CRYPTIDS OF MYTHERA
Cryptids run wild throughout the World of Mythera. Every species possesses its own instincts, strengths, weaknesses, and desires. Every individual develops its own personality, preferences, and history. They choose who they stand beside, and the bonds they form with one another and with humanity shape who they become. Some may trust you. Others may challenge you. And some may never walk beside a human again.
Cryptids
Cryptids aren't monsters or enemies hunting the world. In fact, they were here long before anyone else was. Chupacabras don't simply devour livestock for blood. They have also been seen rolling through fields of lavender. Sasquatches have been studied going out of their way to aid the young of other species. Grim Dogs have even been spotted within wolf packs, howling together beneath the moon. Every species has habits, traditions, and behaviors that evolved without us. And on one thing, explorers all agree: they were never waiting for us. They've always had lives of their own, evolving for longer than humanity has ever been paying attention. They are part of the wildlife of Mythera, not a force against it.
View Creature ConceptsWHAT MAKES THEM DIFFERENT?
Cryptids aren't creatures waiting to be taken from the wilderness to be raised by players. Rather, they are part of an extensive ecosystem that keeps Mythera thriving. Each cryptid has its own evolved traits - own personality. Each species have their own regions, habitats and seasons. We've always needed them, they've never actually needed us.
Cryptids aren't just a power boost to make exploration easier. They have instincts, strengths, weaknesses, moods, preferences, and memories. They respond differently to each player, each situation, and each encounter. They can't be commanded. They aren't tools to be optimized. They're individuals to be understood; with opinions, thoughts and decisions to be respected.
Just like any other relationship, Cryptids do not immediately trust or respect their partners. You must earn trust, affection, respect. Through interactions, the choices you make, the time spent with your cryptid - you'll find their response to you changing, evolving, adjusting. Earn their trust, and they'll surprise you. Take it for granted, and they won't forget.
BONDING
Cryptids have a living relationship system - one that is shaped by the player's choices, encounters, care, neglect, protection and repeated interactions. How you treat your cryptid will have a lasting impact on shaping how your cryptid views you.
Cryptids run on multiple systems that track affection, loyalty, respect, and bond. Your choices and interactions can increase and lower the individual relationship values - and those points are what shapes how your cryptid responds to you.
But be warned, this isn't just a flavor mechanic. Your cryptid may stop obeying you in the midst of a battle. It can affect the outcome of what they find when they patrol. It can even impact your own adventure experiences.
BREEDING & LINEAGES
Every aspect of your cryptid carries playable weight. Their personality, the traits they inherit, the mutations they unlock, and the strengths they pass on all shape how they live within Mythera. None of it is left entirely to luck, and none of it is hidden behind paid content. Building a remarkable lineage takes planning, experimentation, patience, and dedication. Even choosing the right breeding pair becomes a meaningful decision.
Breeding isn't about producing endless offspring until statistics finally cooperate. Family lines matter. Personalities matter. Certain traits complement one another, while others may unlock entirely new possibilities. The goal isn't to breed a thousand cryptids. It's to patiently build the right lineage, for the right companion, at the right moment. Every generation writes another page in that family's story.
WORLD PRESENCE
Cryptids belong to the ecosystems that shaped them. Every forest, mountain, wetland, coastline, and forgotten ruin has species adapted to life there. Their territories shift with the seasons, their populations respond to the world around them. Sasquatches enjoy the thickest of forests. Chupacabras prefer open plains with room to run. To truly call the world of Mythera explored, don't limit yourself to one location - or you'll miss the resst.
Mythera is built as a world, with a proper living cycle. As such, different encounters can occur at different signs. Mothman and Grim Dogs may be more common at night, while sasquatch prefers dawn or dusk. The Roc flies during noon, the Yeti prefers winter time, but banshees are more common when the fall equinox shortens the veil between life and death. Be mindful of the seasons, to make the most of Mythera and its cryptids.
The world is full of oppurtonities to meet cryptids. Not every encounter begins with a battle or a friendship. Sometimes you'll simply observe. Watch a family migrate. Witness a hunting ritual. Discover where a species nests. Many of Mythera's greatest discoveries come from paying attention instead of taking action. Cryptids exist for Mythera, live within Mythera, and as such can be encountered everywhere.
THE REAL DIFFERENCE
Cryptids are a part of Mythera. They are companions for adventurers. Creaters of legacies and rarity. Some may hold power lineages, others powerful histories, and some maybe perfectly happy lounging around your Hollow. Here in Mythera, they aren't just pets - they are beings you were respecting.