Ecology

Writer-facing reference, not in-world taxonomy. If this conflicts with direct prose evidence, chapter text wins.

Elementals

Elementals are not demons, corrupted fauna, or ordinary monsters. They are natural/world forces with will enough to move. They are not good or evil by default; moral language should not be applied unless a scene proves individual intent.

Creature Key facts
Magnog Weakest/smallest known elemental form, first named Ch 183 after being killed in Ch 178 under Irondeep. Scout-form associated with magma/pressure/mineral hunger/world-root heat. Normally belongs far below deep-dwarf crustal activity, in lower mantle/outer-fire regions; appearing in an Irondeep-accessible gallery is an apocalyptic lower-sign omen in deep-dwarf restricted doctrine. Thomas killed it with Holy Lance Lv.6/five concurrent lances, supported by shields, cooling, water, and Form. Holy worked because the Magnog's elemental fire/magma nature had no ordinary counter-answer to Holy, not because it was evil. Public reports should call it a deep-heat entity/old heat unless inner-circle naming is deliberate. Tags: elemental, lower signs, Magnog, deep heat.

Demons

True demons appear distinct from corrupted beasts/fauna and lesser dungeon monsters.

Creature Key facts
Lesser Demon ~6m, first seen Ch 98. Gigantic armoured humanoid with black plates, hooked armoured fingers, barred lower face plate, swept horns, pale steady eyes, layered hostile wards, and old pale Holy scars. Deliberate, intelligent, commander-like; uses terrain, thrown stone, armour seams, and warding. Associated with old western roads and Black Lock-adjacent pressure. Ambushed Thomas/Isha west of the hidden spillway and nearly killed Isha before Thomas destroyed it with repeated Holy Lance volleys and black fire. Clearest true demon so far. Tags: demon, armored giant, western threat.
Minor Demon ~3.5m, first seen Ch 101. Narrow horned demon with high sharp shoulders, long arms, hooked fingers, dark plates over hide cloak, unfinished mouth of small teeth, hooked blade, and black-glass strip on chain. Intelligent scout/operative using concealment, black-glass signalling, and indirect coordination. Seen in ruined marsh valley after basin fight, implying demonic structure/caste hierarchy. Tags: demon, scout, black glass.

Monsters

Ranked hostile creatures/dungeon fauna not best treated as ordinary animals, even when animal-shaped.

Creature Key facts
Corrupted Goblin Small/child-sized, first seen Ch 9. Grey-green goblinoid with thin limbs, too-wide mouth, black veins, ember-red eye cracks, scavenged knives, demonic taint. Fast, ambush-prone, dangerous after death; one corpse tried to reach Thomas's blood through corruption. Presence near Wood Elf wards implied infiltration, displacement, or larger-threat breach. Escalated forest incursions.
Stoneback Rat E-rank adults small-dog sized; larger D-rank breeding adult implied. First seen Ch 11. Rat-like monster with mineral-grey back plates, oversized yellowed teeth, old mortar/grain-store/cellar-burrow habits. Territorial, swarm-capable, underground infestation creature; distinct from ordinary rats.
Young Ghoul Human-sized, first seen Ch 121. Formerly or nearly human-shaped drain predator: grey skin over long limbs, blackened nails, fast throat-biting lunge. Lurks in dry maintenance recesses; encountered specimen underfed/young. Confirms Third Drain infestation beyond vermin.
Tunnel Sheller E-rank adults medium; D-rank broodmother nearly hunting-dog sized. First seen Ch 12. Beetle/freshwater-crab-like scavenger with dark shell, pale segmented legs, antennae, weak underside; broodmother guards pale eggs and stone-like encrusted shell. Colony in damp irrigation tunnels, light-attracted/aggressive in confined stone runoff channels. Early ordinary-monster quest showing low-rank danger in tight terrain.
Reed Mauler E-rank young, D-rank sow, possible other adults. First seen Ch 70. Monster boar with wedge head, curved lower tusks, heavy shoulders, reed-like back spines; close enough to pig to insult pigs. Sounders tear drainage banks, wreck fields, and kill in reed cover; Lowmere main threat.
Marsh Snapper E-rank by Thomas's estimate, first seen Ch 71. Water-hidden marsh predator revealed chiefly by mouth; camouflages as weed/peat-dark water until lunging. Ambush hazard in ditches, pools, peat cuts; supporting marsh-light threat often leveraged by wisps/bad footing.
Reed-Backed Crawler D-rank, first seen Ch 71. Long six-legged marsh crawler with reed-backed plating, poor turning radius, vulnerable underside/jaw line when flanked. Lurks half-buried in marsh banks/peat pits; principal marsh-light monster.
Greyback E-rank in small packs; D-rank leader/older female possible. First seen Ch 73. Hyena-like scrub scavenger with sloped shoulders, heavy jaws, bony spinal ridges, twitching ears; D-rank leader is larger, scarred, patient enough to bait panic. Tests weakness, withdraws from hard resistance, dens in gullies, circles trapped carts/isolated people. Central Werrin's Cross threat.
Frost-Gnawer Small, first seen Ch 140. Low pale-backed cold-country gnawer/scavenger with wedge head, dark eyes, rust-brown teeth, and human-adjacent cleverness with gaps/culverts/store walls. Drawn to hide, salt, warmth, hidden access; persistent Rimeholt hide-store infestation.
Limeclaw Small-medium, first seen Ch 143. Pale crab-like Crown Deep dungeon scavenger with shell, eye clusters, and affinity for drains, mineral crust, chalky sediment. Low hazard alone unless swarming "or get eyes"; irritated by light and redirectable, showing routine dungeon suppression.
Deep-Heat Crawler / Irondeep Heat Crawler Ordinary deep-heat fauna/monster encountered alongside the Magnog below Irondeep in Ch 178. Mineral-plated crawlers with glass-like jaws, heat-adapted bodies, and dangerous close-quarters swarming. Not elementals, not cosmologically special, and not religiously significant by themselves; likely displaced by tremor, following heat movement, drawn by the Magnog, or opportunistic lower-gallery predators/scavengers. Tags: monster, deep heat, Irondeep, not elemental.

Corrupted Fauna

Creature Key facts
Demonic Wolf Medium-large dog-sized, first seen Ch 1 in Isha's home forest. Fierce canine E-rank monster with black smoking saliva, fangs/claws, light aversion, arrow resistance, frost vulnerability, tree/soil tearing, and pack attacks (four charged together). Violent nocturnal/crepuscular harassers of travellers; rare demonic menace, not domesticated. Feared in folklore; Isha/thugs use fear/light to repel.

Ordinary Fauna

Animal Key facts
Fox Small, first seen Ch 42: fox den below ruined watchtower wall had no corruption. Ordinary wild den-dweller; ecosystem detail.
Deer Medium, first seen Ch 1 via forest-edge deer track near Isha's home. Ordinary browsing backdrop.
Sheep Medium flock livestock, first seen Ch 38 on hillside; farmland signal. Tags: sheep, livestock, bovine.
Horse Large domestic mount/burden animal, first implied Ch 1 by Merrowford market smell; everyday traffic/carts/towns.
Donkey/Mule Medium pack/transport animals; limping donkey in Ch 74, mule yard Ch 94.
Goat Small livestock, first seen Ch 1 watching with suspicion; goat-horned bow-maker Ch 34 suggests commonness; milk/meat likely.
Cattle (Cow/Ox) Large domestic cattle, first seen Ch 94 in roofed weather pens; plowing/meat/milk.
Boar Large ordinary wild pig, first seen Ch 15. Non-demonic/non-magical but enormous, angry, fast, campsite-ruining, and dangerous; reminder mundane fauna can hurt without rank/corruption.
Cat Small domestic/metaphorical, first seen Ch 26 as "cat pretending not to understand doors"; tavern background not prominent.
Dog Medium domestic, first seen Ch 94: Brindle, cook's dog in palace courtyard; pet/guard, passive indoors.
Rat (Ordinary, Implied) Small baseline cellar/road/grain-store/drain rodent, implied Ch 11/66 as comparison class for stoneback rats and other vermin; kept separate to avoid confusion.
Badger Small-medium wild mustelid, first seen Ch 1 via silver hairpin retrieved from a den without harm; alive/protected burrow animal.
Snake Small-medium forest reptile, first seen Ch 1 among hazards, coiled in old roots.
Lizard Small cave/dungeon reptile, first seen Ch 29 as tiny stone-jawed lizards.
Spider Medium venomous thorn-maze arachnid, first seen Ch 49; venom causes sweating and skin stinging.
Beetle Small insect, first seen Ch 46 hidden inside a rat wound; possibly carrion beetle.
Dragonfly Small insect, first seen Ch 45 dimming as it veered near magic in forest battle.
Hawk Medium raptor, first seen Ch 68 circling above open road.
Owl Medium nocturnal raptor, first seen Ch 1 hooting once; ambiance.
Crow Medium corvid, first seen Ch 42 on/lifting from watchtower; atmosphere/scavenger bird.
Heron Large wader, first seen Ch 1 lifting from river reeds near Isha's home.
Woodpecker Medium forest bird, first seen Ch 45 drumming uphill.
Duck Medium waterfowl, first seen Ch 66 on river, "took offence at travel."

Flora

Plant/fungus Key facts
Oak Deciduous forest tree, first seen Ch 31 with ash in hollow; dominant forest role.
Ash Tree/herb association, first seen Ch 31 with oak; also connected to ash-bitter herb.
Cedar Conifer identified by scent, first seen Ch 1.
Pine Forest tree, first seen Ch 1 with birch at forest edge.
Birch Forest tree, first seen Ch 1 with pine.
Willowroot Medicinal willow root, first seen Ch 45 with moon fern and ash-bitter.
Moon Fern Fern/herb, first seen Ch 45.
Ash-bitter Bitter herb, first seen Ch 45; appearance unspecified.
Herbs (General) Edible/wild/medicinal herbs, first seen Ch 1 and elsewhere; characters chew or brew them.
Flowers (Wild) Assorted wildflowers, first seen Ch 1 as night scent.
Grass Common undergrowth, first seen Ch 1 as snapped grass in a trap.
Moss Common bryophyte, first seen Ch 1 when Thomas twists ankle on moss.
Ferns (Various) Common forest plants, first seen Ch 1/45; roots, fern arch, similar details.
Mushrooms Fungi, possibly bioluminescent; Ch 94 says glowing mushrooms remain municipal property unless hostile.
Fungus (Glow) Fungus blooming under bathhouse roof, first seen Ch 94.
Apple Fruit/tree, first seen Ch 1 as dried trail apples and fresh apple taste.
Berries Fruit, first seen Ch 40 among dried berries.
Bush (Generic) Generic shrub including thorn bush Ch 83.