Good Lords, Fair Ladies!
We continue our story about the wildlife of the Uncharted Continent. Last time you met giant bugs. And today we'll be talking about more advanced forms of life.
!Caution, minor spoilers ahead!
Let's start with crustaceans. Like the local insects, they're a bit bigger than we're normally used to imagining similar species. Still, rather cute creatures, don't you think? Colonies of these clever, swarming animals stretch all along the coast of the mysterious continent along the Halimatyan Sea.
Giant crabs are fairly peaceful until someone trespasses on the Crab's abode, the place where they lay their eggs. Both the Sarranga and the Undead consider crab eggs a delicacy, so they try to pillage Crab's abodes remarkably often...
Sooner or later, the protagonist of Diplomacy is Not an Option will reach the shore of the Halimatyan Sea. When that happens, he will face a choice: get rid of his dangerous crustacean neighbors or leave them be. The crabs won't stand in his way, at least they certainly won't join any attacking wave. At the same time, to be cut off from the seashore when you need to get there badly, with only pathetic overgrown shrimps standing in your way... Well, the choice is yours.
Let's move on to the more exciting wildlife.
Many of Alexander Milne's readers probably wonder from time to time what a Heffalump looks like. By a strange coincidence, the Sarranga tribe uses the same word to name a very specific mammal. So to say, we have an answer for Milne's readers.
What do we know about these majestic giants? The only more or less credible information can be found in the writings of Master Physalis, a citizen of Samreignia who was the first to cross the Halimatyan Sea, and who generally has been everywhere across the world.
According to his journals, Heffalumps can only be seen on the Uncharted Continent. Their area of habitat is very limited. Apparently, it has been reduced as a result of the expansion of the Undead's zone of influence and the expansion of the Sarranga civilization as well. To put it simply, for intelligent beings, Heffalumps were a source of bones and flesh for dark magic or a valuable hunting trophy. Which dwindled the mammal's population and eventually led to them inhabiting a tiny piece of land that neither the Undead nor the Sarranga have reached yet.
It is difficult to say how long a Heffalump lives. However, at a certain age, they grow to a truly impressive size and maturity. Sarranga call them "Ancient Heffalumps".
Heffalumps are herd animals. They have families and they keep very close to each other. They have a well-developed intellect and a high degree of empathy towards their kin. Master Physalis described in great detail how the herd takes care of the elderly. Younger individuals bring them food, help them get up on their feet after sleeping, and accompany them to the watering hole. Physalis was touched by a scene he witnessed: Heffalumps surrounded the body of a relative who had died of old age and mourned for an hour. These creatures have an incredible memory: they remember everyone who has ever shown aggression towards the herd. Normally peaceful, majestic, and slow, Heffalumps are completely transformed when someone attempts to take the life of a kin. Their eyes become bloodshot and the whole herd pounces on the enemy, and none of them will rest until the enemy is trampled to death. This information will likely be useful to you if the game's protagonist finds himself in a place where Heffalump are during your campaign walkthrough.
This concludes the story about the most colorful representatives of the fauna of the Uncharted Continent. Thank you for your time, see you soon!
Yours, the Door 407 dev team