Category:Bestiary

Hydaelyn is a world rich in life, with populations vast and varied.

The most complete bestiary in existence is the Raimdelle Codex, compiled by the naturalist Fradelont Raimdelle. His system of nomenclature--uncreatively known as the Raimdelle taxonomic system--is the gold standard in the study of biology, despite its occasional errors and inadequacies.

Classification of Beings
All beings that are covered by the Raimdelle system are classed according to a number of divisions: kingdom, class, genus, species.

Kingdoms (also known as regnum, plural regna) are three simple divisions: Bloodborn, Bloodless, and Transcendent. Class is made into twelve "kindred" groupings within, based upon similarities of habitat or nature. Creatures are then divided into genuses, according to physical structures; within those, species, more precise divisions.

Bloodborn
The Bloodborn regnum refers, unsurprisingly, to those creatures that are born, and are possessed of blood. Oddly, sap is counted as blood. Within this regnum are the following broad classes:
 * Beastkin
 * Cloudkin
 * Scalekin
 * Seedkin
 * Spoken (information available in the book Spoken)
 * Vilekin
 * Wavekin

Bloodless
The Bloodless regnum encompasses all corporeal beings that do not possess blood.
 * Ashkin
 * Forgekin
 * Soulkin

Transcendent
The Transcendent regnum refers to those beings that are inherently foreign to the normal experiences of corporeal life. They are often worshipped, though they are not true deities.
 * Elementals
 * Voidsent
 * Primals (information available in the book Transcendent)