Frozen Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Thurr Hvalur
Birthday: Saturday, August 1, 2015
Owner: zylle
Element: Neutral
A hatchling hvalur must eat constantly in order to build up the layer of blubber that will protect it from the cold. Their eggs are loaded with extra fats and oils for just this purpose, and immediately after hatching, a hvalur will turn around and consume the extra contents of its egg. This first meal can save the hvalur for only a few hours, but luckily the hatchlings are easily capable of hunting prey on their own. Thurr hvalur are solitary by nature, and receive no parental care. They are fully capable of using their magical pulses for hunting and defense, but also bear thick scales to protect them from sharks, orcas, and other large predators. Relatively few thurr hvalur reach adulthood, but those that do will eventually wander further south to seek out a mate.
Hvalur are cold-water relatives of leviathans, not quite as long, but built for strength and resilience in the cold Arkene waters they call home. They are opportunistic hunters, but especially enjoy chasing after seals and whales, using a magical sort of echolocation to find and capture prey. Unlike other leviathans, hvalur must breathe air, and so are often encountered near the ocean’s surface. The rok variety is said to be curious, and rarely harms humans, but the more aggressive thurr hvalur has been known to ram holes in ships and leave sailors stranded. Because the creatures live in dense iceberg fields and even under partial ice sheets during the winter, the only sailors likely to come across hvalur tend to be explorers or foolhardy traders. If they are lucky, a wanderer in the frigid north might come across a hvalur egg resting on an ice floe.
Sprite art: Tekla (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin