Once known only as
The Haunted Planet TR-75, our homeworld of
Janikk has allowed us the opportunity to study many strange, unique, and wondrous creatures. Until our settlement of the planet, this wealth of diversity and historical trove of
zokinetic marvels remained hidden from the universe. Today, their secrets are ours to uncover, their homeland ours to explore.
Within this document, you'll find a vast collection of information on the many fascinating - and often deadly - animals who share our home. Some you may already know; others you're about to fall in love with for the first time.
This document is currently divided into basic classifications and then alphabetized, and is intended as an introductory reader. For those setting forth to explore our marvelous and dangerous planet, we recommend our more formalized identification guides, which are categorized by native habitat and include basic survival guides for an assortment of encounters.
Remember: When exploring Janikk, it is critical to remain in tune with the
Tenecknaab. If you accustom yourself to monitoring your connection to Janikk and the local life forms at all times, you'll learn to distinguish signs of danger, same as our wildlife. Respect the tools our planet has provided, and she'll protect you in turn.
Amphibians and Reptiles
Drazikk (Fruit Lizard)
While far from domesticated, the
drazikk lizard has nonetheless proved a staple in Janikk cuisine, and a healthier alternative to the fatty rokk. Drazikk are usually raised in orchards, reducing the size of the harvest but helping maintain the health of the trees through their omnivorous diet, which includes many of the usual pests. Their thick skin and tough spikes serve as a deterrent to other predators, while the normally-lazy lizards have even been known to protect the gardeners tending their trees, should the need arise.
Ekkanis Retibelna (Anklebiter)
A patient and well-camouflaged snake, the ekkanis retibelna will hide in the underbrush and wait for potential meals to wander past. Its quick reflexes and reinforced teeth allow it to puncture through even thick hides, delivering a highly toxic venom. The snake will not release its grip until its prey is felled, at which point it unhinges its jaw and sets to work swallowing its victim whole. Scientists have hypothesized the snake also utilizes a natural form of Portal Magic, as the size of its prey does not seem to be an issue despite the surprisingly small size of this dangerous snake.
Grommasit (Chameleon Dragon)
The small grommasit lizard calls to mind tales of the mythical dragons of the era of Fillimet, with its membranous wings and sleek, scaled hide. Unlike the myths, however, the grommasit is able to change colors at will, allowing it to easily camouflage itself in any situation. The grommasit is omnivorous, relying on a diet consisting largely of insects, berries, and vegetables, although it has been known to scavenge from other creatures' kills when granted the opportunity.
Khaateer (Screech Frog)
A small, highly vocal frog also known as the screech frog, the
khaateer is known to use its high pitched, highly grating shrieks to drive away predators. The frog itself is remarkably tiny compared to its overwhelmingly shrill voice, and has been known to cause temporary deafness.
Birds
Gromdornis (Dragon Bird)
Apex predators of Janikk, the colorful
gromdornox – also known as dragon birds – have proven a challenging and vicious opponent in direct combat.
Blade Dancer squadrons have been known to hunt the pack-oriented predators as an exercise in teamwork. The hunt is dangerous, even for experienced teams, often resulting in visits to the
Resurrection Center due to the birds' sheer size –over three times the size of a grown adult – and their resistances to fire. When a squadron successfully downs a gromdornis and escapes the attention of its friends, they're rewarded with bragging rights and a delicious feast of the oversized predatory bird.
Fish and Shellfish
Gornit (Frog Fish)
The gornit is an amphibious fish-like creature, often called a frog fish. Their clawed and muscular fins enable them to climb trees near the water's edge to escape predators. Their skin also secretes a thick mucous which helps them retain moisture, and can be inflated with air to provide cushioning when leaping down from trees. Their gooey masses of tiny eggs, laid in stick nests along the edges of slow-moving water, are considered a delicacy.
Hikknit (Stinkfish)
Colloquially known as stinkfish, a
hikknit can spit a mixture of water and a paralytic neurotoxin to catch and consume land- and air-based prey. This stinky biotoxin has proven a useful alchemical ingredient for relaxants and painkillers, while the fish are both delicious and healthy once the venom glands have been removed.
Nipnit (Spine Fish)
The aggressive
nipnit can be found in salty tropical waters of Janikk. As its common name suggests, the Spine Fish is covered in large, barbed spikes, which has proven an effective deterrent against potential predators, leaving the fish at the top of its food chain. The nipnit has proven an opportunistic predator, consuming any creature it can fit into its mouth - something with disastrous results.
Reysto (Oyster)
A popular form of shellfish, reysto oysters are classified as bivalve mollusks with irregular shells.
Most can be safely eaten raw or cooked. Janikk boasts seven species of oyster, which can be further split into several hundred varieties classified by habitat, shape, coloration, and flavor.
Insects and Arachnids
Alkken (Jeweled Beetle)
The iridescent, rainbowed alkken lays its eggs in dead branches and rotting logs, boring through the wood to build sometimes surprisingly-complex passageways. This wood also serves as an important part of the beetle's diet, and a critical part of the decomposition cycles on Janikk.
Gueriff Firebug
The gueriff, commonly known as the firebug, is a heat-loving beetle known to thrive in high temperatures across Janikk, using the heat to shield itself from predators.
Remrakk
The carnivorous
remrakk is famed for its farming skills. The aquatic insects maintain a steady flow of water for their
nirkk colonies, in turn attracting hungry herbivores who fall victim first to the plant's sedative effects, and then to the patient remrakk lurking nearby, allowing it to avoid stalking or hunting for its meals.
Tekkirkk (Danger Cricket)
The diminutive tekkirkk is capable of a surprisingly loud noise, particularly when swarming with others of its kind. These winged insects make their home across a large range of the planet, where the males seek mating partners all spring with a loud, shrill droning noise created by rubbing several specialized membranes together. They also often serve as a first alert warning system to planetary intruders, drawing the attention of nearby predators with a specialized form of their mating call.
Mammals
Abrej (Acrobat Mouse)
The desert- and plains-dwelling abrej prefers to walk on its hind legs, and has proven a capable and acrobatic jumper when avoiding predators. They live in underground burrows, both to hide from potential predators and the heat, digging shallow temporary burrows for daytime activities and deeper burrows for their everyday living arrangements. Acrobat mice actually keep at least two permanent homes: one for hibernating during the winter, the other for raising their young during the warmer months. Some will also maintain a third, communal burrow for socializing.
Daakka (Meadow Deer)
The easily-spooked daakka are gentle antlered herbivores, best known for their dual pairs of ears - one set on their head, the other halfway down their graceful knecks. Their green hide allows them to blend in with the surrounding vegetation, while the orange speckles on their faces and rumps mimic the ultraviolet patterns of meadow flowers. The daakka are prized for their sweet nature, lean meat, and nutritious milk, although domestication efforts of these flighty deer have been slow compared to largely nonchalant rokk.
Degnaw Tabb (Brown-Winged Bat)
A frequent sight in the skies at dusk and dawn, the
degnaw tabb's enhanced senses - particularly sight and hearing, enhanced with
Thaumathea and
Anemancy - and highly reactive flight capabilities allow it to easily catch the flying insects that comprise the majority of its diet.
Denorah (Horned Deer)
While the denorah at first appears as a docile, even jumpy cousin to the many deer species of Janikk, this omnivorous mammal is not actually a deer at all. Most commonly found in forests bordering on marshland, its long, slender legs and wide hooves allow the denorah to hunt for the many fish of the Janikk marshes, providing an easy protein supplement for the rest of its diet. The denorah uses its horns to uproot the many marsh grasses, both for consumption and to camouflage itself from the fish.
Derafni (Greenclaw Cat)
The cold-blooded derafni have learned to mimic the movements of the treetops they call home. They spend their entire lives in the trees, only dropping to ground to attack their prey and haul its carcass back into the canopies. Silent and deadly, by the time these feline predators are discovered, it's often too late.
Dremakkto (Night Horse)
It would be easy to mistake the dremakkto for a black draft horse – from a distance. Those with the pleasure of meeting one of these omnivorous beasts of burden up close will quickly recognize the difference. Rather than hooves, the dremakkto possess four clawed feet with two toes each, a large one which takes their weight while running with a smaller, outside toe to assist with balance when walking or standing still. Their large, muscular tail helps provide defense against the predators of Janikk, while their dual mandables can lock together for normal use or operate independently when devouring larger meals. They make a gutteral purr when content, accompanied by a higher pitched trill when curious.
Fylox
The pack-oriented
fylox are crafty and social, learning from their mistakes and each other. While never truly domesticated, these long-legged lizard-headed mammals have nonetheless become a valuable asset to many
Battle Mage teams. This partnership requires a firm hand from both the team leader and their fylox handler, but with the potential for great rewards as the fylox integrate their own pack dynamics into the hierarchy of their military unit.
Gerlakk (Howling Cactus)
Jannadael are advised to avoid the adorable-looking gerlakk, regardless of how social or sad they appear. While they may seem quickly fluffy, that fur is in actuality a collection of fine, barbed spines which have proven exceedingly difficult and time consuming to remove from the skin. The howling cactus live in small but active colonies, which gather at dusk at their burrows to howl forlorn-sounding melodies to guide any errant members home.
Laarton (Night Deer)
A close relative of the daakka, the nocturnal laarton is easily recognized by their three pairs of eyes and mossy green hide. Skittish in nature, the females travel in small herds, often with their young. Males live a solitary existence until mating season, when they will still with their selected partner and her herd until their offspring has learned to walk.
Raebanoht (Thornball Bear)
The monstrously large
raebanoht bear earns its Common name, the thornball bear, from the thorn-like spikes covering the bulk of its body. The raebanoht is a surprisingly docile creature, for a bear, leading
Jannadael researchers to hypothesize these thorns developed as a protection against the
gromdornox dragon birds, allowing the large and lumbering raebanoht to continue its days unmolested. An omnivore by nature, the thornball bear prefers a more herbivorous diet augmented with seafood for protein, but will nonetheless consume whatever is available.
Raebevakk (Cave Bear)
The diminutive and surprisingly carnivorous raebevakk bear, also known as the cave bear, is the smallest of all bear species on Janikk. Unlike the rest of its kin, cave bears do not raise their own young but will instead abandon their cubs in the dens of other predators, one cub per den. If the cub's host is unable to provide enough food, the cub will begin to eat their adoptive siblings, and even their surrogate parent.
Rokk (Tusken Rocks)
Rokk are short and stout mammals, and one of the few wholly domesticated animals of Janikk. A favorite among carnivores and other meat lovers, they serve as a primary source of red meat in most local recipes. Their milk is also a popular drink, as well as an important component of many types of cheeses and creams. Their thick hides are crafted into stiff, structural-grade leather.
Serlaw (Horned Walrus)
The serlaw is a large, cold-water marine mammal with four horns and two long downward-pointing tusks, found in the southernmost oceans of Janikk. They form small breeding communities, averaging around five individuals although typically ranging from three all the way to nine individuals. Each member of their herd will contribute to the overall welfare of the group, with contributions ranging from food gathering to defensive protection to child bearing and rearing. These bonds are for life, and while the walruses will mate with any individual from their group – sometimes regardless of their gender – it is rare for an individual to stray outside the group. They have been observed to mourn the passing of other members of their group, while smaller groups will actively seek out other compatible breeding communities with which to merge.
Sumatokk
Known for its territorial and unpredictable behavior, the mostly herbivorous sumatokk is nonetheless one of the most dangerous land mammals on Janikk. They spend most of their time in the water, foraging alongside their herd for water-dwelling plants and waterside fruits as they avoid the daytime heat. Despite their heavy and squat stature they can run surprisingly fast, while their large horns and tusks have proven effective at keeping most predators at bay to the point most predators run for cover at the mere sound of the sumatokk's roar. Residents are advised to steer clear.
Yinit
Packs of
yinitox make their homes in burrows deep within Janikk's southern continent and ice floes. These white furred omnivores have thick, sharp claws for digging through packed snow and ice, and long snouts well adapted to sniffing out potential food sources. Their sharp razor-like teeth, coupled with their large communities and tendency to quickly overwhelm explorers and other prey, mean these diminutive mammals have also come to represent the devastating effects of an overlooked problem.
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