-The Leafer-
It may seem strange to include such a seemingly harmless creature as the Leaf Bunny, commonly called Leafers by locals, in this compendium. At first glance, the Leafer appears to be nothing more than a large rabbit with oddly plant-like ears, hence the name. They adore cabbage more than carnage, and are quite commonly kept as pets by the small children of Narshe and Figaro. Their thick, fluffy coats make them adorably soft, and their habit of resting in nests of leaves like some sort of bird can only be described as "cute."
Make no mistake. The Leafer is a predator. It enjoys vegetables when presented with them, but one look at its teeth will tell you to true story of this cuddly chameleon. Two vicious incisors that look more at home on a Silver Lobo greet foreigners who try to get a little too friendly with the animals, and they have been known to hunt in packs in the dark hours of the night, searching out very un-cabbage like meals.
But, they are mostly harmless when treated as the wild animals that they are. Humans are certainly not their prey, and they will only bite if they feel provoked. The people of Narshe and Figaro know these creatures well, and are so adept at handling them that outsiders are understandably confused and appalled when the dog-sized rabbits nip them with their cruel fangs. They are easily domesticated, and a tame Leafer is no more of a threat than a housecat, it is true. This is the mistake outsiders make. Treating all Leafers the same. A wild Leafer is a wild animal, and will act as such in the face of a strange hand near its mouth and throat.
As far as their place in this bestiary goes, it should be noted that wild Leafers do, in fact, pose a very real threat to travelers making the long trek between the frozen hills of Narshe and the burning deserts of Figaro. They are not vicious, but they are numerous, and it is hard for a person not versed in their habits to act calm in the face of a swarm of these vermin. The Leafers hunt in groups out of their own protection, not being the most fearsome things singly. If a human attempts to get too close, even if it's to shoo them away, the Leafer's pack mentality will trigger a most unpleasant encounter. Even a modestly-armed hunter or full-grown, healthy adult is more than a match for one Leafer, but a dozen of them can be dangerous, and in extreme cases, even deadly. It is rare, but there have been instances of particularly ill-mannered travelers being taken down and killed by the angry beasts.
A traveler must remember just two things when dealing with the Leafer. One, it is more afraid of you than you are of it. And two, it has been here longer than you have. The plains of Figaro have been home to these creatures for as long as any man can remember. Encroaching civilization has had zero impact on their habits and habitats, and as far as they are concerned, humans don't even exist in the natural order of things. Let them be, and they will not bother you. Try to force them to be anything beyond the wild animals they are, and you will be in for a very un-adorable encounter.
(It should be noted that this entry was written by me before the Fall, during my first dabblings into the idea of a bestiary. I felt no need or desire to change it, because it gives a glimpse at the lives of these poor creatures unmolested by the stark perspective of our present world. As much as I dislike unhappy endings, this entry would be incomplete if I did not inform the reader of a fact they are surely already aware. There are no more Leafers in our world. Being a benign, harmless looking thing, these sweet, innocent examples of a simpler, less dangerous world were very quickly wiped out by the strange new monsters that now roam the island-desert of Figaro. Their incisors, more than capable of fending off the stray cat or dark wind bird, were no match for the brutal heirs of a dying world.)