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A listing of the many and varied creatures, both mundane and fantastic, who populate the world of Novendo.

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Garakath (gara-KATH) – Known popularly as a Rock Troll, it is a large, very strong creature with stone-like skin and a bad temper. One of the less uncommon Kalovai.

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Urve (OOR-veh) – Also called mere dragons, the Uvre are one of the most unique and curious of the intelligent races on Novendo. They are known to exist in only three locations: the Urvel Marsh along the northwestern shore of Lake Zhan, on Great Oceanaia; the Torvin Marsh on the northeastern shore of Lake Everbrite, in Ysgareth; and the Silver Marsh along the southern margins of Goreth Lake in western Ishkala. Each “tribe” calls their habitat Dhurovu, a name that translates approximately as “The cold water that lives amid the land.” Their population is estimate by the few scholars who have studied them at between 1,500 and 2,400. Urve tend to stay in one area for most of their lives.

Except for brief encounters during mating, male and female Urve keep separate from each other. The ratio of males to females is about five to one. The females are larger and far more aggressive than males, generally ill tempered and are wisely left alone. Female Urve mostly inhabit the more remote areas of their wetland habitat. They mate infrequently and only by choice. It is common for females to mate only two or three times during their lives. During the early summer some females select a male, who often tries in vain to escape, and consummate the mating.

Young stay with their mother until they reach maturity at the age of two. By then, Urve are seven to ten feet long and weigh 900 to 1300 pounds. Females are fiercely protective of their offspring. Urve grow quickly, attaining their full size within six years of birth. Males can reach a weight of two tons and a length, including tail, of twenty feet. Females are about twenty five percent larger. Both sexes live about 200 years. With the possible exceptions of gülvini and men, they have no natural enemies.

Urve are warm-blooded but tend to be somewhat torpid in the winter. They are good swimmers and spend about half their lives in the water, especially during cold weather, when they often submerge and leave only their nostrils exposed. Urve have huge lungs which allow them to hold their breath for up to thirty minutes. They have two moveable eyelids and a transparent nictitating membrane over each eye. This membrane enables them to keep their eyes open underwater.

Urve are capable of standing erect but walk on all fours. They have sharp-clawed hind feet, but flexible fingers and an opposable thumb on their fore feet. Their bodies are covered with coarse, bead-like tubercles of variegated colors, giving their skin a multi-colored, pebbled appearance. Common colors are green, brown, and black. Urve have a ridge of triangular plates down their backs that contain small quantities of a viscous oil, called Rel’nakin.

Urve tails are heavy and flexible, serving to store fat as a food reserve for periods of starvation. The tail can also be used as a weapon. Urve have chisel-like incisors, flanked by two pairs of sharp canine teeth. They also have large grinding bicuspids and molars. Their narrow fleshy tongue can extend about a foot.

Urve brains have highly developed anterior cerebral hemispheres, which are the seat of their considerable intelligence. Their brains bear similarity to those of humans although they are considerably larger. Their intelligence is alien to humans.

The Urve establish their nests among the small stands of trees throughout their marshland habitat. The nests consist of uprooted trees and trampled reeds. Although Urve live separately, the males are social animals. They are gregarious and often gather to spin lies to one another. Their language is complex and incomprehensible to humans. One example of the complexity of the Urven language it its second person pronoun, which has over one hundred distinct forms, each with a subtle shade of meaning.

Meredragon voices are pleasantly sonorous. All males can speak archaic variants of Yaspari and a few can speak modern dialects. Few females learn anything but their native tongue. Humans who have encountered male Urve have found them more than willing to talk, particularly if threatened. Males usually hide from interlopers – they are cowardly, but can be aroused to desperate fury if cornered. In such a state they are berserk and given to immense strength. However, they will almost always seek to negotiate a way out of danger. Rather than fight, males often give up any possession, or abase themselves to the most pathetic opponent. Various gülvini tribes exploit this tendency, to bully and rob them of food. Females are never impressed by such harassment and will respond to attempted bullying with violence.

Urve have omnivorous diets. They are primarily piscivores (fish make up most of their diet) but they eat anything from carrion to weeds if they are hungry. They also regard the venomous Gislor viper, found in the Urven and Torvin Marshes, as a delicacy. On occasion they will attack a large solitary mammal (such as a human) but only if they are hungry and relatively certain of victory. They regard cannibalism as barbaric.

Urve have few possessions although some do collect interesting souvenirs. Most of these are worthless in human terms. Urve are capable of using simple tools (rocks as hammers etc.) but seldom have need for them.