Greenwing hornet: Difference between revisions

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| picture = Greenwing_hornet_Colored.jpg
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| level = 18<!-- This will also be used at the end of the page in the Near level creature template -->
| level = 18<!-- This will also be used at the end of the page in the Near level creature template -->
| family = Hornet<!-- Add creature to family page list, which will be linked on preview/save -->
| family = Wasp <!-- Add creature to family page list, which will be linked on preview/save -->
| type = Insect<!-- Creature body type -->
| type = Insect<!-- Creature body type -->
| otherclass = <!-- Other classification limited to corporeal undead, non-corporeal undead, elemental, extra planar, magical; insert otherclass2= for 2nd classification (up to 3) -->
| otherclass = Living <!-- Other classification limited to corporeal undead, non-corporeal undead, elemental, extra planar, magical; insert otherclass2= for 2nd classification (up to 3) -->
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| area = Castle Anwyn<!-- For multiple areas, add area2, area3, area4 (through 8) fields if needed -->
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== References ==
== References ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornet Hornet on Wikipedia]
* [http://www.play.net/gs4/info/bestiary/creature.asp?creature=1393 Greenwing hornet on Play.net bestiary]


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[[Category:Castle Anwyn creatures]]

Revision as of 10:06, 28 June 2020

Greenwing hornet
Greenwing hornet Colored.jpg
Level 18
Family Wasp family creatures
Body Type Insect
Classification(s) Living
Area(s) Found Castle Anwyn
BCS Yes
HP
Speed
Attack Attributes
Defense Attributes
Armor
? ASG
Defensive Strength (DS)
Melee
Ranged
Bolt
Unarmed Defense Factor
UDF
Target Defense (TD)
Bard Base
Cleric Base
Empath Base
Paladin Base
Ranger Base
Sorcerer Base
Wizard Base
Minor Elemental
Major Elemental
Minor Spiritual
Major Spiritual
Minor Mental
Treasure Attributes
Coins
Gems
Magic Items
Boxes
Skin a hornet stinger
Other

If it wasn't for the huge size of this hornet, you might even call it kinda cute. The fuzzy body measures about 8 inches long and almost that big around. The wings are moving so fast that it seems as though the hornet is surrounded with a faint green haze. Darting here and there, with an agility astonishing in something this pudgy looking, it's enough to make one think twice before getting too close!

Hunting strategies

This section has not been added yet; please add to it now!

Other information

The nettle berries outside the bower will unpoison you, which is a joke because nettle berries are poisonous.

Behind the Scenes

Mythologically, bees are supposed to be able to travel back and forth from the underworld, like the moaning spirits can implicitly. More narrowly, their presence in Castle Anwyn may be related to the Lady of the Lake, the sorcerous queen of Avalon (Annwn) whom Arthur received Excalibur. One of her rumored true dwelling places is Loch Arthur in Scotland, which is next to the village of Beeswing. This was named after a famous 19th century mare from thoroughbred racing. The Lady of the Lake was the one who bewitched and imprisoned Merlin, whose enchanted tomb in pseudo-etymology is the root of Glastonbury Abbey. This would refer to the sorcerous queen mother of Terate, who otherwise appears to be based on Morgan le Fay (mother of Owain), possible crossed to some extent with Morgause (witch-queen mother of Gawain and Mordred.)

Castle Anwyn has subtle relations with Shadow Valley, most explicitly seen in the presence of the moaning spirits. Among these is the pookas, trickster shapeshifters in Celtic folklore, who usually take the form of horses in heavy chains. (Thus, they might simply refer to faeries as insect-like or warring with insects, such as the nineteenth century poetic allegory "The Fresh Water Siren" about the great water beetle which could obliquely relate to the Lovecraftian "Shadow out of Time" premise of the insect race following the end of mankind, or even the plates of Arthur Rackham which were featured in many of the related source stories.) The word "mare" descends from goblin-like creature in Germanic folklore that ride the chest of their victims giving them nightmares, and when they are shape-shifting they often take the form of wasps. The word "mare" actually comes from the Old English word for "incubus", which are nightmare demons who sire cambions like Merlin, which is especially relevant because of Terate's half-demonic state in the Vvrael quest. The Greek demon of nightmares is the giant Ephialtes, whose name means "leaper."

Another more obscure motivation for the bees may be Mount Aenatumgana, where "gana" likely refers to the attendants of Shiva. The analogous event of a demonic force going to the mountain to kill the gods is Arunasura, who could not be killed by any two or four legged creature. So the demon was ultimately destroyed by a vast swarm of hornets, wasps, bees, and so on. This is relevant because Shiva is a later form of Indra, the slayer of the Vedic serpent demon Vritra, who appears to be the partial basis of the Shadow Valley story and may be the base of the word Vvrael. There was also a Cherokee myth of a large bird resembling a greenwing hornet that kidnapped children much like the faeries of Celtic folklore.

References

Near-level creatures - edit
Level 16 Level 17 Level 18 Level 19 Level 20
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