#evil whale

[chimeride]

[briefbestiary]

Interestingly, hrosshvalur are also considered suitable allies for destruction-seeking sorcerers and witches due to their strong and aggressive nature.

[tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang]

Is that a whale in the background????

Kind of fucked up how much it's smiling at this kid being beaten up

[evolutionsvoid]

The Illhveli are massive and monstrous beasts of the sea, species that strike fear in hearts of every northern sailor. Thick armor, powerful teeth and bladed fins make for a powerful impression, but sometimes there is more to it than looks. Scars and tusks can tell you that you are in for a bad time, but sometimes the most vicious beasts are the ones you don't realize are a threat. Not every danger has a set of fangs or claws, it could just be a random fuzzy animal that is hiding a blood lust behind those adorable eyes. In this case, it is not furry and soft, but one would find their appearance charming and pleasant still. They call it the Ox-whale, a beast that shares a striking resemblance to a friendly cow, although much bigger. You could call it by its true name, Nauthveli, but don't let any sailors hear you say it. Though you may laugh at the idea of a "sea cow" or think it cute that such a beast looks like a peaceful dairy cow, know that this species belongs to the Illhveli, and they don't earn that title through looks alone.

The Nauthveli is a whale, who calls the frigid waters of the northern seas home. For this mammal, however, more folk tend to compare it to a different species, one that isn't aquatic. Their hide has two colors, a light gray with large black splotches. Its head has a peculiar snout, one not normal for most whales. Atop this head are two nodules that sprout a short pair of bony "horns." If the picture wasn't enough to clue you in, the reason it is called an "Ox-whale" is because it looks quite like a bovine. Why it so happened to wind up like this, no one really knows, but the resemblance cannot be denied. This large whale species sticks to the higher zones of the ocean, keeping to the surface or the waters just below. They do communicate and hunt through echolocation, but their proficiency at it pales to other members of the Illhveli. Though they resemble cattle, they do not appear to travel in "herds," instead these massive beasts live a solitary lifestyle. They may socialize with those they meet, and they do gather for mating season each year, but when all is done they go their separate ways. Some suggest that this species may have territories, with individuals staking out their own parts of the ocean. Not much research has been done in this area to confirm or deny this, but it wouldn't surprise me. With their size and an ocean filled with plenty of hungry mouths, they certainly can't afford to share with others. Oddly enough, it isn't just their looks that bring to mind a cow, as they are an Illhveli that grazes! Kind of. It turns out that their diet is not just meat, as they do feed on the kelp that grows in the cold water. Floating through the kelp forest, their maw can snap up multiple stipes, chewing lazily as they coast along. Often, this feeding takes in more than just kelp, as many other creatures live amongst the fronds and tend to wind up being devoured alongside their home. Outside of these forests, the Nauthveli feeds on a wide variety of species, gobbling up fish, squid, shark, seal and other smaller Illhveli. Hidden in that harmless rounded snout are rows of short sharp teeth, perfect for snaring prey and holding tight. Their size allows them to swallow most meals whole, but for the larger prey, they thrash about to tear them into manageable chunks. The opening of their maw tends to create a suction, which pulls in smaller prey. For others, they use their brute force and powerful jaws to dispatch them. If their food puts up a fight, then their horns come into action. Launching their bodies through the water, they will ram this pair of blades into the sides and bellies of prey and predator alike. These attacks are brutal and can cause serious injury. Prey rarely survives long after being struck, and predators will do anything to not be on the receiving end of this battering ram. While one would think these weapons would be wielded by only the males, it turns out that the females of this species also possess horns. Only the calves lack these spikes, but they will grow in eventually, rupturing from the bumpy nodules on their head. These horns are highly prized and worth a whole lot, but getting your hands on them is no easy task. There is a reason that most Nauthveli horn is collected from washed up carcasses and sun bleached skeletons, after all, they are an Illhveli.

While the cow-like appearance of this large beast can be charming and cute to outsiders, locals are not fooled. They despise this species just as much as any Illhveli, as they can be quite the menace. Though they have been seen knocking over smaller boats and stealing catches, the folk who have a real hatred for this species are the cattle farmers. While fishing and whaling are major parts of the local economy, rearing livestock is another staple for these northern lands. Those who have the land can raise impressive herds of sheep or cattle, who graze on the endless fields. Though it may be strange for a whale to be hated by a land-based business, the Nauthveli has somehow found a way to earn this ire. The thing that set this all off is something you wouldn't quite expect. It is not that the Nauthveli ruthlessly attacks small ships, it is not that they kill and eat fishermen and whalers. No, what the Ox-whale does to drive cattle farmers mad is breathe. I couldn't believe it myself when I first read about it. All this trouble because of a whale breathing? Bizarre as it seems, it is true. When the Nauthveli comes up for a breath, it sticks its large snout out of the water and exhales all the spent air in its lungs. All of this air comes rushing out of its nose, which has a peculiar structure to it. Somehow, it is arranged in such a way that the escaping air makes a loud bellowing sound, much akin to the roar of a bull. I can't imagine how confusing that would be to hear on the open ocean! Out sailing in the middle of nowhere to suddenly hear the bellow of a cow! During my studies, I did happen to hear that sound once when I was on shore, and at first I didn't realize it was a Nauthveli. Only when I saw a rush of fishermen fleeing from the waters and pulling up their boats did I understand that I didn't hear just some random cow. It turns out that this noisy exhalation isn't only confusing to our ears, but to cattle as well. Apparently, it is so close to the sound of real cows that they are fooled by it too. Like my encounter showed, it is a noise that can be heard from shore, so it can easily reach the herds that graze near the cliffs. When a cow hears this sound, they appear to be drawn to its source. Perhaps the noise happens to mimic a certain call or bellow that tells other cattle to come hither. Folk around here like to attribute it to some kind of spell, thinking that the Nauthveli uses a form of dark magic. I don't really believe that explanation, but it is bizarre that this noise from an aquatic creature would affect a terrestrial species so. When the cattle hear this bellow, they head off to locate the caller, which leads them to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Thankfully, the cows aren't about to walk off a cliff in broad daylight, they are not that duped. However, they will crowd around the edge, looking and calling out to this ocean cow. Having so many hanging this close to the edge almost guarantees disaster. One wrong move, or the herd getting spooked by something can cause cows to slip over the side and plummet to their death. If it is dark out, they may actually walk off the cliff by accident, not seeing the drop off before it is too late. The poor cows that fall will drop into the ocean (or splatter on the rocks, depending on the location), and become an easy target for aquatic predators. The Nauthveli will be quick to move in and snag this free meal, not about to pass up on this massive slab of beef. If the cow perishes on the beach, than the shoreline scavengers will get the dinner instead. The other odd thing about this is: how does the Nauthveli know to do this? On some of the islands, the cows were brought over by settlers, so they weren't a native species. If they weren't around in the Nauthveli's region until more recent, how did it develop such behavior? The leading theory is that this is somehow a pure accident, one that the Ox-whale has learned to capitalize on. For some reason, their noses just happen to make a call that lures an introduced domesticated species to their death, and once they realized it somehow brought food, they learned to keep doing it. It is a whole lot of coincidences rolled up into one way too convenient scenario, but we really don't have any better ideas. How this all came to be, we don't know, but we do know that the Ox-whale has figured it out and loves it. They have discovered that exhaling near the cliff sides can sometimes cause food to rain down from the heavens! A miracle from above! Since this has apparently happened so many times, the species now has a taste for beef. Though that food is kept on land, there are sometimes this tasty treat makes its way into their waters. With the cattle industry being big on some of these islands, there are times when cows are loaded onto ships and sent out to sea. Be it importing or exporting, all the Nauthveli cares is that their new food source is now sailing in their domain. Their ears seem to have learned the noise of cattle aboard a ship, either it being their calls or perhaps their hooves upon the wooden boards. When they hear this, the whale will target the ship and try to get to its dinner. While they normally harass and destroy smaller boats, the sound of a tasty cow will get them to attack something bigger. Their mass will slam into the ship, trying to knock it over. Their tail will slap at it and their horns will leave nasty gouges, or even punch a hole through the hull. When one of these leviathans targets a boat, they will not be dissuaded. Harpoons, blades and profanity will do nothing to scare away the Ox-whale, as their size and blubber shrugs off most attacks. The only real way to get them to stop is to appease them, and that means filling that belly. What the sailors must do is shove a cow overboard, which will distract the whale and make them happy. As it enjoys its meal, the ship can sail away in peace, hoping that it would be the last encounter with an Illhveli for the rest of the trip. This scenario has happened so many times, that cattle ships tend to have a sacrificial bull at the ready whenever they set sail. The second that black and gray hide breaks the water, the cow gets shoved into the drink, and the ship keeps on going. Best to appease the beast before it causes any real damage to the vessel. It is not the greatest way to solve the problem, as you sacrifice a cow each trip, but it is better than everyone aboard sinking to the bottom of the ocean. That is, if the Ox-whale doesn't eat your drowned corpse first.   Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian ---------------------------------------------------------- Shamoo over here, with that smug little grin! You can't stop it!

[chimeride]

[chimeride]

A whale that hates.

[briefbestiary]

One of the illhveli, raudkembingur are particularly driven by their hatred for humanity. They have incredibly single-minded aggression, making them both dangerous and surprisingly simple to trick given the right tools. Once focused on wrecking ships and drowning humans, it will not rest until satisfied with its destruction and all human life in its sights is snuffed.

[briefbestiary]

One of the illhveli, múshveli are creatures resembling both mouse and whale. While not among the more aggressive of the evil whales, it is plenty dangerous in its ability to capsize ships.