Bestiary
Elverisks are eel-like sea-dwelling creatures. They can be found everywhere but cold, arctic waters. Most subspecies are carnivorous and aggressive. Elveriks have venom that vary in potency depending on the subspecies. They can unhinge their jaws like a snake. Elverisks have movable scales that are valued for their markings. For most subspecies, the scales are used for threat displays. Most also dwell in underwater caverns and are not common in open water. Elverisks have eyes that are sunken into their skull, giving them a dead-eyed gaze. Their eyes are typically one color and appear pupilless. They have very poor dark vision.
Tropical Elverisks
Habitat: Tropical Elverisks are found in warm, tropical waters. They are a common sight in the Whaletooth Archipelago. They make dens in underwater caverns and caves. They are common near and within the Blacksea Caverns. These Elverisks hunt among reefs and shallow waters. They are very rarely seen in open water.
Appearance: Tropical Elverisks are sleek creatures with blue-grey skin that has a silvery sheen. Their scales have the greatest range of possible colors out of all Elverisk suspecies. Their eyes are white or a very light yellow. They are thinner than Abyssal and Volcanic Elverisks, but longer than them. They are about 2.13 - 2.44 meters (7 - 8 feet) in length.
Abilities: Tropical Elverisks have a very weak venom. Lots of venom is required to kill someone. These Elverisks attack in swarms so lots of venom can be injected at once. They can stretch their jaws like a snake and have very poor dark vision. They do use a type of echolocation to navigate dark underwater tunnels and to locate prey.
Lifespan: These Elverisks live between 5 -8 years, becoming sexually mature at 1. They live in large dens, taking care of one another.
Diet: Tropical Elverisks are omnivorous. They have a tendency to eat meat but can eat seaweed and kelp and coral if the situation arises. The dead may be fed to the young.
Temperament: For Elverisks, these are surprisingly docile. They will not attack unless provoked or hunting. When they do attack, they attack as a swarm. Feeding frenzies are very common. They are very territorial about their dens.
Intelligence: Abyssal Elverisks can identify members of the same species. Their intelligence is basic survival and similar to an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: Tropical Elverisk scales are valuable and used in fashion and jewelry. They are valued for the range of color. The scales are easy to come by and thus are not very expensive.
Appearance: Tropical Elverisks are sleek creatures with blue-grey skin that has a silvery sheen. Their scales have the greatest range of possible colors out of all Elverisk suspecies. Their eyes are white or a very light yellow. They are thinner than Abyssal and Volcanic Elverisks, but longer than them. They are about 2.13 - 2.44 meters (7 - 8 feet) in length.
Abilities: Tropical Elverisks have a very weak venom. Lots of venom is required to kill someone. These Elverisks attack in swarms so lots of venom can be injected at once. They can stretch their jaws like a snake and have very poor dark vision. They do use a type of echolocation to navigate dark underwater tunnels and to locate prey.
Lifespan: These Elverisks live between 5 -8 years, becoming sexually mature at 1. They live in large dens, taking care of one another.
Diet: Tropical Elverisks are omnivorous. They have a tendency to eat meat but can eat seaweed and kelp and coral if the situation arises. The dead may be fed to the young.
Temperament: For Elverisks, these are surprisingly docile. They will not attack unless provoked or hunting. When they do attack, they attack as a swarm. Feeding frenzies are very common. They are very territorial about their dens.
Intelligence: Abyssal Elverisks can identify members of the same species. Their intelligence is basic survival and similar to an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: Tropical Elverisk scales are valuable and used in fashion and jewelry. They are valued for the range of color. The scales are easy to come by and thus are not very expensive.
Volcanic Elverisks
Habitat: VolcanicElverisks are found in the underwater tunnels and areas surrounding volcanoes and underwater volcanoes. They are common near the Island of Fire. These Elverisks do not spend much time in open water. Most of their lives are spent in underwater volcanic tunnels and caverns.
Appearance: Volcanic Elverisks have charcoal black/grey bodies. Mature adults have red and orange lateral markings. Juveniles are darker in color. The defining scales of Elverisks in the Volcanic subspecies are adorned with red and orange markings. The vibrancy is dependent on where the individual Elverisk lies in the ‘pecking’ order of the pod. Alphas have the brightest markings. Volcanic Elverisks have dark red or light orange eyes depending on the depth they live at. These Elverisks are longer than Abyssal Elverisks, but typically shorter than Tropical Elverisks. Volcanic Elverisks are 1.52 - 1.83 meters (5-6 feet) in length.
Abilities: Like all Elverisks, Volcanic Elverisks can flare their scales in a threat display. They have a venom that makes the victim feel like they’re burning. They are able to filter feed, especially as juveniles. Their jaws can stretch like a snake’s to swallow prey. They have poor vision in the dark.
Lifespan: Volcanic Elverisks live around 7-10 years. They live in pods that are divided by sex. Female pods tend to be more numerous than male pods. Male and female pods only interact to copulate. Females spawn in the spring and raise the young. Volcanic Elverisks become sexually mature at two years of age. Juvenile males leave female pods at one and half years to find and join or make a male pod. Juvenile females stay with the pod they were born in.
Diet: Like most Elverisks, Volcanic Elverisks are carnivorous. These Elverisks can also filter feed, which is the main food source for juveniles. These creatures swallow small prey whole and tear into the flesh of larger creatures with their teeth.
Temperament: Volcanic Elverisks are extremely territorial. They protect their dens, young, and mates (when they have them) with vigor. They are a swarm so they attack in numbers. Volcanic Elverisk pods are aggressive to anything other than their own pod. Pods only tolerate each other during the mating season.
Intelligence: They can identify other members of the same species and different pods. Their intelligence level is basic survival and similar to that of an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: Their scales are very valuable, especially the brighter they are. The scales are used in fashion but are not easy to acquire because of the aggressive nature of Volcanic Elverisks.
Appearance: Volcanic Elverisks have charcoal black/grey bodies. Mature adults have red and orange lateral markings. Juveniles are darker in color. The defining scales of Elverisks in the Volcanic subspecies are adorned with red and orange markings. The vibrancy is dependent on where the individual Elverisk lies in the ‘pecking’ order of the pod. Alphas have the brightest markings. Volcanic Elverisks have dark red or light orange eyes depending on the depth they live at. These Elverisks are longer than Abyssal Elverisks, but typically shorter than Tropical Elverisks. Volcanic Elverisks are 1.52 - 1.83 meters (5-6 feet) in length.
Abilities: Like all Elverisks, Volcanic Elverisks can flare their scales in a threat display. They have a venom that makes the victim feel like they’re burning. They are able to filter feed, especially as juveniles. Their jaws can stretch like a snake’s to swallow prey. They have poor vision in the dark.
Lifespan: Volcanic Elverisks live around 7-10 years. They live in pods that are divided by sex. Female pods tend to be more numerous than male pods. Male and female pods only interact to copulate. Females spawn in the spring and raise the young. Volcanic Elverisks become sexually mature at two years of age. Juvenile males leave female pods at one and half years to find and join or make a male pod. Juvenile females stay with the pod they were born in.
Diet: Like most Elverisks, Volcanic Elverisks are carnivorous. These Elverisks can also filter feed, which is the main food source for juveniles. These creatures swallow small prey whole and tear into the flesh of larger creatures with their teeth.
Temperament: Volcanic Elverisks are extremely territorial. They protect their dens, young, and mates (when they have them) with vigor. They are a swarm so they attack in numbers. Volcanic Elverisk pods are aggressive to anything other than their own pod. Pods only tolerate each other during the mating season.
Intelligence: They can identify other members of the same species and different pods. Their intelligence level is basic survival and similar to that of an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: Their scales are very valuable, especially the brighter they are. The scales are used in fashion but are not easy to acquire because of the aggressive nature of Volcanic Elverisks.
Abyssal Elverisks
Habitat: Abyssal Elverisks are found in deep waters where light does not reach. They are found in the same waters as Abyssal Tidekeepers and Lesser Bone Leviathans. Unlike most Elverisks, Abyssal Elverisks spend the majority of their life in open water and not underwater caves.
Appearance: Abyssal Elverisks are pitch black with bioluminescent patterns on their moveable scales. Their eyes are dark grey vestigial spheres. They are much larger than their cavern-dwelling cousins. They are more muscular and thick but only get to about 1.25 meters (4 feet) in length.
Abilities: These Elverisks have the typical abilities as others. Abyssal Elverisks can light up bioluminescent patterns on their usually dark scales. Unlike other Elverisks, Abyssals do not display the patterns on their scales or puff up to ward off threats. The patterns are used to attract prey and mates. The patterns are lit by electrical signals, which the Elverisk also uses to pinpoint prey and identify mates. For defense, the venom stored in an Abyssal Elverisk's teeth is extremely potent and can cause a painful death. The venom releases a pheromone when it comes in contact with dead tissue. The pheromone draws in Abyssal Elverisks, which can cause competition among them.
Lifespan: Abyssal Elverisks live for 4 years. The mating season is during the fall. They find mates with their bioluminescent patterns and electrical signals. Females have brighter patterns than males and stronger signals. After copulation, the male sacrifices himself to the female, who eats him. For half a year, the female carries the spawn (close to 100 eggs) in a pouch. The eggs are connected to the female and drain her of nutrients until they are ready to hatch. The female dies after the eggs have become ready to hatch. For the first month of their lives, the young eat the female and may also eat each other and any unhatched eggs. The surviving population of the spawn after the first month is between 40 and 50. For the first year of life, Abyssal Elverisks are easily preyed upon and only around 10 to 15 survive. They become sexually mature at 3 years and mate that fall.
Diet: Abyssal Elverisks are purely carnivorous. Cannibalism is very common among the subspecies. They feed off dead creatures that have fallen from the sun-lit waters into the dark abyss. They also eat smaller deep sea creatures and larger predators, usually either already dead or killed by their venom.
Temperament: Abyssal Elverisks are very aggressive to any living creature that is not another Abyssal Elverisk. These Elverisks ignore each other and vacate the area of each other, except at birth, mating, and large feeding frenzies. They don’t actively attack other creatures of dragons that could be threats to them. They will attack if provoked. THeir attacks are vicious and often in an attempt to scare off their provokers.
Intelligence: Abyssal Elverisks can identify members of the same species. Their intelligence is basic survival and similar to an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: The dark scales of Abyssal Elverisks are very valuable .Their bioluminescent patterns are used in some fashions. These scales are extremely expensive because of how hard it is to find Abyssal Elverisks. Very few have ever been collected.
Appearance: Abyssal Elverisks are pitch black with bioluminescent patterns on their moveable scales. Their eyes are dark grey vestigial spheres. They are much larger than their cavern-dwelling cousins. They are more muscular and thick but only get to about 1.25 meters (4 feet) in length.
Abilities: These Elverisks have the typical abilities as others. Abyssal Elverisks can light up bioluminescent patterns on their usually dark scales. Unlike other Elverisks, Abyssals do not display the patterns on their scales or puff up to ward off threats. The patterns are used to attract prey and mates. The patterns are lit by electrical signals, which the Elverisk also uses to pinpoint prey and identify mates. For defense, the venom stored in an Abyssal Elverisk's teeth is extremely potent and can cause a painful death. The venom releases a pheromone when it comes in contact with dead tissue. The pheromone draws in Abyssal Elverisks, which can cause competition among them.
Lifespan: Abyssal Elverisks live for 4 years. The mating season is during the fall. They find mates with their bioluminescent patterns and electrical signals. Females have brighter patterns than males and stronger signals. After copulation, the male sacrifices himself to the female, who eats him. For half a year, the female carries the spawn (close to 100 eggs) in a pouch. The eggs are connected to the female and drain her of nutrients until they are ready to hatch. The female dies after the eggs have become ready to hatch. For the first month of their lives, the young eat the female and may also eat each other and any unhatched eggs. The surviving population of the spawn after the first month is between 40 and 50. For the first year of life, Abyssal Elverisks are easily preyed upon and only around 10 to 15 survive. They become sexually mature at 3 years and mate that fall.
Diet: Abyssal Elverisks are purely carnivorous. Cannibalism is very common among the subspecies. They feed off dead creatures that have fallen from the sun-lit waters into the dark abyss. They also eat smaller deep sea creatures and larger predators, usually either already dead or killed by their venom.
Temperament: Abyssal Elverisks are very aggressive to any living creature that is not another Abyssal Elverisk. These Elverisks ignore each other and vacate the area of each other, except at birth, mating, and large feeding frenzies. They don’t actively attack other creatures of dragons that could be threats to them. They will attack if provoked. THeir attacks are vicious and often in an attempt to scare off their provokers.
Intelligence: Abyssal Elverisks can identify members of the same species. Their intelligence is basic survival and similar to an eel’s.
Cultural Associations: The dark scales of Abyssal Elverisks are very valuable .Their bioluminescent patterns are used in some fashions. These scales are extremely expensive because of how hard it is to find Abyssal Elverisks. Very few have ever been collected.