Bestiary
Name: Drifting Mariner
Nickname(s): Old Men of the Sea, Plated Serpents
Habitat: Boreal Ocean, Wild Ocean and Heaving Expanse. They are rarely seen between Theavia and Cyr. Such a rare appearance may herald some large and catastrophic weather event that has forced them to take shelter in these relatively safer waters.
Appearance:
The appearance of the Mariner may be likened to a massive lobster with a lengthened, many-segmented tail which takes up the majority of the body length. They enjoy extremely long lifespans, not subsisting on very much (microorganisms), with their primary form of locomotion being riding the currents. As they grow larger, they become lacking in natural predators, though their young often fall prey to the vast majority of opportunistic sealife.
They have three sets of main pincers, with each set being larger and more cranial than the next. The first set resemble the grasping appendages of Mantis shrimps, while the second and third sets are more like those of normal lobsters. Major pincers aside, they have eight supplementary ‘legs’ with fans (resembling the more common bamboo shrimp), which they use to filter water and bring food to their mouths. ’They are covered in a hard, but surprisingly buoyant carapace which resists most weaponry and allows easy floatation. They have no eyes, but the complexity of the head and facial structure may convey false eyes which are used to ward against predation in younger years. Rather than relying on sight, they sense according to chemical signals in the water and through vibration. Their entire body has regions of stiff ‘hair’ (often bordering large plates, swimmers, legs, etc.) which assist with the latter.
Most of their organs- consisting of a primitive gastrointestinal tract and cardiopulmonary system are stored within the relatively cramped cephalothorax. There is something like a neural network which replaces the need for a more complex brain. Their blood is a translucent, and turns a cloudy milk-white when in contact with oxygen or water.
The tail is equipped with consecutive rows of swimmers. Similar in mechanism to a modern tapeworm, eggs are stored in these segments after reproduction. Segments are detached from the body and dropped to the seabed to allow eggs to develop and eventually hatch from within the hard, protective outer shell. Interestingly, the quality of the shell in such segments transforms to become less buoyant in a mechanism which encourages the ‘drop’.
Mariners may come in a variety of reds, pinks, oranges and pale whites (newly shed). Very rarely will one see a blue or black morph. It is hypothesised that such colors are seen only in deeper waters.
A Mariner deprived of food in younger years will have a thinner tail, while a Mariner which grew up well-fed will have a relatively thicker, flatter tail. Starving Mariners will develop frayed plates and a pronounced ‘spine’.
Finally, Mariners from colder, deeper waters often display more craggy, spiny and matte shells (like spider crabs), as well as longer legs; whereas Mariners from warmer waters are generally more sleek, shiny and smooth.
Diet:
Mariners will eat a variety of plankton, algae, krill and small animals. They eat via straining water through their fan appendages, trapping small microorganisms and maneuvering their catch to their mouths. Mariners eat constantly.
Size:
Mariners grow to gargantuan sizes. At some point, the rate of growth of the head and cephalothorax begin to slow, but the tail continues to lengthen throughout their lifespan. The largest Mariners have been observed to measure the length of three Galleon ships or more, with considerable width to boot.
Temperament:
Mariners are very much the peaceful giants of the sea. That is- as far as limited understanding goes. As they are rarely seen, it is difficult to differentiate whether their observed indifference is due to ignorance of smaller, insignificant vessels and dragons, or due to true pacifist tendencies.
It is important to note that their young (generally nocturnal) have been observed to swarm and attack the bottoms of ships and rarely- dragons. They are quite efficient at chewing holes through their own egg cases, wood and other more pliable substances. This makes them quite a nuisance to sailors, who have become accustomed to repelling them with bright light and explosives.
Interactions with other creatures:
While older Mariners enjoy a more peaceful and positive reputation, the same can’t be said about their young. Some sailors will attack young Mariners with lethal force, while others avoid such extremities under the premise of believing it is bad luck.
Neither dragon nor human have much interest in being hostile to a large, mature Mariner. They have little meat and their carapace is very difficult to pierce. Moreover, a floating carcass attracts sharks. Some have tried to make armour out of the shells of dead or shed Mariners, though they have quickly found the persistant buoyancy to be a nuisance. The shed segments however, are rare and in high demand for their resilience and non-existent buoyancy.
Generally, the appearance of a Mariner is quite the spectacle, with some believing in their capacity as an omen of good fortune; and others, as a herald of bad things to come.
Nickname(s): Old Men of the Sea, Plated Serpents
Habitat: Boreal Ocean, Wild Ocean and Heaving Expanse. They are rarely seen between Theavia and Cyr. Such a rare appearance may herald some large and catastrophic weather event that has forced them to take shelter in these relatively safer waters.
Appearance:
The appearance of the Mariner may be likened to a massive lobster with a lengthened, many-segmented tail which takes up the majority of the body length. They enjoy extremely long lifespans, not subsisting on very much (microorganisms), with their primary form of locomotion being riding the currents. As they grow larger, they become lacking in natural predators, though their young often fall prey to the vast majority of opportunistic sealife.
They have three sets of main pincers, with each set being larger and more cranial than the next. The first set resemble the grasping appendages of Mantis shrimps, while the second and third sets are more like those of normal lobsters. Major pincers aside, they have eight supplementary ‘legs’ with fans (resembling the more common bamboo shrimp), which they use to filter water and bring food to their mouths. ’They are covered in a hard, but surprisingly buoyant carapace which resists most weaponry and allows easy floatation. They have no eyes, but the complexity of the head and facial structure may convey false eyes which are used to ward against predation in younger years. Rather than relying on sight, they sense according to chemical signals in the water and through vibration. Their entire body has regions of stiff ‘hair’ (often bordering large plates, swimmers, legs, etc.) which assist with the latter.
Most of their organs- consisting of a primitive gastrointestinal tract and cardiopulmonary system are stored within the relatively cramped cephalothorax. There is something like a neural network which replaces the need for a more complex brain. Their blood is a translucent, and turns a cloudy milk-white when in contact with oxygen or water.
The tail is equipped with consecutive rows of swimmers. Similar in mechanism to a modern tapeworm, eggs are stored in these segments after reproduction. Segments are detached from the body and dropped to the seabed to allow eggs to develop and eventually hatch from within the hard, protective outer shell. Interestingly, the quality of the shell in such segments transforms to become less buoyant in a mechanism which encourages the ‘drop’.
Mariners may come in a variety of reds, pinks, oranges and pale whites (newly shed). Very rarely will one see a blue or black morph. It is hypothesised that such colors are seen only in deeper waters.
A Mariner deprived of food in younger years will have a thinner tail, while a Mariner which grew up well-fed will have a relatively thicker, flatter tail. Starving Mariners will develop frayed plates and a pronounced ‘spine’.
Finally, Mariners from colder, deeper waters often display more craggy, spiny and matte shells (like spider crabs), as well as longer legs; whereas Mariners from warmer waters are generally more sleek, shiny and smooth.
Diet:
Mariners will eat a variety of plankton, algae, krill and small animals. They eat via straining water through their fan appendages, trapping small microorganisms and maneuvering their catch to their mouths. Mariners eat constantly.
Size:
Mariners grow to gargantuan sizes. At some point, the rate of growth of the head and cephalothorax begin to slow, but the tail continues to lengthen throughout their lifespan. The largest Mariners have been observed to measure the length of three Galleon ships or more, with considerable width to boot.
Temperament:
Mariners are very much the peaceful giants of the sea. That is- as far as limited understanding goes. As they are rarely seen, it is difficult to differentiate whether their observed indifference is due to ignorance of smaller, insignificant vessels and dragons, or due to true pacifist tendencies.
It is important to note that their young (generally nocturnal) have been observed to swarm and attack the bottoms of ships and rarely- dragons. They are quite efficient at chewing holes through their own egg cases, wood and other more pliable substances. This makes them quite a nuisance to sailors, who have become accustomed to repelling them with bright light and explosives.
Interactions with other creatures:
While older Mariners enjoy a more peaceful and positive reputation, the same can’t be said about their young. Some sailors will attack young Mariners with lethal force, while others avoid such extremities under the premise of believing it is bad luck.
Neither dragon nor human have much interest in being hostile to a large, mature Mariner. They have little meat and their carapace is very difficult to pierce. Moreover, a floating carcass attracts sharks. Some have tried to make armour out of the shells of dead or shed Mariners, though they have quickly found the persistant buoyancy to be a nuisance. The shed segments however, are rare and in high demand for their resilience and non-existent buoyancy.
Generally, the appearance of a Mariner is quite the spectacle, with some believing in their capacity as an omen of good fortune; and others, as a herald of bad things to come.