Miran's Magnificient Monster Manual

[Togetak]

The Northern Moonfall Ruins: An ecological study.

 

 

A more niche location than the Osrona Imperial Quarry, these dilapidated ruins to the north of moonfall are, however, a similar ecological treasure trove- albeit for almost opposite reasons.

 

Some form of ancient fort or otherwise human holding, it is a delightfully odd addition to the landscape. What is clearly Osronan architecture- and yet so far away from the main settlements of the nation- is aged far beyond anything that makes sense for the area. Why would the ancient Osronanas build such a structure so far out into the wilderness, at a time when their grip on their new home was so tenuous? Not to stake a claim on the land- the accessible portions of the area make it clear that this is something of a domestic nature, rather than a military outpost. 

 

Whatever mysteries surround such an aged structure do not extend solely to what it once was- as the ecology it now supports is equally as fascinating, equally as unique.

 

Rosasyn- The heart of the ruins

 

 

Under normal circumstances I would scarcely consider this Daemon worth cataloging in a section such as this, as it is a single entity i’ve encountered rather than a species. Still, this unique creature is, as far as I have come to be aware of, vital to understand the way this ecosystem functions.

 

An immensely powerful Daemon, on par with the mutated forms I have encountered in the past, this creature is not born of the occult, not shares the normal signs of mutation that would accompany such creatures- it appears to simply exist as it is, perhaps even having been born with such raw power.

 

More fascinatingly, and unique amongst its kin, this Daemon exhibits mastery over multiple forms of magic. While every other Daemon i’ve encountered manifests only a single elemental magic- earth, fire, water, wind, ect and their derivative forms- the Rosasyn summons upon the powers of Wind and Earth at the same time, summoning the powers of nature while whipping the air into magically-aligned gales. Such is the root of the creature’s power, a dual mastery pulling from immense reserves of power

 

Fae-like and faster than i’ve seen most magi move, the vaguely humanoid creature is also far more aggressive than most Daemon i’ve come across, tending towards violence against any that enter the ruins and wander close to the place it nests- this is particularly dangerous, given the power it wields.

 

Such is the magic influence of the creature that it sustains the floral infestation of the ruins. The raw nature magic it imbunes its own nest with extending outwards and bringing life to the trees and varied platlife that infest the crumbling structure, with the life seeping from the earth as one wanders further into the structure and away from the Daemon.

 

This brings many questions to mind- how could a single Daemon live so long as to account for the state of the structure? Is it simply reshaping the flora to its own liking, having moved in within the last human lifetime? Did the creature truly arrive centuries ago, and has merely been growing in power ever since? 

 

Furthermore surely, given the aggression of the creature and that humans have been known to regularly squat in the ruins, it should have been slain long ago- is it simply powerful enough to reform itself after its physical form is dissipated? Or is it smart enough to reserve its wrath for one it somehow understands does not intend to do it harm?

 

Such mysteries are the core of the ruins and the creatures that dwell within it, and as much as I have done my best to shed light upon them, I believe it would take far more than I to get to the bottom of them.

 

Flapling- The link to the outside world

  

 

While my research has indicated this species of Daemon is rather common elsewhere in the world, forming flocks that inhabit the mountainous regions of their homelands and nesting in the caves- this is not the case within Esshar. This species is, to my knowledge, solely found within this one structure upon this continent of ours.

  

Unlike most of their ground-dwelling kin, Flaplings are a species of Daemon with little ability to scavenge for magically potent substances such as Blue Mercury, and lack the killing power to hunt other Magimals to sustain themselves.

 

Elsewhere in the world this is little problem- Agartha, for example, is a place seeped in enough magic that merely consuming nuts and seeds allows them to stockpile the magical energies necessary for both reproduction and continued growth- however in Esshar such potent founts of raw magic are rare, and there are scarce few locations where the kind of wind magic necessary to ambiently sustain them is present.

 

The question may arise within you now, dear reader, as to how this single population survives in such a niche location. The answer sits in the section above- the Rosasyn.

 

So potent are the wind magics of this Daemon that their own presence is enough to feed the Flaplings. Their population is rightfully low, relying on such a precarious source, but sustainable still- I bore witness to a number of young chicks in my journey through the ruins, each fed on the supple updrafts from the powerful Daemon’s nest below.

 

This is not a relationship of parasitism, however. There is a mutualism at play, a price the Flaplings owe to their savior.

 

Almost as clockwork, each evening the entire flock leaves their roost in the ruin’s rafters and spreads out across the surrounding forest. While I had suspicions at first that this may be some form of… strange scouting exercise, the bird Daemon acting as eyes and ears to an uncomfortably powerful benefactor, such ideas were quickly put to rest once I witnessed their ritual upon return to the shattered keep: defecation.

 

Daemon are, at their core (in a literal sense) more magic than flesh. They feast upon it, are sustained by it, and their bodies are little more than it coalesced into the facsimile of flesh and fur. As such, Daemon very rarely engage in such mundane digestion processes, generally only releasing the mundane elements of whatever magical object they’ve consumed- be it stone from blue mercury, or the non-mana infused bodyparts from a consumed Magimal- with no real ‘digestion’ as we would understand it.

 

Similar to the mundane birds they appear similar to, these Flaplings act as seed carriers, propagators for the myriad plants of the forest. Not in service of the natural order, eating fruit to release the seeds and benefit the tree, but instead to provide more diversity to the Rosasyn’s den.

 

The remnants of their nightly feasts are imbued with the Daemon’s magic as they hit the loamy floor, and quickly grown becoming full parts of the ecosystem.

 

Such a process answers a question I had not even thought to ask of the ruins- how the myriad of fungus, crops, medicinal herbs and mundane shrubbery all managed to find their way into the same environment, despite living in vastly different conditions when truly in the wild.

 

There is some unease I feel about the arrangement, however. As none of the creatures within the ruins consume the plants- at least, nothing beyond insects and the occasional mundane animal- what purpose does this carefully maintained den serve? Is the Daemon at the heart of this simply concerned with the aesthetics? Such higher minded concepts give me pause when considering the oddly specific arrangement the Daemon have come to. I am given the uncomfortable inkling that the Rosasyn may be a far more intelligent creature than I had come to believe it was.

 

Arcane Golems- Ancient caretakers?

 

 

Another entity that I would not otherwise group together with living things, the arcane golems that still patrol the ruined halls are yet more fascinating cogs in the machine.

 

As they are more feats of engineering and runecrafting than living creatures, i’m unfortunately forced to admit that my understanding of these lumbering automatons is shamefully limited, beyond what I can directly observe.

 

Still- the idea of such machines are not particularly novel in this era of Magnolian technology, and indeed even far off Valmasia has been said to have similar entities for hundreds of years, but their presence in such an ancient structure- in Esshar of all places- is more mysterious.

 

Generally such mana-powered entities do not last particularly long without either a Magi or similar power source to recharge them, or a direct line to a well of the arcane to draw from. Given their run down state, some even completely rusted over, the first option is unlikely, although given the Daemon presence- i’m rather led to believe these automatons are drawing power as the Flaplings are.

  

Perhaps less transactionally than the bird Daemon, but the runescribed labourers do still enact their vital housekeeping duties, despite their masters being long dead.

  

While some are useless- wandering around kitchens awaiting orders, or lazily attempting to sweep dirt from a ruin with an indoor forest- a large number of those dedicated to maintaining vital structures within the building still operate, repairing support beams and ensuring the crumbled husk does not deteriorate further. I would wager that the reason this ancient building has survived so long is to the sole credit of these mechanical maids.

 

While effectively inanimate objects, their humanoid shape does give a level of… personhood? One that makes me glad that, despite the reason for their construction being long obsolete, that they’ve found new life doing what they were built for. While their new house guests may be far more beastial than those they were built to please, it is difficult not to strike a grin at the gumption they show in trying to make them feel at home.