Cetus

For many, the sea is a place not of wonder, but terror. Many ships that leave the safety of their ports never return. Some run afoul of pirates or bad weather, but others are victims of terrible monsters. For the sailors of Polisia, there is one monster that strikes fear into their hearts. This is the terrifying cetus.

Basic Information

Anatomy

It isn't known just how natural cetae are. Since they don't display magical abilities, some scholars assume they are entirely natural beings. Others believe that due to their size and ferocity, they must surely be the wrath of Poseidon made manifest-- a reminder to sailors that they can only sail by his grace.
The overall hybrid anatomy has led credence to the theory of their magical or divine origins. Their heads resemble a boar's, their tail is a whale-like fluke, and they have wickedly sharp claws on man-like hands they use for grasping prey. They are covered with fish-like scales-- usually blue or green, but a rare few are of a spectacular silver color.
Cetae can breathe both water and air, although they rarely surface for any reason but to attack. Their scales are heavily valued for lightweight armor, and rumor has it many of their body parts can be used for potion-making. Their rarity makes this difficult to prove for sure, however.

Ecology and Habitats

Cetae tend to lair in caves beneath the water. Naturally, as they are such large creatures, most need to dig into the sea floor or beneath shorelines to create these shelters. They often bring remains of larger prey, such as ships and whales back for later. As such, these burrows sometimes have some treasure in them, often buried and surrounded by bones.
Due to the fact that they are hunted heavily near larger settlements, such as Pasedonis or Eratheon, they stay far away from these places where they can grow up in relative safety. They are one of the factors that makes the more far-flung Polisian islands dangerous and mysterious.
They tend to stay away from one another as well, as they will eat each other. The only exception to this is when they mate. Two cetae of opposite sexes will find each other over vast distances and they will leave a clutch of eggs behind. When these eggs hatch, the hatchling will devour one another until only one or two remain.

Behaviour

First and foremost, cetae are very territorial creatures. They can't stand the presence of any creature of particular size in their territory, especially another cetus. This is largely the reason they attack ships. They especially hate intelligent creatures. Curiously, nerieds seem to be an exception to this, and some nerieds are even said to ride cetae.
It's unknown exactly how intelligent cetae are, as no attempts to communicate with them-- even through magic-- have succeeded. Legend has it, though, that some communities have managed to coexist with one by sacrificing people to its ravenous maw. Still, these stories tend to be little more than setups for a brave hero to slay the beast and rescue the damsel, as the Polisians love in their stories

Lifespan

300 years

Average Weight

100 - 150 tons

Average Length

50 - 70 ft.