Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Ice Octopus
Birthday: Monday, August 5, 2013
Owner: ApprenticeCrone
Mother: unnamed
Father: unnamed
Element: Neutral
Ice octopuses are born incredibly small, and quickly depart from their mother. Blown throughout the ocean, only a small number of these hatchlings survive to adulthood, which accounts for their numbers. Born among thousands, these little ones drift to the ocean bottom, where they fend for themselves, many succumbing to predators. Ice octopuses only reproduce in the wild, so it is rare to find the egg necessary to raise one of these creatures as a companion. A newborn octopus will easily fit in the palm of a magi's hand, though not for long. Fed on plankton, these hatchlings grow at incredible rates, although they never reach the size of the krakens.
While most octopuses can change color in order to effectively hide, ice octopuses can change only from white to black, most likely due to their surroundings. These creatures live far under thick sheets of ice in the north, where they prey on all smaller creatures and occasionally larger ones. When hunting in packs, ice octopuses search and bring down much bigger prey, using spines embedded in their arms to cut through the ice. Whatever unfortunate animal resting above them crashes into the waters, where the ice octopuses began to feed. Although known to travel together, ice octopuses are mainly solitary creatures, not given to displays of affection, even to their hatchlings. These creatures do not raise their young, though the females of the species do guard the eggs for several months until they hatch. Then the hatchlings depart, with the mother remaining behind. These octopuses make their homes in caves that they carve out of the ice, which make all but impenetrable homes.
Sprite art: BettyxMe (hatchling) | Description: Damien