Adult Female
Name: unnamed
Species: Tidal Wraithe
Birthday: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Owner: SirChicken
Element: Water 
Adult tidal wraithes are among the most dangerous creatures at the Keep. This is not because they are larger or more violent than other creatures, but rather because, as well as being powerful, they are touchy and impossible to tame. Only skilled magi choose to work with adult wraithes, and it is often said that only a fool tries to befriend one. A creature raised as a hatchling and cared for well into adulthood will turn on its caretaker without warning, hypnotizing them with the wraithe’s eerie, melodic call as an attempt to drown their magi. This is most common on nights of the New Moon, and magi are warned not to come near the lake alone when the moon is blackened. If the unlucky victim steps too close when the wraithe is feeling devious, they may find themselves tangled in the creature’s stinging tentacles and paralyzed as it tries to pull them under. For this reason, any magi working with wraithes are required to bring koi fish with them so they may still breathe when underwater. Upon discovering that its ploy has failed, however, the tidal wraithe will become enraged, using the full force of its power to create gales of wind and send the surface of the lake frothing over the beach and onto the roads and fields beyond. If such a storm forms right over Lake Lakira, experts from the Order of the Trident are called down to calm the creature with spells not taught in the Keep.
Little is known about the lives of enigmatic tidal wraithes, but one would be hard-pressed to find a sailor who does not know to be wary of moonless nights close to shore. Although relatively peaceful most days, tidal wraithes have unpredictable tempers and even members of the Order of the Trident must be vigilant when working with these creatures. They can seem quite affectionate at times, favoring some people in particular to hear their haunting songs and gift with sea shells or pearls. Most believe this to be a false affection, though, as a wraithe is just as likely to drown the person of its liking as offer them trinkets. Tidal wraithes may live in any sort of water, but they prefer to take up residence in large tide pools or shallow bays, especially those where lives have been lost. Sailors tell stories of how the first wraithe was a shipwrecked woman cursed forever after to drown people and feed on the ghosts of the dead to extend her own life. If they are unable to do so, she and her wraithe descendants would conjure up massive, unnatural storms that would destroy whole seaside cities. These stories are not to be taken lightly, for tidal wraithes are long-lived and powerful creatures that can deal such damage to ports and villages. Water magi often seek out creatures that take up residence near a populated area to prevent just such an occurrence, for the sake of both the local people and the tidal wraithes themselves.
Sprite art: Lazuli (adult) | Description: PKGriffin