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CAVE STATUS
QUESTS/EVENTS
Torrential downpours cause localized flooding and many upset cats. Along with these frequent rain, from gentle drizzles to heavy rainfall, there seems to be a flux of Magicka drawn in particular to water sources. Occasional jet streams of warm air make narrower tunnels harder to navigate. On occasion, the rain intensifies, becoming howling storms with sleet or large hail. However, the temperatures overall are a little warmer, with snow and ice in temperate caves somewhat receding.
Sep 09 2015, 07:00 PM (This post was last modified: Mar 21 2020, 07:06 PM by Game Master CJ.)
Note: this thread is now considered deprecated. A new and updated version of the Lesser Gembound guide can be found here: Lesser Gembound Guide
As chronicled by Tennessee, this is the list of different species of lesser gembounds living in the caves.
Cave Deer
Cave deer are fawn-sized, furless creatures that resemble their greater counterparts very vaguely. They come in a wide variety of natural and unnatural colors, sometimes they even have multiple eyes or glowing markings. Males of the species sometimes have small antlers and are slightly larger than the females. Cave deer can usually be found where there is a good amount of grass or browse available.
Marsh Strider
These deer are made for the swampy waters of Cetus. Their skin is usually dark in color with rubbery skin for the boggy wetlands. It's not uncommon for them to have glowing markings across their dark pelts. Their legs are long, and perfect for crossing the bogs quickly. To catch these guys you must be quick and ready to counteract their swift movements.
Jungle Deer
Long-legged but dense in bone structure these deer survive off of rich vegetation and are primarily found in Eridanus. They aren't the fastest of the species of cave deer but manage to evade predation by a quick burst of speed and agile turns among the undergrowth, their skin also tends to be earthy shades of brown and green or sometimes even shades of blue or yellow. They also have a very keen sense of smell and it's not uncommon to find a third eye on them.
Tunnel Runners
These are the largest of the species, usually towering over the other varieties. They are the most unusual in the fact that they are solitary and also a little more aggressive than your other varieties of cave deer. The color of their skin is usually dull or muted tones but with glow markings seen in some. The males have sharp single-pointed antlers to fight for mates while females have short tusk-like fangs for defense.
Woolly Deer
These aren't exactly a full blown species but a mutation seen in the other subspecies. Sometimes a deer will be born with fur or wool.
Cave Rats
These are large, ugly creatures that can grow to just over 2 feet in length have wild fur (that ranges from black to white to red to anything in between) and crooked teeth that can chew through and eat just about anything. They guys can be found pretty much anywhere and while they may seem like a good meal, be careful of their sharp teeth. A bite from one is nasty and is likely to get infected because of their poor hygiene. However, with enough patience they can be tamed. Food seems the best way to get through to them.
Red Rat
The more docile of the cave rat species. They have sandy or russet colored fur that is just as filthy as any other cave
rats'. These guys are the easiest to tame as they have a group mentality and prefer not to be alone. If you find one Red Rat then you're likely to find at least ten more.
Pitch Rat
These fellows are usually darker colored and tend to be more on the aggressive side. If they see you alone they are likely to try and attack, especially if they're in a group. They have long claws that aids them in climbing and crawling across rough surfaces. Their eyes are almost always red or yellow.
Echoing Gray: Usually gray or white in color these rats can mimic any sound they hear to a T. They are the smallest species of rat so they usually use it to scare away predators but can also use it to lure prey to them for easy eating. Beware, if a group of these rats get together they'll lure larger prey to them and try to attack it in groups with their sharp teeth. They seem to be the most intelligent of the rats as they will band together and
try to coordinate
their attacks on
vital areas.
Cave Rabbits
These guys are actually rather cuddly. About the size of rats they come in a wide variety of colors and are actually rather normal looking. Their hygiene isn't lacking but a bite from them still will leave a nasty mark as will getting a kick from those large hind legs.
Bush Rabbit
Small to medium sized, these rabbits have very long fur that can be harvested for use in many things. They usually live in the tunnels of Origin, hiding themselves off in holes or any burrows they can manage to dig. Their fur is usually in tones of gray or brown but sometimes orange or yellow.
Walleye Rabbit
These critters are large and can be easily seen throughout all of Origin. To help with their defense and safety they have developed eyes that sit on stalks to help see all around. They have have the largest hind feet of any of the rabbits which they use
to travel away quickly or kick aggressors.
Wind Hopper
Lithe and swift, these rabbits live in colonies and for the most part look like a normal bunny, minus the swirling markings of vibrant colors on their bodies. They use their groups for their defense and graze at different times so that at least one can keep an eye on their surroundings.
Cave Mice
Tiny, tiny creatures that scuttle around in almost in place they can get into. They are at the bottom of the food chain and they know it. They appear almost like tiny cave rats but with smaller bodies, skinnier tails, and are less wild-looking. They are timid and patient and will hide if they think danger is about.
Red Mouse
Like Red Rats they come in sandy to russet coloration and are quite timid. They are secretive creatures, hiding in vegetation and already dug holes if they can. They are found all over the place.
Molemouse
These mice have large spade-like claws and large star-shaped feelers on their noses, they are also eyeless and thus blind so they rely fully on their other senses when burrowing. They are hardly ever seen above ground and usually must be dug out to caught. They are the smallest of mice and come in a variety of earthy tones, it's not uncommon to find one with glowing markings.
Jungle Mouse
These come in a variety of colors and have retractable claws to help them climb vegetation and other things. They are most commonly found in dense vegetation but can also be found elsewhere.
Cave Bats
These creatures are large with huge crooked fangs and dirty fur. They actually look a lot like cave rats just with large wings and smaller tails for better flight capabilities. There are different subspecies with some being larger and more violent while others are blind and are far more docile.
Dragonbat Named because they're the largest of the bat species (getting up to four feet in length) and the most aggressive. They have spines protruding from their backs and huge crooked fangs that allows them to eat smaller vertebrae, insects, and fish. They have four legs, two in the back with a sticky surface for grabbing onto stalagmites to hang upside down and two at the front with wicked claws for attacking prey. These guys don't like to be disturbed while sleeping so if you see a colony of them on the ceiling it's best not to disturb them. Fortunately, they don't seem to be that common in the caves.
Pixie Bat:
Tiny bats that barely reach five inches in length. These bats feed on pollen and nectar in flowers and are vibrantly colored because of it. They are harmless creatures with beautiful iridescent wings. As far as bats go, these are the cuter species.
Flying Pitch Rat: These guys look like Pitch Rats with wings. They are large with crooked fangs but lack the terrifying eyes of Pitch Rats and are not very aggressive. If you find one they're quite likely to run away rather than engage you in a fight.
Cave Birds
Tiny, tiny birds that come in an assortment of colors. They usually have one eye at the center of their heads but it's not uncommon to find two-eyed ones that resemble like the greater gembound variety. However, unlike the greater gembounds these guys usually have teeth in their beaks and obviously do not speak.
Hallowed Caller: For their petite size they make a lot of noise. A lot of spooky noises that can sound like pained screams and calls straight from Hell. These birds are black in color with a single red eye on their forehead. They seem to like foggy or forboding areas most.
Rainbow Spinner: These tiny creatures have beautiful feathers that seem to shine with every color of the rainbow. When their feathers are plucked or loosed they seem to spiral towards the ground rather than just falling.
Caroller: Tiny birds with a normal set of eyes. They have long tails with bright blue plumage with white barring at their wings. They almost look like normal birds except for the fact that they have a single leg with six claws for grabbing onto limbs. Their calls are quite distinctive as they have gorgeous songs, often you'll see a group of them grouped together warbling a tune that goes together perfectly.
Cave Lizards
These guys can grow to be a foot in length not counting their tails. They range in color from gray to brown to blue to pale yellow depending on the species. In their mouths are many rows of sandpapery teeth. They prefer warmer places rather than cold places and water.
Lesser Snake: Lizards that lack the functioning limbs of their relatives. They are usually blue or yellow and have a docile nature. They prefer to hide away where no one can find them until they need to go search for
prey. They are easily told
apart from their Greater
counterparts by
the tiny vestigial limbs
at their sides.
Frilled Chaser: So named for their tendency to try and chase off others from their territory no matter the size of the opponent. They have frills around their faces that they can raise to look far bigger than they are, frills can reach over ten inches in length. These guys are usually gray with colored spots all over their bodies.
Slime Belly: Lizards that have slimy scales as a means of discouraging predators from attacking. Usually in tones of brown or
gray, with a few blue
exceptions, they love to
catch insects with their
long, sticky tongues.
Cave Fish
There are many, many different types of fish in the underwater world of Origin. Some are small, some are blind, some are colorful, some are not. All of the species of fish (even the sharks) are slimy but taste good if you can get past that texture... and not get your paw bitten off trying to catch a shark.
Orion's Scale: These beautiful fish have dark scales that sparkle with little pinpoints of light not unlike the ceiling of Orion. They are no exception to the rule of the fish being slimy and are obviously blind from their lack of eyes but they usually stick near the surface of the waters. In size they're usually not more than three pounds.
Redfang: So called because their fang's are usually red with blood of prey. These are violent creatures that are best to be avoided by those hunting alone. They go into a frenzy at the scent of blood and are easily the largest of Origin fish,
topping the scales at a hundred pounds.
However, if they can be caught
they yield a lot of meat and
have a very good flavor.
They have dark gray flesh
with a long dorsal fin that
can sometimes be seen
from land as they
swim about, hunting.
Silverling: Small silver fish, the most common in Origin. They aren't very big but they are found near the surface of the water and usually easy to catch in large quantities.
Whiteling: Small white fish with sightless pink eyes. They are a suspected species of Silverling but are a bit bigger and taste better when roasted. Their bodies are also twice as slimy as normal fish.
Purple Starscale: Medium-sized fish with colors ranging from purple, to magenta, to lilac that love to inhabit shallow pools. They usually have a single white star-shaped marking on their heads but it's not uncommon to find one without them. Only females with eggs will be in larger bodies of water while any others will live in shallow ponds where they congregate and live and eat algae and other tiny organisms. You'd think they would be easy to catch but they are usually too fast to catch with normal means.
Cave Spiders
Ranging in size from almost microscopic to as large as an elephant's foot, these arachnids can be downright terrifying to an unsuspecting creature. Some of these fellows have thick fur while others secrete poisonous venom from their bodies or from their fangs.
Spitting Bug: Not exactly a bug since it has eight legs but is instead a species of spider. It has long legs with a furry white or black body with glowing red markings. On it's back is a sort of pseudo-mouth that allows it to spit venom with deadly accuracy. This venom can paralyze its prey (usually mice) and isn't deadly to greater gembounds but it can cause skin rashes or irritation and blindness if it gets in the eyes.
Water Walkers: Large spiders that can be found walking across the top of lakes or pools. They are harmless to greater gembounds and prefer to be left alone to hunt fish. These arachnids are strange because they have tiny gills that allows them hide underneath water where they prefer to make their homes. They blend in well with their environments with green or blue fur, depending on the water where they make their homes.
Phantom Biters: Small spiders that prefer to hide in abandoned burrows, holes, or anywhere they can find that's empty. They are shy creatures that want nothing more than to be left alone. If they are disturbed and can't get away then they bite, said bite can cause powerful hallucinations. This wouldn't be a problem if they couldn't camouflage themselves to match their environment and accidentally get themselves trapped.
Silk Spider: Large spiders, about the size of a bear's paw, that make intricate beautiful silk webs. The webs can be harvested to make materials out of but be warned... The Silk Spiders don't like gembounds harvesting their webs and are likely to jump onto the web-stealer's face. They're harmless but a large spider on your face does not equal a good time. They make large beautiful patterns in their webs so they are easy to see and if that doesn't catch your attention then their glowing bodies should.
Deer Spider: The largest spider you will see in Origin cave. They are best to be avoided as they can easily catch large prey in their webs, the most common prey being deer. They wait on their large webs, that can span almost ten feet across, for prey to get caught and tire itself out before spinning them into a tight web. They are aggressive so do not fight them if you are not ready! However, if you manage to kill one they are quite tasty.
Cave Insects
There are many, many insects in the cave. Some are large while some are tiny. You never know what sort of bug you might come across whether it's a tiny beetle or a many-legged millipede.
Death Crawler: At first glance this beetle might seem unassuming with its simple black body and glowing orange spots but beware if it is ingested it will cause violent seizures, foaming of the mouth, necropsis of the organs, and eventual death. Even just touching this bug is enough to cause numbness. They're usually hiding deep in holes or under rocks so as to stay out of the way of predators. If you uncover one take its glowing orange spots as a warning!
Rainbow Bumblebug: These cute fellows are fat little bumblebees that go around collecting nectar and pollen from plants to make honey. If you hear a loud buzzing you might be near one of their hives. The honey is sweet and delicious to eat but they defend it jealously with a sharp sting that can raise nasty bumps but that is only near their hive, normally they are docile insects. These bees are easy to spot because their bodies are a rainbow of colors, quite beautiful.
Green Wallcrawler: Millipedes that are green in coloration with specialized teeth and secretions from their mouths to erode minerals. They can easily crawl up walls to eat from minerals and fungi that grow along them. Sometimes these bugs can drop off of the walls after they've eaten too much so don't be too alarmed if one drops on your head. They're harmless... unless it tries nibbling at your gem.
Gilded Catsquirrel
A type of lesser gembound about the size of Cave Rat but minus the bad hygiene and viscous appearance. These guys are dark gray or dark brown in coloration with gold coloring the tips of their fur which gives them a shining appearance like they're coated in fine gold. They have long, long tails with long fur that helps them balance when they climb. They are exceptional climbers and when under attack by predators will bolt up into a tree if they can. These lesser gems are omnivores and will hunt creatures smaller than themselves. They have four toes on their front feet plus two toes on each side that allow them to grip and hold things. Catsquirrel's have four long ears that they use to listen to predators and a distinctive yowling call like a cat that they use to signal other Catsquirrel's when there's danger about.
Kooru
These lesser gembounds made high pitched sounds almost like they're saying "kooru". They grow to be two feet at the shoulder with six long legs ending in cloven hooves. Their bodies are coated in various shades of green, blue, or red fur. The prehensile tails of these creatures are twice the length of their short bodies and end in three feelers which are used to pick up rocks to throw at predators or for picking up berries, leaves, or nuts for them to eat later. They have glowing white stripes, each distinct the specific Kooru. They have blunt teeth useful for grinding food and four dark eyes that are used to watch for predators even while they sleep (one set stays open while the other rests). Male Kooru's are solitary creatures that claim a small area for territory which they defend from other males while female Kooru's never stay in one area for long. Females wander from place to place looking for a suitable mate. It's not uncommon to hear them calling loudly to impress the females.
Kytes
These monstrous lesser gembounds grow to be three and a half feet in length. They are furless and covered with thick skin that's smooth and cool to the touch. These creatures have no forelegs but instead have massive wings that can reach wingspans of 7 feet in length, these wings have claws on them for grabbing and climbing up the sides of walls. Their rear legs are double-jointed and can bend forward and backward for grabbing onto the walls of the caves. They have large clawed feet to aid in these endeavors. The tails of these reptilian creatures are usually as long as their bodies and have flaps of skin along the sites to help them with flying. On their heads they have three pairs of eyes, these give them a full 360 degrees of sight when they are flying and they have such eyesight that they could see a bug from a mile away! This is necessary as they are proficient bug hunters and smaller gem hunters with their long, sharp mouths with their serrated teeth. They use their long beak-like mouths for picking up prey off the ground and out of trunks of trees. These guys usually are gray or black in color with vividly colored markings usually in the forms of stripes, spots, or both. Their markings make them easy to locate when they fly along the tops of caves or nest in their rocky crags. These guys are surprisingly tasty if you can manage to catch one of them.
