Greece's Ecology

[Hurlbut]

What sentient creatures and magical beasts would live in or visit Greece?

We're talking about Ancient/Hellestanic periods. Some of them I can figure out; Medusas, Minotaurs, Satyrs, Hydras, Nymphs, Dyrads, Rocs, sphinxes, and centuars. But I am not really well studied in mythology regarding the bestiary.

Quick info on Greece's environment;
Climate; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Greece
Geography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece#Geography

A glance at those infomation show the possibility that Greece or a greece-like region can support a number of non greek monsters, although possibility in small number.

[Collin152]

Don't forget the Chimera.

[TheElfLord]

Pegasus, cyclops, lions

[Hurlbut]

Lions? I'm curious about that.

[Collin152]

Lions? I'm curious about that.

The Nemean Lion, as killed by Heracles.
Wasn't that his first labor?

[Thinker]

Lions? I'm curious about that.

Lions were common in southern Europe back in the day.

[Hurlbut]

The Nemean Lion, as killed by Heracles.
Wasn't that his first labor?

I forgot about that, but aside from that, I didn't recall any instance of lions living in Greece (mind you, I did mention I am not well studied in things like that).

[TheElfLord]

Lions? I'm curious about that.

Well besides the famous one that Hercules killed, the Wikipeadia article on lions specifically mentions that they used to live in Greece.

[Hurlbut]

Well besides the famous one that Hercules killed, the Wikipeadia article on lions specifically mentions that they used to live in Greece.

I looked up lions, it does mentioned that they used to ranged as far as Greece but become extinct in AD 100 in Eastern Europe.

[TheElfLord]

I looked up lions, it does mentioned that they used to ranged as far as Greece but become extinct in AD 100 in Eastern Europe.

And that's several hundred years after the end of the Ancient/Hellenistic period you asked us to suggest animals for.

[Collin152]

Don't forget the Dire Horses.

[Hurlbut]

And that's several hundred years after the end of the Ancient/Hellenistic period you asked us to suggest animals for.

Oh that's not what I mean to imply, it just suggest the possibility of a dwindling population of lions in Greece.

[TheElfLord]

Sorry, I misread your implication. Yeah I agree the population would be dwindling.

manticores are another Greek beastie

[Coplantor]

Dont forget sirens, nereids, griffins and hipogryphs and the greek version of the dragons. Rocs are'nt greek myths, they come from india, but if you want to add beasts from other mythologies you can add the phoenix. And if you dont mind very specific monsters you have scilla.

[Thane of Fife]

Harpies and sirens should be present.

And don't forget skeletons and iron golems.

[Admiral Squish]

I can't nobody's mentioned the sphinx yet. Wasn't there one guarding a mountain pass somewhere?

[Collin152]

And the birds of the Stygian marshes.

I can't nobody's mentioned the sphinx yet. Wasn't there one guarding a mountain pass somewhere?

I believe it was in the original post.

[Coplantor]

the sphinx blocked the roead to Tebas and was defeated by edipo. Zombies are present but not in the way we know them, totally agree with the iron golems, after all, Talos existed as a myth. there was a big giant boar also, then there were basilisks and dont forget about cerberus (If you've ever played Devil may cry 3 then you probably remember that son of a devil).

[Collin152]

I think most forms of undead have at least soem kind of representation.

[Stormcrow]

Depending on your story Titans make an excelent enemy to a greek story. The Collosus of Rhodes is a very large Bronze Golem... MM2 maybe...

[Coplantor]

good thing to do: Play Age of Mythology, take all the monsters from the greeks and forget the main story.

[Lord Tataraus]

good thing to do: Play Age of Mythology, take all the monsters from the greeks and forget the main story.

That is actually a really good idea since they actually did research!!! *gasp* Also, please, please, refer to the *shudder* "Medusas" as Gorgons, Medusa was the most famous Gorgon, but not the name of the race. I've always detested the use of that name.

[Collin152]

That is actually a really good idea since they actually did research!!! *gasp* Also, please, please, refer to the *shudder* "Medusas" as Gorgons, Medusa was the most famous Gorgon, but not the name of the race. I've always detested the use of that name.

Gorgons in DnD are metal bulls.
And as I recall, there were only three Gorgons, mythologically.

[Coplantor]

That is actually a really good idea since they actually did research!!! *gasp* Also, please, please, refer to the *shudder* "Medusas" as Gorgons, Medusa was the most famous Gorgon, but not the name of the race. I've always detested the use of that name.

You know what bothers me? confusion between mermaids and sirens, it wont happen to much in english speaking countries, but here, where people speak in spanish... they dont know the difference! And all because of a bad "the little mermaid" translation...

[Collin152]

You know what bothers me? confusion between mermaids and sirens, it wont happen to much in english speaking countries, but here, where people speak in spanish... they dont know the difference! And all because of a bad "the little mermaid" translation...

It doesn't help that people keep portraying the Sirens as beign part fish when I recall them being part bird.

[FlyMolo]

Lions were common in southern Europe back in the day.

As were italian dwarf elephants. Roman kids used to ride around on them. The size of dogs, iirc.

All the cool animals went extinct.

[Collin152]

All the cool animals went extinct.

They're only cool because we miss them so.

[Coplantor]

As were italian dwarf elephants. Roman kids used to ride around on them. The size of dogs, iirc.

All the cool animals went extinct.

Dude, of course we all miss the dodos but we still have the platypus!

[FlyMolo]

Dude, of course we all miss the dodos but we still have the platypus!

The platypus is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, bar none.

Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? I mean, moas. Stupendous badasses, all of them.

[Lord Tataraus]

Gorgons in DnD are metal bulls.
And as I recall, there were only three Gorgons, mythologically.

Correct DnD Gorgons infuriate me. Firstly, where the heck do they come from? The closest I've ever found was the Catoblepas (also a Greek mythological beast) but it's not made of metal and doesn't breath anything. So why is it that the well established race of Gorgons where renamed presumably to allow for the metal bulls to take that name? This causes a lot of confusion, at least for me and my players.