Hadies (Poison Pups)
The sound of crystal waves lapping calmly against the Melodian coast fill the air on a quiet spring night. Moonlight from the clear night sky shimmers on the surf. On a night like this, a lone creature with scales of silver and crimson-violet fur ventures out into the coast lands from her river territory, trotting quietly through the seagrass towards the massive cliff face. She does not mind the Melodian guards patrolling the cliff, and they pay no mind to her. She comes and goes as she pleases. Tonight, however, she is on a very important mission. Hidden deep inside her impressive crest is an infant no older than a week, clinging tightly to her tufty fur. The mother seeks a Melodian nest to deposit her newborn into. She scales the cliff and peers inside every window, emitting soft clicks and squeals as she examines the size and shape of the Melodian sleeping within. At last, she arrives at a room containing a Melodian youngling - clearly the nest of the territory. She gently grabs her kit by the scruff and deposits it into the bed of the Melodian child, then soundlessly disappears out the window. It will be safe now.Hadies are close friends to the Melodians and native southern-eastern region. They are a preserved species that work hand in hand with the melodians even with those that might be considered feral. It is best to avoid these creatures and not catch their attention - as their natural curiosity might make you their lunch.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Younglings are capable of producing a mace-like spray from their mouths that burn for hours and possibly even days on end. It is possible to work despite this intense pain with proper training.
Adults on the other hand have upgraded their acid to be highly poisonous on contact. The glands that produce this venom can be removed, but isn't that a little cruel?
Genetics and Reproduction
Reproduction for this creature is difficult and requires both guidance and patience. In the wild, they struggle to populate their numbers effectively. Once every year a female will enter a period in which she is ready for the reproductive process. This window is short-lived and must be acted upon quickly. This can be made apparent by the sudden increase of vibrancy and variety in the female's fur. If successful, it will take the female up to 20 months to produce a batch of up to three offspring.
When the offspring have been birthed, if the mother is feral, she will infiltrate melodian camps and leave their children in the beds of young melodians who will wake up to the sound of screeching.
If the mother was domestic, then the child will be taken from her to be given to another melodian to care for them.
Growth Rate & Stages
When the pup is born, it will be small and defenseless. It will take them two weeks to open their eyes, but you can bet their vocal chords will be working perfectly fine the entire time. Before it has opened its eyes, it will be taken from the mother and given to a melodian willing to care for it.
After two months of bonding exercises, the infant should be perfectly attached to the melodian it has imprinted upon. It will naturally wrap itself around their neck similar to that of a scarf and show keen interest in just about everything 'mother' does.
This will become the norm for up to 10 years. At some point, the creature will become too heavy to keep around the neck and will have to walk alongside their parent. What the Hadie will be taught will depend entirely on what it was bred to be. Semi-Ferals will be taught survival instincts and how to last in the wild, while domestics will be taught a variety of jobs and how to work alongside the Melodians.
After the creature has struck the 10 year mark, a feral Hadie will be released into the wild while domesticated Hadies will continue to serve those who raised them.
Ecology and Habitats
Typically found in rivers, ponds, lakes, and beach-waters. They are natural swimmers in both fresh and salt-water territories.
Dietary Needs and Habits
It feasts on fish, insects, and meat whenever it can, preferring to scavenge in its younger years. Older and more experienced hadies will naturally steel their nerves and actively hunt for their next meal. They will share with others of their kind, but males typically do not enjoy being in the same vicinity of others males unless they are domesticated.
Additional Information
Social Structure
In the wild, hadies live in groups of 4-5 in one area, although rarely does a group have more than two males. The eldest is always the leader of the social group, whether male or female, and decides when it is time to move to new waters.
If two males a present within a group, it's more than likely to be a very young male that is forcibly sticking around to learn from the older male. The elder male is almost never appreciative of this and often tries to drive the younger away.
Domestication
A domesticated hadie is smaller in size from wild hadies. They work as cavalry, assistants, and whatever the melodians train them to do for the rest of their life.
However, whether it's feral or domesticated, a hadie will always remain friendly and passive towards Melodians unless special circumstances causes the creature to act with hostility. Feral hadies have also been known to return to the melodian camp they left and often search for the melodian that raised them to visit. They allow themselves to be used as buses by local melodians, although any other race tends to get splashed with acid if they try.
There’s a rule among the Melodians that states that deceased Hadies should be buried so that they can return naturally to what the Melodians believe to be their origin - the ore veins containing the special materials that the race is known for. There’s probably a lot of legends about how a Hadie’s form resembles its soul and if you were to harvest from it you would be disrespecting the life it shared with you.
Burying a Hadie would mean good luck as they believe that the good deed will reward you later on in life and will create a fruitful vein of ore or crystals for your ancestors later on life
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The hadies are used as steeds and diving mechanisms by the melodians. They're a force to be reckoned with as the melodians ride on their aquatic steeds and punch holes into weak boats of those who oppose them without being seen.
Not only that, but their ability to produce a highly acidic venom has given them a steady supply of safe-to-obtain toxins.
Not only that, but their more docile and curious nature tend to make them an easy target for poaching. Their venom can then be harvested by other species and fur used for fashionable clothing while their scales can be used to create beautifully reflective jewelry and scale-armor. Females who reach sexual readiness are often a prime target for these poachers due to the shift in their pelt.
Average Intelligence
A Hadie has a general understanding of the world around it, however, think it closer to a dog's perspective. They're not tricksters and tend to be a little on the dim-witted side, but they can be trained and taught with enough motivation and practice.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The average Hadaithúl is capable of detecting subtle shifts in the current around it. Their senses are generally average, however, their weakest sense would have to be sight. They are capable of utilizing echolocation-typically resulting in them being rather...noisy.
Hadaithúl identify Melodians by a mix of sight, smell, and hearing. They can smell the minerals in the Melodian hair and skin, see the bright colors of Melodians more easily, and their echolocation makes a specific sound when it hits those minerals that Hadies naturally associate with Melodians. Any Hadie can identify a disguised Melodian easily unless they take special precautions to mute their physical attributes.
Scientific Name
Hadaithúl
Lifespan
60 years
Conservation Status
Under Protection of the Melodians.
Average Height
8-14ft in captivity, 16-20ft naturally
Average Weight
Various
Average Length
Various
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