Leviaton
Lurking in the deep
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eviaton is a class of sea creatures distinguished by their epic scale. Although their size can vary greatly from one creature to another, verified carcasses washed upon casterway shores have measured in excess of 120 meters in length.
Legends
Given the vagueness of the leviaton term, and the fact that many who witness them don't live to tell the tale, it is extremely difficult to sort the (scant) facts from the (abundant) legends that surround these beasts. The cognoscenti are constantly revising their accepted "canon" of what is truly known about these animals. It's not uncommon for a single reported siting to be completely discarded by scholars until a fantastical shred of evidence washes ashore and forces the cognoscenti to re-assess what they thought they understood about the leviatons.
Despite this formidable uncertainty, it is settled knowledge that leviatons - as a general group of megafauna lurking in nearly all of the planet's major seas - certainly do exist. Although many fanciful accounts have been long-since discredited, the proof of these animals is seen in the occasional gargantuan carcass that finds itself lodged onto a casterway beach. Further evidence exists in the continual cache of leviaton bones - known as ebny - which are harvested from shallow seas and processed as a valuable natural resource. Nowhere is this harvesting activity more pronounced than in The Boneyard, which serves as the largest single source of ebny in the world.
Basic Information
Anatomy
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here is no standard definition of what a leviaton looks like, how its body is shaped, or the types of biomechanics it employs. This stems from the fact that leviaton is a bucket term used to describe a vague class of giant creatures that stalk Excilior's waters. As such, there can be wide variance in the size, appearance, and behavior of any two specific leviatons. Some are housed in grand carapaces. Others boast a surfeit of serpentine limbs. Some glide through the waters like a single, gargantuan wing. Others have bipedal or quadripedal appendages that allow them to trek across the ocean floor - or to even range briefly upon land. There are some leviatons that appear piscine in nature. But others forms are dissimilar from anything one would expect to see in "common" animals. Given the observed anatomy of some of these creatures, its assumed that at least some of their kind have the ability to breathe air, although it's generally believed that all of them can either breathe underwater, or can stay under the surface for hours.
It's also important to note that a leviaton is not simply "a really big fish" or "a really big crab" or "a really big whale". Although their aquatic nature lends them features similar to other sea life, there has never been a proven instance of a leviaton that is identical to some smaller "cousin". Every observed leviaton is visually distinct from any of the "regular" creatures in the sea.
Ecology and Habitats
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eviatons are only known to exist in the largest bodies of saltwater. Given their epic scale, it's not surprising that they are most common amongst the deepest waters. There are some tales of juvenile specimens existing in shallower environments, but there are no verifiable accounts to back this up. With this in mind, many cognoscenti believe that the various leviaton species must breed and raise their young in the deep ocean, only ranging closer to land (and into shallower depths) when they are hunting or migrating.
Dietary Needs and Habits
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iven the monstrous scale of these creatures, and the fact that they are known to be responsible for a great many lost ships - it's perhaps understandable that many casterways believe that leviatons eat people. Although it's nearly certain that, in the midst of a leviaton attack, there are some unfortunate souls who have met their demise in the stomach of one of these creatures, there is simply no evidence to support the idea that leviatons attack ships for the purpose of eating the passengers. When their massive frames are taken into account, it's fairly easy to calculate that, on any given day, the vast majority of a leviaton's diet must consist of huge food stores that have nothing to do with humanity. Of course, this has not quelled the endless stream of casterway legends that speak of ravenous leviatons happily munching away on humans who have been plucked from their smashed-and-ruined ships. But the simple fact is that no one really knows what a leviaton eats or how it manages to feed itself during the majority of times when they are not wreaking havoc upon shipping routes. In fact, it's entirely plausible that some of them may be herbivores.
Biological Cycle
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lthough there's no proven pattern of leviaton frequency, sailors are adamant that they are spotted less often in the summer and early fall. Some have speculated that they retreat to deeper, cooler waters during the hottest months. The exception to this is the leviatons' association with razers. In the days following a razer strike, there is always an uptick in leviaton sightings. It's not just that they're more likely to be around. They're also more likely to attack ships in those post-storm days. Some hypothesize that the water-churning effects of a razer may do something to leave the average leviaton feeling agitated.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
For all of the fear associated with leviatons (and rightfully so), the animals have been a vital natural resource throughout all casterway societies. Their most significant contribution has been in the form of ebny - the monstrous black bones that have proven to be a vital material in construction, tool making, jewelry, and weaponry. In many respects, ebny helps to fill the void in a landscape that is noticeably deficient in metal ores. In some cultures, ebny serves as the primary (and visible) foundation for nearly all of their buildings.
Even when looking past the obvious contribution of ebny, the discovery of a recently-dead leviaton on some casterway beach can spawn a cottage industry to process the carcass that can last for months. Scales, carapaces, blubber, meat, sinew - nearly every scrap of the deceased giant can be harvested and put to vital use, assuming that the locals can manage to process the corpse before it rots or is overrun with scavengers.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
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asterway folklore is replete with leviatons possessing every manner of fantastic ability. Fire breathing (which seems to make no sense for a sea creature), teleportation, mind-control - it doesn't matter how incredible it sounds. Nearly every imaginable super power has been attributed to these legendary beasts in one tale or another.
But cognoscenti are adamant in their assertion that leviatons are just really big animals. They have unimaginable power. And they should rightfully be feared by anyone who travels by sea. But there is simply no evidence to support any kind of supernatural abilities being attributed to leviatons.
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