This could fit into the survival guide or creative arts section. So... I put it here. A mix of an affliction/bashing guide with a research project. I learned a whole lot about the Glomdoring doing this, and now you can too! It may give away some minor quest details, but anyone who matters already knows how to do them.

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Beastiary of the creatures that dwell in Glomdoring
By Guido Flagg

The Glomdoring is host to a very wide variety of tainted lifeforms. Study of these creatures has so far yielded astounding information regarding the effects of the taint of natural beings. The corpses of these beings are required to complete many of the forest's quests, and the beasts also make for fine training. The following is a publication of all my research into the beings.

Burgundy Spore Grass:
This grass can be recognized by its odd, bright red hue, and the numerous spores coating the blades of its leaves. When disturbed by predators the grass ejects its spores into the air, causing various allergic reactions in most organisms. These include causing the victim to feel as though they are on fire, sending their legs off balance, and sending the target into a state of total paralysis. Although they are rarely fatal, you should handle patches of spore grass with extreme care. They are also a favorite treat of Gibber. It is suggested that more research be performed on these excellent examples of nature/taint adaptation.

White Spore Grass:
An highly dangerous strain of Spore Grass, this species grows in white clumps throughout the forest and can be identified by its clear spores. Its spores have been found to be far more aggressive to living organisms than that of other spore grasses, inflicting blindness, deafness, and paralysis on its victims. It also has a disorienting effect, leading to the loss of general balance and leg balance, and prolonged exposure to the plant will lead to chills and feelings of coldness. If left untreated the spores will soon leave the victim frozen near solid. Gibber seems to enjoy eating these, for some reason. See the above entry on Burgundy Spore Grass for additional info.

Giant wasps:
These wasps, warped to huge proportions by the taint, are mostly concentrated in the multi-level hive found in the northwest forest, although a handful can often be found elsewhere, hunting. The rapid beating of their large wings is a horrible noise, and can usually be heard from quite a distance. The stinger of a Giant Wasp can cause considerable damage, when compared to their untainted cousins, but the threat is minimal to any semi-experienced hunter. Their large abdomens store sacs of the poison Mellitin, which is released with each sting, causing muscular degeneration and overall weakness. If slain, a skilled venomist may extract the Mellitin.

Pythons:
Sometimes found in the forest's western swamps, these huge pythons can be found slithering through the watery muck. They are fairly dangerous, and attack by either wrapping around and constricting their opponent or through biting. The fangs are especially dangerous due to the numerous specialized organs developed in the python's head, each carrying a different type of venom. They may employ these venoms to weaken the legs, sending their target toppling towards the ground, cause extreme fear, and induce uncontrollable shyness. The shyness venom, Aleutian, is the only one capable of being extracted due to the nature of the snake's venom sacs.

Black Widows:
These huge spiders have taken over the path leading to the Master Ravenwood, making travel difficult in that area of the forest, sometimes even spreading out beyond the Spider's Larder. Black Widows are covered in a shiny black carapace, breakable only by multiple strikes, with a red hourglass symbol on the bottom of their abdomens. Although they lurk in the trees, anyone who passes beneath will be ensnared in their webs and yanked up. Once you've writhed free you can climb down to escape, although there is a chance of them snatching you back up. If you choose to stay and fight you may be blown from the trees and break your legs, and the Widows tend to launch additional webbing at you once you've freed yourself. If you manage to slay one it may drop a spinnerette, which can be delivered to certain denizens to increase the silk production of a village and earn yourself a bit of gold. Also, one of the Widows will sometimes be a disguised counciler.

Eyelash Vipers:
These small snakes can befound throughout the forest, and sport a layer of raised scales above their eyes. Although they are little threat to anything much bigger than a Faeling, their Dendroxin venom can cause serious degeneration to arm tissue and they should thus be only taken on by those with apt healing abilities. The venom Dendroxin may be extracted from their corpses.

Ooze:
These slithering lumps of black acid are one of the more interesting creatures i've happened upon in Glomdoring; they seem to be mutated from simple waterborne bacteria and algae. The globs have the ability to change their shape, extend, stretch, and morph themselves in odd ways. They seem to be the more pure representation of the taint present in the forest or anywhere in the basin. In terms of self-defense, these blobs may attack by entangling their foes in slimy webs and knocking their legs off balance with powerful smacks. The Ebonglom Wyrm loves to slurp down the splattered remains of these ooze.

Translucent Spiders:
These spiders, about one to two feet in length, generally feed on tiny animals that dwell on the forest floor and in the undergrowth. Their odd, transparent skin is soft and easily pierced, making these spiders easily defeated.

Bulbous Spiders:
There is usually one of these standing guard at the Spider's Larder. These freak, mutated spiders (Likely an offshoot of the Translucent variety) will attack anyone who enters their clearing without warning. Harder to kill than Translucent Spiders, and with a tougher hide, it is suggested that young travellers keep their distance from these. They can also shoot an odd yellow pus from their backsides, causing the victim to stink badly.

Tarantulas:
Seeming unaffected, for the most part, from the taint, these are fairly run-of-the-mill tarantulas. They are fairly dangerous, but will only attack if provoked. Handle them with caution.

Carrion Beetles:
Carrion Beetles are massive, high-powerful insectoid creature. It can only be assumed they mutated from regular beetles, but the transformation would have had to have been massive. These predators are protected by a thick, blue shell, capable of withstanding multiple blows, and are armed with a pair of long, vicious horns. In combat they knock their opponent to the ground and then crush their legs, then bleed them to death by impaling them on their horns. Also, one of the Beetles will sometimes be a disguised counciler.

Loamadores and Hanging Loamadores:
Composed entirely of soil, Loamadores are humanoid creatures that populate the forest and hang from the ceilings of the cave that leads to Rowena's room. Although it is unclear exactly what force keeps them bound together, I suspect it is some yet-unknown ability of the taint. When forced to defend themselves Loamadores hurl clods of dirt that will knock your legs off balance, mud that can blind you, and will in some cases assault the victim directly with their fists. Ceiling dwelling Loamadores may pick up tough foes and then drop them, sending them falling to the ground below. Gibber enjoys the taste of Loamadore, although why he will eat them but not plain tainted soil is a mystery.

Giant Bats:
The pesky giant bats inhabit the caves of the eastern Glomdoring. Giant bats are very difficult to kill, as they tend to flee in the middle of combat, and will often suck the blood from an opponent, causing them to swell in size and regain most (If not all) of their lost health. This sucking also thins the blood, and will cause you to suffer a relapse if you try to cure any other afflictions before curing the thinned blood. Also, one of the Bats will sometimes be a disguised counciler.

Starving Deer:
These malnourished creatures roam throughout the forest. They are no threat, and will flee when assaulted. The Harpies have a taste for them, and delivering one to their feeding grounds will earn you a reward.

Harpies:
These winged beasts are an odd mix between human and bird. As the race of humans was introduced to the Basin quite some time after Glomdoring was tainted, this must mean that the taint within the forest is still thriving. Greedy and violent, Harpies crave the meat of deer, and will reward anyone who feeds them. If you seek to engage one in combat, be warned: Harpies often attack by carrying an enemy into the air and dropping it on its head, causing a severe concussion, amnesia, and heavy damage. Bring a levitation enchantment or plenty of regenerative salve it you cannot fly.

Thorn Beasts:
Writhing masses of thorny vines and brambles, Thorn Beasts are some of Glomdoring's most dangerous inhabitants. They often lash out at random explorers, tripping them to the ground, wrapping them right in their vines, and then going in for the kill. A Thorn Beast's teeth are extremely powerful and can pierce most armor, not to mention flesh. Gibber has an unexplainable love for Thorn Beasts, and will devour any you bring him.

Ravenwood Trees:
Once the guardian trees of the Gloriana, these twisted things now act as grisly sentinels, watching over the forest with gnarled eyes. Although they can take quite a bit of abuse, a Ravenwood's lashing branches cause little actual damage. They can use their roots to trip you, and will sometimes open their dark maws to emit a terrifying laugh. These trees seem to have been affected far more poorly by the taint than the rest of the forest's plant life, and if a Glomdoring commune is to be raised a way must be found to more fully integrate these trees with the taint. When slain they drop piles of lumber than can be brought to certain Denizens to increase a village's wood production and earn yourself some gold. Also, Gibber sometimes likes to snack on these.

Rotting, Serpentine, and Stunted Zombies:
These zombies wander the eastern Glomdoring, around the fissure that leads into the caves. Powerful, if a bit mindless, these rotting once-members of Gloriana are difficult foes. Their strong strikes can shatter the bones of the arms and legs, and once assaulted a Puppetmaster will appear to defend them.

Puppetmasters:
These floating Elfen heads are all that remain, save for Rowena and Brennan, of the Gloriana's elfen population. Highly enhanced by the presence of the taint, their pulsating heads may strike out with tentacles. These tentacles may attach to the sides of the victims head and drive a powerful pulse of energy into their mind, causing severe damage and sending the victim to the ground. They may also use the tentacles to gouge out someone's eyes, and are capable of raising protective shields. They flee upon being attacked, and after being killed their brains will crawl out.

Brilliant. I'm quite impressed. And I learned stuff too!

Really interesting read, well done.

Crave though, not craze.

And giant bats don't "smell" in size when they suck blood, either .

Very cool though! Definitely a reason why people kept naming it as one of the best areas in the game...

It's a pity that technically none of us can use this in-game

Heh, Guido actually wrote it for a couple of people's reference. He did it in all of 2-3 hours.

Awsome. Two thumbs up.

Whoah, great.

I never knew Gibber ate so much. Last time I greeted him he was just hungry for loamadores... and that's all I gathered from him.

...what IS he anyway?

Funny how HE'S Gibber, and the Wyrm's Gib. I think you have to feed one at some point to the other, though, so I don't know if they're related. (Unless what the OTHER person was telling me is right, and you have to feed Gibber stuff to turn him INTO the Wyrm.)

Crap? Damn? Hell? Crappity-Crapcrap? Crap on a stick? Damned crap in hell?

Uncensor my damn poll.

I apologize for anyone who reads this aside from Shiri.

Whoah, someone read that?

Your signature just made my day

Take it up with Shiri and stop spamming the boards with the pettiness of it all.

Editor's blue pencil time.



Actually most venomists are more effective when not slain. (Dangling modifier, in other words. There's a few other dangling modifiers throughout.) "Councillor" is probably the word you want for "counciler". I think it's inappropriate to make reference to "bacteria" -- at best, "germs", though in this time period germs refers primarily to seeds. However, the algae reference is very appropriate, so it's probably better to just stick with that.

You should add in a bit about the queen wasp. *sagenod*

Good job overall, I can't wait to start doing this kind of thing when we have more books/libraries in game.

I intend to write up a sererate piece detailing all of the more important denizens (Rowena, Swamp Ghast, Ebonglom, Brennan, ect. ect.). Although the Queen Wasp isn't actually loyal to Glomdoring, for good reason, I figure she should go in there.