Creatures of the Tundra

I've been doing a lot of work concerning the Imoreith Tundra, and I've found that there aren't many ideas concerning it, especially where fauna is concerned. I'd appreciate some help and ideas for coming up with more ideas to help flesh out the area, as well as the Shimmering Sea, perhaps, since it's right next to it.

My first thought is for seals or seal-like creatures inhabiting the tundra's coast and the Shimmerings Sea, but I'm having difficulty coming up with anything substantial. Might anyone else have some ideas?

If it helps, at one point I considered a tundra predator that burrows through the ice but displaces the sound of its digging so as to fool prey regarding where it's coming from

I posted an idea a while back for an area in the Tundra i.e. the Nordek Icecap, but it fell by the wayside, as do all of the ideas I actually take great time and effort to develop

well my next landscape picture to come will be about that zone^^

While that's all well and good, I'm looking for people who'll help me really flesh out some ideas for the area. I'd really like to do as much as possible to improve the zone, and also the areas surrounding it like Elifga Valley.

Well I do have ideas for the coast line for the Imoreith Tundra if you don't mind those Nyaha. But I'll give a few ideas here and there as I think of them.

Seal girls: A race of predator hybrids that are usually between 80 to 120 feet long by adulthood, the diet of seal girls typically consists of the whales that swim in their waters, Penguins and the occasional humanoid. There are males, or sea lions, but these are rare, usually growing to be 150 feet long and having a long 'mane' of hair.

One of the most defining features of Seal girls, and also something of a sore spot for them, is the protective layer of blubber beneath their skin which makes them appear chubby. DO NOT call them this to their faces - they will immediately scarf down anyone small enough to fit in their mouths, and are incredibly tough physically, so could easily kick another pred's skinny ass.

One of the more interesting facts about them is that they have little aptitude for magic. While this is odd on a world as magically saturated as felarya, seal girls have little need of it because of their brute strength.

Note: I took magic away from them because I didn't want them just to be ice nagas in the water. I also had an idea for "penguins", like normal penguins but speak with a stuffy British accent and a large vocabulary, and actually wear dinner jackets, tophats and monocles which they tuck into their coats before they go swimming. Also I contributed to another tundra race a while back - the Snowmen. It should still be somewhere around here.

I'd appreciate any ideas you have, Walking. ^.^

I do like the sound of the silly penguin idea, but I'm not in love with the seal girls myself. I was hoping for seal-like beasts, not sentient seals. But perhaps everyone else will like the idea more than I do.

Oh, do you mean that idea for snowmen you posted concerning my snowmen idea? ^_^ I actually adopted that into a true idea myself, with credit to you. There's a link to a page with the snowmen idea on it in my ideas thread. ^_^

Maybe I could contribute with something: overgrown walrus with even bigger tusks. Yeah, nothing original, needs to be fleshed out better.

Wetammoths are a species of gigantic - males are about 90 feet long and females about 80 feet - walrus-like mammals living near the shores of the Imoreith tundra, although some specimens have been found swimming deeper in the Shimmering Sea.

Although their appearance is clearly that of a walrus, the wetammoths' tusks are much longer and curled, in a way similar to those of an elephant. These tusks are used for fighting, either for leadership or mating, and as a means of defense against the dangers they usually meet. It must be pointed out that, contrary to their long lost cousins, the female wetammoths don't have tusks at all, thus leaving the males as the only ones able to defend their packs.

They are very heavy animals, mainly because most of their bodies is pure fat for keeping themselves warm. This makes life on ground nearly impossible for them, as their big size and low speed would make them very vulnerable. That's why they spend most of their life in the sea, where they are more agile, and show their voracious tendencies. This is because they burn their fat pretty fast and need large supplies of food. Anything within their range - except for another wetammoth - can end up as their lunch.

Feadraug wrote:

Maybe I could contribute with something: overgrown walrus with even bigger tusks. Yeah, nothing original, needs to be fleshed out better.

Wetammoths are a species of gigantic - males are about 90 feet long and females about 80 feet - walrus-like mammals living near the shores of the Imoreith tundra, although some specimens have been found swimming deeper in the Shimmering Sea.

Although their appearance is clearly that of a walrus, the wetammoths' tusks are much longer and curled, in a way similar to those of an elephant. These tusks are used for fighting, either for leadership or mating, and as a means of defense against the dangers they usually meet. It must be pointed out that, contrary to their long lost cousins, the female wetammoths don't have tusks at all, thus leaving the males as the only ones able to defend their packs.

They are very heavy animals, mainly because most of their bodies is pure fat for keeping themselves warm. This makes life on ground nearly impossible for them, as their big size and low speed would make them very vulnerable. That's why they spend most of their life in the sea, where they are more agile, and show their voracious tendencies. This is because they burn their fat pretty fast and need large supplies of food. Anything within their range - except for another wetammoth - can end up as their lunch.

With the exception of how the first line is broken up, which left me saying, "Gigantic what?", I like this idea. I think it would make a great idea with what is there. Does anybody else have anything to add to this idea? ^.^

Thanks... and yes, I broke the sentence in the wrong place, sorry. ^^U I should have done it after "walrus-like", but I was so eager to point out why I consider them huge... that broke it before I should. XD

Anyway, I still think the idea can turn better, but I don't know how to improve it, so I'm sure many people out there have something to add for making this look better.

Don't forget you can play on sounds for various traits and abilities for creatures of that area ^^

Karbo raises a good point. How do you think the Tundra's wacky sound physics would affect the walrus things?

True, I forgot the tundra's peculiar sound physics and it's a good question for the wetammoths' development into a better idea.

First, I could add that they have enhanced sight, smell and touch for their survival. Sight and smell for hunting and detecting threats, while touch can be used, along with the tusks, for mating and general communication among wetammoths. Also, their touch sense could serve them as a way to counter the weird sound physics: their fat could be used as a receptor for sounds, trusting it more than their own ears.

As wetammoths are long lost relatives of walruses, oral communication should be a must. However, due to the nature of the Imoreith Tundra, it would be dangerous, but they aren't mute either. Their in-community communication should be more touch-and-sight based, and their grunts and growls could be use when hunting. They could create sound waves under the sea could stun some prey while their tusks could do the rest of the job... odd, sure, but even if wetammoths are related to walruses, they aren't actual walruses. Also, not all wetammoths would use sound waves.

It's still a bit green, though. More ideas and improvement are more than welcome.

I had an idea about the tundra while I was coming up with ideas for my blackjacks, about a ship called the "Gigantic". Basically, this enormous ship was made entirely out of Battal Oak, but was wrecked in an area on the coast of the tundra known for it's jagged icy cliffs and icebergs, called the Shipbreaker coast. Like it's name suggests, there are a lot of wrecked ships up there, but only the Gigantic was built in Negav, and no-one knows where the rest came from...

I thought of this:
Snow Scorpion
A large scorpion-like creature, with a bloated body, long tail, both laced with pale blue stripes and four hooked palyps (think that's what they are called). Their most noticeable parts of their bodies are their extremely long legs, the front most pair usually being twice as long as the body. The body is covered in a thick fur. Feelers spurt from the tail, especially the end, around the head and on it's legs.
The snow scorpion is both blind and death, only using their legs and the feeler-like protrusions on their tail, head and legs to feel their way around. They also can sense vibrations, using this and touch to locate prey.
Aggressive hunters, snow scorpions are generally a ambush predator of sorts, sneaking behind prey. If the prey is small enough, the scorpion will wrap it's long front legs around it and throw the prey into it's mouth. If not, the scorpion will attack relentlessly, inflicting wounds with it's whip-like legs and bites.
A snow is afraid of heat sources, as they are sensitive to heat, staying away from strong fires. Mother snow scorpions are very caring, raising their young by giving them food and warmth. Sometimes, especially on old specimens, feelers can be seen growing on feelers.

Qwuillin wrote:

The snow scorpion is both blind and death

Do you mean "deaf"?

Also, how big are they?

Hmm, would anyone be game for a gigantic (50+ ft at shoulder height) salamander-esque creature? Someone suggested a burrower earlier, and you people seem to love the unorthodox. I don't think anyone's based a giant, icy herp monster off of an olm yet. (Dragons, however, have been done to death...with some very strange results.)

Nyaha wrote:

Qwuillin wrote:

The snow scorpion is both blind and death

Do you mean "deaf"?

Yes I did

Also, how big are they?

Something like 20ft for young adults, but an old one could grow up to 80ft if it lived for long enough

LamiaSybaris wrote:

Hmm, would anyone be game for a gigantic (50+ ft at shoulder height) salamander-esque creature? Someone suggested a burrower earlier, and you people seem to love the unorthodox. I don't think anyone's based a giant, icy herp monster off of an olm yet. (Dragons, however, have been done to death...with some very strange results.)

I don't know what a herp or an olm is, but I do think ice salamanders would be pretty unique. Though, my personal thought is that making them that big is a little unfair. I hope not everyone here tries to come up with huge preds for the tundra, we need some prey species, too, you know. ^^;

Nyaha wrote:

I don't know what a herp or an olm is, but I do think ice salamanders would be pretty unique. Though, my personal thought is that making them that big is a little unfair. I hope not everyone here tries to come up with huge preds for the tundra, we need some prey species, too, you know. ^^;

Can do. This is why I was just throwing out the idea. (Also, it's VERY good to know that you guys need and want smaller things; I was worried that I might have to upscale another idea I had in mind.) I did notice a lack of small prey species, so that's where I'll focus my creativity from here on.

An olm is a type of cave salamander native to Europe, including Slovenia and some parts of Italy. They're sort of like axolotls in that they retain their gills and other 'baby traits' throughout their lives. The result looks something like a baby Chinese dragon with a puppy dog face and a strange number of toes- in short, this. They have very good senses of hearing and smell. (Also, it skipped my mind that olm swallow their food whole - something that a lot of things on Felarya do already.)

"Herp" is a very general term used for reptiles and amphibians. That's all.

So the result of mulling and this comment made this:

~

Gelly Worm
Size: Approx. 30 feet long as adults (snout to tail), 1-1.5 feet at the shoulder. (Think giant snake physique - not very high, but very long.)
Description: A strange, salamander-ish creature able to endure the coldest of temperatures. It looks vaguely like a scaleless dragon with small blue eyes. Its forepaws have three toes while its hindpaws have only two; nobody really knows why. It is often seen wandering at night on the tundra, sniffing around and listening for anything small enough to fit in its mouth (tinies beware). Most are pure white or bluish-white and hide during the daytime.

By far the most valuable trait that this creature possesses is a mucous coating that never freezes. Some travelers use this strange fluid as a balm to protect themselves from the cold. It burns when first applied, but once the sensation subsides, the wearer is more or less freezeproof. The gelly worms are, however, very slick and hard to keep a hold of, and can often slide away before would-be predators can catch them. Limbs will regenerate after a day, allowing the rest of the salamander to slip free.

Eats: Smaller fauna. Humans are not on the menu for once. Anything past shoulder height is more or less safe. Not an apex predator.
Eaten by: Anything remotely carnivorous. Snowstalkers are usually their most common predators. Humans come in a close second. Both of them are usually turned off by the gelly worm's foul taste and/or coating, but one needs the antifreeze and the other will take what it can get.

~

I'll see what I can do in the herbivore department. A yak- or goat-ish beast is a high possibility, but it might conflict with the Tanarei in terms of niche, so I'd have to play with it a little. Time for a cold-weather animal hunt. (Also, I'm tempted to try drawing a Tanarei; they sound like interesting creatures, pun not intended.)

I thought of a prey (a longer than I expected it to be, so bear with it):

Arpamary

A 10ft tall beast that has a similar anatomy to that of a camel. A small head and ears, with dreadlocks cascading down from the top of the head, and a goatee hangs from the chin. A pair of tusks protrudes from the bottom jaw. A long, muscular neck runs down to the body and a large singular hump, much like a Dromedary's. Hard plates are on the shoulder blades and side of the body. Their legs are long, ending in two toes, each with a pad for grip. Their white fur covers most of their body, except the snout, mouth and cheeks.
Arpamary are social animals, herds consisting of a male, many females and young. Bachelor males form groups for protection. The hump serves the same purpose as a camel; to store food and water as fat (if I remember correctly).
Male arpamary are famous for their intense, elborate and very long rituals during the rut. At the start of the season, the males try to find a location to amplify their calls. This is crucial for the males, as the females mate with the male with the 'loudest' call. As the season goes on, males will challenge other males for the best call area. These challenges can last for days at a time, with males displaying a variety of noises, motions, urine patterns, tongue flailing, stomping, the list goes on... If no opponent backs down, the males will then start to 'totter' into each other sideways, using the plates to hurt or push their opponent over, until one admits defeat.
They are also crucial animals for any adventurer, as they are tireless workers, do not need to be looked after, are a valuable food source and their hair makes warm coats. They aren't the friendliest of animals though, especially if they don't have a relationship with the rider, being stubborn and mischievous. But as the arpamary spends more time with the rider, it can make a strong bond till the arpamary/rider dies or the rider leaves for a hotter climate.

Thos both look pretty great, although I think the Arpamarv might be a little bit tall, especially if they're meant to be used to carry things or people. I was a bit thrown-off by the name of the gelly worms, though that could just have been me. I would like, if you wouldn't mind too terribly much, Lamia, if we could perhaps link gelly worms and my idea for snow leopard nekos together? Gelly worms seem like a good food source for them.

Nyaha wrote:

Thos both look pretty great, although I think the Arpamarv might be a little bit tall, especially if they're meant to be used to carry things or people. I was a bit thrown-off by the name of the gelly worms, though that could just have been me. I would like, if you wouldn't mind too terribly much, Lamia, if we could perhaps link gelly worms and my idea for snow leopard nekos together? Gelly worms seem like a good food source for them.

I agree about the Arpamarv being a bit tall. The size being so close to the already-extant tundra deer also bugged me; a bit smaller and we would not have to worry about niche competition, either.

Change the name if you see fit. I'm not terribly attached to the name by any means, so if you can think up something that would fit the world better, go ahead. (I'm still trying to figure out the method to the language, if there is one.) This is a place to workshop ideas, after all.

Also, hee! Snow leopard nekos! The idea alone sounds adorable! Sure, use the gelly worms for food to your heart's content. Claws would probably help in catching them, too.