Fissure Bat
Fissure bats are a unique species of bat native to the enormous, geometrically-organized chasms which separate the obsidian plateaus of The Dragonlands. Although visibly distinct from normal bats in a variety of obvious ways, their most famous and notable feature is a third eye at the center of their foreheads.
Records of their appearances can be traced back deep into Wild Reckoning, and they are thought to be one of the oldest species still living in Acaelica.
Precognitive Abilities
The association of a "third eye" with precognition is thought by some to have originated with these bats. Their abilities are thought to have enabled them to avoid danger and thrive in ostensibly harsh environments for millennia. As a result, many natives to the Dragonlands revere these creatures as sacred or, in certain cases, divine.
Population and Mystery
In addition to being held sacred by most intelligent species in their vicinity, fissure bats have no known natural predators. Some believe this is simply because they have outlasted any they may have had.
Regardless, little to nothing is known of their social or mating habits, and while evidence has been found of spaces thought to be abandoned fissure bat nests, no active nest has ever been discovered. It is unclear, therefore, how many fissure bats actually exist, though conservative estimates suggest there are at least 2,500 of them in the wild.
Black Market
Keeping a fissure bat as a pet is highly frowned upon by many. However, they are still sought after as status symbols by certain wealthy elite.
As a result, a black market has formed around the capture and trade of these creatures. Individual bats have allegedly been bought for as much as 500,000 gold, with younger bats being prized in partiuclar. While there are many parties working actively against this black market's continuance, none has yet been successful in destroying it.
Omens
Sighting these creatures (while not an entirely rare occurrence) is considered to be a good omen to many Dragonlanders, as they believe the bats' ability to see the future makes them unlikely to appear in dangerous places. In eons past (when dragons were far more common in the Dragonlands), their absence was considered highly foreboding and indicative of some as-yet-unseen threat.
Guilty by Association
These creatures are sometimes maligned in association with The Dynasterium (who are said to use their image as a crest). This link, specious or otherwise, has inspired some to fear the bats and others to hunt them for sport. The latter is extremely frowned upon and actively defended against, however, and killing a fissure bat has provoked the violent death of more than one such hunter.
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