Creature Classification

Broad Categories

  Living things are firstly divided into two groups: plants (non-magical and non-ambulatory), and everything else, which is then defined as a "creature."   "Creature" is then broken up into broad-strokes categories.   1. The first is arcane creatures, which include any creature that requires mana to live and/or can use arcana by itself. Under the 'arcane creature' umbrella are chimeryx, dragons and draconids, and most kinvari.
2. The second is animals, which broadly includes any non-arcane creature that is not a bug or fish. Mammals, marsupials, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are all considered animals.
3. The third is fish, which includes any water-breathing creature with fins or flippers.
4. The fourth is insects, which includes most many-legged bugs and spiders.
5. The fifth is shellids, which is a word that describes most non-insect arthropods like scorpions, crabs, and lobsters. Mollusks are often considered shellids as well, despite their lack of legs.    

Ga'adhíass - Animal Clades

  While the relationships between different clades are poorly-understood and usually inconsistent between organizations and peoples, there are certain clades whose commonalities are generally agreed-upon.  

Special mention to a few words that are not actual clades, but are very commonly used in grouping lifeforms:  

nasga (water-breathing animal)

adísíga (flying animal)

adítaga (terrestrial animal)

húga (egg-laying animal)

ísénnlílí (marsupial animal)

uroga (milk-producing animal; mammal)

síalga (warm-blooded animal)

arúavhéga (cold-blooded animal)

lídhaóíal (carnivore)

Arcane Creatures - énélotha

Chimeryx - Etiadhéga (Hybrid Animals)

includes: Griff, Garouph, Awlan, Wingsnakes and leyfinders^d, vollies, Aeldmane, Luminants

Arcane Animals - Elothaga

includes: flickerfish, Abyssal Hound, Arcanther, Greatwing

Talavari - Líethabí

includes: kinvari, hafvari, dyrvari

Draconids - Gatialdenn

Dracodons - includes: kingjaws

Shapeless - Líanalga

Núthelíldariel - "deceiving shape" - Animids - includes: Anima Leech

Plantimals - bettanes

includes: botty deer

Artificial (Mage-Made) Creatures

includes: False Dragons, Animade Herald

Fish - Eldúdhíga

Finned Fishes - Eldúdhínas

includes: carps, trout, bass, salmon

Sharks - Ithiedhú

Rays - Ríandríethínas ("gliding fish")

includes: manta rays, stingrays

Cephalopods - Éleníd ("rope limb")

includes: squid, octopus, jellyfish, squirms^d, treeworms^d

Bugs - Fíng

Flies - Adísí

includes: flies, dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, caddisflies

Arachnids - Vítha

includes: spiders, Singing Spider

Myriapods - Lílílmes

includes: centipedes, millipedes, woodlice, pillbugs, silverfish, spoonbugs^d

Moths - Dhíenítho ("flat wings")

includes: moths, butterflies

Bees - Líaníar (flying hive)

includes: bees, wasps, jewel bees^d

Ants - Ecipahí (terrestrial hive)

includes: ants, termites

Beetles - Vechadhí

includes: beetles, cockroaches, shield bugs, moss bugs

Locusts - Sethraófíng

includes: grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, locusts, stoneflies, cicadas, planthoppers, leafhoppers, xels^d

Parasites - Lethrí

includes: lice, mites, fleas, bedbugs, aphids

Hunterbugs - Thíannfíng

includes: stick bugs, mantises, assassin bugs, earwigs

Shellids - ípoga

Arthropods - Latalqúiath ("hard skin")

includes: scorpions, crabs, lobsters, coconut scorpions^d

Mollusks - Tíer

includes: clams, oysters

Animals - énéga

Reptiles - Epamga

Lizards - Thielní - lizards, komodo dragons

Snappers - Lonúlonú - crocodiles, alligators, caimans, shogs^d

Serpents - Sashú - snakes, eels, legless lizards

Avians - Síthga

Birds - Niathí

includes: songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, flightless birds, chatters^d, elf-crows, duckens^d

Lúnniathí - "toothed bird" - theraptors

includes: Scalehunter, unnocks, keeners, nibs, herdbirds^d

Aquatic (Non-Fish) Animals - Qúíathga

Edhúqúiath - "water skins" - Amphibians

includes: frogs, salamanders, newts, pig frogs^d

Sialnas - "warm fish" - Cetaceans

includes: dolphins, whales, narwhals, belugas, rorquals, orcas, porpoises, dugongs, manatees

Tíemacad - Turtles

includes: turtles, tortoises

Warm-Blooded Non-Aquatic Animals - Lienga

Mammals, Marsupials, and Malarex  

Primates - Liencieniadhí ("furry hands")

Monkeys - Kúíbar ("little fingers") - monkeys, macaques, mandrills, baboons, colobuses, langurs, mangabeys, bonobos, gibbons

Apes - Tanvari ("false people") - gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans

Rodents - Kiel

Kieldien - "chewing rats" - rats, shrews, hyraxes, pikas, bandicoots, guinea pigs, chinchillas, mole-rats, jerboas, mice, hamsters, gerbils, voles, lemmings, muskrat, dormice, marmots

(Most rat-shaped rodents are simply called mathenn ("rats") with little distinguishment.)

Kielélní - "digging rats" - moles, gophers, groundhogs, prairie dogs

Míerkiel - "tree rats" - squirrels, treeshrews, chipmunks

Edhúkiel - "water rats" - beavers, cavies/capybara, nutria

Mârkiel - "sharp rats" - hedgehogs, porcupines, echidnas

Pterons - Qúiathítho ("skin wings")

Flyers - Líenídítho (non-avian powered flight) - bats, flying foxes, ispers, kindle bats^d, yumbas^d

Gliders - Ríandríethíga ("gliding animals") - flying lemurs, sugar gliders, flying squirrels

Ungulates - Lilmeseré ("hoof leg")

Equines - Eréala (solid hooves) - horses^d, zebras, donkeys, mules^d

Cervines - Sihéré (cleft hooves) - deer, pronghorns, antelopes, chevrotains (mouse-deer), okapi, giraffes, gazelles, moose, caribou, musk deer, impalas, duikers, moon elk^d, round deer^d

Bovines - Erévess ("meat hooves") - aurochs, cattle^d, bison, buffalo, muskox, yaks, wildebeests, goats, sheep

Striders - Dhieneré ("soft hooves)" - camels, llamas, alpacas, bogwalkers

Tuskers - Ithíalladríel ("hungry tusk")

includes: pigs^d, wild boar, peccaries, warthogs, tapirs, hippos, elephants, temboars^d, mud horses (pygmy hippos)^d

Bakku - úldrellothun ("earthquake foot")

Greathorns - Níamnuth ("spear-face") - rhinos, ceradons

Shieldbacks - - ankylosaur

Fangbacks - - steggies

Pinnipeds - Eldúdhírathían ("fin foot")

includes: seals, sea lions, walruses

Hoppers - Rathíanelíal ("big foot")

includes: kangaroos, wallabies, quokkas, rabbits, hares, bilbies

Zoors - Ivataga ("armor animal")

includes: pangolins, armadillos

Myrmers/Murmurs - Kútíané ("claw toes")

includes: anteaters, silky anteaters^d, aardvarks, arboreal sloths, ground sloths, megatherium

Malarex - Níemíerélíen ("furry lizard")

includes: grunters^d, quakedrakes^d

Lídhaóíal - Carnivora

Felines - élíethlú - cats^d, leopards, jaguars, lions, tigers, cheetahs, lynxes, bobcats, cougars, jaguarundi

Canines - Rotídhíen - dogs^d, wolves, jackals, coyotes, dholes, dingos, aardwolves, hyenas, Wourg, Doombayer^d, wild mastiffs^d

Ursines - Hanga - bears, pandas, badgers, wolverines, (Tasmanian) devils, wombats, koalas, orc-bears^d

Mustelids - Ilémeolé - "long spine" - foxes, sundogs^d, weasels, ferrets, martens, minks, fishers, tayra, civets, fossa, jaguarundi, linsangs, genets, oyans, binturongs, mongooses, meerkats, vontsira, polecats, red pandas, skunks, falanoucs, otters, Amber Coatimundi^d, noggots (ott-otts)^d

Little Bears - Kúkiel - "monkey rats" - raccoons, packies/cooncats^d, lemurs, coatimundi, kinkajou, olingos, opossums, cuscus, aye-ayes, bushbabies, tamarins, marmosets, tarsiers, galagos, lorises, pottos