Chapter One Twenty-Six Late-Night Studies (Patreon)

Misaki watched Phyllis sleep for a moment, before turning back to the book in her hand. Leaning back in the soft chair she started to read. After what she had learned from the half-breed girl, she had decided it was a good idea to start looking into the child-eating serpent, which were also known as Lizarna Serpents. Although apparently only referred to that way in more academic text. She’d gone through a few books already, which had brought her to this bestiary. The book covered the serpents, and monsters known to be found near their nests.

Lizarna Serpents: The massive Lizarna, more commonly referred to as the Child-eating Serpent thanks to its preferred diet, is a well-known monster found in a variety of habitats, but it is noted for preferring warm humid areas for nesting. The creature is often compared to houses due to its sheer size, a reasonably apt comparison. Mature specimens have been known to reach sizes of nearly a hundred meters long.

As noted earlier the Lizarna has a strong preference for eating children, and prey on the children of a wide variety of sapient species, including humans, elves, dwarves, beastkin, vampires, and even merfolk. While studying the dietary habits of the Lizarna are not easy, we have also noticed they do prey on the children of monster races, most notably goblins. Unlike with other species, the Serpent has been observed to spare young female goblins, even as it eats all the males. A sign there may be some method to the madness of these detestable beasts.

The hunting strategy of the Lizarna is perhaps the most well-known. The Lizarna has powerful mental abilities that can bend even the strongest minds to the creature's will. The Serpent often sneaks up on an unsuspecting town during the night, what follows was difficult to observe but already suspect from the accounts taken after a town had been hit. The creature wakes the mothers and children of the town and brings them out to it. Where it starts to gorge itself on the children of the town. Yet victims rarely recall the following nights, and even our attempts to observe had proven ineffective, as the enthralled townfolk sought out and destroyed our hidden equipment with every attempt made. Regardless we did make a few interesting observations, in the cases of every town hit, we noticed a spike in pregnancies following an attack.

What is less well-known about the Lizarna are its nesting habits. Studying the serpent to figure these out proved most challenging, but after several attempts, we did piece together a few things. Most serpents have been found to nest in cave networks, which they will share with two to three other serpents. These networks often extend deep into the Underdark with entrances both on the surface and in the Underdark. Lizarna are even noted to make use of spatial warps, allowing them to travel great distances from their nests while hunting. Something we had previously not known. Contrary to previous theories, the Lizarna don’t outcompete the other life near their nests. As they share their nesting sites with other creatures.

The interior of a Lizarna nest, however, continues to elude study. Even charm-protected personnel failed in penetrating the nest to reveal the details of a Lizarna’s nesting habits. Often found dazed with missing memory, a common experience after an encounter with a serpent.

Schwæri Raptors: The Schwæri are large carnivorous bird monsters, noted for their resemblance to wild chickens. However they shouldn’t be mistaken for those docile birds, as they are fierce combatants and the bane of many a novice hunter. Mature specimens typically reach a height of around ninety centimeters on average, with the largest observed specimens standing nearly a hundred thirty centimeters tall. An adult specimen typically weighs in at around fifty kilograms with most of that weight being muscle. These birds are remarkably fast and strong with talons that can rend steel. These birds are also capable of flight and have been observed reaching impressive flight speeds in excess of 2500 kilometers per hour. This is due to a natural inclination to wind affinity magic and high natural magic talent among these birds.

Schwæri are flocking birds and are known to form large nests. We also found several cases of Schwæri raptors and their evolved harpy forms nesting right next to a Lizarna nest. While difficult to study their nesting behavior due to their aggressive nature and tendencies to nest near the Lizarna, we did notice that Schwæri nests near a serpent tended to be larger. Where a typical nest might have about a hundred adults, those near a serpent are typically five times larger. This is believed to be indicative of a symbiotic relationship

Like many other nesting birds, the Schwæri has been observed to be fiercely protective of its young. More interestingly, they seem to be less threatened by young females, which has allowed us to observe the smaller nests, as young women can get near without being attacked, as long as they don’t get too close to the roosts where the young Schwæri are.

One notable nesting behavior is that the Schwæri seem to abduct the young of other species, almost invariably of species they prey on. These young are kept in the center of the nest, raised and then eaten later. This ranching behavior is of particular interest since most monsters aren’t known to raise their own food in this fashion. More curiously, we have never observed them actually abducting young specimens, nor was any breeding observed going on in the nests.

Misaki paused in her reading, that was interesting. This book certainly added details, but it also left many questions as the teams studying these monsters were left with large holes in their data.  Of course it was dangerous work, and that made what these people do all the more impressive. She made a few mental notes about the Schwæri. These birds sounded dangerous, but clearly there was more to them than the pages here showed and she had to wonder, what was their relationship with child-eating serpents?

Schwæri Harpy: The Schwæri harpy is a tier three monster and the common evolution of the Schwæri Raptor. These harpies have the standard build, human-like face and torso with wings instead of arms, and talons instead of feet. Much of their bodies are covered with feathers, and they have gained some hair, but their torsos remain largely bare of feathers.

Studying the Schwæri harpy proved interesting, as adventurer accounts were few, and fieldwork was required to fill in the gaps. The harpy form was found to be no less of a predator than its raptor cousins and appears to be even more agile in the air. In combat, the Schwæri harpy prefers to bombard her foe from the air with magic, before diving to slash with her razor-sharp talons. Wind and lightning spells seem to come naturally to the species, with some specimens noted to use storm magic. Like their Raptor cousins, they form flocks and typically hunt in groups. Notably, they have also been observed commanding their brethren in hunts.

The harpy shouldn’t be underestimated either, but its form also brings it a new weapon. Several examples were observed seducing young adventurers who had gotten lost, luring them back to the nest. Female adventurers often leave the nest stuffed full of eggs, as for males? Well they don’t usually leave the nest, until the harpy is satisfied and if they don’t satisfy her, he’s food.

Vaemori Tiger: The Vaemori tigers are predators, while some large cats are solo hunters, that is not the case with the Vaemori, these large fearsome cats often hunt in trios, hunter sisters seeking prey together. Notably male Vaemori do not hunt, while larger and more impressive than the female, they often stay behind to guard the kits.

Something that brings us into the interesting social structure of these large cats. While the female is the hunter, the male is the caregiver and guardian of the young. More interestingly is the dynamic between females, sister hunters usually bond together while young and ignore the male kits entirely until they grow to breeding age. Once old enough a trio of sisters will go out seeking a male to mate with for life.

The bonding rituals of these cats focus on the female, when a sister cat finds a prospective mate, she brings him to her sisters and then challenges him to a duel. If he wins, the next sister will fight him and then the next. If at any point he loses a duel, the sisters mark him as a failure and cast him out looking for another male.

Misaki giggled trying to picture that, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to know about their bonding rituals. So she skipped ahead, only glancing at Phyllis for a moment to make sure she didn’t disturb her, but she was still cutely tangled in the bedding, the sheets starting to slip. It was so cute.

The diet of the Vaemori tiger, is primarily carnivorous with them mainly eating large birds, rabbits and deer. These large cats also compete with and in some cases even hunt the Schwæri with whom they typically share a habitat. Interestingly the Vaemori tiger also has something of a sweet tooth and is known to strip the local berry plants of their sweetest fruits.

In combat these tigers can be fearsome foes, their fur hides are remarkably tough providing a level of protection comparable to plate armor, which they combine with the great natural agility of a cat and vicious rending claws. In addition, the Vaemori tiger can use magic, with many of them known to have a natural affinity for fire and earth-aligned spells.

Kæli Rabbits: One of the most prolific monsters in the world, these rabbits are found on virtually every mountain and throughout the cold northern lands. Like most rabbits, they are burrowing creatures, but one of the most striking things about one is their sheer size. While most examples of the form are fairly small, even the ubiquitous horned rabbit, the Kӕli Rabbit is not. Standing with an average height of seventy centimeters and often weighing in at nearly 40 kilograms.

Naturally given their size, the Kӕli require fairly sizeable burrows. A typical burrow, contains a main entrance, at least three secondary entrances, a large central chamber, and several side chambers. Exact number of chambers and entrances varies depending on the size of the colony.  Each side chamber is the home of a single family of rabbits, with several families living together in any given nest. 

Kӕli are highly social creatures and fiercely protective of their many young. While they may seem docile and harmless, this is far from the case. They have powerful digging claws, which can also prove deadly in a melee, and their teeth normally used for chewing through tough roots, and the hard shells of certain fruits are perfectly capable of inflicting deadly wounds. Furthermore, they have a powerful affinity for nature magic.

Like most rabbits, the Kӕli are predominately herbivorous. With a diet of mainly fruit, roots, and the leaves of certain plants. With their affinity for nature magic, these rabbits have been observed tending to crude fields and growing crops to feed their growing colonies. However, they aren’t above raiding the farms of others for food. We interviewed several farmers with farms near Kӕli colonies and found that on an average year they may lose as much as half their crop to furry raiders if the don’t take the proper precautions. These farmers also post regular hunting quests, to keep the Kӕli population down, as otherwise they will quickly breed into a famine-inducing pest.

The farmers aside, there is some truth to their prodigious breeding rate. Upon reaching breeding age, female Kӕli are constantly seeking out mates and even engage in sexual activities with each other. The average female would bear a litter of nearly a dozen, and typically has four such litters in a year. However not all of these kits will mature to adulthood. The Kӕli rabbit has to contend with two major predators, in addition to the occasional hunter or adventurer. Namely the Vaemori Tiger and the Schwæri Raptor both of which actively hunt the Kӕli rabbits.

A less well-known trait of the Kӕli rabbit is one that only comes into play after reaching maturity and only with the females. Female Kӕli can take on a demi-human form, that has been found to be very cute to males and females. When in their were-rabbit state, they are often insatiably horny and will mate with just about anyone, male or female.

Misaki stopped reading there, as she pictured cute horny rabbit girls. Oh that sounded like a lot of fun. She just had to have a few of these. She smiled at the thought, just as a pair of breasts pressed into her back. Nuzzling her neck for a bit, a low but familiar voice inquired, “Hey Misaki, what you reading?”

She leaned into the nuzzle, “A bestiary on... Child-eating serpents and the monsters that live near their nests. I just reached the section on the horny sex bunnies. I want one!”

Phyllis just giggled, “Of course you would want one.” She glanced at the page, “Oh? A Kӕli Rabbit? I’ve heard they are good eating.”

“Never hunted one?”

“Well no, you don’t see them around here, they are more common on the far side of the Rosewood Empire, but you also have to keep an eye out for Dragons out that way.”

“Ah, I see,” replied Misaki as Phyllis pulled her out of the chair. The other girl giggled and lifted her nightdress a little.

“How about you come to bed? We can have some fun!?”

Misaki eagerly followed, the book was interesting, but she wasn’t going to turn down a fun tussle in the sheets.