Nachyha (nacˈha)

Foun in the rivers, lakes, and wetlands of Chiaptlan and Charajia, nachyha are large amphibians sacred to a number of the regions' deities, including Aw̃ṇ and Chhé̃l in the formal pantheons of Chiaptlan and Sangmu from Charajia, as well as dozens of smaller and local gods. Nachyha are universally associated with medicine and, to a lesser extent, of children and infants. Traditional healers, and modern doctors and midwives, have adopted the nachyha's distinctive frill as the marker of their profession.
In Icoe alchemy, the nachyha is the symbol of eternal youth and innocence, and the mythical fountain of youth is said to flow from the mouth of a colossal nachyha.
These associations come from the creature's unprecedented healing ability, which allows it to heal any survivable wound, regenerating even its head so long as the brain is not totally destroyed. In many cases, a damaged but attached limb may head and regenerate, resulting in duplicated limbs, tails, and even heads. This does not generally appear to have any negative impact on the animal, though a two-headed nachyha may have difficulty escaping predators, especially as it adapts to its new condition. The creatures are widely considered to be immortal, and even the oldest known examples show no signs of aging once past sexual maturity, though they continue to grow if supplied with sufficient food and space. There is no known limit on their size or age, and no captive specimen has ever died of old age.
Their primary predators are frogs, fish, eels, older nachyha, and humans. Although the meat is said to taste 'muddy' and 'pungent', thin cuts of raw nachyha meat are considered a delicacy. Despite the animal's regenrative abilities, it is taboo to remove meat or body parts without killing the animal, as it is believed that this will cause illness and death. Farming nachyha in this way is strictly prohibited under blasphemy laws and knowingly feeding a person farmed nachyha meat is legally considered attempted murder.
Nachyha are generally olive coloured with black/dark brown stripes and metallic gold freckles. They have wide, blunt heads with vestigial eyes and a frill of between three and five external gills. They have wide, flat bodies with four or more under-developed limbs which are incapable of supporting the animal's weight on land. A caudal fin extends the length of the tail, which makes up approximately half the animal's length. They are sensitive to magic and use scent and lateral lines to detect prey.
Juveniles have rows of leech-like teeth, and feed on blood. These teeth are resorbed as the nachyha matures and the adults are suction-feeders, sawllowing their prey whole. In the wild, their diet consists of frogs, worms, molluscs, fish, and small mammals, but the largest captive specimens are fed goat, sheep, and peccary.
Nachyha are used extensively in medicine. Juveniles fulfil the same function as leeches, and promote healing of local wounds and blood disorders. The skin of adults and juveniles promotes healing of wounds, reduces infection, and dramatically improves outcomes when used in grafting or transplants. This is especially useful in treating burn victims, as in can be used as a skin graft without the need to source donor material.
Nachyha are used extensvely in folk-remedies, and eating one is believed to be a cure-all, but the actual effecacy of this is unclear. They are endangered in the wild due to overhunting, and habitat disruption through city expansion. Farming of nachyha for medical purposes pre-dates the establishment of even the earliest temple-hospitals, but the first formal programme was established in 5.645, and comprised of 23 rules governing the animal's treatment and welfare. Subsequent iterations have broadened accessability to prevent poaching and included new rules that emphasise patient safety and the quality of the farmed material.

by LoKiLeCh