy by harvesting the one resource that is abundant in the Everdust, sunlight. The scorching rays of the Sun are absorbed through the Sarvillion’s back plates and can be used to sustain the Sarvillion and also for fending off competition or attackers. The Sarvillion is able to survive for weeks without eating just as long as there is a healthy amount of Sun on its back.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #24 Harpri
How trustworthy is the word of weary sailors? Especially those that have to brave the frigid waters of the Tundras. Tales of giant sea monsters, unnaturally moving waters, and beautiful birdlike maidens calling them to shore. It turns out that the whole story about maidens are actually true, and we currently know them as the Harpris. Settling by the edge of the Tundral waters, they charm passing ships and travellers into their watery graves.
When first setting eyes upon the Harpri, the only thing that came to mind was how beautiful it was. It turns out that the Harpri has the natural ability to charm any creature, man, beast or goblin will not be able to resist this impulse. This is all before it starts to sing, the melodies that are produced by the Harpri rivals even the best vocalists that I know all around Ethia. The sweet melodies will soothe your soul and relax your nerves, truly terrifying.
There have been rumors floating around that some researchers have been doing experiments with the Harpri and a terrible creature has emerged because of it. A dark twisted version of a Harpreen has been sighted by locals, but there has so far been no concrete proof of such a creature existing. I hope to be able to dispel these rumors the next time I visit the Tundra, the thought of meeting such a creature sends shivers down my spine.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #23 Momochi
Following the survey of the Coastal Vokka Island and the Forests of the Wilkwoods, I once again return to the home of the Library, the Great Everdust Desert. As you may have guessed, the magnus here in the Everdust have been studied and scrutinized by the members of the Library a great deal more compared to the ones in other regions. Despite this, there are still magnus that stump researchers even to this day, for example the Momochi.
How can something so cute exist? There is no doubt that the Momochi at any point of its evolution is incredibly cute. It defies the pattern of evolution of almost all other magnus, but one would not put off the chance to cuddle with a Daimochi even if we know that it will crush an adult human just with its weight. Another point that befuddles us is the transition of black horn to gold horn for the Daimochi, there seems to be no purpose or cause for this change but it occurs nonetheless.
Living so close to water within a cave in the Oasis, the Momochi’s primary diet source is actually fish. It helps them to maintain a healthy layer of fat below their fur, which helps them to defend themselves from attackers. The hide of the Momochi is surprisingly tough, which makes them one of the best defenders in all of the Everdust. But only savages will attack a Momochi, no one in their right mind would ever hurt something so adorable.
Head Librarian, Figaro
Magnus Lore Reveal #22 Windhorn
The pursuit of understanding Magnus evolution has been a constant study to the members of the Great Library. Conventional wisdom will tell you that a Magnus will evolve into forms that are closely related to its predecessor or environment, but there is one Magnus that stumps even the greatest of Librarians. The Windhorn hails from the deep forests of the Wilkwoods, and its evolutions vary wildly from each other, sporting a multitude of elements.
Fire, Earth and Life, these are the categories that the Great Library has split the different evolutions. It would seem that each line of the evolution, exemplifies the paragon of each said element. According to local legend, the Windhorn are the spirits or even the will of the forest itself, and represent the different ways or powers of the Wilkwoods itself. The Furyhorn represents destruction and change, the Hardhord represents stability and protection, and the Greenhorn represents life and growth.
The same local tribes also have tales of a creature, which will only appear when the Wilkwoods are in dire straits, which is the collective will or the whole of the forest’s spirit. The mighty Tritanhorn, causing tremors with each step, burning all matter of life around itself, and destroying all invaders that would harm the forest. So far there is no evidence of this creature ever existing, but the insistence of the locals begin to waver my resistance to such theories.
