Otherways- Fiction Fanatics

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Abraxis- While this is also the name of a pharmaceutical company, Abraxis is a daemon in the DC comics pantheon. While his home dimension is unknown, Abraxis naturally wanted to conquer Earth because that’s what bad guys do. Not content with conquering it in one time, he imbued a quartet of naughty people with daemon powers and sent them to four different eras, 3 cool ones and 1991. No one knows why he chose such a lame time as 1991, but the hero Waverunner had no choice but to follow after with his own special troop. And Comics ensued.

Adam- The first male human, according to the biblical book of Genesis. As such, the name is often used in Sci Fi/Fantasy for the first creature of its kind. For example the demon/human/cyborg creature created by the Initiative in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series was called Adam.

Adder- In actual biology, a poisonous snake of a particular genus. In many role-playing games, Adders are one of the creatures Priests are capable of summoning. ( A normal roll summons snakes, a really good roll summons poisonous snakes).

Adderhead- One of the criminals in the Inkheart series. Kind of a strange name, but adders, being poisonous, tend to lend a bit of scary to your average thug.

Adonis- This lucky man (?) was the goddess Aphrodite’s male lover, at least until he was killed by a wild boar. And, being a goddess with all kinds of power, she turned him into a rose to remember him. Not exactly a vote of undying love in my book, but perhaps he forgot their anniversary. Adonis is at the center of several mystery cults as well.

Air Sprite- Pretty much what it sounds like. Sprites are capricious, but not particularly powerful, and beings of air are more changeable than most, so these are the most capricious of the sprites. Their powers are limited, but can be vexing: dust devils, sudden gusts of wind that blow out candles or scatter papers.

Air Bender- Potentially the worst movie of its kind ever released. Fortunately it was the last, or so they say. An air bender is a person with a telekinetic, or possibly magical, control over the air element.

Air Elemental- Similar to an Air Sprite, but much more powerful. Still a changeable creature, but less capricious and more intelligent than a sprite. Think tornadoes, waterspouts, and similar. Often considered to be associated with the intellect, and to lack the warmer emotions.

Alchemist- Plenty of them really existed, the forerunners of modern chemists. Most of them wanted to either find the elixir of life, or turn lead into gold, at least according to stories. It is well known that Chinese alchemists searching for the elixir of life by order of their emperor accidentally discovered gunpowder at the cost of their own lives. In games and stories, alchemists grind up seemingly random environmental items to make potions. I would totally be an alchemist, especially if I could grind up an bit of hide, some wildflowers, and a fish and end up invisible for a short time.

Alien- Basically everything that isn’t us, and didn’t come from this planet. Given the number of planets in the universe, this seems like a not terribly useful descriptor, but we are a pretty planet-centric race. That happens when you can’t effectively get off your own rock.

Alien Beast- Six legged vicious wolf-inspired creatures from the Exile series. Don’t let the comparatively gentle Alien slime fool you, these things can rip apart even experienced parties. They are, however, quite cool looking.

Alien Slime- Large, tentacled creature from the Exile game series. Spawns smaller slimes in handy slime making pits: Emerald, Ochre, Amber, and Mauve, all conveniently color coded so your deaths could also be conveniently organized. Their “mother” is quite large, but being made of slime, not overly fierce.

Alit- Found on the Morrowind continent in the Elder Scrolls game series, the Alit is a creature that seems to be primarily a walking digestive system on two legs. Bipedal, with very large jaws, the creatures travel mainly in pairs or trios. Can be deadly to low-level characters, but relatively easy to avoid or kill. Hide has alchemical properties.

Allen the Inchworm- Once a bard, blessed (?) by a pair of dragons with the lifespan of a dragon, and then later transfigured into a four inch long caterpillar. Allen is to be found in the upcoming young adult novel Expectations.

Alterations specialist- A sort of mage, of any species, whose magic focuses on spells that temporarily change the nature of reality. Water walking, water breathing, Harden, Night Vision, etc. are examples. Unfortunately many are killed researching new spells, especially ambitious spells like Flight, as minor spell imperfections can have disastrous results, and mages are squishy.

Aphrodite- The well-known goddess of love. She’s beautiful, naturally, jealous, vain, and may also be just a tiny bit, um, inconstant. Turned one of her lovers into a rose.

Aquaman- DC comics hero, Aquaman’s father was a human, and his mother was Queen of the Atlanteans. After she was murdered by his younger half-brother, Aquaman becomes King of Atlantis. He has a nifty trident, the ability to control sea creatures, and swell armor. He gets to moonlight as a member of the Justice League, as if running an entire kingdom wasn’t enough.

Aragog- Giant intelligent spider currently living in the Forbidden forest on the grounds of Hogwarts. Hagrid brought him to the castle as a pet when he was a student, but ended up expelled. Aragog has numerous smaller children inhabiting the forest, but while Hagrid can walk safely among them, anyone else is fair game.

Aranea- A race of giant, magic wielding spiders found in the Exile game series. They can cast the standard spider web, which slows whomever got ‘webbed’, bite for damage, or poison their opponents as one might expect from a giant spider. As an added fun bonus, they are capable of casting both offensive and defensive spells, and like to travel in groups.

Aramis- One of the three musketeers. Aramis is an ex-student of Cardinal Richlieu (spelling), devoted to God, king, and the musketeers.

Argonian- One of the beast races of Morrowind. Argonians are lizard men, with a variety of different colorations. Hailing from a swampy region, Argonians are water breathing, and highly resistant to poison. They are also magically apt, and intelligent, so you see quite a number of Argonian mages and alchemists. Strangely, I don’t recall a single Argonian fisherman, although you’d think that would be a great default occupation for someone that could breathe underwater.

Argus- Greek guardian covered all over in eyes. Legend has it that only half of his eyes slept at any one time, so that he was impossible to sneak up on. He was also reputed to be quite strong. Personally, I can’t see how being covered in that many really sensitive places would prove to be an advantage in hand to hand battle, let alone the nuisance of trying to sit anywhere comfortably, but what do I know?

Ariel- Princess from The Little Mermaid. Not only did she go all trans-species over an apparently much older male, make a deal with a known naughty person, and betray her kingdom, she’s also pretty darn flighty. Popular with young girls, but if I were their fathers, I’d watch my back once puberty hits.

Armored Bear- From His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass. These are intelligent, warlike polar bears that inhabit the North regions. Their armor is like their soul to them, and is made of the most durable material they can find, at least one set is made from a meteorite.

Arrow- Oliver Queen’s alter ego. He was a spoiled playboy with billions of dollars to his name when he was lost at sea with his father 5 years ago. Those five years did more than end his dependence on caffeine, they turned him into a vigilante that works primarily with a bow. It’s a fun show, based on characters originally appearing in DC comics.

Artax- Appearing in the Neverending Story, Artax is the horse that succumbs to despair in the swamp and is swallowed by the muck. Fortunately, it’s a children’s story, so you do get to see him again in the end. Happiness abounds.

Artemis Fowl- Juvenile criminal mastermind, and centerpiece of the series of YA fantasy novels. Technically they are meant for a juvenile crowd, but still quite enjoyable for more adult type people. Artemis is rich, the scion of a crime family, but very human still. His parents are missing, and he’s willing to do just about anything to get them back.

Arthur Pendragon- By far the most well-known of the king myths, Arthur may have been a real king that got romanticized into something far larger. Arthur is famous for Camelot, being King, the Knights of the Round Table, his Magician Merlin, and for pulling a sword out of a stone. He was made even more popular by several books, a Disney movie, and a starring role in Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie.

Ash ghoul- If you’re a fan of the Elder Scrolls series of games, then you’ve probably run across an ash ghoul or two. More dangerous than ash slaves, and arguably less dangerous than ash vampires, they are created as part of the Ash sickness coming from the mountain in the heart of Dark Elf territory. I’d be more specific, but if you haven’t played, I’d hate to spoil it for you.

Ash Slave- Also from Morrowind in the Elder Scrolls series of games. Individuals twisted by the ash sickness, and pretty much always hostile. I did encounter one that simply paced in a corner of a dungeon, but that was probably a glitch. I’m sure it wanted to kill me, too.

Ash Vampire- just like the two other Ash creatures above, with the added bonus of being vampiric. If you kill them, you have the chance of recovering Ash Salts, which are a valuable alchemical item. If you don’t, well, there is always the reload feature.

Asmodeus- Also spelled Asmodias, literally the king of demons. He’s mentioned in The book of Tobit, where he’s the chief bad guy, and also in the Jewish Talmud. Sometimes referred to as the King of the Nine Hells, he is more generally seen as one of the seven Princes of Hell. Each one of these princes represents one of the seven deadly sins, and Asmodeus has the dubious honor of being the demon of lust, responsible for twisting people’s natural desires. In Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal, he’s shown as a bit of a mess, having four heads, wings, and the tail of a dragon, as well as mismatched feet. The slavering dragon head makes sense, and his human head does a fine job of looking evil, but the bull and ram heads only manage to look sad. In theory, those twisted by Asmodeus can look forward to an eternity in the second level of hell.

Aurora- Yet another of the princesses made popular by Disney. Aurora means dawn, which is appropriate since she’s the star of the Sleeping Beauty franchise. Unlike Ariel, Aurora is thoroughly obedient. Perhaps too obedient. As far as I can tell, the only connection she has to her ‘true love’ is that they both tend to burst into song at odd moments. Oh, and her dad promised her to the Prince in marriage while she was still a newborn, and he was knee-high, which makes it all peachy.

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Bastet- cat-headed Egyptian goddess. Daughter of Ra, and considered the goddess of warfare in lower Egypt. Also known as Baset, Baast, Ubaste. Major center of worship in Bubastis, symbolized by cats, and the lion. Usually said to be the consort of Anubis.

Balrog- The first one described was found in the Mines of Moria, and fought by Gandalf the Grey. It is assumed the creature died, but then again, we assumed that Gandalf died as well. Immensely powerful creatures of fire, they also make appearances in D&D.

Banshee- Although this term gets used in other places in the sci-fi and fantasy universes, it originally pertains to a class of Irish spirits. These spirits are all female, and generally believed to be fairy creatures, although there are reports of them being female ancestors as well. Typically, each banshee is attached to a certain clan, or even a family within a clan, and will wail when death is near a clan member.

Bane- The word bane comes from the same root as the word banish, so as you might guess many plants are named for the creatures that they are said to guard against. Flea bane, wolf’s bane, and devil’s bane are typical. A bane need not be a plant, but can also refer to a creature’s downfall, or its natural enemy. Hence, in a specific example, Snowmane, the faithful horse that reared and fell on king Theoden injuring him fatally, is referred to as his master’s bane. More generally, a werewolf may be considered the bane of a vampire (at least in some universes), as they are most often natural enemies.

Barbarian- An entire class of fighter in D&D, of the brawn before brains variety. Most well-known class member is Conan. Fierce fighters, with legendary tolerances to pain, they also seem to have an aversion to normal levels of clothing. Most are seen shirtless, and sporting fur shorts, with occasional random bits of fur accenting their stunning pectoral muscles. As far as weaponry goes, Barbarians favor blunt weapons as a class, but many individuals also wield axes or swords. Not much in the way of magic use, table manners, or patience.

Barbosa- Mutiny prone first mate , turned Captain of the Black Pearl, from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Has spent time as one of the undead, and shows an unnatural fondness for apples, large hats, and gold. Well, I guess that last one is pretty natural for a pirate.

Basilisk- A large, lizard-like creature famous for turning creatures into stone. It has been argued that both the male and female of the species are capable of stoning, but only the female is capable of de-stoning, which she does in order to provide fresh meat to her brood. Basilisks lay eggs, and raise broods of young, typically as a pair mated for life. Basilisks are to be found on remote islands, particularly around Greece, sometimes in distant mountainous areas, and are occasionally used in dungeons as guardians. Although people rarely need to worry about it basilisk venom is quite strong. In some universes, the basilisk is not a lizard, but a snake, as it was in Harry Potter. Either way, both the venom and the skin is useful in alchemy. It may be possible to tame one by stealing an unhatched egg, but no one to date has lived to tell me of their experiment, so that can’t be verified.

Beast- Any creature, not deemed human, or classed as intelligent. Few would bother using it to describe something innocuous like a rabbit or squirrel, however if used to describe something, like ‘beast of burden’, it can mean any creature. Typically, if capitalized, it refers to a dangerous creature, typically one of a magical or monstrous nature. Found in Werewolf novels/movies, etc.

Beast, the- refers to at least three specific individuals. First, the Beast, whose number is 666 and is the chief naughty character in the apocalypse as described in the book of Revelations in the Bible. The Beast is also a Marvel comics good guy, Hank McCoy. He’s a gifted scientist, but also blue and furry. Could also refer to the big hairy enchanted prince from fairy tales made popular by Disney, a couple of television series, and at least one young adult novel.

Beastmaster- 1982 movie featuring Marc Singer and Rip torn…and a whole lot of animals. As you might have guessed, our main character is able to control animals using only the power of his mind. It’s a bit like Dr. Doolittle, but he doesn’t have to go through the tedium of learning a new language for every kind of animal.

Beast race- Sentient creatures that derived from a wild animal. Khajit of the Elder Scrolls games are a beast race, as are Argonians. Since humans are derived from apes, I’m not sure that humans should not also be classified as a beast race. Perhaps high elves are not, but it is hard to tell as they divulge very little of their history. Also references semi-sentient creatures produced directly by man from beasts, as in the Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells.

Bellatrix Lestrange- pure blooded witch and fanatical supporter of Lord Voldemort who was killed in the final battle at Hogwarts. Naturally, she appears in the Harry Potter series of books, and is related by blood to Sirius black, and by marriage to both the Malfoy family and to Tonks. She is also part of the trio of Deatheaters responsible for torturing Neville Longbottom’s parents into insanity, which is how she ended up spending a good chunk of her life in Azkaban prison. According to her own words, she learned the dark arts from Voldemort himself, which would make her a very nasty piece of work, indeed.

Beldame- though technically the term actually only refers to a malicious and ugly old woman, it has come to be used in reference to powerful evil witches. The modern animated film Coraline is an excellent example of a Beldame, as they often plot against their victims rather than attack them outright. While arguably both sexist and ageist, the theme has persisted in folklore for hundreds of years.

Beldin- Originally, his name was just Din, the Bel prefix was added by his god as a mark of his discipleship. Unlike what one generally thinks of as the beloved disciple of a god, in this case Aldur, Beldin is a filthy, foul tempered dwarf. Lives in a tower in a grove along with his ‘siblings’ in the god’s service.

Belgarion- Again with the prefix, which translates as Beloved. Originally just a boy raised by the sorceress Polgara, he gets to be the hero of an entire series of books. I hate to give any spoilers if you haven’t read the Belgariad (you should), but he fights a god, and romances a redheaded tree spawn (ish), among other things.

Belladonna Took- Obviously from the land of Tolkien, Belladonna Took married Bungo Baggins, built Bag End, and gave birth to the illustrious Bilbo Baggins. Otherwise, we don’t know a lot about her.

Bellerophon- Young man of Greek myth that tamed the winged horse Pegasus with a golden bridle. His big moment is the killing of the Chimera, accomplished with the aid of his flying mount. He is the son of the mortal woman Euronome, but it is unclear whether he was sired by her husband Glaucus, or the god Poseidon.

Blood Vampire- Traditionalist vampires, they continue their undead lives by sucking the blood out of living victims. In most traditions, the blood vampire is a soulless revenant, or may contain the soul of a demon. They are allergic to sunlight, abhor crosses and holy ground, and have appalling sleeping habits. Tradition has it that one can tell if a deceased corpse is a vampire by checking to see if the hair and fingernails have continued to grow after death. Stake through the heart is the recommended method of dispatch, though immersion in holy water, exposure to sunlight, and decapitation are also effective.

Boggart- Although they existed in folklore long before they achieved fame, it was Harry Potter that finally succeeded in making boggarts a household name. Generally believed to be formless until seen, boggarts take the shape of whatever a person most fears. No consensus has been reached on why they do this, although the theory that they feed on the negative emotion generated has been tossed about.

Bone walker- Common in tombs on the continent of Morrowind in the Elder Scrolls worlds, bone walkers are skeletons animated by necromancy. They tend to be armed with old or damaged weapons, as they’ve had the same armament since death, but they can still do some damage, particularly in a group. They favor short swords and axes, or may carry bows. Once defeated, they are a source of bonemeal for alchemy, and may be a source of charged soul crystals.

Bone Lord- Like the above entry for Bonewalkers, Bonelords are more powerful. They less frequently travel in packs, though they may have a troop of bonewalkers at their heels. Stronger, faster, and better armed, though still often carrying damaged weapons, Bonelords yield larger charged soul crystals when defeated. Seem to favor longswords.

Bowtruckle- Although these creatures were made famous by the Harry Potter series of books, they’ve been around far longer than that. They are mostly known in the British Isles, and are small, fierce tree guardians. They are quite tree-like in appearance, and will often blend so well with their host tree as to be practically invisible. Since wands are made of wood, and bowtruckles guard the trees, there is a strong relationship between bowtruckles and magic wands.

Brahmin- This is a corruption of the word Brahman, which is a member of the highest Hindu caste. Originally the term Brahmin was coopted by the Bostonian upper class (in the 1820’s) to denote the truly elite. More recently it has come into use via computer gaming as the hugely uddered two-headed mutant cows in Fallout. While they are pretty weak, and typically friendly, the most interesting thing about them (second head notwithstanding) is that apparently in Fallout 2, 3 and New Vegas, Brahmin tipping is a thing. Who knew?

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Cat- Cats appear in everything from Egyptian hieroglyphs to outer space. We have John Constantine telling us that cats exist in both worlds simultaneously, and Schroedinger (sp) telling us that the cat in the box is both alive and dead until we choose to look at it and determine its fate. Andre Norton’s Star Ka’at series have cats achieving interplanetary travel well before we do. Cats appear in post-apocalyptic Earth in Logan’s Run, Daybreak 2250 A.D., and dozens of others. Tailchaser’s Song and To Visit the Queen involve casts of characters that are primarily feline. I could go on, but listing all the major cat references in literature and entertainment would be a full-time job for the next several lifetimes, and I don’t get the luxury of 9 lives to spare.

Cain- According to the Bible, he’s the first murderer in the world. Killed his brother Abel with a rock, and got himself cast out. He was also given a mark, cleverly known as the “Mark of Cain” and anyone that hurt him would pay. A lot.

Captain Jack Sparrow- Who doesn’t know the Captain Jack? Portrayed by the talented Mr. Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow is the star of Pirates of the Caribbean series, Jack has made a deal with Davy Jones for mastery of the Black Pearl, spent a brief period of time as one of the undead, been marooned twice, found the Fountain of Youth, and judging by the number of times he gets slapped he’s had a number of adventures not suitable for sharing with the PG13 crowd.

Centaur- half man, half horse, the Greek centaurs are formidable archers, and often well versed in prophecy as well. In the Harry Potter series the centaurs in the forbidden forest are similar to those of Greek legend, but in the Artemis Fowl series the centaur character, Foaly, is a total computer geek.

Cetus- Symbolizes a whale, shark or sea monster, depending on which story you read. Cetus is a constellation, whose main star is Ceti. Comes from the same root as the word Cetacean, which is the class of animals including whales.

Chinamen- No, not a derisive term for people of Chinese descent, but rather a race of people created by L Frank Baum that are actually made from china, and as such are quite fragile and fear breakage.

Chaos Demon- Pretty much what it sounds like, a resident of one of the infernal planes of existence that worships, and lives to cause, chaos. Physical attributes vary, as there is more than one kind. Popularized by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Charmed, but found in many other places as well

Charon- The ferryman that takes the dead across the river Styx in return for a coin. It is his fault that dead people used to be buried with a coin on each eye, as they would need the money for their fare. Naturally, one might wonder why the dead couldn’t just swim or ford the river, but as to touch any drop of that water meant to forget every day of their former life, they would really prefer not.

Charybdis- A ship-eating whirlpool, often said to be caused by a monster in its depths. No doubt utterly terrifying to people braving unknown waters in tiny wooden sailboats, Charybdis’ location varies with the story, but it is usually paired with another ship-destroying monster, Scylla.

Cheysuli- Found in the chronicles of the Cheysuli, by Jennifer Roberson. These are shape shifters, but unlike werewolves and their kin, they have the ability to shift at will. Originally the champions of an allied Kingdom, things get a bit sticky for them when one of the Princesses takes off with a Cheysuli warrior. Partial to swords.

Chitrach- If you’ve ever played any of the Exile series, you are familiar with these “bad bugz”. The larval form is weaker, and looks rather like an oversized maggot with teeth. The adult resembles a preying mantis of human size. Both are capable of shooting webs, biting, and killing low level parties.

Chinese Fireball- Species of dragon from the Harry Potter series. Obviously firebreathing, they are scarlet dragons with yellow eyes that matures at about 25 feet in length, and is reputed to weigh between two and four tons. Though native to China, myths from China include very few fire breathing dragons. Only the ones the gods send down as punishment seem to breath fire, which may make this species an instrument of unnamed gods. Found in literature in the first challenge of the Tri-wizard tournament.

Cujo- Stephen King’s rabid Saint Bernard that terrorizes a woman and her small child in the book of the same name. It’s creepy, and there are bats. Enough said.

Cupid- Arguably this chubby little archer has done far more damage than Cujo ever could have done. Cupid, sometimes known as Eros or even just plain Dan, infects a person with ‘love’ at first sight. Made popular by Valentine’s day greeting cards, but also feature in Disney’s Fantasia, a number or Children’s cartoons, and an episode of Charmed.

Cyclops- In mythology, the Cyclops were one-eyed giants. They typically inhabited islands, and were often depicted as shepherds, but were not above eating men. Most especially they were not above eating men that stole from them. The theory is that the legend of the Cyclops clans actually came from the discovery of elephant skulls, possibly pigmy elephant skulls, as when set upright like a human’s skull is oriented, the hole formed for the trunk does sit in the center of the forehead like an eye, and often Cyclops are described as having tusks. Also a Marvel X-man character with laser vision and cool glasses, but dangerous taste in women.

Cyborg- Part man, part machine, cyborgs have the same good-to-evil range as human beings, with the caveat that they may be partially controlled by software. Robocop is the first popular movie to explore cyborgs, but they appeared in novels well before. One might argue that the first cyborg in literature was the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, who began life as a regular man, chopping wood in the forest. A witch enchanted his axe, and it lopped a piece off him every time he used it, so he’d just get the tinsmith to replace whatever he’d lost. Eventually, of course, he was entirely tin, so he no longer qualified as a cyborg, but still. Yes, children’s books used to be far more violent.

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Dark Elf- Known by several other names, including Dunmer and Unseelie. Dunmer were popularized by the Morrowind series of games, while the term Unseelie is familiar from ancient fairy tales. The Fey, or elvenkind, have always been problematic to deal with, but Norse mythology is the first that I have found to divide them into light and dark types. Seelie are the court of light elves, and Unseelie are the dark variety. At odds with each other from time out of mind, do not make the mistake of thinking the Seelie are benevolent towards humans. Less troublesome than their Unseelie counterparts, perhaps, but still not exactly simple to bargain with.

Davy Jones- Although Davy Jones had been pursuing his nautical career long before Pirates of the Caribbean, that is where most people will identify the character from. Since a great many sailors perished at sea, there are dozens of myths ranging from Greek/Roman times to more modern British tales of what happens to the dead. His ship was called the Flying Dutchman, and was reported to have black sails. Seeing it, especially in fog, was an ill omen for any ship. Davy Jones’ Locker is a colorful way to refer to the bottom of the sea. (Seamen kept their belongings in a small trunk called a locker).

Death- Though death needs no introduction, he might need a wardrobe update. Death is usually portrayed as either a skeletal or extremely gaunt figure in a dark cowled robe, wielding a scythe. Modern folks might not recognize the scythe as the instrument for harvesting ripened grain, but they don’t have any problems associating skulls with death. Though death is both terrible and implacable, he is not evil. It is death’s job to bring souls from the living world to the land of the dead on schedule. He can occasionally be beaten in a game, though the stakes are usually your own life, or even bargained with, if a death was wrongful.

Deatheater- Fans of Harry Potter will have no problem recognizing the disciples of Lord Voldemort by the skull and snake tattoos they sport, or the anti-muggle and half-breed vitriol they spew.

Demon- Now we get to open up a whole can of worms. Arguably the first mention of demons is Biblical, where demons are minions of hell and like to infest people, causing insanity and disease. They could be cast out, but lacking physical form had to be cast into some other living creature, as the Legion of demons that was thrown into a herd of pigs which then jumped into the sea and drowned themselves. In fantasy literature, the nature of demons varies considerably from one novel to the next. In some they are quite Biblical, in others they are simply beings from another dimension. If one were to do a survey, the most common demons are quite powerful, magic wielding, and completely amoral. They can be summoned and bound to service, but strongly resent it and may well do harm to those that bound them if the opportunity arises. In this, they are difficult to distinguish from the D’jinn.

Dervish-Although the dervish, or darvesh, is actually a sect of Suni muslim ascetics, in literature, games, and movies the dervish is something else entirely. In Exile an Empire Dervish is a class of heavily armored warrior. Indian Dervishes appear in stories as dancers, or occasionally dancers with certain limited magical powers.

Devil- There is a distinction between the Devil, and devils. The singular Devil is often depicted as either an extremely handsome man, or a red skinned man with the legs of a goat, horns, a pointed tail and a goatee. In theory, he is a fallen angel, and the enemy of God. He’s the ruler of Hell, while small “d” devils just live there and occasionally make trouble by possessing people.

Doctor- While the general term just is a person trained to treat illness in humans, and make embarrassingly large stacks of money doing it, the capitalized term standing alone can refer to a couple of distinct characters. Sherlock Holmes’ trusty assistant, Doctor Watson, is one of these, but it is far more likely that the title alone refers to one of the many iterations of the Time Lord Dr. Who.

Dragon- On this particular entry entire encyclopedias could be written. Dragons have been spotted on all the continents, and their forms vary considerably. It is generally true that dragons are extremely intelligent, fierce, well-armored, and quite large. Capabilities vary greatly with different dragon types. While most dragons hoard treasure, only a few are capable of performing magic, but as they are quite capable of either breathing fire or simply biting you in half, only borrow from their holdings at great need. Water dragons are long and sinuous, and while they are generally incapable of breathing fire, some can summon waterspouts. Several individual types also appear in this Beastiary, so see also the entries for Lung, Luck Dragon, Water Dragon, Chinese Fireball, Swedish Shortsnout, Earth Dragon, etc.

Drake- A form of dragon. In some traditions, the drake is simply the male dragon. In others, the drake is a magic-using, highly intelligent form. Either way, they are prone to hoarding, though the magic-using type has a fondness for magic items, tomes, spell scrolls and the like above common gold. Both are formidable in battle, but you will have a far easier time making bargains with the magic-wielding variety, provided you have something they want.

Dremora- Humanoid Daedra lords found in great numbers in Oblivion. They are very intelligent, and in general quite likely to try to separate your head from the rest of your carcass. Found in limited numbers in Skyrim and Morrowind, where they appear usually as guardians of certain shrines or as summoned creatures. Taking offerings from daedric shrines may cause one of the beasties to appear and try to kill you, which shouldn’t come as a real shock. On rare occasions may actually speak with you.

Druid- Both an actual historical group of people and an entire class of characters in D&D. Druids in literature are nature worshippers, with an affinity for plants and animals. Some can actually speak to, or command animals, others have the ability to skinwalk, or travel in the shape of another creature for some duration. Like most magic-using classes, they are physically weaker than a melee type, but quite dangerous in their own right. They can be a bit mad.

Dryad- Living spirits of trees. Dryads cannot survive once their tree is killed, nor can they live outside the grove where it is planted. How far they can manifest from their host tree depends on the strength and age of the tree. Within the grove, they can protect the trees and creatures of their forest with powerful illusions, causing invaders to fight each other, panic and run, or become lost. They can also summon forest beasts to fight for them. Dryads appear in the Exile game series, in a slightly different form in the Skyrim game series, and in the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, among other places.

Dunedain- The remnant of the men of Numenor from the Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. They are the guardians that walk the wilds, protecting the cities that have largely forgotten about them from the incursions of orcs and other foul things. Strider, or Aragorn, is one of the Dunedain. They are said to have originally come from over the sea, though that was long before the story detailed in the Lord of the Rings occurred. Possessed of a longer life span than the typical human, and allied with elves, they are often taken as unsavory folk by the ignorant townspeople they protect.

Dunmer- Most famous as the Morrowind iteration of dark elves. They are nomadic, warlike, and quite capable of wielding magic. Separated into clans, and governed by this system, they may seem backward and disorganized. At least in the Morrowind chapter of the Elder Scrolls, they typically exhibit almond shaped eyes, grey green skin, pronounced widow’s peaks, and are tall and slender.

Dwarf- Averse to tossing. Foreshortened people, associated with the element of Earth. If you are familiar with them from Tolkien, then you know that they are miners by necessity, but more accurately they are artisans in metal, stone, and jewel. Prone to greed. Also found in Disney’s Snow White, where they are simple miners, and in the engaging but slightly evil game Dwarf Fortress, where they express their death wish kind of like lemmings. Always bearded once they reach adulthood.

Dwemer- An old version of the name dwarf, found in the Morrowind chapter of the Elder Scrolls. Dwemer ruins are frequently found, but the creatures that built them, and the machines that guard them, are mainly extinct. In line with other dwarf legends, they were workers of metal and stone, though they tended more toward grand machines than to artfully wrought goblets.

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Earth Spirit- There is The Earth Spirit, also known as Gaia, that represents the life force of the planet, and then there are minor earth spirits. If you were a farmer, you might offer milk and cakes to these lesser earth spirits to help ensure a bountiful harvest. They are seldom seen, and often appear like boulders in the moonlight. They may be responsible for earthquakes, crop failures, or strange mists and vapors. They appear in The Woman Who Loved Reindeer, and in the Disney movie Frozen. Range in strength from very minor, to set-off-the-volcano.

Ebony Golem- Found in the Morrowind chapter of the Elder Scrolls, though I believe these are from a game mod, rather than part of the original game. Golems are animated materials bound to serve their master, and the Ebony Golem is no different. Created from a full set of ebony armor, this is a powerful golem, and good in battle. It still isn’t quite as much fun as the pumpkin golem or the melon golem, but more standardly bad-ass looking. My one regret is that I never managed to create the elusive Cheese Golem so I could have a full set.

Ellimist- Fans of the old Animorphs series will probably recognize the Ellimist, although he did not appear in the first several books, he got his own stand-alone companion book to the series. He is a god-like creature, but refuses to interfere directly in things to avoid angering his arch-nemesis and pretty much trashing this end of the galaxy in the resulting bar fight. Apparently he used to be your garden variety intelligent insectoid before life got in the way.

Elemental- Elementals are powerful creatures that are formed of, and have power over, a single element (by elements I mean Fire, Air, Earth, and Water…no, there is no plutonium elemental so stop asking for one.) In most traditions, these creatures are immortal. Their energy can be temporarily dispelled, but unless you were to destroy an entire element, and thus the universe, they cannot be eradicated. Generally speaking they ignore short-lived humans, but are sometimes seen as guardians and will interfere painfully with any being foolish enough to meddle with what they choose to protect. Lesser elementals can be created by a powerful mage as servants, or captured, but they are as dangerous to subjugate as demons are, if less devious.

Eorlingas- These are the horse people of the plains in J.R.R. Tolkein’s Middle Earth. They have quite a bit in common with old Viking people, but they live in a landlocked area. Mounted warriors that fight with swords and spears primarily, they are fierce, but perhaps less civilized than the men of Minas Tirith. They eschew magic, preferring to rely on strength and courage.

E.T.- One of the most famous people to ever get lost on a field trip. E.T. is simply short for Extra Terrestrial. From the movie that launched Drew Barrymore’s career, and is still on a lot of old people’s top 100 movies of all time.

Eyeless ones- Many cave-evolved creatures are naturally eyeless, but this term in science fiction refers to a sect of prophets that blind themselves in order to more clearly see the future. Variations appear in several stories, and are based in some historical anectdotes. Even the Marvel comic hero Daredevil found that his blindness heightened his normal senses, so it could be possible, assuming one had the gift of second-sight in the first place.

Expositi- In the days before birth control, it was not uncommon for families faced with offspring they were unable to support to place the babes in certain locations, to allow the gods to determine their fates. (Hence the many myths that begin with abandoned babies). Of course the majority of these children died from exposure, and the guilt felt by the parents must have been extreme. Expositi are the powerful, angry ghosts of infants left to die. They are hungry, in pain, and will target their parents first, but as you might expect from an infant, they don’t really discriminate. Because of this, it was at one time the custom to wall up infants inside the ramparts of castles or defensive walls, on the theory that breaching the walls would disturb the ghosts, which would then wreak their vengeance on the nearest mortals. In this case the castle’s attackers.

Extra Terrestrial- basically, this is a human-centric way of saying anyone that ‘ain’t from around these here parts’. Aliens. Foreigners. If Hollywood is to be believed, they are either hyper-intelligent peaceful explorers, or world ravaging barbarians. No in-betweens allowed.

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Faun- Perhaps best known from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, a faun is a forest spirit primarily. Their upper half resembles a man, though usually slightly built, and lightly bearded. They have two tiny horns, generally have curly hair, and play the pipes. Oh, yeah, and they have the hind end of a goat. Despite their resemblance in the goat department to depictions of satan, fauns are hardly evil. They dance with nymphs and dryads, play a lot of wild music, and only occasionally seduce mortals. They serve the god Pan, though, from whom the term panic derives, so it would be most unwise to attack them.

Fetch- The fetch is a spirit, usually seen in the form of a large black animal, that is sent to bring your spirit to the other side. Basically a death omen, but the fetch often had a hand in the actual dying. In some stories, the fetch appears as a huge black horse, which the marked person feels compelled to mount, when they do, the horse takes off and is not seen again. If the unfortunate person is ever seen again, they are found dead.

Fenling- Another of C.S. Lewis’ creations, the Fenlings are a group of otter-like creatures living in a marsh. They have been granted intelligence by a kindly witch living there, who sees them more or less as her own children.

Fey- The Fey are difficult to define, in part because they are difficult to understand. They are immortal, or very nearly so, and allergic to cold iron. They control magic, though because there are many different types of Fey, their magic takes many forms. Nearly universally, they are fond of music, sport, and merriment. They can be quite cold and dangerous, and what they find entertaining is often not at all entertaining to the mortal they made the butt of their jokes. Being immortal, they have little understanding of mortal woes, or the passing of time. They seldom have offspring, and may kidnap handsome infants from the mortal realms to raise, leaving behind a changeling that will sicken and die. Less often they will entrap or steal a young man or woman, having conceived themselves in love. Do not offend, if at all possible. Lesser Fey can often be propitiated with offerings of milk, honey, or alcohol.

Fester Addams- The bald Addams brother. Though older than Gomez, Fester defers to his younger brother in most things, and is content to spend his time studying some of his favorite things, like fatal diseases, famous train wrecks, and serial killers. His best party trick is being able to light up a bulb in his mouth, thanks to having survived several direct lightning strikes. He also spent a good part of his life in the Bermuda Triangle.

Firemare- Familiar to fans of the movie Krull, firemares are large, draft type horses with heavily feathered (by which I mean the hair common to draft horses, not bird feathers) legs. They are entirely wild, and capable of attaining great speeds. When traveling at their fastest, sparks fly from their hooves, generating fire. Hence the name. I do not know why there is no mention of a firestallion.

Fire elemental- As the name suggests, this is a creature formed entirely from the element of fire. They are fast, often destructive, but extremely useful servants if contained. Strengths vary considerably, and nowhere have I found any references to how the creatures form. In some stories, they are amorphous, genderless, and appear as gouts of fire with a voice like the sound of burning wood. In others, they can appear as a person made entirely of flame, typically a female form. No young have ever been described, so I can only conclude that they form directly from the element of fire itself, and any appearance of gender or humanity is their own effort to conform to our expectations.

Fire Mage- Should be fairly self-explanatory. A fire mage is a natural mage that has a deep affinity with the element of fire. So yes, flinging fireballs would be entirely within the repertoire of a fire mage. For assault spells, think along the lines of heat armor, fireball, and flame arrows. Fire is also the realm of passion, and of transformation, so their spells are not limited to lighting crap on fire, but they do tend heavily toward destructive magic, and can be rather unstable, particularly if angered.

Fire spirit- Weaker than a fire elemental, fire spirits can be summoned and bound to a campfire or fireplace for a period of time. They lack the destructive muscle an elemental can summon, but make good spies, and have been employed for minor destructive missions, such as lighting fire to a barn to create a diversion, or burning a parchment contract to ash to avoid the discovery of treachery. Devious creatures, do not mistake their lack of brawn for weakness. They are, however, quite greedy and can often be satiated with pitch fed to their fires.

Flareon- One of the evolved forms of Eevee in the Pokemon universe. Cute, fluffy, and fond of fire. Which is why you need a fire stone to get an Eevee to turn into a Flareon. No idea why, but according to their statistics, Flareons are 87.5 percent male, with only 12.5 percent being female. Good thing you can use a rock to get more, eh?

Flesh eating slug- Name notwithstanding, these pests also seem to have a taste for cabbages, at least at Hogwarts. Perhaps they are not bright enough to know the difference between a head of cabbage and an actual head. I wouldn’t trust them not to munch on human flesh, though, given half a chance. If you need to get rid of them, there’s a good chance you’ll find what you need somewhere in the dodgy streets of Knockturn alley, or you can just ask Hagrid.

Flying Horse- Often referred to as a Pegasus, although Pegasus was the name of the winged horse captured and tamed by Bellerophon with a golden bridle. Flying horses appear in many other fantasy sources, from the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony to more classic fare. C.S. Lewis had a few in Narnia, My Little Pony got in on the action with an entire series of winged variants, and you’ll find them tucked away in more adult fantasy all the time. (By which I mean written with adults in mind, not the you must be 18 to enter variety, though I suppose that’s possible, too.)

Flying Cow- Unlike the Purple Cow of poetic fame, the flying cow is only rare, not non-existent. The only flying cow that I’ve ever encountered in literature was living in the pages of a Roald Dahl short story. I do hope she isn’t the only one, though, as she was quite the fetching creature.

Flying Monster- Monster is definitely an ‘in the eye of the beholder’ designation. Typically we see monsters as anything that destroys our homes, interferes with our life, or wants to eat us as a monster. Flying monsters include the Roc, some types of dragon, Quetzelcoatl, etc. Of course, since we have a tendency to kill all the monsters, and we have airplanes, from their point of view we may well be the flying monsters.

Flying Spaghetti Monster- In a case of truth is stranger than fiction, the flying spaghetti monster is part of an actual religious movement known as the Pastafarians. Recently they won the ability to wear colanders on their heads in official DMV photographs. Seriously. I know, I make stuff up for a living, but this isn’t one of those times.

Flora/Fauna (twins)- Conjoined twins found in the Addams Family Universe. They live in an asylum, not surprisingly, and are quite fond of Fester Addams. Of course, they’ve also shown an interest in his brother Gomez, so who knows how far abroad their tastes run. No information exists on what they were institutionalized for, but they can apparently get day passes to do a bit of dancing from time to time.

Foaly- The wise-cracking centaur technician from the Artemis Fowl books. He handles all things technical for the fairy version of the police department.

Frost Giant- Besides being large, and fond of extreme cold, the Frost Giants are famous for their role in the Norse version of the End of the World, but more so for being the arch enemies of Odin and Thor in the Marvel Universe. They also get the dubious honor of being Loki’s progenitors. This does vary a bit from the original Norse mythology, but comic books aren’t notorious for being factual.

Frost Pudding- Minor monster found primarily in Exile. Frost puddings are, as the name suggests, blobs of gelatinous goo. They can generate frost fields, which cause damage to everyone standing within range, and attack with their icy blue pseudopods. Low armor, low intelligence, can be very annoying if encountered at low levels, especially in tight locations, as their frost field can do significant damage to an unarmored Priest or Mage.

Fry- Pizza delivery boy that fell for a terrible practical joke and spent a thousand years, give or take, frozen in cryogenic stasis, only to awaken in Futurama. He’s his own grandfather, the last bastion of the common cold, and immune to anything requiring intelligence. Fond of ice fishing, robots, and really big eye.

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Gaia- The living spirit of the Earth, the goddess Gaia is sometimes equated with Mother Nature. In other fictional worlds, Gaia isn’t so much a goddess, as she is the accumulation of life energy of the planet, but lacking consciousness, per se.

Gandalf- Wizard. Capable of many things, ranging from knowledge of ancient languages to offensive magic. He exists in opposition to the Dark Lord Sauron, and serves as guide and mentor to those that stand against him. Fond of fireworks, pipe tobacco, and Hobbits.

Garthim- Over-large beetle creatures that sprang from the creative minds at Jim Henson studios for the movie The Dark Crystal. They serve as shock troops and slave catchers for their masters, and have nearly succeeded in ridding their world of Gelflings. (See below). When not on a mission, the Garthim appear to have no life of their own, and are found to be hollow, leading to the assumption that they are actually a form of golem rather than a living creature, though the argument is still open.

Gelfling- The nearly extinct race that is prophesied to be the only ones capable of mending the dark crystal. Once a thriving civilization, with cities, art, and language, there are only two remaining. Small, and not physically intimidating, they are an adaptable race. While little about them is known, we do know they are capable of sharing memories through touch, a process known as dreamfasting. The female of the species is winged.

Ghast- Although apparently big in Minecraft, where they appear as floating ghost-type creatures with a closed mouth and eyes, ghasts have been around far longer than Minecraft. Spiderweb software featured them in Exile, where they were vicious undead with a decidedly blue tint. Before that, and even before computers, the word came from Middle English gast, which means to be afraid. Merriam Webster puts the first use of the word at 1622, though it may have been in popular use as early as 1350. Literally a terrifying apparition, one that seems intent on doing you harm.

Gastly- One of the Generation 1 ghost Pokemon, known only to the ancients, whose name could have the same derivation as the above creature. Floating and legless, born of poisonous gases, Gastly is an expert at sneaking into places, but can’t hold his own against a strong wind. Often nearly invisible.

Ghatti- Large, intelligent, telepathic catlike aliens. Familiar from Gayle Greeno’s Finder’s Seeker’s series, The Seekers Veritas, are made up of bonded pairs, one Ghatti and one human. Their telepathic bond lets them determine the truth in a situation, which is ideal for settling disputes, enforcing the law, and keeping the peace. Of course, there are always those that don’t want the lies they told to be revealed.

Ghoul- This is another word that has taken on several different meanings. The creature is one that robs graves, and feeds on dead or decaying flesh. Typically it is a spirit or a revenant itself, and often tied to a particular location. The term also applies to a human with an unnatural attraction to or fixation with death, decay and violence.

Ghost- Ghosts are the undeparted spirits of people who have died, usually violently or with unfinished business pressing upon them. Some of them seem to be caught in a loop, replaying the events leading up to their deaths, others seem to be content to roam, or haunt, a certain area. Typically that area is where they died, or their body is buried, but not always. Ghosts can be put to rest by various means. Sometimes they can be persuaded to pass on by fulfilling whatever unfinished business they have on earth, or by identifying their killers. Other times proper burial of the remains is necessary, or a simple cleansing will remove the spirit. More violent or angry spirits can be contained by salting or burning the corpse, performing an exorcism, or according to some texts, driving a spirit into a crystal.

Giant- A person of Epic proportions. You probably first met giants in Jack and the Beanstalk, or possibly in Roald Dahl’s BFG or C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series. Typically they are human, or at least humanoid, though there are some exceptions, particularly among the Greek myths. Cyclops are giants, with a single eye, and the hundred-armed ones are, well, oddly appendaged. Some are friendly, others are savages, and quite a few have a taste for human flesh.

Gi-ant- One of the pun-creatures born of Piers Anthony’s imagination in his Xanth series. As one might expect, the Gi-ant is a giant ant, and behaves in predictably ant-like ways. Picnics are beneath it (literally).

Giant Spider- Preys on one of our most universal fears, arachnophobia. From Tolkien’s tunnel-guarding Shelob, to Hagrid’s pet, protagonists have been in danger of having their insides liquefied and slurped through a straw as a late night snack across a number of fandoms. Why? Because spiders are creepy as all get out to most folks. Good thing that Shelob didn’t sport any of the actual defenses of a tarantula, as they are capable of shedding hairs from their abdomens into an attacker’s eyes, causing blindness. They can, if pursued, actually shoot a stream of liquid feces at their attacker. I’m not sure what biologist got the job of determining their accuracy, but I am told they can hit their target at ten feet. Gross, but very precise.

                                             

Gigantor- Not actually a monster or a giant, just a big guy stuck on a speeding bus with Keanu Reaves in Speed.

Gimli- Dwarf, known primarily from the Lord of the Rings movies. Gimli is a fairly young dwarf, though I admit it can be difficult to tell the age of a dwarf (or gender if you read Tolkien, but we are assured that they do not simply spring up from holes in the ground.) He favors an axe in battle, and the avarice of his kind is displayed primarily in his strong desire to outscore his companion Legolas in the number of Orcs slain. Initially had quite a dislike of elves, but develops a strong friendship with Legolas.

Gloin- Another dwarf, one of Bilbo’s companions, along with his brother Oin, out to regain the Kingdom of Thorin Oakenshield from the dragon Smaug. He is, incidentally, also the father of Gimli. (If you weren’t aware, J.R.R. Tolkien was quite fond of genealogies, a trait he held in common with his beloved hobbits, and family trees for many of his characters are available.)

Graces- Three greek sisters, or occasionally four, that exemplify the most desirable character traits. The youngest was Aglaea, which means splendor. Her next oldest sister is Euphrosyne, or Mirth, and the Eldest is Thalia, which equates to cheerfulness or good cheer. Some stories include a fourth sister, Charis, which would translate either to charity or the singular of Grace, but most stop at three.

Great Pink Sea Snail- Fans of Dr. Doolittle may remember this creature, the subject of the original Dr. Doolittle’s hunt. As advertised, this is a giant pink snail, considered by most to be a myth, but Dr. Doolittle is convinced it exists. Aided by his knowledge of animal language, and financed by a tightrope walking PushmePullyou, Dr. Doolittle sails off in search of it. Though shipwrecked, he does manage to locate the amiable creature, which provides his companions a ride back to England inside its beautifully appointed shell. Don’t even ask me about the Eddie Murphy version.

Green Man- Typically represented as a face surrounded by leaves, the Green Man is an ancient symbol often seen represented in 12th century or earlier architecture. He often has vines coming from his eyes, ears, or nose. Thought to be a symbol of rebirth and associated with ancient pagan religions, little is known for sure about him.

Gremlin- Here are creatures that have a wide variety of cultural interpretation, and very little to base it on. Naturally, they are most popularly known from the movie, Gremlins, where they are transformed from adorable fuzzy creatures called Mogwai to green, scaly gremlins. There, they destroyed pretty much everything they touched, reproduced instantly when wet, and hated bright lights. Gremlins in video games, may be more nature spirits, but of an unfriendly type. They tend to steal food, break equipment, or lead travelers astray. Little is heard of gremlins before WWII where they were known as invisible creatures, mischievious and mechanical, with a fondness for messing with aircraft.

Grim- As any Harry Potter fan knows, the Grim is a symbol of death. Seeing one is usually an indication of your own upcoming demise, but in some instances is a warning so that death can be avoided. The Grim usually appears as a huge black dog, though it has been recorded as a black stallion, a giant black bear, a black stag, and once that I found as a huge black ram. As you can see, the only thing the creatures had in common is that they are all large, black, and feature fiery red eyes. Oh, and the death-bringing. They are very big on that.

Gypsy- Gypsies are an actual nomadic race of people, often still following a way of life that was common several hundred years ago, but has all but disappeared in the modern world. They tend to migrate following the better weather, finding work, pasture for their creatures, and I would assume, adventure in their travels. Naturally, those that travelled little had a great distrust for the free-living ones, and the rumors of their misdeeds became myths. Certainly some still follow the old religions, but I doubt there are enough Gypsies alive to account for every fictional Gypsy curse. (Joss Whedon’s Angel, Stephen King’s Thinner,even Anne Rice features them, though more for their music than their magic.) The fictional Gypsy is an archetype, closer to the Fey than the actual human Gypsy. Wild creatures, powerful, devious, and dangerous to cross, that follow the old ways and have magic the rest of us can hardly understand, that is the role they tend to play in fiction, if not reality.

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Hag- In most modern conversations, calling someone a hag is an insult. The word has come to mean old and ugly, primarily, though naturally that was not always the case. In several fictional worlds, the hag is a kind of witch, just not Glenda the Good witch. C.S. Lewis has hags fighting against Aslan in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and though they clearly are not as powerful as the White Witch, they are on the side of naughtiness. The word is believed to have come to us somewhere between the 13c and 16c. Most likely it derives from the words Hexe(German), Heks (Dutch) both meaning witch. Haga is also the old name for Hawthorne, a plant sometimes associated with divination. Probably the original “hags” were fortune-tellers, or sooth-sayers of the Pagan tribes resident at the time, their age making them respected, and lending them wisdom.

Hagrid- Game keeper, and teacher at Hogwarts, in the Harry Potter universe. Hagrid got himself expelled over the Chamber of Secrets mess the first time around, thus does not technically have the right to use magic. He keeps his wand inside an umbrella, and does use it on occasion. He is half giant, half human, which accounts for his rather large size, and possibly for his eccentric taste in pets, though who wouldn’t want a baby dragon?

Half-breed- Usually despised, Half-breeds come in all sizes and shapes. One look through a D&D character creation manual, and you’ll be wondering exactly how much ale it took to create a half-orc. Generally, one half of the creature is assumed to be human, and the other is some other race: Half Orc, Elf, etc. Piers Anthony’s Xanth series uses magical Love Springs to induce these half breeds, many of which have no human parent at all (Goblin x Harpy, for instance.)

Halfling (Also known as Hobbits, or Holbytla) No doubt named for their small stature, Halflings are limited to the Shire and the area around the village of Bree, which is unique in its half human, half hobbit population. They tend to be farmers, do not wear shoes, and were the first to grow pipe tobacco. They live in houses underground, preferring circular doors and windows, and are quite fond of gardening and genealogy.They are also very greedy eaters, especially of mushrooms. Very few Hobbits can swim, and avoid boats if at all possible.

Half-man- There are three completely different takes on this term. In one set of traditions the half-man is simply a half breed. Half human, half something else entirely. Ape men, bird men, half trolls…all these would be half-men. The second tradition involves races of foreshortened humans, along the lines closer to the aboriginal pygmy races than to Tolkien’s hobbits. The third tradition is my favorite, and the one least often seen, mores the pity. In this tradition, half-men are semi-corporal beings that were once just ordinary men, but have been somehow caught half-way between life and death. These half-men are more than ghosts, but less than physical beings.

Harpy- Ah, the filthy, vicious harpy. They have the beautiful faces (and usually naked breasts) of women, but the rest of their body resembles a human-sized vulture. They are capable of flight, vicious, and nearly insatiable. Some records include them having the power to curse people, usually men, and the stench of them is likely to cause sickness. Loud, raucous, and possessed of language that could make a sailor blush, harpies travel in all-female flocks. No, I do not know how more harpies get made, but since the rumor is it requires a human male, I’m assuming there are prodigious quantities of alcohol involved.

Harrier- While this term often refers to both the actual hawk species, the extinct hound species, or the helicopter by the same name, it can also refer to a purely fictional species. Harriers are typically armored hound-like creatures sent to hunt out a specific target. They track primarily by scent, but in a few cases can actually be linked to their intended target via a permanent DNA connection.

Hawkmen- Winged men from Flash Gordon, these warlike people wear clothing that vaguely resembles a leather kilt with suspenders, and are capable of extended flights. One of the realms of Mongo is populated by Hawkmen. At least prior to Emperor Ming’s death, they were ruled by a Prince, who was subject only to the Emperor.

Hecate- Hecate is a Greek goddess of epic badassness. She makes her home in the underworld, for starters, which ought to give her plenty of street cred by itself. More to the point, she’s the goddess of magic, necromancy, ghosts, the moon, and crossroads. She is the consort of Hermes or sometimes Helios.

Heffalump- A.A. Milne’s creation, which is Pooh Bear’s interpretation of an elephant. Often hunted in the 100 acre wood by means of ingenious traps, Christopher Robin never managed to actually catch one. In the Disney movie version, you do get to catch a few glimpses of the rare beasts.

Hel- In Norse stories, Hel, whose name conviently enough means hidden, was the giantess who ruled over Helheim or the world of the dead. A 13th century scholar claims she is the daughter of Loki, making her sister to Fenrir, but there is debate on that matter. Little enough about her survives, and most of what does makes her seem greedy, or at the very least uninterested in the concerns of people.

Helios- A titan, and the embodiment of the sun. He hangs out with Hecate, and they have a daughter together, Circe. His sister is Selene, the moon, as you might expect. He is responsible for driving the chariot of the sun across the sky each day, so he’s a pretty important guy. His chariot is pulled by four fiery horses, namely Aeos, Aethon, Pyrois, and Plegon. As he’s a popular, handsome guy with a sunny disposition, he has a slew of kids. Some identify him with Apollo, and though that upstart did usurp some of Helios’ fame, and his job, they aren’t the same guy, Apollo was an Olympian, and Helios a Titan…it’s like the whole family feud thing in Romeo and Juliet.

Hellboy- A bright red demon, brought through a portal as an infant by Rasputin, his huge stone fist is the key to bringing down hell on earth. His destiny may be to rule and destroy earth, but he has been raised by a mortal man to be something else entirely. He’s got a line of comic books, and three movies to his credit, rumor has it a fourth may be in the works.

Hellhound- Hellhounds are generally accepted to come from Hell. Yes, I know that comes as a complete surprise, but I have it on pretty good authority that this is so. Descriptions vary, with the most common one being a huge black wolf-like hound, with glowing red eyes, sometimes trailing brimstone. Of course, in the series Supernatural, they were invisible, at least to mortals. In other worlds, Hellhounds are sometimes seen as the servants of sorcerers, certain Fey Queens, or even as shapeshifters in their own right. Wherever they hail from, they are all incredibly dedicated trackers, and will stick to the trail left by their quarry until they run them to ground. Since they are also fierce, powerful, and often capable of producing hellfire or brimstone on demand, the marked soul rarely escapes alive.

Hestia-Goddess of the hearth, Hestia is one of the quietest of the old Greco-Roman pantheon. The hearth is the center of the home, however, and the heat that nourishes and preserves all living creatures against the dark of night and the chill of winter. While not flashy or overtly powerful, Hestia is the guardian of that protective flame, and as such, controls who shelters at that heat and who perishes in the dark.

Hera- Wife of the often-unfaithful Zeus, Hera is the queen of the Greek gods. Given that her husband likes to switch into the form of a shower of gold, or a swan, or whatever, and seduce human females, and that she is stuck presiding over a herd of squabbling gods with serious anger-management issues, Hera should be forgiven any lapses in her own self-control. After all, the gods developed amazing armor and weapons, but I have yet to read a Greek myth that included either Tylenol or chocolate.

Hobbit (See Halfling)

Holbytla (See Halfling)

Hollow Man-

Horus- An Egyptian diety, made famous in many of the mummy novels and later movies. Horus is often depicted in statues with the body of a man and the head of a hawk. Canopic jars (Tupperware for organs) often have one of the set in his image, as might be expected since one of his provinces is helping the soul make its way to the afterlife. Also associated with wisdom, immortality, and in some references sorcery.

Huorn- According to Tolkien, the Huorn were trees awakened by the elves in the first age, and herded by the Ents that became over time so ent-like that they are capable of moving like a herd of animals. Dangerous when roused, they have little love for any civilized folks, as they tend to use fire and wield axes, but bear an especial hatred of Orcs. If not controlled by Ents they can be quite deadly.

Hun- Of course, Atilla is the best known of the Huns, but they were an actual tribe of Barbarian (according to Chinese history, I doubt sincerely they referred to themselves as such) warriors. At least semi-nomadic, fierce, and notoriously savage, the Huns are at least part of the reason for the construction of the Great Wall. They often make cameo appearances in books and movies set in China, so you see them in Mulan, as well as in The Shadow.

Hunchback of Notre Dame- Anyone who has seen the Disney movie is well aware that Quasimodo (a name which literally means half made) was a deformed foundling whose job it was to ring the bells at the cathedral of Notre Dame. Trust me, the book is far better, though sadder, than the movie. To their credit, for once Disney wasn’t entirely saccharine, and there are some very catchy tunes in the cartoon version.

Hunter- A hunter can denote any person whose profession is the taking of game, or it can mean only those with specific tastes in quarry. Most popularly, the series Supernatural, describes Hunters as those that hunt down demons, and other harmful things that go bump in the night. On the other side of things, the wild hunt has often targeted humans, but the Fey involved are still hunters. Still other Fey, most notably the women, have a soft spot for human hunters, and will occasionally lure one to her own land and hold him in thrall as a lover.

I

Io

Ifreet

Ice dragon

Ice weasel- By night, the ice weasels come. That’s more or less what is known about ice weasels. Of course, we can infer that they travel in packs, live in cold places, and are carnivorous, but we’re pretty much guessing. We’ll know more once the crime scene folks are done evaluating the bones they left behind.

Illuminati-

Isis- long before the name got stolen for a terrorist group, Isis was a goddess. The goddess, really, if you’re into the Egyptian thing. Goddess of health, marriage, and wisdom, Isis is sister and wife to Osiris, and a child of Geb and Nut. Since Geb and Nut are roughly the earth and sky, there apparently weren’t a lot of suitors for her to choose from. Bastet is one of her kids.

J

Jackalope- Mythical western creature resembling an oversized Jack rabbit with the antlers of a pronghorn deer. Good luck if you actually sight one, but they are nearly as elusive as bigfoot. A favorite of rogue taxidermists, and one of the original members of the frequent photoshoppers club.

Jack Frost

Janus

Jasmine

Jedi

Jelly-

Jester-

Joker

Juggernaught (spelling)

K

Kappa

Keeper

Knight

Kris Kringle

L

Lamia

Lasher

Leprechaun

Lestat

Leviathan

Lilith-

Litch

Loa

M

Mab-

Macavity- Once one of the most famous of cats, Macavity has fallen from public eye. Not that he cares, cats have far more important things to brood upon than the fleeting nature of fame. Still, he enjoyed his guest starring appearance in the movie Logan’s Run.

Mad hatter

Mad Mardigan

Maeve

Mage-

Magicarp-

Magic Sniffer-

Magneto-

Mammut

Malcolm Reynolds

Mason

Master race

Master vampire

Mephistopheles

Merfolk

Merlin

Mermaid

Merrow

Monk

Monkey King

Moon Moth-

Morlock

Moya-

Muses-

N

Narnian-

Nag/Nagini-

Necromancer-

Necrophage-

Nephilim-

Nestling-

Nut-

Nightwalker

Nightstalker

Norn-

Ninetoes-

O

Oathbreaker

Oberon

Oddkins

Odd Thomas

Ogre

Olgra

Omen

Ondusi

Oracle

Ozymandias

P

Paddington

Page

Paladin

Pandora

Pantalaimon (check spelling)

Pain/Panic

Pan

Patil Sisters

Peddler

Pegasus

Phaeton

Podling

Puddleglum

Q

“Q”

Quetzalcoatl

Queen

Quester

Quest, Benton

Quest, Jonny

Quest Team

Quill, Professor (check spelling)

R

Ra

Rake

Rakshashi

Rama

Raven

River Tam

Robin

Roc

Rock Monster

Romeo

S

Saffron

Sage

Scylla

Seer

Sekmet

Servant

Servant mind

Servant of the Bones

Servile

Simon Tam

Siren

Sirius Black

Skeksis (check spelling)

Skellorn

Skeletor

Skeleton Warriors

Slayer

Slime

Snow Queen

Sorcerer

Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Spectre

Spirit

Spook

Star Goat

Star Ka’at

Star Lord

Star Man

Stone Golum

Stygian Witches

Sycha

Sylph

T

Tabitha

Talos

Tangletree

Tannith

Taoist Monk-

Tar Baby

Tarquin

Tarna

Tash

Tasmanian Devil

Tattooed Monk

Technopath

Thor

Thrain

Thror

Tim the Enchanter

Tom Bombadil

Tom Riddle

Tribble

Triffid

Trinity

Treebeard

U-

Ulysses (Spelling)

Umbridge, Dolores-

Una

Undine

Unicorn

Uriel

Ursagi

V

“V”- Patient 5, or V appeared first in comic book form, and then in a major motion picture of the same name. He’s now actually spawned a political movement and can occasionally be seen on the internet. Used to test a biological weapon, his blood yielded the cure. This allowed the experimenters to turn the weapon on their own country, inciting panic until they could seize control and using the cure as their ‘miracle’, remake the country to their liking. Fetish for masks, old movies, and music with killer crescendos.

Valkyrie- Norse warrior women, and my personal heroines. The Valkyries are the twelve handmaidens of Odin, each of whom chooses slain warriors from the battlefield to guide to Valhalla. Bravery is their favorite attribute, cowards need not apply.

Vampire- Aside from one sparkly offshoot who shall not be mentioned, the vampire family tree is dark, dangerous and utterly cool. Made famous by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as well as a host of Hollywood movies, vampires are typically undead creatures that drink the blood of the living to maintain their half-lives. Interestingly, it is believed that the myths of vampires actually trace to outbreaks of rabies in the dark ages, where the advanced symptoms in humans include catatonia, a state that would have mimicked death. As the disease progresses, and literally tears holes in the brain, victims would ‘revive’ temporarily. Crazed, in pain, and too damaged to think, victims have been known to attack anything that moves. No doubt terrifying, even if it happened today. In a time when disease had no clear cause, this would have been reason to expect the involvement of something truly nefarious.

W

Warg- Oversized, magically altered and corrupted form of a wolf. Larger than the average horse, and heavier, they are savage fighters on their own, but most dangerous because they are capable of following a scent trail and bearing their riders far faster than they could march on their own. Originated in The Hobbit, but J.R.R. Tolkien.

Warg rider- as the name suggests, creatures that ride on Wargs. As Wargs are twisted by dark magic, these are always bad guys. In Tolkien’s world, it is Orcs that ride the Wargs, and judging by the number of scars the Orcs bear, it is an uneasy alliance at best. In the Exile game series, goblins are the Warg riders, and most Wargs are free roaming.

War dog- Precisely what it sounds like. War dogs are available to purchase in D&D, and can be trained to perform simple commands, as one might expect from a dog. They can wear armor, track by scent, and attack by biting. Also found in medieval strategy games as part of castle defenses.

Warlock

Washerwoman- The spirit of a deceased woman, forever washing her bloodstained clothing in a stream. Accounts vary as to whether these are women that died in childbirth, committed suicide, or killed someone else. In any case, seeing one is terribly bad luck, and often an omen of impending death.

Wendigo- Wendigo are creatures from Native American stories. In the winters, food was always quite scarce, and starvation often faced the people. Wendigo were once human, but in their desperation, they began to feed on the flesh of their own tribesmen. As they continued, they transformed into creatures of the night, with heightened speed, agility, and toughness. Sometimes pictured with four arms, but always gaunt, and with sharpened teeth and nails. Got their five minutes of fame in an episode of Supernatural.

Werecat- As you might imagine, the werecat is a shape shifter whose animal form is feline. Unlike the animagus Professor McGonagal, who uses a spell to turn herself into a cat, these are generally creatures born to the gift. Behavior depends on the type of cat they transform into, so expect solitary types like tigers to remain solitary, and more gregarious species like lions to continue to prefer group life. They also tend to have enhanced night vision and a much improved sense of smell, even while in their human form.

Werewolf

Wight

White Buffalo

White Deer

White witch

Wiccan

Wild women

Wildings-

Willow

Willo’th’wisp

Witch

Wizard

Wizard of Oz

Wolfen

Wood elf

Woundwort

Wyrm

Y

Yerk

Yeti

Z

Zeus

Zombie

Zoolander

Zoro- Legendary masked swordsman, Zoro lived by day as one of the wealthy Dons. Still, he fought for the downtrodden people, marking his victims with a Z. Known for his black stallion, impeccable manners, sharp pointy blade, and lovely accent.

Zoroaster