Dire

From Mizahar Lore

"Taldera - A lovely place to visit, quickly, getting in and out and only on the known roads. Trust me on this one." - Bekani Suffa, Syliran Messanger

"Dire" is a word that is generally used to refer to creatures that are overly large. It is a bastardization of the actual word 'dire' which means fraught with extreme danger or terrible consequences. Within Mizahar, we use the word "Dire" interchangeably with the term "Talderian" for a very specific reason. During the Valterrian, wild djed raged across the land reshaping the world. In various places, this huge unleashing of magical energies had various consequences. But within the region of Taldera, the magic reacted with the native creatures and caused them to grow to extreme sizes. Beautiful and delicate ferns suddenly became monstrous. Mice grew to the size of house cats. Trees increased their growth to the point that they made even the redwoods and cedars of Syliras look like small shrubs. So when something is referred to as "Talderian" on Mizahar, it is meant that the living thing is incredibly large.

Talderian creatures rarely stray form Taldera because there simply isn't enough food to support them outside the region; especially grazing animals and those that feed on them. If a Talderian Wolf strayed from Taldera and expected to feed itself, it would soon wipe out herds, local deer populations, and other resources. Facing starvation, it would either be forced back to Taldera or would perish. The exception to this is the occasional Kelvic Talderian wilderform (their animal half). These kelvics, though demanding a higher caloric intake in their diet, can survive outside of Taldera so long as there is not a large concentration of them in any one place. The one main problem with Talderian kevlics is that they are not easily accepted into society. Ravok covets them for pit fights and slaves. Other more benign cities like Syliras look at Talderian Kelvics with extreme suspicion and have a tendency to blame them for unusual lifestock losses. In Cyphrus and Eyktol, herds are extremely valuable and one of the primary food sources around. These locations are less likely to tolerate Talderian Kelvics than anywhere else. These cities have a tendency to take care of the problem quietly and without asking the kelvic first. These individuals are always in extreme danger of 'disappearing' mysteriously and suddenly especially if unbonded.

Talderian animals can be anywhere from half again to twice the normal size of their mizaharian counterparts other places. Plant growth, however, can reach double or triple the size of the same species found other places in Mizahar.

Out of character note: Talderian or Dire Kelvics now require special permission (with the exception being Dire Polar Bears starting in Avanthal) via the Help Desk due to the huge influx of such animals.