Arcwhale

Arcwhales are a behemoth species of whale that inhabit the Northern Sea of Ahren, living far from shore. Though a docile species by nature, their sheer size makes them incredibly destructive, notwithstanding their magical abilities, which they call upon when threatened by other sea life or by mortals of Wisteria. In addition to their meat and oil, Arcwhale Oil is produced by alchemical processes from certain organs of these creatures, and is a highly prized reagent in alchemical goods prepared under Ars Magica.

Appearance

An arcwhale is a behemoth creature of impressive size, with a thick, armour-like hide of dark blue to black, often with a white underbelly. As the arcwhale ages and grows, it gains additional pairs of lateral fins, with some reported as having up to six such pairs at the extreme. They reach adult lengths upward of 80 feet.

Habitat and Society

Arcwhales are intelligent, but solitary, creatures. They mate in passing and while a pod of a mother and some infant-to-adolescent arcwhales may be found, its far more common to run into a lone arcwhale. They live in clear, open, and deep waters, sometimes favouring territorial ranges or migrating along ley lines.

Arcwhale diet primarily consists of krill, small fish, and other filter-fed organisms, as well as the arcane energy they draw from their surroundings, leading them to take betimes days-long dives to bask-feed on raw essentia seeping from seabed fissures, vents, or other unlikely nexuses. This diet and their slow metabolisms and growth lead to them living lifetimes measured more easily in centuries or millenia than years.

Origins

Nobody is clear on the origins of the arcwhales. Some Atarlie believe their creator goddess, Pyria Valeptor, created the Arcwhale to be a puzzle and a challenge for the elves. The Bastonians, who make up the bulk of those that traffic in Arcwhale, believe that the Arcwhales are as old as Ahren itself. Some consider them a creation of The Enemy, owing to the hagiography of San Marino, who fought an arcwhale that had been either created or enhanced by the Bastonian Pantheon's evil deity.

Abilities

In addition to the strength, hardiness, and impassivity their bulk implies, Arcwhales are inherently magical. In addition to boasting a natural spell resistance, when threatened, an arcwhale will use its magic impulsively to generate a freakish storm, lash out by giving form to the sea, or, in rare instances, transport itself and anything in its immediate proximity to Akara.

In Relation To Others

The Bastonians have a whole class of specialist sailors that hunt Arcwhales for a living, many of whom have the distinction of being known as Arcwhalers, a highly-specialized prestige class.

The Carcolie and the Confederacy of Sages have an astrological sign known as the Arcwhale, a constellation of seventeen stars, one of which is the north star.