Flora
Fauna
Pippets
Flora
Flora
Bellacoste boasts a wide variety of flora, from the succulent berries that are important sources of nutrients for many communities to strange and mysterious mushrooms that can provide arcane power—at a price. With such a wealth of information already available, it seems impossible that the residents of Bellacoste have yet more to discover, but every year new plants are added to the botanical almanacs, detailing their appearance, location, and properties.
The farmers of Bellacoste—found primarily in Goldfair, although smaller farms can be found all over the continent—have domesticated many of the native plants and brought them together in their fields. Harvest time is very important for the farmers and the communities they serve; it's very important to get as much produce stored for winter as possible, because foraging can be difficult in the dead of winter! |
Berries
fig a. Redwick Wanderberry; fig b. Triocherry; fig c. Winterberry; fig d. Wishberry; fig e. Globoberry
Berries are important not only for their vast variety of culinary uses but for their magical properties as well, which are unlocked when they are used in potions- the use of a certain berry can make or break a potent potion. There is a huge amount of different berries in the pouflon world, and those involved with making potions are encouraged to learn about as many as they can!
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Fauna
Fauna
Pouflons, vespires, and ursuki are not alone in their tenancy of Bellacoste. They share their world with many other creatures, some of which are friendly, and others which are not. Interactions between the residents of Bellacoste and the local fauna is defined primarily by geographic location—the lush fields and ample food supplies of Goldfair mean there is little competition, while the bitter cold of Snowhurst forces a certain degree of aggressiveness to ensure one's survival. There is no one clear answer to these clashes between species; larger beasts may be fended off by warriors and strong spells, or kept away through carefully crafted illusions.
Some fauna have formed long, mutually-beneficial relationships with the residents of Bellacoste, and are more populous in domesticity than they are in the wild. Others are destructive and dangerous, particularly for lone travelers; any traveler should make sure to do their research before leaving the safety of a village or city, particularly if they are leaving familiar territory. The wide variety of terrains and climates across Bellacoste support an equally assorted menagerie of fauna. |
Wanderoot
Different varieties of Wanderoot and a size comparison.
A timid creature which is not entirely a plant, nor an animal. They thrive in forested areas, where they can bury the lower half of their bodies to rest and gather up nutrients from the soil, all while under the disguise of a regular shrub. When they feel threatened or feel the need to seek out a better spot, they can suddenly uproot and run like the wind!
The two most common variants of wanderoot make their homes in Redwick forest and Snowhurst forest. The Redwick variety is smaller on average than the Snowhurst, but exceptions have been known to exist. There are legends of an enormous old wish-granting wanderoot somewhere in Redwick, but nobody would know where, as they are perfectly disguised as a huge tree. The Golden variant of wanderoot is incredibly rare, exceedingly shy, and their shining gold flowers are very valuable. Wanderoot are best known for their wanderberries, which are key ingredients for many magic potions. As wanderoot need large amounts of space as well as heavy plant cover, it is very difficult to keep them for harvesting purposes, so most wanderberries are obtained through tracking wild wanderoot. |
Peskitts
Different varieties of Peskitt.
Mischievous, but cowardly creatures, peskitts range from the size of a bundelion to an adult pouflon. They feed off of magic, and cannot exist without it; when there is not enough magic in the area to sustain a peskitt, they will dissipate entirely. Sometimes this dissolution releases enough magic to form a new, smaller peskitt, which can then travel to find a magic-rich environment to sustain themselves. Most peskitts seem to be produced in the wake of the ley storm that covers much of Brouzet, which leaves vast amounts of unstable magic power behind.
Losing track of a peskitt is not uncommon, and while some may attribute it simply to how unpredictable they are, there is another explanation. Peskitts can instinctively dissipate their own bodies to hide from danger or at will to ambush an unlucky victim. They are pranksters when they feel brave enough, although they are seldom truly malicious. There are still telltale signs of a liminal peskitt when one knows what to look for; they cannot fully disappear, so there will always be a faintly visible feature somewhere. Most typically this will be the eyes. A peskitt can only rematerialize if there is enough residual magic in the vicinity, so it can be dangerous for them to enter the liminal state when there is too much activity going on. Luckily for them, Brouzet has plenty of magic to support them.
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Fulgulisk
A fulgulisk with multiple runic cores.
Strange, dangerous creatures that can vary in size from the smallest nanaconda to the most ancient of vespires, fulgulisks are unpredictable and incredibly destructive. They roam the desert, consuming everything they cross. Every fulgulisk displays some amount of runic material on their bodies; some display multiple. Some scholars believe the presence of runic material in fulgulisks is evidence that they are created by love spells gone awry, but nobody has been able to prove this hypothesis. As they grow, they shed thick husks, leaving behind runic material embedded in stony structures that are often referred to as sand dragons.
Runic magic seems to enrage and entice them in equal measure; while they will typically leave pippets and other endemic life alone, they will pursue the runic power inherent in pouflons, vespires, and ursuki with a single-minded focus. The larger the fulgulisk, the more dangerous, but also the easier it is to trick; brave travelers that venture into the fulgulisk-riddled dunes take shelter in the sand dragons, where the existing runic power masks their own. Smaller fulgulisks have a tendency to hide in sand dragons from their larger counterparts, making this shelter risky in areas known to be heavily inhabited by fulgulisks.
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Pippets
Pippets are quirky little creatures that were accidentally created with some potions gone wrong. Most of them took after some of the ingredients of those potions, including fruits, vegetables, and other plants. Their creation is actually a remarkable feat in and of itself, as creating life, and inadvertently animating inanimate objects, is a huge magical undertaking and is seldom a successful effort- the fact that it was accidental in this case makes it even more impressive, and almost inexplicable.
More mysterious is their apparent ability to reproduce on their own, without the spells of a mage pouflon. They're a whole new sustainable species of small magical beings. Pippets themselves have been observed to be fairly well-meaning creatures, disregarding their occasional mischievous streak. They seem to be friendly and willing to interact with most pouflons, which give them the potential to be great pets. |
Seasonal Pippets
These pippets are only available during certain seasons as rewards. Some variants exist for certain events!