Monsters of Interest
This article was started by Makina of Garuda. Dani and Kiabrightblade, also of Garuda, contibuted to this story.
In my journies of this land, I have seen many fantastic creatures. Most were dangerous, but some are friendly. Here is my summary on these wonders of Vana'Diel:
MANDRAGORA
On a dark and stormy night in Windurst Walls, some wizard Tarutarus tried to create monsters that would aid them in the defeat of the Shadow Lords armies that were ravaging Windurst. However, due to a freak accident, the wizards were accidentally merged with thier creations and became the Mandragora we know today. These creatures almost always look the same, but there are the extremely powerful "dark mandragoras" that were corrupted by the Shadow Lords demonic power. The young mandragora still have an instinctive memory of being Tarutaru from thier ancestors, and still try to enter Windurst. Adventurers however take take this as a raid, and destroy all the creatures that enter.
RARAB(or Rabbit, Hare, etc.)
These monsters are found wherever there is food, even tiny amounts. These are often used as easy experience for beginner adventurers. How anyone gets experience for killing a helpless rabbit is still under research.
BEE(Hornet, Wasp, etc.)
These monsters, like the Rarabs, are also used as easy experience for the adventurers. Unlike the Rarabs though, some of this species will attack without warning. There have been many a person who has quickly run to his/her Mog House to get away from these things.
PUGILS(called Pugs by some)
These mutated fish are found wherever there is water. Like the Bee, some of these monsters attack on sight. Some of the species use a powerful move called the Screwdriver. No matter what you think, it is NOT a move where the Pugil creates a alcoholic drink (although some people decide not to listen, and therefore there are many dead bodies found on Qufim Island that have a drinking glass next to them)
CRABS
Ah crabs, the monster we all hate the most. These creatures may look weak, but their defense has broken many a weapon. Usually found in the same areas as Pugils. At the moment, a Paladin is after one of the most powerful of crabs, who for some reason has a sword.
WORMS
Worms are one of the most boring creatures in the land. They burrow underground, and when they rise to the surface they usually do not move. Studies show that due to burrowing under Windurst, these monsters have learned the art of magic.
BIRDS(Vultures, etc.)
Ze Bird can be used in many Vana'Diel meals, but eet ees almost nevair cooked due to itz extreemly streengy taste...Although some Beestmen considair zis creature a populair delicacy...But they weel nevair be cooked in my kitchen! Now out, out!~From the head chef regarding the monster
CRAWLER(Also known as Grub)
One of the parasites of this land, crawlers often enter towns and eat the farmer crops. These creatures even have a nest very close to their main food source, Rolanberry Fields, where all kinds can dine on thier favorite food: whether it be fruit and vegetables to the unfortunate adventurer. The silk threads that these creatures drop is well worth it, although how the silk thread is all neat and on a spool when you get it from the crawler will never be known
SHEEP
Not to be confused with the mighty Ram, these monsters are docile and there are even some tamed by people for thier meat and wool. However, the average adventurer should NEVER enter a pasture thinking that these sheep will be easy kills and experience, for the sheep protect thier own. even if you survive the sheep onslaught, there is always the sheep owner(s) to deal with. And lets face it, there are only so many places to hide a body....
RAM
(commonly called wow a big sheep, ill pet it...ITS GOT MY ARM!!) Possibly the most underestimated monster, the Ram is one of the more dangerous monsters. When someone sees these creatures, one can't help but feel sorry for the much smaller Sheep. Currently there is a certain Dragoon who is after a certain ram for pure revenge.
LIZARD(often called a Liz)
These monsters have two legs, two tiny arms, a huge head, and a stubby tail. Although you might expect this creature to be weak and topple over headfirst, Beware! They have fire breath and a poison attack. The author of this article personally thinks that these monsters were created in the nuclear explosion of Gustaberg. In fact, there is one special lizard who has boots fused into its feet. The Lizard is mount of Orcs (Altana help any monster who has to have a Orc rider!)
BEETLE
Beetles are very similar to the Crab because of thier extremely high defense. It is unknown how the Beetle got so huge in size (along with the Rarabs and Crawlers and Bees etc...) But many point the finger of blame at the toxic waste dump hidden behind the castle in San'Doria. Currently the royal family denies involvment.
FUNGUAR
One of the stranger looking creatures of the land, its hard to tell if the creature is plant, mineral, or both. The only known thing about Funguars is that they take extreme doses of "magic mushrooms", and that upon killing one of these monsters will usually yield at least one of the special 'shrooms.
PIKACHU
Look under You're a Moron
JELLY(also known as Ooze)
These creatures are created either when you don't wash something for an extremely long time or in sewers. Since they dont seem to have any organs or vital spots, the Jelly is very resistant to physical hits. The search for Peanut Butter is currently underway.
LEECH
Leeches are a part of the parasite family. Thier mouth seems to take of the whole of thier body, so it is unknown where it stores its food. Many people consider them cute...Until they tick one off.
BATS
Possibly one of the most common monsters, Bats either fight alone or in groups of three. Most of the time they only come out at night, but some have been spotted during the day. There is a Elvaan in San'Doria who thinks danger will come to him if he doesnt have a few bat wings...Which is a perfect chance to both get both Gil AND rip off a stupid elf!*
(*the author has since apologized for making this statement, after the trail of Makina against San'Doria)
ELEMENTALS (known by many names)
These creatures are the result of summoners who have failed to properly control a spirit. They seem to only appear when the weather is similar to thier element. For some reason any time they see anyone cast a spell they will instantly attack the unfortunate mage. Maybe they hate life?
RAPTORS
Raptors are distantly related to dragons. Although they cannot fly, thier fast attacks almost more then make up for it. Many people wish they could be mounted like chocobos.
HOUNDS
As far as the author knows, there are only Undead hounds in this world. Were they all killed in the ancient war? The ones that are known though have such bad breath that just one whiff of it will give you a terrible disease.
TIGERS
The Tiger is one of the best hunters in the land. Extremely fast, many new adventurers fear these creatures (especially the Tarutaru). Thanks to the help of a Red Mage, a Dragoon got thier Artifact Legs from one of the more powerful tigers.
DHALMELS
One of the magically created creatures in Windurst. Dhalmels are extremely tall and are mostly docile until you decide to annoy it. Like the sheep, they will help thier own if they see them being attacked. You think Windurst would learn after the Mandragora Problem...
WEAPONS
Weapons are the result of a undead spirit and a sword fused together. Many think that mages created these trying to create enchanted weapons, for the monsters have a fairly high knowledge of spells. The Weapons most favorite pasttime is killing helpless adventurers on Qufim Island
MORBOL (also known as a Malboro)
The Morbol is one of the most feared creatures in the land. Extremely large and fearsome looking, most people pass out near it. However, due to its extreme bad bad breath, its usually the smell that knocks out the person, not its appearance.
SPIDERS
Some new adventurers for some reason call these a "ant". The spiders eye level is about the same as a Tarutarus so they are usually the first ones killed by the creature. If its attack doesn't finish you off the spiders venom will. For some reason spider webs sell very well.
SAPLINGS
Saplings are the "children" of Treants. Though small and frail looking, they have a built-in defense system that releases slumber powder on anything that attacks them. Many saplings do not live to see maturity due to the Galka accidentally squashing them as they run.
TREANTS
The mature stage of Saplings. Treants are very tall and powerful, but they move extremely slow. Why you never get a huge amount of lumber after defeating these creatures is still under research
SEA MONKS (known as Kraken etc.)
The most feared monster in the sea. Mostly found on sea ferries, some have also been seen near shores and a few have even been fished up. The Sea Horror is the most feared of this dangerous species, and because of this monster some people refuse to even step foot on a ferry.
COCKATRICES
Cockatrices are a strange bird/reptile cross found in a few areas of the world. One of the better known of this race is the Tabar Beak, found near Jeuno. They are known for their bad singing and the Stone Gaze, which suggests that they are distantly related to the Lizards. (You were expecting a name joke weren't you...shame!)
GOOBBUE
The "Monster Farmer". Goobbue seem to care for plants so much that they allow the local moss and flora grow onto their bodies. There is a certain rather green creature in this family living in the marshlands near the Quadav fortress that has learned shaman magic, and is known to be rather jolly.
SKELETONS
Ancient Undead that have lost all skin, muscles, and sanity. Though most think of this creature as the only undead, it is actually only one subclass of the species. Most have been brought back through the art of magic (Mages never learn do they). The pirates of Norg also summon these to help with their raiding of ferries. Surprisingly the spell Cure will harm skeletons. The author wonders why the spell Raise cannot be used as well...
GHOSTS
Vengeful spirits of people with a weak resolve. They have succeeded to come back to the world, but their corporeal body is a almost shapeless mass. Usually found in the same areas as skeletons. Like the Weapon, their favorite pasttime seems to be the slaughtering and the wetting pants of rookie adventurers.
BOMBS (known as Grenade, etc.)
Bombs seem to be almost everywhere, but rarely seen. Extremely hot-tempered, they seem to be able to self-destruct themselves at will. Bomb arms are used as a thrown weapon for some people, although one wonders why they only use the arm...and how they get the arm in one piece in the first place.
BEASTMEN
QUADAV - Quadav are basically mutant turtles (No, they are not ninjas...until you enter Dynamis.) They are named after a variety of different metals, and have the ability to -somehow- swing two-handed swords with a single hand. Research is currently underway in search of a way to turn a simple can of Raid into something of a Quadav-B-Gone, but little progress has been made.
YAGUDO A race of barely intelligent birdmen, the Yagudo call Giddeus home. There, they are frequently harassed by adventurers who wish to obtain a Monster Signa, so, on the whole, they're usually in a bad mood. Also, Goblins think they taste a bit like chicken and turkey at the same time. Research is being conducted to see if Goblins either have different taste buds than the rest of the races, or are just mentally retarded.
ORC Quite possibly the dumbest of the lot, Orcs reside in the strongholds of Fort Ghelsba and Davoi. Most Orcs commonly look constipated, but why, the world does not know, and would prefer not to learn otherwise. Somehow, a select few of the hierarchy has access to magic, and, as such, wear shamanic "hoods" to show their station. Basically, it's a bag fitted to cover their face. Many an adventurer has gotten too close to one of these gits, trying to discover how the things see out of the things, let alone breathe, and has consequently received quite a nasty whack on the noggin.
GOBLINS An industrious race, Goblins are found all over the world. They tinker quite often, and are the only Beastmen race we trade with. Frequently messing with their inventions, Goblins have been termed "suicidal," but have this to say: "If it didn't hurt, how would I know it worked?" Some research is being conducted as to why Goblins need their masks, but we've run into trouble keeping them alive while the mask is removed.
DEMON The demon is a Beastman race that are considered by the...less intelligent as harbingers of destruction. Basically, this can be conceived as true; these bastards hit pretty hard. Either way, they have bodies made mostly of metal (somehow) and are pretty magnetic, so Gravity is a charm. They reside in Castle Zvahl, the same place the Shadow Lord calls home, and are considered his messengers.
TONBERRY Green dudes of death, these little buggers carry around a knife or other stabbing implement at all times (much like a certain Dragoon). Infamous for their TP move Everyone's Grudge, and the upgrade, Everyone's Rancor, these untrusting midgets have one-shotted many an adventurer, giving rise to an amount of hate so large that, given the means to transfer it to a TP move much like the Tonberries do, would most likely one-shot El Fatso. They are the center of a backstory involved in the Rise of the Zilart, but the author chooses not to spoil said story for those who have not experienced it.
ANTICA Superants. They inhabit the sandy desert island that is home to the Altepa Desert. Antica are prescribed jobs from birth, and are modeled after the ancient Roman armies. Aside from that, these bastards call the Quicksand Caves home...and nothing short of twenty tons of Raid will get the job done.
MAMOOL JA SAVAGES
Lizards on two legs, mainly. They can speak (barely) and have access to some powerful magics and abilities. They have a devestating array of jobs, from Ninja to White Mage to Dragoon. They reside in Mamook, a relatively new area in the Aht Urghan area. The Mamool Ja are led by a two-headed speciman known as Gulool Ja Ja. The leader is a Ninja, and has access to some nasty moves, but is considered the easiest of the three Beastmen Horde bosses to take down.
At last update, one known prisoner was reported to have been attempting to sell Mamool Ja several cans of Crisco, saying it would make their scales smooth...what deluded the poor Tarutaru into this attempt is beyond any mortal comprehension.
TROLL MERCENARIES
Considered by most the easiest to kill on a whole, the Troll Mercenaries reside in Halvung, a fortress under and around Mt. Zhayolm. They have access to the "beefier" jobs of the game: Dark Knight, Paladin, Monk, and so on. They also have access to Puppetmaster, but why is a pretty big mystery. The largest Troll known is Gurfuurlur the Menacing, more commonly known as El Fatso. To the author's knowledge, he has not been bested in Besieged attacks, as he absorbs magics and skillchains, and is an extremely twinked-out Monk. Many idiots keep nuking him, however, which goes to show that being a stupid moron is an international disease.
To the best of our knowledge, El Fatso was basically a normal Troll, until a selfish Elvaan, rather than wait to be rescued, bartered his way out of imprisonment with Twinkies. To this day, whenever the Troll Mercenaries attack, all Twinkies in Al Zahbi are hidden or destroyed, lest Gurfuurlur find them and eat them, growing evermore powerful.
UNDEAD HORDE
A mixture of several types of undead. These swarms of skeletons, zombies, ghosts, and other assorted boogiemen are led by a collection of Lamia and/or Merrow. This collection is considered the most irritating, as the undead tend to spam health-absorbing area of effect spells or abilities, causing frustrations to run high by all but Paladins. Even more infuriating, however, are the Merrow. Exactly the same as the Lamia, Merrow have access to different jobs, and one TP move considered to be the cheapest and most curse-inducing ability to have been introduced to Final Fantasy: Rising Swell. It removes all equipment from anyone in the area of effect, and has led many Samurai (the author included) to heaving mighty curses to the faces of the Lamia, or to the cobblestones as they lay face-first, waiting for life to bless them again.
For whatever reason, an idiot Hume was last seen attempting to persuade a couple of Lamia into a game of Twister. No one knows how it turned out, nor does anyone care.
MARIDS
Simply put, the FFXI equivalent of elephants. These behemoths can randomly spawn little fleas, known as Chigoes (covered next). Marids are adored far and wide by Beastmasters, Summoners, Red Mages, and Black Mages for their ease in soloing.
CHIGOES
The most irritating insect in the game. Chigoes are found all over the Aht Urghan areas, from the Caedarva Mire to the backs of Marids. Thankfully, Chigoes can be one-shotted by a critical hit or any weapon skill, so a Thief or Samurai is your best friend.
AHRIMAN
Talk about your eyesores. Ahriman are floating eyeballs that have access to powerful Black Magics. They can sleep you and nuke your head off, much as any Black Mage would do. They have a somewhat moronic laugh when they begin to attack you, and, in the author's opinion, sounds pretty stupid when compared to their body shape.
SHADOW
These creatures of the darkness were once normal elvaans that reside in San d'Oria. To procreate their race they would come into the city under cover of darkness and steal away elvaan children to the bowels of the bostaunieux oubliette. Down in the darkness they curse the soul of their captor to make them a part of the shadow race. However on particular elvaan was able to escape the lower portions of the oubliette and make his way to the upper levels. He fights the curse of the shadow by means unknown, but what is known is that he requires the blood of beastmen to do so.
Down in the evil blackness of those sewers there reside two shadows of extreme power. They call themselves the brothers of darkness, one a black magic using, greatsword wielding terror and his brother a keen eyed bow shooting horror. They taint the oubliette with their evil. Both of which are rumored to have items that were once great relics.
There was a man, clad in white armor who seeks to destroy these abominations with the aid of a sword he acquired from a certain crab that was listed above named cancer. By his side his group of friends who travel the darkest reaches of the oubliette. they walked with one another shutting out the darkness with their light, a light in which they call Imperial. This man, along with his comrades sought the sword known as Ascalon. Ascalon is known also as Saint George's Sword or "The dragon slayer" because the man known as Saint George slew a devilish dragon in one blow with it. These people known as Imperial sought the sword for the man in the white armor. People still wonder to this day if they were successful in their endeavor to obtain such a relic of a weapon.