Fauna
Fauna of the Continent
The wildlife on Lume is, by all historical accounts, fantastic. The Deumana experimented robustly with genetics; what they could not resurrect, they invented. Many of the resulting breeds escaped extermination, or simply slipped through the proverbial cracks. Given the uncounted cycles since the Schism, these creatures have assimilated into Lume's ecosystem, alongside the surviving animals that antecedented the Deumana, cultivating a truly terrific ecosystem.
Genus
The Residuum
The mutated genus of animals once prolific on ancestral Lume; rodents, feral cats, swines, canines, deer, to name a few. See "Life After Man" by Dougal Dixon. They survived the destructive tyranny of the Deumana and their forerunners due to several factors; obfuscation, adaptation, resilience, ignonimity, and sheer luck. Even so, the Residuum did not pass through this process unscathed. Cats for example became elongated, sly and especially cunning in their pursuit of prey. Dogs resumed living in packs, and adopted a rudimentary vocal language. The descendants of rabbits, boars, and many marsupials are now toxic or venomous, having mutated and weaponised viruses once introduced to decimate their numbers. Bears regressed to the imposing size of their Megafauna predecessors. Modern deer and antelope are so gaunt and lithe as to appear almost phantasmal. With cadaverously thin legs and heads, they can turn on a dime, and vanish in a whisper. Some species endured off-continent and later returned, but all Residuum have survived a ruthless gauntlet, and as such should be treated with respectful caution.
Megafauna
Elevating genetics to an art form, the Deumana were unbridled when it came to resurrecting extinct creatures. For this, genetic regression was often utilized. From the non-avian dinosaurs of the cretaceous to the whales of the early anthropocene, a voluminous myriad of animals were restored and examined. The results were released into controlled environments, to allow for adaptation and observation. It is not known which criteria fostered survival: some escaped notice, or fled via the oceans, others filled a necessary niche, but most likely they owed their continued existence to the whims of a mercurial demigod. Regardless of the reason, giant renditions of apes, crocodiles, even kangaroos, as well as mammoths, spinodons, and untold more still roam Lume, ceaselessly mutating over the cycles.
Cryptids
Ambitious Deumana saw no reason to stop at restoring extinct animals, and set about creating those from their thick archives of folklore. Bunyips, krakens, sea-apes, sasquatch, chupacabra, ebu gogos, elwetritsche, death worms, great spiders, mothmen, jersey devils, thunderbirds; all saw life thanks to the Overlords' zealous curiosity. Those that survived continued to acclimate after the Schism, filling niches, or creating their own. Some are cognizant, such as the sasquatch and great spiders, others partly so, as in the case of mothmen, sea-apes and jersey devils. If a creature was listed in the global archives, the ancient Deumana found a way to bring each to life. For this the ambitious demigods pioneered new anatomy capable of supporting lifeforms that did not earn such via evolution: hollow primate bones, air-permeated muscles, gravity-defying internal gases, new reproductive methods, to name a few. Even more ingenuity was needed for the process of procreation and child-rearing. The Deumana were methodical and relentless; to wit numerous Cryptids thrived on Lume.
The Mythos
Having cultivated an extensive catalogue of morphic physiologies, select Deumana went on to actualize beasts from myths and legends. Beginning with simpler hybrids, such as the chimera and sphynx, they systematically progressed through the ranks of beings documented by their ancestors from across countless cultures and eras. By the time of the Schism, they had culminated their bio-engineering abilities in the creation of dragons; living, fire-breathing, flying reptiles, capable of speech and reflective thought. After their role in the Schism reports of greater serpents are scarce, the few scattered fragments within Library tomes implying their numbers were few to begin with. From what our scholars can deduce from relevant records, Mythos were less adaptable than the aforementioned genera; scant few branches survived the cycles since inception. It is assumed those surviving species did so by living innocuously, the Motometro Library records contain but a few such entries. As in the case of the Cryptids, the more adaptable Mythos were able to fill available ecological niches in the Continent; centaurs for example are documented as resembling primate-equestrian hybrids that hunt wild game in the western Inland forests. A Bestiary for the wildlife of Lume, an ambitious undertaking in itself, is under consideration.
Sui Generis
Unprecedented species, excluding the sentient Races of Lume, were also invented, the imaginative demigods not content in merely paddling in the shallows of imitation. Notable examples the reader may recognise are trogs, drubs and treegs, all vegetitive-canine hybrids, the near-omnipresent Creepers, the provocative Fey and the colossal, pileus Land Whales. Less familiar members of the genus include Gels and Gelacretins, so-called Paradise Worms (or Gythn Eterik, beguilingly humanoid Faux Giants, to name a few. Having unlocked the sandbox of genetics, these Ancients wistfully blended flora, fauna and fungi in genuinely creative ways.
The Undead
Whilst technically lacking a quintessential aspect required to be considered Animalia, they have nonetheless carved their own niche in the ecosystem, and merit classification.
Thanks to the detailed accounts of the Arch-Caster, detailed entries on the Undead of Lume have been allotted their own category.
The Folk of the Continent have little need for creatures of folklore. They need only walk outside, and sometimes even that small effort is not required of them.
Species etymology
A challenging subject. Naming conventions are colloquially applied designations following little formality. Commonly, the name of a creature previously known to exist might be used for a being bearing some resemblance, that may not even be from the same genus, let alone a descendant. Names for the same creature also vary depending on region. Terms such as beast, critter, hound, fox, dog, boar, pig, etc., are used in the vernacular to indicate all manner of creature. Slender linguists propose official classification followed by dissemination conducted during their journeys.
Binomial naming classifications have been adopted and maintained by the Slenders, with assistance by the Frost Giants and the Gardeners. This has proven to be a gargantuan task. Rapid mutation amongst species and individuals is prevalent throughout Lume's fauna due to the reconstituted nature of the inhabitants. It is commonplace to find rare or unique animals; long-lived survivors of pre-Schism or extreme mutations that are indistinguishable from their peers. The latter can be pained and behave reactionarily; these seldom live long.
