1748359
A large non-carnivorous sea creature decided to play with others of its kind using you as the game piece.

1748362
BAH! *mutters* Grims take ye.

1748371
Oy! I heard that! I may not know what a grim is, but I'll remind you that I'm an instructor here!

1748378
Alright. Let's just agree that we disagree. What's next on the magical list of magical creatures?

1748378
1748371
Perhaps if we knew what a Grim looked like, maybe there is a creature already matching that description and is just known by another name?

1748318
Well, let's talk about them together, because where one can be found, so too can the other, more often than not.

Afrits are, quite simply, living flame. They are able to control what they set fire to, as what the burn they end up consuming. More often than not, however, they are hungry. Ravenous, even. So it's best to keep a distance. They are slow and not particularly bright, but are very difficult to extinguish. Their flames burn hotter as they grow, and every time they eat, they grow. They don't really seem to need fuel other than what they decide to eat. Mature ones can be up to fifteen feet tall, and their flames can crack bone and blister rock.

Salamanders are born when flames and magic meet. They live very short lives, only as long as the fire they are born from burns. Many choose to keep them as pets, as they are quite affectionate, and it's no large task to keep their fire burning. Their appearance is that of a small lizard, seemingly made of flame and burning wood. They are cool enough to touch out of their fire, and can turn their heat on and off to discourage predators or lure in prey. They eat magical predators such as gibbers, so they can be quite useful. They are quite popular as pets, seeing as they understand basic speech and are easy to train.

1748398
A Grim is a shadow. It's a shadow that doesn't go away. You shine your hornlight or lantern on it and the tree or headstone or whatever is still dark and shadowy. If you see one you just keep walking. You pretend it isn't real, and it doesn't take you away. And I mean it really disappears you. Most everything else leaves some kind of remains.

1748405
What's the best way to keep a Salamander fire burning?

1748405
So salamanders are somewhat like timberwolves then?

1748423
THROW WOOD ON IT!

1748424
Not exactly. Timberwolves are free-roaming consciousnesses that animate wood in the shape of wolves. They are Fae magic that resolves itself into a predatory form.

1748441
I should have expected that.

1748441
So then are salamanders born of just any magic meeting flames then?

1748451
No, it needs to be a certain proportion and type. I believe it requires far more magic than fire, and only certain kinds of spells, like healing or preservation spells, that sort of thing.

1748451

I think if that was all that was required they would have overwhelmed the world by now.

(Or at least Sweet Apple Acres circa. three hundred years ago.)

1748462
So when you mentioned that salamanders can be found near Afrit, the very nature of their living flame is something of a womb, in the right circumstances, for the creation of salamanders?

1748462
So that's fire afrits and salamanders. Are there equivalents for other elements like water or air?

1748471
Well they are kept as pets...so I wouldn't exactly put that past happening.

1748473
Yes. In fact, one indicator of the presence of an afrit, as opposed to, say, a bushfire, is the presence of salamanders.

I don't know about you guys but I want to hear about what kind of Djinns we're dealing with here.

1748477
Djinn are similar to afrits, but they are sentient winds. And they can be far more deadly than afrits.

1748489
Fae level deadly?

1748489

Sentient winds...

Scary.

Could one capture a Djinn?

1748489
I thought Djinn were those creatures that live in silver and gold metalwork and jewelry... and you control them by controlling their "home", but really they're super clever and use all kinds of loopholes and logical pitfalls to get you in trouble if you ask them to use their magic for you.

1748508
1748510
No. Djinn are born of a few factors. The first is a large quantity of sand or rock, and the second is a goodly quantity of wind. The third is magic, but the magic must specifically be violent or demonic in nature. The spells used by Battle Mages, for example. Or the mutterings of some sorcerer. Djinn born from this are small at first, hardly more than irritating breezes. They can be killed by a simple effort of will. But if left for too long, their winds will become wild and out of control.

Djinn can reach incredible speeds, over two hundred miles per hour. They pick up sand and rocks as they fly in search of prey. Upon spotting a suitable target, they rush their prey, surrounding it in a swirling vortex of rock and sand that can flay the flesh from their bones in minutes. Once their target has expired, they feast upon the life force left in the body after the soul's departure. This sustains their energy until their next prey can be found. Like afrits, djinn are always hungry.

1748542

Well.

There goes that plan then.

I'll just go put away my enchanted net.

1748542
Sounds like my kind of party. Let's go find a djinn!

1748542
So if a battle were to take place near a believed Djinn living area, they would come to buffet like sharks to blood in the water?

1748546
Or we just get a bigger more enchanted net.

1748550
You're not going to be happy until you're killed by something talked about in this class are you?

1748560

You know what?

That just might actually work.

1748553
Yes. Though, they would likely subsist on the magical energy instead of the combatants. At least at first.

1748546
1748550
Djinn can be identified by three signs. The first is their sound. You can hear a djinn far before you see it. They screech, rather like cats do. The second is the presence of corpses without meat on them, only bones. The third and final sign is the appearance of a reddish-brown cloud. The blood and flesh of their prey often remains suspended inside them, so they are easy to spot.

1748567
At least twice.

1748570
HEHE YEAH! *Epic slow motion high five!*

1748567

I want to see what happens if he's killed by a Kitsune.

Also:

Kitsune

How does that even work in Equestria?

1748576
Awesome.

1748583

You know what?

You're on your own.

I like being alive, it's actually quite fun.

1748578
The Kitsune and I wouldn't fight. We would be best friends. And have best friend adventures.

1748587
How boring.

1748599

Boring and alive.

1748595
Until you stabbed it in the back. Or challenged it to a duel. Or did something to annoy it.

1748576
Why are cleaned bones a sign of Djinn habitation? Couldn't they have come about through scavengers or other predators and the environment?

1748603
*Blows a raspberry* Time to find my safari hat.

1748613

I'll get started on the eulogy.

1748610
Or it stabbed me in the back/challenged me to a duel. This could go either way really.

1748610

I think you'd also find the cleaned bones of the predators.

1748620
If it doesn't start with

This asshole...

and end with

But it was awesome.

I'm going to haunt you.

1748626
Don't forget the predators of the predators.

1748610
Lots of bones. Djinn try to "clean" by dumping them all in one place, though they aren't very good at picking inconspicuous places.

1748643
So if you find an open air graveyard, best start walking back the way you came.

1748578
Kitsune are, simply put, shapechangers that take the preferred form of foxes. Or they're just foxes taht can chance shape. Aside from that, they can turn into just about any living creature. They're quite intelligent, though they cannot speak. It was thought for a long time that they were a type of Fae, but that turned out not to be the case. They hate the Fae, actually.

It has recently come to my attention that I most likely will not be able to attend class within this timeframe in the near future.

1748651
As a matter of principle, yes. Even if it isn't djinn, something big and or nasty has been using the place as a dumping ground.