[Book] The Ko’pii Tragedy
“ Of the many inspired wonders of Argus we Exiles were forced to leave behind, the Ko’pii fish was one of the most painful to see vanish into oblivion. If you are an indigenous reader you might be wondering why indeed a small aquatic creature is of any concern or cultural mourning. ‘Surely there were other priceless works of art or family heirlooms that would cause greater distress.’ Perhaps to some, but for others you would be wrong.
To understand the tragic loss of the Ko’pii fish, one must understand the core purpose of this sadly extinct creature , and the importance of the social activity that sprung up around it.
The hooves of the Draenei - or Eredar, as we were then, - are not simply ‘boots attached to our body’. They are not garments we can switch out, but a fixed part of us that are a part of our identity. Like your hair or your overly long ears, hooves have been a source of physical pride for my people, and quite naturally a great many techniques and treatments sprung up around keeping them pristine and attractive.
It is unclear when the first Ko’pii fish were utilized for hoofcare, but a common story is that a wandering arcanist traversing the Uudon Mountains stumbled across a breed of lake dwelling fish picking at the hooves of the docile vandrra ( which was a hooved, filter-feeding grazer for you natives and post-exodus Draenei who never had the chance to view one) lounging in the pools. Curious, the arcanist collected a number of specimens and brought them back to his tower for study. What he found was that the fish had a specialized row of teeth that were great not only for removing parasites and fungus, but secreted a soothing chemical that eased the creature it was feeding off of, not to unsimilar from these strange ‘vampiric bat’ creatures on Azeroth. Intrigued, the arcanist began to make alterations to the ko’pii with magical enchantments and calculated mutations. Soon, the specialized ko’pii could polish and clean an Eredar’s hooves with a sort of ‘hungry grace’, pulling away chips, smoothing dents and cracks, and mellowing any aches.
The tale continues with the arcanist sharing his new creation with friends and family, and from there his village. The fish and their special gifts became their focus, and thus the first ‘Ko’pan Spa’ was born. The trend spread quickly around many villages and cities of Argus. New spas began altering their ko’pii fish with more magic, giving each sub-breed of fish a unique talent that set them apart from those of another Ko’pan. These special traits included things like teeth that could carve subtle, thin patterns into a hoof for decoration, rub a healing secretion that mixed with a chemical in the pools water that strengthened the keratin of the hoof, and even fish that could layer and weave in thin glyphs.
While not every village had a Ko’pan spa, their leap in popularity eventually resulted in them being prime locations of social gatherings. Eredar would come together to relax, drink, smoke, and discuss magical theorem with one another around the treatment pools. The spas themselves were often highly decorated with beautiful flowers and sculptures from local artists, paid for local musicians and poets to serenade customers, and often paid or traded top resource to sit on a vista overlooking their city or local lake. In several places the Ko’pan were so popular that ‘ getting your hooves nibbled’ became a common saying.
Sadly, the popularity of the Ko’pan and their talented, miracle fish would play a part in the creature’s extinction, as well as the practice. Ko’pii breeding and alteration was a fiercely guarded art. No spa wanted another taking their specialization, and even the smallest of details were hidden away. When the foul Legion came to ruin and pervert our home, no Ko’pii keepers managed to make it to the Genedar in time to be saved, nor were any of the fish saved by the archivers ( a great oversight!) who whisked away the talbuk and elekk calfs.
And so, the legacy of the ko’pii fish and the Ko’pan spas end. It grieves me that younger exiles will never be able to enjoy the experience, nor be able to create memories around those tranquil pools. I have heard rumor that some old mages such as myself hope to revive the practice using Azerothian fish, but I wonder: could any mundane creature from this world ever match up to the ko’pii? Time will tell.”
Chronicler’s Notes: “ It is always fascinating to see how different races have used magic in their day to day lives. The Eredar/Draenei peoples have always been some of the most fascinating to learn about, especially their homeworld. You never know what you might discover from a race where magic was once as common as…well, breathing!
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