Bestiary

Product Information

Eccentric and rather snobby to a fault, the Dye Trader has expensive tastes. He is passionate about the materials used in the dyes he sells.

Like a cancer, the putrid creatures born from the Corruption mutate and grow into bigger, more deadly forms which discharge acids. Glowing winged humanoid creatures the size of a butterfly. Attuned to the world around them, they excel at finding shiny things.Sometimes, highly concentrated ectoplasm gathers inside the more powerful of the cursed inhabitants of the Dungeon.

Taking on the consistency of congealed blood and flesh, Crimslimes seek out and digest more raw material for the Crimson. It's unusual for a Lihzahrd to be outside the Temple. Even more unusual are the voodoo things he sells. He prefers his jungle digs. A pirate's best friend, the parrot, will tear the eyes out of any greasy landlubber with its sharp, pointy talons. Exposed to dark rituals, this skull has begun floating around on its own, chasing the living. Its touch leaves its victims defenseless.

The Origin of the Text

In the bestiary, however, the unicorn’s appearance and capture were only half the story. The unicorn also symbolized the Incarnation, the moment when Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, rendering him human and vulnerable to death. In the luxurious image shown above, the beast rests in the lap of a maiden seated before a tree, while a hunter on the right stabs the animal in its side. The unicorn symbolizes Christ and the maiden represents his mother the Virgin Mary, while the killing of the creature serves as an allegory for Christ’s death. Mourning Woods reproduce by snapping cuttings from their bodies and thrusting them into the soil. Splinterlings are the result. Goldfish mutate and become violent when exposed to a Blood Moon, allowing the Corruption to take hold of them. The undead who bear the Diabolic Sigil wield flames as intense as any in the underworld, consuming all in a scorching inferno. Unicorn (detail) from The Ashmole Bestiary, about 1210–20, unknown illuminator, made in England. Parchment, 10 7/8 × 7 3/16 inches (The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Ms. Ashmole 1511, fol. 14v)