Fairytale Creatures Collection
I designed a box of curiosities to facilitate play in adults. As part of that collection (which included a handmade wand, knife, glass ball, vials of powders, a brass telescope etc) I wrote, illustrated and bound a field guide for 22 different creatures from mainly Celtic mythology. This isn't quite all of them but it's a good handful.
The Elder Mother is a witch guardian of the Elder Tree. She can transform her appearance and has considerable magical power. She guards the trees against being cut down or coppiced.
Hob are kind, though mischievous, spirits helpful to those in need of healing. They often assist on farms doing their work at night away from humans.
Bugul Noz are a woodland fairy spirit. Only one remains and he finds himself incredibly ugly which causes him a lot of distress. He will cry out to warn humans that he's there to try to avoid scaring them with his appearance. He's a very gentle and lonely
Wyrm are limbless, wingless serpentine creatures. They mostly live in the sea though some make their homes in fresh water. They have the power to regenerate which makes killing them extremely hard.
Griffin are beasts with the body, tail and hind-legs of a lion and the head, wings and forelegs of an eagle. Griffin mate for life and live in burrows where they lay their eggs.
Dragons are very skilled in magic and highly intelligent. They have four legs along with wings and tail and can breathe fire. They're an incredibly jealous and vain species.
Merrow are creatures with the lower half of a fish and the upper body of a human. Mostly benevolent, they grant boons though when upset they can be responsible for floods, shipwrecks and drownings.
Korrigan are small fairies, growing to less than 2 feet, that use magic to enchant human men to fall in love with them. Those who succumb are then killed.
Clurichaun are prankster fairies and drunkards that have a habit of bringing ruin to the owner of the wine cellar they haunt. If left undisturbed they will try to protect the family.
Brownies are friendly household fairies that aid in tasks around the home such as removing spiders or cleaning.
Boggarts are angered Brownies who will make mischief as payback for a slight - anything from souring milk to hurting animals and abducting children.
Dwarfs are artisans, specialising in smithing, mining and crafting. They are a proud, easily angered people with a propensity towards alcoholism.
Trow are Orcadian trolls. They're nocturnal creatures with a love for music. They live in earthen mounds called Trowie Knowes.
Leshy are a shape-shifting woodland fairy. They're often accompanied by a pack of bears or wolves which they can command and they appear before travelers to lead them astray in the deep northern forests.