#FantasyCreatures

[plotandelegy]

4 Creative Ways to Design Fictional Plants for Your Fantasy World

Hello everyone! If you want to add some unique flora to your world-building, this article is for you. In this post, I'll go through some ways you can find the inspiration to create fictional plants. Here are some ways to get creative:

Draw ideas from real-life plants: Find unique features of the plants around you that you can adapt to create an entirely new plant. For example, you could make an orchard full of fruit trees that project sharp needles from the hanging fruit when touched.

Think outside the box: Consider what the creatures in your world need. Figure out how their unique needs could be met by the plants. What kind of food do they eat? What is poisonous to them? Where do they nest? 

Tie in significance and mythological elements: Take ideas from folklore. Give your plants deeper meaning to the people that inhabit your world. What mystical properties do your plants have? Are they used in a ritual?

Consider the environment: When making a new type of plant, consider the climate and geography of its growing area. Plants that grow in dry areas look and function differently from those that thrive in wetlands. 

Get creative with your fictional plants. Consider purpose. Mix, match, and invent! Happy world-building!

[itusebastian]

The Fuchsia Menace

The universe from the perspective of beings beyond our reach. The life of a winged creature who yearns for peace.

As Blue Feather descended through the vast expanse of the Elemental Plane of Air, his wings outstretched, he could feel the formidable resistance of the wind pressing against his streamlined body. He focused his keen eyes on a distant snowy peak, where an unfamiliar and irregular figure of vibrant fuchsia stood out amidst the monotonous white landscape. With a swift motion, he brought his wings close to his body, initiating a rapid descent towards the enigmatic object.

Blue Feather, a vigilant guardian of Aaqa, the sacred realm of the Aarakocra in the Elemental Plane of Air, continued his descent, his speed steadily increasing as he glided through the currents of air. The fuchsia figure gradually took shape, revealing itself as a liquid-like entity surrounded by a gathering of sorcerers. The sorcerers, their hands aglow with shimmering fuchsia lights, appeared to be engaged in a complex and enigmatic ritual.

The falling Aarakocra felt a sudden surge of warm air swirl around his beak, causing a slight deviation in his trajectory. The fuchsia entity seemed to undulate, held in place by the energies channeled by the sorcerers. It was undoubtedly a summoning spell of some kind, an entity being brought forth from another realm.

As Blue Feather finally landed gracefully on the ground, he extended his wings, capturing the attention of the sorcerers. They paused, their gazes locked with the imposing winged figure holding his spear with unwavering determination. Though they appeared confident in their mystical abilities, a single strike from Blue Feather's formidable height and lethal weapon could easily spell their demise.

Realizing the futility of engaging in dialogue with followers of the Elemental Evil, whose hearts still mourned the fall of the Queen of Chaos, Blue Feather watched as the sorcerers hastily retreated towards a nearby portal, disappearing into its ethereal depths. Following them would pose a considerable risk, but unraveling their intentions could hold crucial significance for the Wind Dukes, the guardians of the Elemental Planes.

Approaching the portal cautiously, Blue Feather observed the fuchsia liquid gradually dissipating, evaporating into nothingness. With a sense of duty and the nagging curiosity urging him onward, he steeled himself, gripping his spear tightly, preparing to take a daring leap and explore the mysterious realm within.

His feathers, a striking blend of white and blue, seamlessly transitioned into a unified hue as Blue Feather vigorously flapped his wings, propelling himself higher into the air. His gaze fixed upon the portal, his focus shattered abruptly as he felt the icy grip of metal clasp around one of his ankles.

Looking down, Blue Feather saw one end of a dark chain emerging from the portal, while he instinctively resisted, pulling at the other end with the force of his mighty wings. A moment later, a creature with fuchsia skin emerged from the portal, clutching the chain that restrained Blue Feather, its other hand gripping an enormous black hammer.

The Aarakocra, taken aback by the sudden appearance of this colossal creature, which stood twice his size, futilely attempted to escape its grasp by struggling to fly away. Yet, the creature exerted a powerful force on the chain, drawing Blue Feather closer with each pull. When the distance between them narrowed, the creature unleashed a thunderous swing of its hammer, aiming to strike the valiant avian warrior.

Caught off guard by the forceful pull, Blue Feather crashed to the ground, quickly rising to his feet just in time to evade the creature's bone-shattering blow. The hammer passed perilously close to one of his delicate wings, reminding him of the need for caution in this perilous encounter.

As the creature paused momentarily, wrapping the chain around its arm to exert even greater control, Blue Feather seized the opportunity. Swiftly, he brought the pointed tip of his spear against the chain, applying force with his claws, causing it to snap near his grasp. With an unwavering determination, he raised his spear, fixing his gaze upon the misshapen body of the fuchsia-skinned monstrosity.

The creature lunged forward, charging with unwieldy ferocity. Blue Feather deftly ascended, narrowly avoiding the swing of the hammer aimed at him. Seizing the advantage, he descended swiftly, spear first, impaling the creature's twisted form. With a resolute pull, he withdrew the blood-stained spear from the creature's body, gripping its back with his powerful talons. As they plummeted towards the ground, Blue Feather drove the spear through the creature's skull, ensuring its demise.

Having dispatched the creature, Blue Feather's conviction grew stronger—there was undoubtedly more to this portal than met the eye. However, he understood the importance of seeking assistance in this daunting quest. Bracing himself, he leaped forcefully, taking flight once more, only to be interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Emerging from the portal were two diminutive creatures, resembling oversized wolves, their fur sharing the same vibrant fuchsia hue as the fallen creature before them.

The lupine beasts wasted no time, charging forward with savage intent. Blue Feather, relying on his spear, skillfully parried their ferocious bites. In the midst of the tumultuous struggle, one of the animals clamped its jaws onto his spear, threatening to wrest it from his grasp. Aware of the futility of trying to retrieve it, he released the weapon, soaring above the battlefield, drawing the attention of the beasts towards his shadow.

Their frenzied pursuit proved fruitless, as the bewildered creatures ran in circles, chasing after their elusive target's fleeting silhouette. Seizing the moment, Blue Feather flew downwards to grab hold of the oversized hammer, letting it plummet towards the ground. One of the wolves met its demise beneath the weight of the colossal weapon.

Returning to the earth, retrieving his trusted spear, Blue Feather landed gracefully, his piercing eyes fixed upon the remaining lupine creature. With a swift and accurate throw, he launched his spear, piercing the beast's heart. Retrieving his weapon from the fallen creature's body, he acknowledged the urgency of closing the portal swiftly. Alone, he lacked the necessary means to achieve this feat, but he had a duty to slay any creature that emerged from the ethereal gateway.

Raising his spear with unwavering determination, Blue Feather positioned himself, ready to charge with unwavering resolve at the sight of any new adversary. The remnants of the once-uncanny fuchsia bubble lay lifeless upon the ground, a testament to the struggles that had unfolded in this desolate realm.

[alexmarie-draws-stuff]

Half way through the year; so I decided to clean out my art folder a little and post the doodles, stuff I didn't end up really liking and illustrations I will never finish if I'm honest with myself. Enjoy!

[boozy-dwarf]

[amo17art]

Wind Dancer

A digital painting of Wind Dancer, one of the Seven Black Dragons. She is known for her beautiful iridescent scales.  Despite holding the title of "evil black dragon," she is actually the most loving and has affections towards a certain white clad hunter. Often she appears in a dragon/human hybrid form in order to spend time with said hunter.  Wind Dancer, commonly referred to as "Wendi," holds no true loyalty to her more ominous siblings and is often more dismayed by their antics.

[autumnkellywrites]

The Secrets of Inkwell Forest - Five: Catching Fire (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1298803702-the-secrets-of-inkwell-forest-five-catching-fire?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading&wp_uname=AutumnSky222&wp_originator=2xW%2FIX67CakDF3o%2FqSh78473zTnXx8LWbW3YJkK8m45S2QFzBbeJPrO%2Fjxc3rZR%2BmK5d1NWHjCRvFKmM%2FQko2StB%2FlR7bER7s1aWuyjEzb6YdCuuCZkBl9KCDc82yeq4 

 After a strange chain of incidents, four individuals find themselves on a quest to visit an ancient Mountain Spirit. Together two curious girls, a secretive Elemental, and an angry woman-turned-wolf learn that nothing is as it seems. Family isn't always blood and love is the ultimate magic.

Just finished chapter five!!  Come check it out!

[crystalopal12345]

Kockbawls... Nerey and Reary.

[scorp33nis]

Brakerton Tales: The Given Frontier - Chapter 41: Bonds of Labour (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1279108633-brakerton-tales-the-given-frontier-chapter-41

[turi-creativity]

Foresta incantata 💕 ~ Turi💕✨🦆 ~ #illustrazione #illustration #digitalart #digitalprocreate #procreate #illustrationforkids #procreateart #procreateillustration #digitalillustration #forest #enchantedforest #fantasy #fantasyart #art #artillustration #fantasyillustration #fantasycreatures #disegnio #illustration_art #digitaldrawing https://www.instagram.com/p/CjANM53MtJD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tarloyscreatures]

Just some scribbles for private use. I will post the finish result soon:) #scribbles #steampunk #steampunkfox #fantasyfox #ilovefoxes #wip #workinprogress #fantasyfox#fantasycreatures #fantasyart https://www.instagram.com/p/Ciur3DUDohQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[martintaloneart]

✍🏻 Casi siempre antes de ponerme a dibujar (dibujar en serio) hago algún ejercicio de precalentamiento para soltar la mano y tener más precisión en los trazos. Tal y como un músico afina su instrumento antes de rocar, o un atleta o un deportista entran en calor antes de trabajar de verdad sus músculos, o como un cantante que hace ejercicios de vocalización antes de cantar; para los artistas es igual (o debería, pero no todos lo hacen, y quienes lo hacemos no siempre lo hacemos). Puede ser cualquier cosa: líneas sueltas, ejercicios de precisión, o algún sketch rápido (como en este caso, unos dragones feos); lo importante es adquirir movilidad y confianza antes de volcarse al dibujo importante. La no restricción de esta etapa descontracturada da lugar a la exploración libre y la creatividad sin juzgar, y muchas veces de estos ejercicios aparentemente intrascendentales pueden surgir ideas que luego podrían llegar a convertirse en nuestra próxima obra maestra. Por ejemplo, entre estos diseños, ¿cuál les resulta más interesante o les gustaría que desarrolle más en un próximo dibujo? Voten en los comentarios: ❤️ Draco escarlata australiano 🧡 Dragón toro egipcio 💜 Holodraco indio 💚 Amazónico esmeralda 💙 Lindwrum sueco 🖤 Ceniciento andino ¡Saludos, y #SeanCreativos! 💭💡✏ 🌐https://smart.bio/martintalone #illustration #drawing #sketch #sketching #sketchbook #doodle #pencil #pencildrawing #wip #workinprogress #art #fantasyart #fantasy #fantasticbeasts #fantasycreatures #creatures #creaturedesign #dragondesign #dragondrawing #dragon #dragons #smaugust #smaugust2022 #timelapse #artprocess (en Martín Talone Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/Chps8GBOvxl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[imaginemyuniverse]

Just a quick sketch of Petit Dragon from Yugioh. Sometimes it is nice to draw things from my childhood. 😉 Please follow me for more animal artwork! #yugioh #petitdragon #yugiohcards #yugiohart #yugiohduelmonsters #dragonlovers #dragonlover #dragonlove #dragonart #fantasyart #animeart #animeartwork #fantasyartist #fantasyartwork #fantasyillustration #fantasycreature #fantasycreatures #animedrawing https://www.instagram.com/p/ChH4LTrLrhp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[itusebastian]

I'm getting ready to go out and write while I try to get an idea of the setting for my story. Trying to understand the motivation of the characters in that world I'm about to visit.

[amethystwritingassist]

47 Fantasy Creatures For your Stories

Good Evening Everyone!

Today I’m bringing you all a list of monsters and mythical creatures for you all to use in your fantasy stories! These creatures come from quite literally every religion, culture, mythology, and even some wide known ghost stories. Because I’m very kind, I’m going to organize the creatures by hostility and whether or not they are actual monsters or anything similar to a spirit or fairy. I won’t waste any more time, so let’s get into this! 

We’re starting off with the gnarlier creatures, the first one being an Arachne. Arachne are a fairly mainstream monster, being a gigantic spider with the torso and head of a woman. They’re often made to be attractive women these days though, but the traditional one is normally an off putting middle aged woman. 

Similar to the snake woman is a Lamia, which is the same concept except with a snake body. They can often be seen as hot women as well, but from what I’ve seen they’re often depicted as older women. If you thought we were done with the half woman half monsters, you were wrong! We also have Harpies, but unlike what you normally see, they’re much creepier than the harpies you see in anime and such.

Then we have a thunderbird, a bird that shoots lightning, a phoenix which is literally just a flaming bird, and then a wendigo, a creature I don’t think I can really describe. Wendigos were basically once humans and became long lanky monsters after consuming a significant amount of human flesh. You can’t forget sandworms though, they’re gigantic worms that sometimes excrete some kind of poison that makes them even more threatening than a giant violently flailing worm.

Unlike the worm, there's the Night Cobra, which is deadly without poison, and is a snake that only comes out at night. These snakes are normally gigantic though, and their main diets consist of livestock and the occasional human. We then have a Basilisk, which is a big one in mythology. Pictured as a gigantic green serpent that occasionally has legs, you can find them in many modern day works of literature like Harry Potter.

Then we got some aquatic beings, first being a Karkinos, which is a giant crab, and then a Kelpie, a violent horse that lives in the water. Another aquatic animal is a Bunyip, which looks like an aquatic saber toothed tigers, and rampage about, attacking anything in the swamp they live in. 

Speaking of seafood, we also have Akkorokamui, a gigantic octopus said to be 390 feet long. This guy will gobble up any boat or whale in a single bite. There's then the Sea Serpent, which is a giant eel at the bottom of the ocean, and then of course the Kraken that’s the same as Akkorokamui except it is a squid. Cthulhu is a creature straight from H. P. Lovecraft, but one much longer standing ancient beast is a Leviathan. Straight from the christian bible is the OG biblical sea monster of which only one exists. 

We also have a class of what I like to call the women offenders. They often get classified together, but if we’re going by size and strength then at the bottom are Goblins, which are easily killed. As for the Ogres and Orcs, they are often similar although I’ve seen more orcs with regenerative powers than Ogres. The reason these guys are women offenders is because, for some reason, certain fandoms have made some explicit lore behind them. Unlike them, though, are Trolls, which are hideous little creatures from Scandinavia that occasionally can be helpful. They’re generally malicious though. 

Next is what I’d consider tamable creatures that are often depicted as violent. They’re beasts only the truly powerful can tame, and if you’re not up to the task then you’ll never be able to tame these things. One of my personal favorites is a Sleipnir, which is an 8 legged black horse and a descendant of the Greek god Loki. They fly through any sky and can swim through any sea. We also have Griffins, creatures with the head, talons, and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. 

There are also Dragons. If you don’t know of them then watch any medieval movie ever. 

Then there's Gargoyles, stone servants that guard buildings, a Sphinx, which values intelligence for some reason, and Elephant Koi, which are giant Koi fish you can tame and drive. Unlike the previous creatures, Oozlum birds, which fly backwards, and Caladrius, a white bird for royals that prevents illness, aren’t violent on sight. There are also Slimes, which technically are violent but in most situations are considered low level monsters if monsters at all.

Our next category are non-human creatures that live in societies like humans do, so let’s just get straight into them! First we have Demi-Humans, which are just humans with animal characters. There’s vampires, humans that drink blood, mermaids, humans with fish tails, demons, humans with a long list of issues, werewolves, a more intricate version of a demi-human, and then Valkyries, which are like angels that throw hands. You can also say that your typical Elf or Dwarf  is in this category, but they’re creatures of earth like fairies even though they live like humans so it’s hard to classify really. 

Now that we finished that, we have arrived at my favorite category in which I call fairies and fairy-adjacent creatures. There are a lot of these so let's get into some more rapid fire listings! Gandharvas, male nature spirits that sing, Dryads, which are basically tree spirits, Nixies, aka water spirits, Sylphs, which are the souls of dead virgin women, Gahe, healing creatures that live inside mountains, Daimons, helpful spirit guys, Dracae, water spirits that like making kitchen utensils float, and then Btsan, fierce sky spirits in Tibet that look like red hunters riding red horses. Finally, and one of my favorites, are Veela, which are beautiful mountain nymphs that dance in the forest under the moonlight. 

I hope you all found this list useful, and if you didn’t then hopefully it at least taught you something.

[bubbledrivercomix]

Under the Dragon Bridge - Winter (on Wattpad) https://www.wattpad.com/1442604449-under-the-dragon-bridge-winter?utm_source=web&utm_medium=tumblr&utm_content=share_reading Step into the enchanting world of Mei, a dedicated worker at the massive casuarina tree office building that serves as the heart of a backward spirit town.Living in a cramped HDB flat with her deceased grandparents, Mei's life takes a thrilling turn when a young human boy enters the spirit world in search of his missing sister. As they unravel a secret about Mei's past, she must make a risky decision that could change everything. Join Mei on a mesmerizing journey filled with mystery, friendship, and the power of courage in "Under the Dragon Bridge"

[amo17art]

Wild Horn

A digital painting of an original character, an evil black dragon known as Wild Horn. Named for his large horns that twist amongst themselves like twisted trees.