Chapter Artwork and Glossary
All artwork for The Legend of La La Land was hand drawn by author P. J. Galati. No other artists were willing to travel to La La Land and see what lethal dangers lurked there, so....
A Bread Basket
In La La Land City, not one cooks, they go to the Bundle Basket tree for freshly grown baskets of food. They come in many varieties, all color coded, much like this bread basket which is a light tan color when ripe.
Threat Basher
Threat Bashers are rare in La La Land. This magical familiars select their owners and once chosen it is a lifelong bond. Their have the innate ability of detecting threats and their body will react in an opposing manner to counter or defend against any danger to their owner. Their prefered method of travel is draped over their owners shoulders. They also survive on an extremely high sugar diet.
Cave Spook
Cave Spooks live in The Underground and are patient surprise hunters. Their scalp skirt hangs down giving them the appearance of mushroom stumps, but it retracts up quickly to reveal nasty sharp teeth. While not very fast, they are dangerous up close. They range in height from three to four feet tall.
Intention Compass
Made of solid gold, the Intention Compass will lead you where you'd like to go...if you stay focused. Otherwise, who knows where the arrow will point. A rare magical item, it'll cost ya.
Twigeon
While in appearance they look like twig men...well, yeah, they're twig men. Like the rats of the Danger Forest, living in an underground hive similar to ants, these critters are not to be trifled with if you come across them. While rather small at one to two feet in height, they aren't friendly and tend to ride around on Battle Grobs (gigantic toads) which love to eat anything that they can swallow. If you do manage to make them angry, be prepared to run. Don't climb a tree, they climb too.
The Oracle
The Oracle know everything, I mean EVERYTHING, but good luck trying to get a straight answer out of this sarcastic, sly talking ball of blue flames. Every since a dark magic spell was cast on the Oracle, it mostly just amuses itself by frustrating any visitors with double talk and nonsense.
Tree Species
La La Land is home to many unique species of trees, such as silverwood (resists magic), ironwood (metal fiber wood), cottenwood (so soft), spongewood (for those forest spills), diamondwood (shiny, but hard to use), glowwood (it glows), firewood (it won't burn) and hamsterwood (like cottenwood only fuzzier). Now, as to what kind of leaves are drawn above? Not a darn clue.
The Golden Statue of Weary Travelers
Bilocated in the Danger Forest and the Underground, The Golden Statue of Weary Travelers remains solid until touched. Sensing the need of someone who is lost, she will lay out a safe (if possible) pathway for them to get where they need to go.
The Beach
Frequented by visitors to La La Land, the beach is a great place to relax, so long as you keep an eye out for sea monsters.
Sterling Glowplug
One of the few bugs in La La Land, the Sterling Glowplug is quite rare. About the size and shape of a large orange or grapefruit half, they are quite friendly and feed off warmth, including body heat. Much a ladybug, their carapace opens to reveal wings and their bodies glow brightly with Sterling Light, which can harm some creatures of darkness.
Pineariah
One of the smallest critters in La La Land, the Pineariah is eternally hungry and rightfully so with a stomach that's a micro black hole. The only known amphibian, this vicious mouth with webbed legs is at home on land or in water and travels in packs (or maybe schools is more politically correct) of 30 to 60, using their shere numbers to overwhelm even the largest of beasts. They frequent the Dark Swamp Pond and a central western section of the Danger Forest.
Grand Cave Spook
If Cave Spooks live long enough, they grow to gigantic proportions (around twenty five feet tall) and become a Grand Cave Spoke. At this age they grow arm-like tendrils for grasping prey closer to the ground. These are rare and far more dangerous, known to eat smaller Cave Spooks if food is scarce.
Swamp Serpent
Swamp Serpents are extremely large and vicious, measuring forty to sixty feet, or so it's estimated (no one has been brave enough to find the exact measurement). Crimson with black stripes, the creatures segmented body is a bony plate armor, complemented with two foot long fangs. They live in the Dark Swamp Pond, but have been rumored to be ocean dwelling as well.
Cave Spider
Surviving on a strict diet of, anything they can catch in their superglue like webs, the Cave Spider lives in the Underground. It's armored carapace and legs reflect the rocky terrain of its territory, offering a partial camouflage. Adult Cave spiders range in size from six to ten feet long and while solitary hunters, if the occasion arrises they will also hunt in packs.
Carnivorous Stalactite
Found deep in the Underground, the Carnivorous Stalactite hangs high above the ground, patiently waiting for something to walk or run below...then it drops and times its decent to land directly on top of it's next meal, which will be swallowed whole in one bite. Now...how they get back up to the ceiling, no one knows...
Giant Gabbock Hammerand
The largest of the Gabbocks, the Giant Gabbock Hammerand lives in the western half of the Danger Forest. Gumdrop shaped with massive arms and legs, they stand around eleven feet tall and made of hematite (a dark grey, sparkly stone), they are difficult to injure. Giant Gabbock Hammerand tend to nap a lot, hence the saying, "Let sleeping gabbocks lie" so, no touching.
Red Moss Mounds
Very much like mushrooms, Red Moss Mounds grow in a grouping, like a grove or a forest. They reach heights of up to six stories and have a velvity red top that isn't unlike dense short grass. Some variations of the species glow. Found in the Underground, be careful not to fall off of one, in addition to the drop, there's green eyed beasts lurking at the base of each one.