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Description
Despite centuries of exploration and documentation, the world still holds many mysteries. Islands that no one has ever stepped foot on, impenetrable mountains or jungles that no one is able to conquer. Things lurking in the shadows that we cannot comprehend, and phenomena so bizarre that our minds cannot grasp their purpose. No matter how hard we may try as a civilized world, there will still be mysteries out there. The maps shall always have blurred edges and the untamed wilds shall always speak of monsters. We seek to conquer the unknown, but it is a being who shall always win the war, despite the number of battles it loses. As a natural historian, it is frustrating, but exhilarating at the same time. It is irritating to know that there will always be species or creatures that elude our sights and understanding, but that at least means there is still something to search for. I may curse at the odd critter that escapes my eyes and notes, but it gives me something to hunt for. I may dream of a day where I have found and documented every living thing in this world, but it is a thought that dwells in my nightmares as well. I can't help but think that an accomplishment of that enormity would only serve make our world that much smaller. Which is better: being surrounded by vast stretches of the unknown, or being fully aware of the size of the box you are forever trapped in? It makes you wonder...

Excuse me for my ramblings and meanderings, I just got lost in thought! What I was trying to say was that the world is filled with unknown creatures and beasts, many who still elude documentation. It is frustrating to come up empty when searching for myths and legends, but in some instances, there are even worse outcomes. It is bad enough to not know the creature that lurks in the shadows, but it is even worse to not understand them when you see them in broad daylight. What I am referring to, of course, is the famous Bunyip.

In a time when we are still baffled by certain myths and monsters, it seems strange to say that a certain species is famous for being mysterious. You would think that would be a label that applied to a lot of mythical beasties, but bizarrely enough, the Bunyip takes the cake on that. That is because the Bunyip has been actually sighted multiple times, but no one can ever freaking agree on what it looks like! Each description of it seems to vary between observers, to the point where people have begun to believe that the Bunyip has magical powers of obfuscation. You get people saying that it has the tusks of a walrus, but than others claim it has the beak of a bird. Some state that it has hair upon its back, but the next guy you ask will say it has scales! It is such a muddled mess, that many natural historians have stopped asking local opinions when it comes to the Bunyip. A part of it is to avoid messing up their own studies, but a big reason to stop asking is to avoid starting anymore bar fights.

So, what do we know about the Bunyip? The big thing that we know is that it likes water. Many sightings have occurred around lakes and ponds, with the creature partially emerging from the murky depths. Very rarely does it ever show more than its head and back, but even when it does full body exposure, people still get confused. Many can at least agree to a long neck, which rises from the waters to search for prey. Those who wander in the shallows or by the shore will be prime targets for its attack. When prey gets close to its watery home, it shall grab them in its fangs/tusks/beak/whatever and drag them down under. All that is seen from this quick attack is thrashing in the water, and then the still calm of a glassy surface. At this point, it is obvious that the Bunyip hungers for meat, and is mainly a predator. This has led to many legends and horror stories crafted around this creature, most of them used to keep children away from strange ponds and unknown waters. With no agreement on its appearance, the Bunyip has essentially become a boogieman for the locals. The morals that come from its tales range from "don't go swimming by yourself" to "tourists should really watch where they are going." Despite its tendency to eat unwary travelers and foolish swimmers, the Bunyip has also gained a humorous side in local culture. The Bunyip always comes up in conversations when one is making fun of a drunk or a crazy person. "And you rode a Bunyip all the way home," is a phrase that people love to say when some drunk is trying to describe the events of a forgetful night. Whenever someone fails to properly describe something, or is at a loss of words, some people will just say "must have been a Bunyip." The Bunyip is often a favorite creature to bring up around outsiders, mainly to make fun of them or to pull a prank. One particular joke that locals like to pull is to dress up someone in a fake Bunyip getup and then try to scare travelers. The costumes are often obviously fake and outlandish, which is part of the joke. The "Bunyip" will come rushing out, and the locals will yell "Look out! A Bunyip!" This is obvious bait for a tourist to say "that's not a Bunyip!" At that point the person in the costume will put their hands on their hips and say "Oh yeah? Then what is?" Hilarity promptly ensues from the locals.

The actual appearance of the Bunyip is something that will probably elude us for quite some time. Attempts to capture or kill one of these creatures have all failed. They love to stick to murky lakes, and they only thing they ever really show is their heads. To make it even harder, Bunyips are deceptively strong. In one instance, a team of hunters got a rope around the Bunyip's neck and tried to pull the beast from the waters. The rope failed to budge the creature, and it didn't even seem to choke it. Eventually, the rope snapped from the stress, and the creature retreated to the depths. They also appear to be quite fast when they need to be, able to dodge their heads away from spears and arrows. Even when someone lands a hit on their head, the Bunyip seems to just shake this off and then disappears down below. Diving down below to spot it is impossible, due to the dirty waters and hungry creature. Draining the pond and lake is never really an option, since people like their water sources. In one case, a mage came to the pond of a Bunyip and used their fire spells to bring the water body to a boil. They hoped to kill the beast, so that they could haul the body out and finally get a look at it. What came out of the boiling waters, however, were just meaty chunks. The seething waters seemed to just cause the creature to burst, leaving it in an unidentifiable state. Heck, they couldn't even find its bones! All attempts at identifying this creature have come back with failures, and a part of me believes that people are starting to stop trying. Locals have begun to leave the creatures be, and often discourage others from trying to hunt them. Even natural historians have started to shy away from studying this mysterious creature, going after more interesting prey. Perhaps we as a society are starting to understand the need for mystery. To have that one stone that we do not turn over, just to have the comfort of knowing there is still more out there.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Note written below: Chlora, this entry itself is fine, but I really think we should cut out your existential crisis at the beginning there. -Eucella-

Hastily scrawled note below: I know a few things YOU could cut out! -Chlora-

-------------------------------------------------------------

Some time ago, I was looking up stuff about the Bunyip, trying to find inspiration for a design. I was stumbling around Wikipedia, when it said that some guy named George French Angus collected descriptions of the beast and said (supposedly) that its common form was that of a giant starfish (unconfirmed if he or anyone ever actually said that. It is Wikipedia after all). Despite no sources or ways to confirm that this statement is actually real, I immediately ran with it. The chance to turn some mythical beast into an echinoderm could not be passed up, and I refused to go with any other interpretation. So that is why the Bunyip is a sea star in my universe. Because supposedly some guy maybe once said that it could possibly be, but no one really knows, a giant starfish but that is just what he heard supposedly.

A perfectly credible source!

It is also kind of funny to write an entry about a creature that is hard to interpret, despite the fact that the picture shows the thing plain as day. Oh well!

Description
Despite centuries of exploration and documentation, the world still holds many mysteries. Islands that no one has ever stepped foot on, impenetrable mountains or jungles that no one is able to conquer. Things lurking in the shadows that we cannot comprehend, and phenomena so bizarre that our minds cannot grasp their purpose. No matter how hard we may try as a civilized world, there will still be mysteries out there. The maps shall always have blurred edges and the untamed wilds shall always speak of monsters. We seek to conquer the unknown, but it is a being who shall always win the war, despite the number of battles it loses. As a natural historian, it is frustrating, but exhilarating at the same time. It is irritating to know that there will always be species or creatures that elude our sights and understanding, but that at least means there is still something to search for. I may curse at the odd critter that escapes my eyes and notes, but it gives me something to hunt for. I may dream of a day where I have found and documented every living thing in this world, but it is a thought that dwells in my nightmares as well. I can't help but think that an accomplishment of that enormity would only serve make our world that much smaller. Which is better: being surrounded by vast stretches of the unknown, or being fully aware of the size of the box you are forever trapped in? It makes you wonder...

Excuse me for my ramblings and meanderings, I just got lost in thought! What I was trying to say was that the world is filled with unknown creatures and beasts, many who still elude documentation. It is frustrating to come up empty when searching for myths and legends, but in some instances, there are even worse outcomes. It is bad enough to not know the creature that lurks in the shadows, but it is even worse to not understand them when you see them in broad daylight. What I am referring to, of course, is the famous Bunyip.

In a time when we are still baffled by certain myths and monsters, it seems strange to say that a certain species is famous for being mysterious. You would think that would be a label that applied to a lot of mythical beasties, but bizarrely enough, the Bunyip takes the cake on that. That is because the Bunyip has been actually sighted multiple times, but no one can ever freaking agree on what it looks like! Each description of it seems to vary between observers, to the point where people have begun to believe that the Bunyip has magical powers of obfuscation. You get people saying that it has the tusks of a walrus, but than others claim it has the beak of a bird. Some state that it has hair upon its back, but the next guy you ask will say it has scales! It is such a muddled mess, that many natural historians have stopped asking local opinions when it comes to the Bunyip. A part of it is to avoid messing up their own studies, but a big reason to stop asking is to avoid starting anymore bar fights.

So, what do we know about the Bunyip? The big thing that we know is that it likes water. Many sightings have occurred around lakes and ponds, with the creature partially emerging from the murky depths. Very rarely does it ever show more than its head and back, but even when it does full body exposure, people still get confused. Many can at least agree to a long neck, which rises from the waters to search for prey. Those who wander in the shallows or by the shore will be prime targets for its attack. When prey gets close to its watery home, it shall grab them in its fangs/tusks/beak/whatever and drag them down under. All that is seen from this quick attack is thrashing in the water, and then the still calm of a glassy surface. At this point, it is obvious that the Bunyip hungers for meat, and is mainly a predator. This has led to many legends and horror stories crafted around this creature, most of them used to keep children away from strange ponds and unknown waters. With no agreement on its appearance, the Bunyip has essentially become a boogieman for the locals. The morals that come from its tales range from "don't go swimming by yourself" to "tourists should really watch where they are going." Despite its tendency to eat unwary travelers and foolish swimmers, the Bunyip has also gained a humorous side in local culture. The Bunyip always comes up in conversations when one is making fun of a drunk or a crazy person. "And you rode a Bunyip all the way home," is a phrase that people love to say when some drunk is trying to describe the events of a forgetful night. Whenever someone fails to properly describe something, or is at a loss of words, some people will just say "must have been a Bunyip." The Bunyip is often a favorite creature to bring up around outsiders, mainly to make fun of them or to pull a prank. One particular joke that locals like to pull is to dress up someone in a fake Bunyip getup and then try to scare travelers. The costumes are often obviously fake and outlandish, which is part of the joke. The "Bunyip" will come rushing out, and the locals will yell "Look out! A Bunyip!" This is obvious bait for a tourist to say "that's not a Bunyip!" At that point the person in the costume will put their hands on their hips and say "Oh yeah? Then what is?" Hilarity promptly ensues from the locals.

The actual appearance of the Bunyip is something that will probably elude us for quite some time. Attempts to capture or kill one of these creatures have all failed. They love to stick to murky lakes, and they only thing they ever really show is their heads. To make it even harder, Bunyips are deceptively strong. In one instance, a team of hunters got a rope around the Bunyip's neck and tried to pull the beast from the waters. The rope failed to budge the creature, and it didn't even seem to choke it. Eventually, the rope snapped from the stress, and the creature retreated to the depths. They also appear to be quite fast when they need to be, able to dodge their heads away from spears and arrows. Even when someone lands a hit on their head, the Bunyip seems to just shake this off and then disappears down below. Diving down below to spot it is impossible, due to the dirty waters and hungry creature. Draining the pond and lake is never really an option, since people like their water sources. In one case, a mage came to the pond of a Bunyip and used their fire spells to bring the water body to a boil. They hoped to kill the beast, so that they could haul the body out and finally get a look at it. What came out of the boiling waters, however, were just meaty chunks. The seething waters seemed to just cause the creature to burst, leaving it in an unidentifiable state. Heck, they couldn't even find its bones! All attempts at identifying this creature have come back with failures, and a part of me believes that people are starting to stop trying. Locals have begun to leave the creatures be, and often discourage others from trying to hunt them. Even natural historians have started to shy away from studying this mysterious creature, going after more interesting prey. Perhaps we as a society are starting to understand the need for mystery. To have that one stone that we do not turn over, just to have the comfort of knowing there is still more out there.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

Note written below: Chlora, this entry itself is fine, but I really think we should cut out your existential crisis at the beginning there. -Eucella-

Hastily scrawled note below: I know a few things YOU could cut out! -Chlora-

-------------------------------------------------------------

Some time ago, I was looking up stuff about the Bunyip, trying to find inspiration for a design. I was stumbling around Wikipedia, when it said that some guy named George French Angus collected descriptions of the beast and said (supposedly) that its common form was that of a giant starfish (unconfirmed if he or anyone ever actually said that. It is Wikipedia after all). Despite no sources or ways to confirm that this statement is actually real, I immediately ran with it. The chance to turn some mythical beast into an echinoderm could not be passed up, and I refused to go with any other interpretation. So that is why the Bunyip is a sea star in my universe. Because supposedly some guy maybe once said that it could possibly be, but no one really knows, a giant starfish but that is just what he heard supposedly.

A perfectly credible source!

It is also kind of funny to write an entry about a creature that is hard to interpret, despite the fact that the picture shows the thing plain as day. Oh well!