Taruvian Cave Snail

The Taruvian Cave Snail is an unassuming creature which is of little obvious value - it feeds on rotten wood and the fungi that grow on that and is the origin of both opaline and Amythys. The former is highly valued by many drakiss colonies as a decorative material; the latter a significant material of trade, for though the drakiss have little need or desire for dyes the Monkin-doo and humans of Senteru and Tarusia do.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

The snails life for upto 7 years, growing steadily throughout their lives. The farmed varieties having shells reaching the size of a large egg if food is not a limiting factor. They feed on rotten wood and the fungi that thrive on it, with a noticeable preference for hard woods, rather than soft. The reasons for this are unknown, for it does not appear significant to the health or breeding rate of the snails, but does slow their growth. A wise snail farmer therefore will take care to ensure that fragments of harder wood are kept out of the feeding chambers.

Additional Information

Domestication

The snail has been cultivated by the drakiss for several centuries and though it would be hard to claim that it had been domesticated there are certain differences between the farmed and the wild snails. The former are approaching twice the size of the latter and have shells that are smoother in their contours - both features that seem to have been selected to benefit the productivity of the farming operation. For those who have mastered snail care, the rewards are significant as three driss can farm the snails and process the Amythys that could purchase the food requirements of a hundred drakiss, and where exported, the Opaline is similarly valuable.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The inner lining of the snails shell is a bright, irridescent substance known as opaline, which is highly valued for its use in ornamentation - this requires the careful breaking of the shells into pieces that are attached to the underlying structure of the item being decorated. The body of the snail, if pickled, will eventually develop a green oil, Amythys,which on contact with animal hair dyes it a rich and deep purple.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

As the name indicates, the snail most commonly found on The Isle of Senteru where it is endemic; both farmed in the fungal fields of Sbrithnir's Roost and wild in the woodlands of the western coast of the island. It may also be encountered in both the Naros Archipelago and in the lands around Morton, though in neither area does it thrive in the wild.