The Isle of Letters

The animals and plants of this isle all have the form of letters. Many valuable T trees grow there, but it is also home to dangerous Killer Bs, and the surrounding waters are filled with C Monsters.

Vampires and the sun

While all vampires have a fear and loathing of the sun, referring to it as 'The Enemy', not all vampires will die from its light.

Very recently-created vampires can go out in the sun with no abnormal effects: indeed they do not suffer sunburn like mortals, retaining the pallor of death. Somewhat older vampires will not die, but will blaze with a light that is said to be very beautiful. Finally, very old and powerful vampires may be able to go out in the sun, but while they do so lose all their undead powers.

The light emitted by young vampires is said to include colours that are not otherwise found in the world (by which is meant the world wherein lies Teleleli, although there is no overall difference between the light there and in our own world). These extra colours are named by some ulfar and jale. Science tells us that all the colours visible to humans are found in nature. Thus it may be that this light alters its observer, allowing them to perceive infra-red or ultra-violet. Alternatively, it may act directly on the human brain, bypassing actual sight altogether. Perhaps this phenomenon has come connection to the auras said to be perceivable by mystics, or the Third Eye of the Tibetan lamas. The Barsoomians, too, speak of a Ninth and Tenth Ray, which possess various powers, and which their ancestors extracted from normal light by a process now lost.

Vampire bites

If a mortal is bitten by a vampire, and their blood falls upon the ground, and they survive, the wound will always give a sharp pain in the presence of vampires, no matter how well-hidden they may be. For this reason, it is the law of the vampires only to bite once the victim is dead. However, the taste of fresh-bitten live blood is intoxicating to vampires beyond all else, and so the law is frequently broken.

The Iron Ones and other talking bears

The Iron Ones regard any talking bear that does not wear armour as a bearbarian.

The Creation of the Hemianthropoi

Legend says that the first hemianthropoi, or halflings, were the offspring of a human child and a rabbit.

Baboons

In our world baboons have been known to kidnap the puppies of feral dogs, and to as it were domesticate them. The dogs are able to be trained to stand guard duty, and receive food for their service, like the dogs of humans.

In Teleleli troops of wild baboons live on the roofs and in the sewers, and have gone further than those of our world. As well as dogs, they have been known to kidnap children. Some of these children have become the leaders of baboon troops. The Telelelene scholar Snorri Troll-Tongue has even investigated the possibility that some baboons have a measure of human ancestry. At least he claimed that was what he was doing.

Sky-Tyrants

These creatures have, thankfully, never been seen in Teleleli. They are only known there through descriptions given by refugees from Barsoom, who say that they came into conflict with them in the distant past.

The original appearance of the creatures is not known, although they may have resembled Barsoomians, or even been a branch of that species. The prevailing philosophy of their society seemed to be based on a belief that the mind was separate to the body, even to the brain, and a hatred of the body combined with an idealisation of the mind. Possessing advanced science, they were able to alter their bodies. Perhaps this led to a vicious cycle where they found themselves in bodies instinctively alien to them, which caused their hatred of the body to grow, and led in turn to more extreme modifications.

Whether this is the reason, it is undisputed that they altered their bodies more and more. At one period in Barsoomian history they are reported as having soft, oversized, but otherwise human- or Barsoomian-like heads, but lacking any other body. Instead, they grew headless bodies, on which they 'rode', controlling them by unknown means.

After many centuries their bodies were huge, and resembled machines more than biological creatures, having a metal-like skin and weapons of great power, including poisonous black smoke and a 'Tenth Ray', which is described as a special form of light which incinerated whatever it fell upon. They are said to have had many tentacles instead of arms and legs, and to have been able to travel land and sea with equal ease, though not to fly (the name Sky-Tyrants derives from the fact that they towered over the Barsoomians).

It strikes me as a peculiar coincidence that the loa of Haitian voodoo are said to 'ride' the worshippers whom they possess, and perhaps this provides some clue as to the Sky-Tyrants' eventual fate. It may be that they managed to become altogether incorporeal. In any case, after a destructive war they are heard of no more in the history of Barsoom.

The Teeth of Fairies

Unlike humans, fairies only ever grow a single set of teeth. They are also prone to losing them, especially from their habit of chewing on stones and wood. Having never taken to false teeth, they have developed the custom of taking the teeth from humans and carving fairy-sized teeth from them. They make a magic glue which adheres the teeth to their gums, called Pixie Stick..Generally they will pay for human teeth - sometimes quite generously, since they have little other use for money. However they have been known to steal them from sleeping humans.

Neck-Weasels: A Warning

The traveler should bear in mind that criminals are rumoured to train small snakes and dress them in the skins of neck-weasels. When a victim has worn one for a few minutes the snake chokes its wearer in the manner of a boa constrictor, and the criminals rob the corpse.

Dryads and Fauns

Fauns and dryads are members of the same forest-dwelling species. Fauns are the males and dryads the females. The species has no name, since humans have traditionally treated the two genders as separate, and they simply call themselves 'the People'.

Dryads are born in an acorn, from which they hatch to reveal a creature that looks like a human baby, only much smaller. Within a few weeks they are the same size as a human baby. Fauns are also born very small and rapidly grow to human size. At puberty fauns develop hairy legs and horns, and dryads the power to change into trees (although cutting the bark will bring forth blood, not sap).

Bonsai Dryads

Dryads hatch from acorns. Some wicked folk kidnap newborn dryads, and bind the acorn in such a way that the dryad hardly grows. This means that when they reach adulthood both their human and tree forms will be tiny (about the size of a human hand) and stunted. Such creatures cannot reproduce, since there is no way to create fauns of the same size.

Neck-Weasels

These long, furry creatures can be trained to hang limply around a person's neck. In Teleleli, carrying a neck-weasel in this way is considered most fashionable.

Haggises

The haggis is a creature native to a windswept and dismal land far from Teleleli. It cannot be domesticated, but is often hunted for food.

The creature is oval-shaped, and about the size of a human head. It has four legs, which it is able to withdraw into its body when it grazes. Because of this, and because its face is not very obvious, it is difficult to tell which end of the haggis is which, or whether it is awake or sleeping. This makes it more difficult to sneak up on, and aids it in escaping.

The haggis' habitat is under threat from a similar introduced species, the naan.

Soul Dolls

It is known that some evil sorcerers can take living souls and trap them within the bodies of dolls.

Abbe Nays writes that dolls which contain the souls of children will always look in the direction of the child's body.

Pale Imitations

These creatures prey on the unwary by taking the form of someone they see. They are, however, only effective in conditions of low light, since the imitation is not exact. The creature's skin will always be white, rubbery and wrinkled, like one who has stayed in the bath for too long.

The Unseen One

This creature of the underworld looks like a man or woman, seen from behind. But if one walks around to where the face should be, it seems to turn so that it is still facing away from the viewer. This effect continues even if it is observed from multiple angles.

If the creature is reflected in a mirror, the reflection will be of a person with their back to the mirror. There are said to be other ways to see the creature's face. Doing so is said to give the viewer great knowledge, but many caution that it should not be done.

Plant-Folk

In Teleleli, Plant-Folk largely live near one or other of the city's two major rivers. This is because the soil there is more fertile. Plant-Folk must periodically place their feet in dirt, and draw sustenance from it, entering a state which is analagous to both sleeping and eating for humans. The soil near major rivers is more fertile, and therefore renders this state more satisfying for them.

Prominent Telelelene Plant-Folk include Bo Tanical, famous for her detailed studies of the anatomy of scientists, and Erol Lotus, one of the few outsiders to learn the language of the Groaners.

Talking Pigs

Talking pigs are known for their skill in the creative arts. Prominent examples include the playwright Sergei Eisenswine and the bard Notorious P.I.G.

Talking Foxes

Talking foxes are popular heralds in Teleleli. For many citizens of the city they are a primary source of news, despite their tendency to make things up.

Dungeons: An Alternative View

Neferu of the Seven Burdens proposes that dungeons represent a system of reproduction and adoption for magic swords. She asserts that adventurers go into dungeons, find treasure, and then spend it, causing normal swords to be forged. These adventurers eventually die in a dungeon, where their normal swords can soak up magic until they become sentient. This will attract more adventurers hoping to gain possession of the magic sword, allowing the sword to make its way into the world.