Reilly Kissane

There are creatures in our stories and legends whose very existence would threaten the entire human race. Mythological beings who would make hardened soldiers shudder. These myths exist for a reason. The monsters are out there. The only thing standing between them and the annihilation of the human world is the Dragon and his army. But every army needs recruits, and when young Reagan O'Rourke is rescued from mortal danger, she decides to join her rescuers in the fight for the human world. Even her allies have secrets however, and when her new friends go missing, young Reagan must discover what kind of power a young teenager can have and how that power will disrupt the political scheming of very powerful enemies. The land of Ekunbi is both a fantastically magical place, as well as a place full of terrifying power. Among Ekunbi's eleven united territories lies the Westroc Territory, ruled by the Dragon. It is also the home of Westroc Academy where the Dragon and several others t

Would anyone dare to believe in a world where humans from all across the globe can coexist in harmony with one another? It can be difficult to imagine earth that way but, in the world of Ekunbi, humans from every corner of the earth are all on the same team. Not only do they get along with one another, but they also work hand in hand with thousands of legendary creatures and myths that would astound even the most learned of scientists. Map by R.A. Kissane In this place, humans would hardly be considered top of the food chain. However, with the help from the Dragon, the Troll and a few unexpected allies, they will come to find they wield more power than they could have imagined. The Dragon, Jin Tian Shi, is ruler of Westroc (one of eleven territories of Ekunbi) and a member of the Grand Council. He once had the power to create portals from his mountain to earth; these portals are what the humans now call the Flux Tunnels. Thousands of years ago, when he first took over the Westroc T

About The Typhonic Beast, sometimes known as the Set animal, hails from the Mediterranean country of Egypt. The animal is associated with the Egyptian god Set or Seth who is linked with confusion, chaos and violent storms. The creature appears many times in hieroglyphs as representing Set. Photo courtesy of Roxanne Shewchuck The Typhonic Beast is typically represented as a black, four legged creature with square or triangular ears standing on end, a long muzzle and an upright tail. The tail has some variation depending on the source. Some state the creature’s tail is forked at the end, while others say it is tipped like a lion’s. One of the early discoveries of this animal in connection with the deity, is an ivory comb with the figure on top of it. This object was found in Mahasna. Those who discovered it, noted it had no tail, unlike some of the hieroglyphic versions, and its long face resembled a donkey. Many different historians, archeologists and researchers have debat

Photo by Oleg Magni The Dingonek is a creature of legend all the way from Africa. Reports have ranged from all over Africa but are primarily heard of in the areas of the Congolese Jungles. The first written account comes from jungle explorer Edgar Beecher Bronson’s memoirs “In Closed Territory” written in 1910. In this account Edgar tells about his friend John Alfred Jordan who had an encounter with the Dingonek even going so far as to shoot at it. This effort was noted to only have angered the ferocious creature. About the Dingonek Sometimes referred to as the “jungle walrus” the Dingonek is reported to have long tusks or fangs  that protrude from its upper jaw, much like those of the sabretooth. The Dingonek has a lion like head and is reported to have armored scales like an armadillo. Some claim the Dingonek has a large fish like tail while others say it has a scorpion tail. The creature’s feet are webbed and clawed to enable both swimming and land movement. The Dingonek

Origins The Te-Tini-O-Hakuturi are legendary creatures from the country of New Zealand in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Photo Courtesy of  Tú Nguyễn About the Te-Tini-O-Hakuturi These fairy like creatures have a variety of aliases including: “The offspring of Tane” (Referring to Tane-mahuta, lord of the forests), “the host of Hakuturi” and “the multitude of bow-legged ones”. As that last name implies, these forest dwellers are thought to be bowlegged in their original form, but may take the shape of insects or birds. These creatures are guardians of the forest. If you would take something of the forest, such as chopping down a tree, you need to appease the spirit world first or these little guys just may put the tree right back where it came from, as happens in the legend of Rata. In the World of Ekunbi The Te-Tini-O-Hakuturi appears in my current work in progress as the character “Whetu”, whose animal form is the kea parrot of the South Island of New Zealand. W

Most people are familiar with the term "Dragon" but there are hundreds of lesser known creatures from all over the world. I am making it a goal to introduce some of these characters in my blog. If you like learning about myths, legendary creatures and cryptids, stay tuned. I am trying to get at least one new mythical creature posted every month (hopefully more). I will also be sprinkling in some blogs on my world development for my work in progress, the Reagan Healy Series of Ekunbi. If you would like to get in touch with me about certain creatures or are interested in my work in progress (featuring many legendary creatures from across the globe), please leave a comment below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible! Photo Courtesy of Travel Photographer on  Stock Snap I am still in the process of setting up a monthly e-Newsletter and getting an email sign up list so check back soon or leave a message below to indicate your interest!