#mushveli

[dawginabottle]

Múshveli 🐁🐋 one of the bloodthirsty Illhveli of Iceland 🇮🇸

[charliescreatures]

Another sea beast from Librum Prodigiosum! The Múshveli, from Icelandic mythology! This is a large and dangerous ‘mouse whale’ which is said to be able to swallow a rowboat whole! With a long tail to swim at incredible speeds!

[evolutionsvoid]

Another member of the dreaded Illhveli is the deep sea species known as the Mushveli. Since saying its true name at sea is believed to summon it, most people refer to the Mushveli as the "Mousewhale." As infuriating as it is to hear, since this species is not a mouse nor a whale, you can see where people get the idea. This species is actually a fish, one whose skeleton is primarily made of cartilage. Despite this fact, they are referred to as "whales" due to their large size, and thus have been lumped in with the other Illhveli. The label of "mouse" comes from their rather odd appearance, with a pointed snout, long rat-like tail, "legs" and big ol' "ears." The nose of this species can indeed smell, but is also used for sensing hidden prey with the same receptors sharks have. It is an incredibly sensitive tool, allowing it to track down the faintest trail or locate food that is buried far below. This is important, because the Mushveli lives deep in the icy ocean, where light barely reaches. While it does have powerful large eyes to see in the darkness, these other senses allow it to be fully aware of its surroundings despite the endless dark. The long finless tail can still be used for swimming, whipping around in a twirling motion to propel itself forward, but that is not its primary method of movement. It often seems to be used more for a weapon, whipping prey and opponents alike, and also to dig through the muck and silt on the ocean floor. That mention of the ocean floor also explains their "legs," which are pretty much highly specialized fins. They have altered into more of a walking appendage because they spend so much time down at the bottom. With these, they essentially "walk" on the ocean floor, slowly scouring the terrain for food. They too can help paw through the sand and muck, digging up hiding prey. Fins are also what those "ears" are, just giant fins that are positioned quite close to the head. Their large size and broad shape helps them power through the water with every stroke, allowing this creature to move at surprising speeds when they want. It is also believed that these fins are sensitive to sound and vibration, almost acting like a real ear! With all these tools, the Mushveli is incredibly adapted to live in the depths, slowly crawling across the floor and devouring anything that is before it.       When it is inactive, the Mushveli is said to look kind of cute and nonthreatening. When its mouth is closed, it almost has a sad pouting face. These claims vanish immediately when the Mushveli detects food, as that small mouth peels open to reveal a ferocious beak and yawning maw. Living down at the bottom, it feeds on crustaceans and fish, using this powerful beak to crunch through shell and chitin. It also isn't above bottom feeding, devouring corpses that fall to the bottom. If a whale fall ever reaches its domain, expect one of these beasts to be around for the feast. When going after more lively prey, they may whip their thin tail around and strike them. At that size with that much power, most smaller prey dies on impact, but larger morsels may survive and instead wind up being stunned. This disoriented state merely delays their demise by seconds, as the Mushveli is ready to pounce and shear creatures in half with its jaws. For larger prey, fleeing is not really an option, as the Mousewhale is not willing to let big meals get away. If a hefty portion of food tries to run, they will use their fins and tail to unleash a startling burst of speed to overtake them. All these same tools they use for hunting are also used in defending themselves. In the ocean, anything can be prey, and some abyssal beasts eye the Mushveli for food. That cracking tail and nasty jaws make them powerful opponents, and many are hesitant to attempt attack when a single bite from this creature can rip out chunks of flesh. Ambush is required to topple this titan, but that is almost impossible to pull off. Running down their bodies are a series of similar receptors found on their nose, allowing them to detect signals all around them. Combined with sensitive ears and nose, and you will have a hard time approaching one without being noticed. Even those who successfully take down a Mushveli rarely do so without a cost. When observing the mighty leviathans of the sea, some researchers have taken note of nasty scars that fit with the shape of a Mousewhale's beak.

Since the Mushveli lives down at the ocean bottom, it seems like a species we would hardly ever encounter. It is so far down below, and doesn't seem to come up for any part of its life cycle, so how do we know about it? More so, how come it is an "evil whale" when it never comes to the surface? Well, the thing to point out is that this beast does not naturally come to the surface. What I mean is that if we left this species completely alone and never interfered with it, it would never rise from the depths. Unfortunately, there are times when the Mushveli gets disturbed from a source up above. This region relies on fishing and whaling to provide for their families and communities, as the cold climate restricts growing seasons and not everyone has the land to rear enough livestock to get by. With an ever growing market for rare fish species and unique ingredients pulled from the endemic sea life, folk have taken on new and different ways to harvest. Some fishermen have turned to bottom fishing, dropping lines and hooks all the way down to snare a catch that doesn't show up in your usual nets. While it does not provide the sheer amount of fish that regular netting does, all it takes a one big catch to really pull in the money. Pull up a rare beast, and you will have rich folk tripping over each other to buy it from you. While doing this does give the chance of hitting the jackpot, it also means you can have the bad luck of hooking something far worse.

The big hooks they drop down may seem pitiful compared to the size of the Mushveli, but just one can be enough to cause disaster. Mousewhales are quite aggressive due to the presence of predators and scarcity of food. So when they drift into a single hook that pierces their sensitive "ear" fins, they fly into a rage. Sadly, when the fisherman notices that they nabbed something, their first instinct is to yank the rope or rod up to set the hook. They think they have just snared a fine specimen when, in reality, they just gave themselves away as the source of this Mousewhale's pain. The tug of the hook going up lets the furious fish know that their attacker is up above, and that is where they will go. As they swim upwards, the unknowing fisherman is pulling in their line, thinking that this easy reeling means they hooked something far smaller. They won't know their mistake until the sea swells and bubbles from the Mushveli's ascension, bursting from the water with their shearing beak bared. Smaller crafts are bit neatly in two, with the same fate befalling the fisherman. Larger vessels don't fare much better, as that powerful beak can easily bite through wood and punch holes into the hull. The same legs used for walking can be used for grabbing, hooking them on the sides of a boat and using the beast's weight to pull it over. Driven up to the surface by this supposed "attack," the Mousewhale will be enraged and be driven to kill the source of its misery. Exposure to the blinding light and chaotic waters also agitates the beast further, causing them to be even more violent. Due to the chances of hooking such dangerous beasts, bottom fishing in these regions is seen as a sign of desperation, where one is willing to risk it all to hook a single prize. If a local sees a familiar face heading out to the ocean to fish like this, or take tourists out on a similar excursion, they immediately assume that things have gone very wrong in that person's life. However, it should be noted that this type of fishing isn't the only thing that catches the attention of the Mushveli. In truth, all one has to do is say their name to summon one from the deep! I am just kidding, that is the local superstition. Silly as it seems, the locals believe in it fiercely, so do follow by their rules! Jokes aside, the other way a Mushveli may be driven to ascend is when whalers have the terrible luck of killing their catch in the wrong area. Most of the time, the Mousewhale is completely oblivious to what happens up above, but sometimes fate is cruel. If a whale is slaughtered right above a Mushveli and the crew lingers in their task long enough, blood and detritus from the battle may fall far enough to catch the Mousewhale's attention. Already an eater of whale carcasses, it may think that a fresh one is about to fall on its head. Such a corpse is a prized thing down below, and the beast will want to be the first to feed. With that in mind, they may swim up to try and intercept the falling carcass, so that they can get some bites in before the rest of the crowd shows up. Lured by the blood, they will keep going up and up, driven to hunger from the smell. If there is enough traces to lure them to the surface and right to the bloody catch, then they will try to claim it as theirs. They went through all this trouble to locate it, and now this strange wooden beast dares to steal it from them!? Expecting food and now facing hostility, the Mushveli will take the offensive and fight for its meal. Even if the crew is able to drive the great beast away, there is a chance their catch will be missing quite a few pieces. A personal tidbit I wanted to throw in is that I am pretty sure it is a Mushveli that is responsible for my refusal to ever do a deep sea dive. I have been in a diving bell before, but that only went like fifty feet down. The only reason I was in it was because dryad plus saltwater equals a bad time, so I can't really snorkel or dive like other species. A fellow researcher and personal friend had the diving bell at hand and wanted me to see some of the ocean for myself, so that is why the dive was so shallow in comparison. It went quite smoothly and allowed me to observe so many beautiful fish! Surely this little taste would make me hungry for more, but that is not the case. I could do another shallow one again, but nothing deeper than that. The reason is because I read about the fate of the Benthic Dolphin and have been scarred ever since.

For those who don't know, that was a big diving bell that was meant to take researchers farther down then ever before. It wasn't even going on its true drive, they were just testing it to ensure that it was not damaged during the transportation. They were just planning on going down for a bit and seeing if it all held up. As they went down, everything seemed fine, so the folk aboard encouraged them to keep diving. It wasn't until sometime later that the people up top felt a disturbance run through the cable and air pumps. It shuddered like it was hit by an earthquake, and the air lines sprayed water everywhere. They immediately reversed the direction of the bell and slowly brought it back up. After the slow ascension, they finally lifted the imploded mangled remains of the bell from the water. All three people aboard were killed, and the way doctors describe it make it sound like a horrible way to go. It was at first assumed to be a malfunction, that one of the windows or panels had been breached, but further study of the crumpled remains suggested that something attacked them. The best guess it was some powerful beak that cracked the bell open and caused the implosion, and many folk have suggested it may have been a Mushveli. They have the weaponry capable of biting through such armor, and they have the aggression to go with it. Perhaps their descent disturbed one enough for it to rise up and attack them, leading to the fatal incident. It has not been confirmed, and probably never will, but that disaster has left me terrified of doing deep dives trapped in such an iron prison. I am by no means claustrophobic, but that story really put the scare in me! So no way am I ever doing something like that! I am adventurous, but there are times I draw the line!   Chlora Myron Dryad Natural Historian

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More whales, and by that I mean ratfish!              

[lpbestiary]

The Múshveli is a monstrous fish in Icelandic folklore. Its name translates as "mouse whale," and indeed, it resembles a cross between these two mammals.

The Múshveli is a destructive and dangerous creature, able to swallow a rowboat whole. Its long tail allows it to swim at incredible speed, and its hide is said to be nigh on impenetrable.

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