Miran's Magnificient Monster Manual

[Togetak]

The Osrona Imperial Quarry: An ecological study.

 

 

Dear reader, while prior chapters have focused on individual Daemons and Magimals, or grouped the esoteric together, this is a circumstance of particular note. The Osrona Imperial Quarry, as most in Esshar will know, is a long abandoned stone quarry located within the forests a fair walk out of Osrona proper- what most will not know, however, is that the imperial abandonment has left it within far stranger- and far less human- hands.

 

Perhaps even more interestingly, the new inhabitants of the mine have terraformed it into a far more diverse and delightfully unique shard of isolated ecology than you may assume from the drab exterior, one that webs together in a fascinating microcosm of the wider world.

 

Grodon- Natural Excavators.

 

 

To begin, we start with the most deceptively humble creature in the entire quarry ecosystem- the Grodon. Outwardly they, like the mine itself, seem rather unassuming- simply quadrapedial reptilian Daemon, covered in a thick stoney hide- but in reality, these creatures are rather the powerhouse of the ecosystem.

 

While I can find no real literature from time of operation referencing the Grodon's origin within the Quarry- strange, as this is the only place in Esshar I have seen the creatures- it is clear they were present for as long as the miners were, acting as pests and nuisences, greedily devouring the quarried stones and ores left unwatched. Whether they were simply always present in the area (unlikely, given their diet and seeming subterranian adaptations), accidentally transplanted through some means, or even accidentally unearthed along with the stone from the quarry- their role now is far different.

 

Such exposed stone and ore left behind by the open cut nature of the quarry ensures their population has ballooned since the abandoment of the quarry, becoming one of the most numerous creatures within the area. Traditionally dwelling within the crater itself, content to gnaw stone and ore from the sheer walls, they are rather more violent than their appearence suggests- incredibly territorial, and more than willing to unleash their mastery of earth magic against tresspassers- I would wager this alone has kept many intrepid explorers, or enterprising buisnessmen from reclaiming the mines, they hold a similarly important secondary purpose of exvacation.

 

While the miners have long gone, and the few magi that dare brave it in the modern era care little for anything but surface level excavations, the large number of Grodon have been responsible for much of the cavern expansion that has occured in recent years. Furthermore their digging, unlike the more mechanical excavations of the crown, does not simply etch stone from the earth- they upturn the soil, crumble rock to gravel and sand, tear up human paving, as well as providing an environment within the caverns far more conductive to the life that has reclaimed them. Truly, the Grodon are the backbone of the ecosystem and despite their drab, grumpy exterior- they do deserve a hearty bout of respect.

 

Leafat- Ecological Purifiers

 

 

A far cry from the rough exterior of the Grodon, Leafat are quite the opposite creature- less aggressive, far rounder, and quite a bit cuter. These tubby little Daemon hold a more niche, but similarly important role within the ecosystem.

 

The Leafat are life-attuned creatures, cheerful little bipeds that live in small right-knit groups, and use their abilities to tend towards the gardens they call home. Within the quarry-dwelling population, their nest is located around the single source of water in the area- an underground aquifer that the miners appear to have struck long ago. While you would assume this would have been a welcome respite for them, a surprise that alleviates the cost of transferring refreshments from the city, the severe cases of heavy metal poisining it caused in those who drank it would disagree. The high metal load within the earth, while normally a blessing, is a curse here as it leeches into the soil, and thus the water. While perfectly fine for a Grodon, very little else can survive on this.

 

As any intrepid reader may have assumed- this is why the Leafat is such an important part of the ecosystem. As the water flows from the stone, their plant gardens abosrb the metals from the water, diluting it to safe levels within their makeshift lagoon. From there, all other creatures within the quarry gain their hydration- sipping from the waters under the watchful eyes of the Leafat guardians. While the Grodon is the backbone of the ecosystem, I would call the Leafat the beating heart- spreading the sustaining life throughout.

 

Ghost Swuisame- Unique Pedators

 

 

I have written before in this bookk about the strange cave-dwelling Swuisame that are native to many corners of Esshar, and indeed the discovery of this Daemon have given me much to wonder about. Perhaps they are in a transitionary period, slowly adapting to become a creature such as this? Or perhaps this is a unique adaptation, to this environment? Regardless, the Ghost Swuisame is a fascinating case.

 

Similar in basic bodyplan to the traditional coastal Swuisame, the most striking detail about this subspecies (or, perhaps, related species?) is their completely clear outer layer of skin. Appearing as a writhing tube of muscle and bone until one looks closer, they are a particularly eerie beast to look upon- fitting, given their apex predator status within the ecosystem.

 

This brings us to their most unique detail which is, fascinatingly, their ability to completely dissapear from view. I have little idea of how this is achieved due to the (rather obvious) difficulty in observing the process. Perhaps they naturally produce a compound similar to the invisibility potion skilled alchemists can produce, or perhaps it is the same process through which their skin becomes transluscent.

 

Regardless of how they do so, they utilize this towards deadly ends. Inhabiting the one place in the entire quarry the non-Grodon inhabitants may feed- a cavern of mushrooms growing dully from the tilled soil- it is here they hide, cloaked by both their natural abilities and the eerie lights of the mushrooms, preparing to swarm and devour any creature who dares enter their domain unawary. Their importance, much like those of the other creatures, are twofold: Firstly, the bodies (or, in the case of daemon, leftover mana) of their prey decay into the soil, feeding the next generation of mushrooms. Secondly, it is their predation that keeps the ecosystem in balance, ensuring the mushrooms cannot be overharvested by the creatures of the quarry, allowing the creatures to continue living sustainably.

 

While I would not recommend getting too close, dear reader, I would advise any ecologist or naturalist in training to seek out these unique beasts- they are far too fascinating to hear about second hand.

 

Blazard- A notable exception.

 

 

While most creatures within the quarry I can easily understand the role of, the Blazard is unqiuely obtuse. These highly territorial creatures appear to dwell deeper in the earth, wandering out of the magma-filled tunnels to assume the throne, should a powerful magi (the only creatury truly capable of engaging with these beasts and their extremely powerful fire magic) strike them down.

 

These creatures seems to subsist entierly upon the flames that make up their body, planting themselves in the magma to raise their heat for sustainence. Their massive power means they happily slay any Grodon that attempts to tunnel deeper into the earth, as through their tunnel is the only way to do so, and acting as a deterrent to all but the most powerful magi invading the quarry.Beyond this, I saw little ecological purpose for them.

 

That is, until I noticed something peculiar about the magma- hunks of unmelted material, which sometimes integrated themselves into the body of the creature itself. Blue Mercury.

 

As a short aside on this metal- it is by far one of the rarest in Esshar, famed for magical malleability. While never particularly common at mineable quantity within the quarry itself, at least not as far as any records I could find indicated, it is visible in minute qualities across the entire area, tiny flecks of blue within the grey rocks and white sand.

 

You may, dear reader, see this as a strange tangent- of course, what does a rare metal have to do with Daemon ecology? I had thought the same myself, right until I witnessed a most peculiar sight: A small mob of Grodon collecting together, and venturing into the depths of the quarry. While not solitary creatures, such behavior was fascinatingly unique enough that I had to follow the beasts (from a safe distance, of course) and what I saw was quite a shock.

 

The Grodon mob, a collection of them ten-strong, began assaulting the Blazard within its own chamber, braying up a storm. While such a powerful creature was obviously undeterred by the assault of individual Grodon, their collective action was, after a number of their own casualties, enough to fell the beast.

They then began swarming the corpse.

 

While at the time I found this behavior shocking- carnivorous behavior wasn't particularly something I pinned in their nature- it was after they finished that I realized what had occured. They had been devouring the Blue Mercury from the flesh of the creature, leaving the rest to return to the earth as mana.

 

The remaining Grodon then, yet again, did something rather shocking to me: They began laying eggs. Small hunks of metal, clearly an alloy of a variety of those found in the mine, and a hefty chunk of Blue Mercury, buried in shallow pits at the very bottom of the mine. Each Grodon plopped half a dozen or so of the strange little capsules down, buried the lot, and then... just returned to their normal activities.

 

It seems as though the Blazards inadvertantly regulate the breeding of the quarry's Grodon, accumulating the metal they require to construct new young right up until the Grodon deem it fat enough with the Mercury to begin their violent, asexual reproductive practices. An absolutely wonderful sight! Truly there is much the Imperial Quarry can teach us, not only about the creatures living there, but how the world at large balances itself, and the complicated balance of beast and nature within.