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Description

NU:AMAM - Neofauna Taxon Classing Guide - www.deviantart.com/djaymasi/ar…

Order - Pinnipedia
Suborder - Aquatic mammal
Infraorder - Leviathan
Species - Telkhine cryoposeidonae
————
Height - 5.18m (17ft)
Length - 10m (33ft)
Weight - 45,359kg (50tons)

Sound concept - youtu.be/SIVI-PS32tc

A gargantuan tusked Leviathan that made its home amongst the most frigid regions of the polar ice realms, the Telkhines. Extremely territorial they will attack any who approach their harem & pups with colossal strength & power.
— Grimoire passage from the Tapster

HABITAT RANGE

During the 5 year absence a severe meteorological anomaly had raged out of control freezing all that was caught in its path, this phenomena was known as the Old Man Winter. This neo ice age engulfed majority of the North & South in an ice so solid that it had crystallised into a dense mineral that’s as hard as diamonds known as Ice 7, capable of remaining frozen for several years prior to the anomaly even despite the tear in the earths atmosphere that literally vaporises all beneath it. Lands that were heavily affected by Old Man Winter are what Neo Earth inhabitants call the Ice realms and very few possess the necessary thermal protection they require to survive the subzero temperatures. The Telkhines however are amongst the fewest Neofauna that have shown to survive these deathly frigid wastelands where majority of the leviathan population spends its summers north of the Bering Strait of the Chukchi Sea as well as the northern coast of eastern Siberia in the polar seas. Telkhines have also been seen inhabiting the Antarctic Ice realms when their food supply, Deep sea squid, migrates to south to breed.

ECOLOGICAL NICHE

Like most marine mammals like seals & walruses, the Telkhines have a colonial system where they are lead by a single bull. The Bull Telkhine occupies a polyamorous relationship with many female mates in which are known as harem. Each harem are tasked to feed & nurture his pups whereas his role is to protect his colony from threats like Neofauna predators & Hunters.

Despite their sheer size & raw unrefined power alone the Telkhines only have three main predators that threaten the Leviathan from the three corners of each terrain; the Nanook, the Akhlut & the Rok. The Telkhines however doesn’t comprise a significant component for any of these predators' diets where they are most likely to prey on defenceless pups or the elderly. The Telkhines also have to deal with smaller threats towards his Harem & pups from new age fauna like Wargs, Stymphalids, Nymphs & Goblins to even old world predators like foxes, wolves, bears & sharks. But other than predatory monsters another looming threat is one they have to look out for, opposing rival males. For if he loses the victor will take full rights to his harem, kill his pups & banish him from his own territory.

During the earliest times since the discoveries of the Neofauna super species, Telkhines were heavily exploited by early seafaring Paladin Hunters leading to the extirpation of the marine Leviathan species. Now due to the global decree pass of neo species commercial Telkhine harvesting became outlawed, in exception to the Chukchi, Yupik & Inuit Paladins who are permitted to hunt a small number by the end of summer.
Prior to this time all parts of the Telkhine were used & far from wasted. The meat, often preserved, is an important winter nutrition source that was boiled & stewed. Flippers of the Telkhine were preserved & fermented as a delicacy amongst traditions. The tusks were historically used as crude icebreaker tools, as well as material for artisan handicrafts. The Leviathans oil was rendered as a popular slow burning light & heat source. The Telkhines tough hide can be made into near impenetrable leather for ropes as well as insulation for houses and boats, whereas the intestinal & gut linings of the Leviathan are used to craft waterproof components for Paladin armour & equipment.

BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS

The most prominent feature of the marine Leviathan species is its long tusks. These are elongated canines are present in both male and female Telkhines though males sport slightly longer and thicker tusks which they use for fighting, dominance and display. The strongest males with the largest tusks typically dominate social groups known as the bull. Tusks of the Telkhine are also used to form and maintain holes in the incredibly dense ice, aiding the Leviathan to climb out of water onto ice. Like Walruses the dentitions of the Telkhines is highly variable, where they generally have 38 teeth or less.

The Telkhines possesses an incredibly tough skin sparse of fur appearing bald & wrinkled in which is approximately 8 inches thick from neck & shoulders to tail. Despite the thickness & density of this skin the Telkhines show a clumsy but bearable form of amphibious locomotion. This hide protects adults from damage afflicted from large predators as well as pressure changes when diving into the abyssal depths to hunt & forage for food that they desire. Telkhine Pups however don’t have this thick hide like their large parents instead covered in a fluffy white fur that is used to aid with camouflage on the snow. This fur eventually sheds after 2 years entering adolescence& hardening when approaching adulthood.

Like all Aquatic mammalian Leviathans, beneath this thick hide is a layer of blubber. Differing from most adipose tissue due to thickness, blubber present in the Telkhines provide an efficient insulation towards the Ice realms making it a superior form of thermoregulation despite lacking fur. Blubber doesn’t decompress under high pressure, this is especially useful when the Leviathan dives into the subzero temperatures of the polar seas as well as the abyss. Therefore diving into these cold waters, blood vessels covering the blubber constrict & decreases blood flow, thus increasing blubber's efficiency as an insulator. The blubber of the Telkhines also acts as a primary fat storage as well as an energy reserve for when food becomes scarce or migrating to & from the Ice Realms they are capable metabolising this stored fat to cope through these harsh periods of time.

Surrounding the tusks of the Telkhines is a broad mat of stiff bristles called vibrissae similarly to that of the whiskers of a Walrus. The Telkhines possesses 400 to 700 vibrissae in rows of 13 to 15 reaching 30 cm in length, although this is shortened & worn down due to constant foraging. The vibrissae are linked to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves, making them highly sensitive receptors capable of differentiating & discerning shapes in total darkness. This is an incredibly useful tool for the Leviathan as its main food source is located several hundred feet below the surface where light no longer passes.

The Tail of the Telkhines is fluke shaped similar to that of cetaceans like whales & porpoises unlike regular pinnipeds like seals & walruses. These flukes are cartilaginous in nature & are horizontal in formation assisting the Leviathan to generate thrust and control the subsequent motion of travel.

BEHAVIOUR

Telkhines are extremely territorial Leviathans where the Bull is the most aggressive when predatory threats & Hunters come in between them & their families, resulting towards fierce attacks without hesitation at first sight. Telkhine Pups however are incredibly curious & playful, making them open to predatory attack. Their carefree and playful behavior even leads them to play with humans despite the possible risk. This in turn fuels their parents protective behaviour to the point of aggression.

Description

NU:AMAM - Neofauna Taxon Classing Guide - www.deviantart.com/djaymasi/ar…

Order - Pinnipedia
Suborder - Aquatic mammal
Infraorder - Leviathan
Species - Telkhine cryoposeidonae
————
Height - 5.18m (17ft)
Length - 10m (33ft)
Weight - 45,359kg (50tons)

Sound concept - youtu.be/SIVI-PS32tc

A gargantuan tusked Leviathan that made its home amongst the most frigid regions of the polar ice realms, the Telkhines. Extremely territorial they will attack any who approach their harem & pups with colossal strength & power.
— Grimoire passage from the Tapster

HABITAT RANGE

During the 5 year absence a severe meteorological anomaly had raged out of control freezing all that was caught in its path, this phenomena was known as the Old Man Winter. This neo ice age engulfed majority of the North & South in an ice so solid that it had crystallised into a dense mineral that’s as hard as diamonds known as Ice 7, capable of remaining frozen for several years prior to the anomaly even despite the tear in the earths atmosphere that literally vaporises all beneath it. Lands that were heavily affected by Old Man Winter are what Neo Earth inhabitants call the Ice realms and very few possess the necessary thermal protection they require to survive the subzero temperatures. The Telkhines however are amongst the fewest Neofauna that have shown to survive these deathly frigid wastelands where majority of the leviathan population spends its summers north of the Bering Strait of the Chukchi Sea as well as the northern coast of eastern Siberia in the polar seas. Telkhines have also been seen inhabiting the Antarctic Ice realms when their food supply, Deep sea squid, migrates to south to breed.

ECOLOGICAL NICHE

Like most marine mammals like seals & walruses, the Telkhines have a colonial system where they are lead by a single bull. The Bull Telkhine occupies a polyamorous relationship with many female mates in which are known as harem. Each harem are tasked to feed & nurture his pups whereas his role is to protect his colony from threats like Neofauna predators & Hunters.

Despite their sheer size & raw unrefined power alone the Telkhines only have three main predators that threaten the Leviathan from the three corners of each terrain; the Nanook, the Akhlut & the Rok. The Telkhines however doesn’t comprise a significant component for any of these predators' diets where they are most likely to prey on defenceless pups or the elderly. The Telkhines also have to deal with smaller threats towards his Harem & pups from new age fauna like Wargs, Stymphalids, Nymphs & Goblins to even old world predators like foxes, wolves, bears & sharks. But other than predatory monsters another looming threat is one they have to look out for, opposing rival males. For if he loses the victor will take full rights to his harem, kill his pups & banish him from his own territory.

During the earliest times since the discoveries of the Neofauna super species, Telkhines were heavily exploited by early seafaring Paladin Hunters leading to the extirpation of the marine Leviathan species. Now due to the global decree pass of neo species commercial Telkhine harvesting became outlawed, in exception to the Chukchi, Yupik & Inuit Paladins who are permitted to hunt a small number by the end of summer.
Prior to this time all parts of the Telkhine were used & far from wasted. The meat, often preserved, is an important winter nutrition source that was boiled & stewed. Flippers of the Telkhine were preserved & fermented as a delicacy amongst traditions. The tusks were historically used as crude icebreaker tools, as well as material for artisan handicrafts. The Leviathans oil was rendered as a popular slow burning light & heat source. The Telkhines tough hide can be made into near impenetrable leather for ropes as well as insulation for houses and boats, whereas the intestinal & gut linings of the Leviathan are used to craft waterproof components for Paladin armour & equipment.

BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS

The most prominent feature of the marine Leviathan species is its long tusks. These are elongated canines are present in both male and female Telkhines though males sport slightly longer and thicker tusks which they use for fighting, dominance and display. The strongest males with the largest tusks typically dominate social groups known as the bull. Tusks of the Telkhine are also used to form and maintain holes in the incredibly dense ice, aiding the Leviathan to climb out of water onto ice. Like Walruses the dentitions of the Telkhines is highly variable, where they generally have 38 teeth or less.

The Telkhines possesses an incredibly tough skin sparse of fur appearing bald & wrinkled in which is approximately 8 inches thick from neck & shoulders to tail. Despite the thickness & density of this skin the Telkhines show a clumsy but bearable form of amphibious locomotion. This hide protects adults from damage afflicted from large predators as well as pressure changes when diving into the abyssal depths to hunt & forage for food that they desire. Telkhine Pups however don’t have this thick hide like their large parents instead covered in a fluffy white fur that is used to aid with camouflage on the snow. This fur eventually sheds after 2 years entering adolescence& hardening when approaching adulthood.

Like all Aquatic mammalian Leviathans, beneath this thick hide is a layer of blubber. Differing from most adipose tissue due to thickness, blubber present in the Telkhines provide an efficient insulation towards the Ice realms making it a superior form of thermoregulation despite lacking fur. Blubber doesn’t decompress under high pressure, this is especially useful when the Leviathan dives into the subzero temperatures of the polar seas as well as the abyss. Therefore diving into these cold waters, blood vessels covering the blubber constrict & decreases blood flow, thus increasing blubber's efficiency as an insulator. The blubber of the Telkhines also acts as a primary fat storage as well as an energy reserve for when food becomes scarce or migrating to & from the Ice Realms they are capable metabolising this stored fat to cope through these harsh periods of time.

Surrounding the tusks of the Telkhines is a broad mat of stiff bristles called vibrissae similarly to that of the whiskers of a Walrus. The Telkhines possesses 400 to 700 vibrissae in rows of 13 to 15 reaching 30 cm in length, although this is shortened & worn down due to constant foraging. The vibrissae are linked to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves, making them highly sensitive receptors capable of differentiating & discerning shapes in total darkness. This is an incredibly useful tool for the Leviathan as its main food source is located several hundred feet below the surface where light no longer passes.

The Tail of the Telkhines is fluke shaped similar to that of cetaceans like whales & porpoises unlike regular pinnipeds like seals & walruses. These flukes are cartilaginous in nature & are horizontal in formation assisting the Leviathan to generate thrust and control the subsequent motion of travel.

BEHAVIOUR

Telkhines are extremely territorial Leviathans where the Bull is the most aggressive when predatory threats & Hunters come in between them & their families, resulting towards fierce attacks without hesitation at first sight. Telkhine Pups however are incredibly curious & playful, making them open to predatory attack. Their carefree and playful behavior even leads them to play with humans despite the possible risk. This in turn fuels their parents protective behaviour to the point of aggression.