Tales of the Other Realm

The Amienus

The Amienus are terrible, carnivorous beasts that used to be found in all deciduous forests all over the globe, but particularly in mountain regions , where bigger prey can be found in the form of bears and cougars and elk. A twisted hybrid of deer and dragon, they're characterized by their impressive rack of antlers, their two long, thin hair extensions that can be used as whips, and, of course, their short tempers. Like most carnivorous creatures, they're highly territorial and would potentially eat any trespassers. The Amienus have a unique ability to become invisible, but only if they're not looking in the same direction that they stand. Meaning, if you look in the general direction an Amienus is standing, invisible, their enchantment will break. And, like most invisible beings, they hate being discovered. Able to bound at incredible speed, even when visible they can quickly overtake any prey. However, the Amienus respect courage and boldness greatly. If you look at an Amienus in the eye, it will leave you be.

The Amienus were driven to near extinction due to their pelts, which made luxurious coats and bags and shoes, as well as their teeth and antlers. Impressive enough as hunting trophies, the teeth of the Amienus still retain their venomous bite that they had when alive. Their venom is one of the most potent in the supernatural realm, matching up to manticore and bassilisk venom with ease.

There are some cases, surprisingly, where Amienus and humans worked together, even enjoyed each other's companionship. This has only occured in North America and some select parts of Asia, where the warrior tribes would slowly befriend their magical companions and use them as hunting companions. The humans took the best parts of the meat, and the Amienus received what was left. Now, one may think this wasn't a particularly fair partnership. But the Amienus devour the entirety of their prey, bones and skin and meat in all. Amongst those tribes are myths that their ancestors even rode these fair beasts into battle, striking fear into those enemies who only rode mere horses. However, those tales are long gone, slowly dying out as the Amienus, like the rest of the magical population, retreat into the other realms and last pockets of wilderness.