The desert is home to many creatures, varied as the sands. Some of them are non-hostile, while others are the source of nightmares for even the most brave-hearted warriors.
Hameh: A bird of mythology that formed from the blood and brains of a murdered prince.
It had beautiful green or purple plumage, and it screeched with the sound of one who is being murdered.
This weird cry is known as "Iskoonee," a word signifying "give me to drink," and the Hameh is said to follow the murderer until it can quench his thirst with his blood. It then flies off to the land of dead spirits where it announces that the original death has been avenged.
Karkadann: A rhinoceros-like beast, also somewhat similar to a unicorn. Its single horn has a carving of a man's head at the top.
The ground shook whenever the creature ran, and it could make a loud bellow that frightened all animals away. It is said it would fight an elephant and kill it. It would then hoist it above its head in triumph using its horn, before going blind as the elephant's fat flowed into its eyes as it melted in the sun.
However, their was one animal that would not be frightened away and which the karkadann tolerated: the ringdove. Legend says that the ringdove would perch upon a karkadann's horn and sing a beautiful song which the karkadann enjoyed. It would stake a territory near a nest of ringdoves and would guard them jealously.
Koumfa: A large land lizard, much in shape like a monitor but more in size like a crocodile. Often seen at oases or near rock outcrops where they can bury themselves in sand. These carnivores can be a problem for men but more often it is the other way around. Those who spend much time in the desert (especially in the Rub al Kali) hunt them for their sour fatty meat that once dried lasts nearly forever and can sustain a man indefinitely with little ill effect other than it's unpleasant taste.
Nasnas: Beings which are a half of a human in form; having half a head, half a body, one arm, one leg, with which it hops with much agility.
Sand Tigers: One of the great dangers of the oases of Alhambra. These felines average 3 feet at the shoulder and 4 feet long with males being somewhat larger than females. Sand tigers are a brown grey that blends into the desert sands, they have green eyes that get a distinctly vague unfocused look before attacking. Sand tigers pose several dangers, the males do not back down from a fight regardless of the odds, the females are more selective unless she has nursing cubs then she becomes even more indiscriminately vicious than the male. The true danger of sand tigers rests in their claws, each claw is hollow and connected to a venom sack, each time they strike any resistance causes the claw to inject a paralytic venom. The venom of sand tigers paralyzes without killing, allowing the cats to take their time consuming the victim while keeping the meat fresh longer.
Sandwalker: A monstrous, nocturnal scorpion that feeds on horses and camels. The sandwalker is described as a huge beast, the size of a horse, with a sharp beak and a scorpion-like tail. It also has large, crab-like claws with which it carries away its victims.
The sandwalker buries itself in the sand by day to avoid detection, and comes out at night to feed. It rarely feeds on humans, usually hunting camels or horses, leaving behind only crab-like tracks.
