Fantasy Creatures

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

So these are some fantasy creatures I’ve made up for various projects. They’re not fully fleshed out here but I have a better working concept of them in my head for the most part.

Osteolycanthropy is not my best work but it is what it is for now.

(edit: somebody please ask about the orange blood)

Edited December 6, 2023 by TheSurvivorofDeath

[Edema Rue she/her]

What’s up with the orange blood

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

So you might think “oh it’s a fantasy creature he can just make up whatever color blood he wants.” No. This blood is orange for a reason. You see, in my universe iridium is one of the best conduits for Futuresight, across all worlds if you know what you’re doing. So I figured, give the dragons iridium in their blood, they have an irrefutable reason to have Futuresight. So I had to find a compound that can carry oxygen like hemoglobin because I still wanted dragons to be aerobic. And after about an hour of research and cross checking I discovered Vaska’s complex, or transcarbonylchlorobis(triphenylphosphine)iridium, which is a bright yellow substance that is capable of reversibly bonding O2 in a side on manner, which is different from how hemoglobin bonds O2. When Vaska’s complex is oxidized it turns orange, hence the orange blood. So now I have a scientifically viable (theoretically) form of iridium based blood. Instead of just making up the entire thing all I have to do is assume some fantastic form of evolutionary biology, and it is fantasy after all.

[Edema Rue she/her]

I love that...yay for science!!

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

Yay for science indeed. I love bringing science and fantasy together. Just because you have the ability to make your world magical is no reason to neglect making it realistic. Magic and realism should go hand in hand.

[Ookla she/her]

Dang. The most creative I've gotten with fantasy creatures is a furry tiger-dragon with wings, and selkies that are otters instead of seals in their fey form. And sure, you've definitely been inspired by previously existing ideas, just as I have--but you've really branched out with it, instead of just tweaking one or two things and calling it good. I love the orange blood for the dragons! Sounds like exactly the sort of tidbit I'd want to find in a fantasy novel.

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

Yeah I’m not the greatest at the actual writing part but boy can I worldbuild.

Edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for other mythological creatures and the like to base more fantasy creatures off of?

Edited December 9, 2023 by TheSurvivorofDeath

[Ookla she/her]

On 12/7/2023 at 11:33 PM, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

Yeah I’m not the greatest at the actual writing part but boy can I worldbuild.

Edit: Does anyone have any suggestions for other mythological creatures and the like to base more fantasy creatures off of?

I'm a big fan of phoenixes and griffins. It'd be interesting to see how you spin those off. There's a lot of things in Scottish and Irish mythology that are delightfully strange, too; try looking up kelpies sometime.

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

4 hours ago, Ookla the Ookla said:

I'm a big fan of phoenixes and griffins. It'd be interesting to see how you spin those off. There's a lot of things in Scottish and Irish mythology that are delightfully strange, too; try looking up kelpies sometime.

I’ll have to try those. I attempted something based off of the wendigo that’s so so. I’ll post it here later. And I’m working on a shapeshifter.

Edit: 

Edited December 12, 2023 by TheSurvivorofDeath