Atopal

The Atopal are mighty and large beasts that are considered sacred to the people of Aadimhor. They have long symbolized strength, power, and longevity due in no small part to their appearances as well as their lifespans.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Atopals resemble large tortoises in appearance and have large stone shells that resemble small mountains. Their skin is tough as stone though brightly colored and appearing smooth and soft.

Genetics and Reproduction

Atopals reproduce asexually every two hundred years. No one is sure why it takes so long or how they are capable of the asexual reproduction but considered it a blessing of the astrals.

Growth Rate & Stages

Atopal eggs take roughly fifty years to hatch. Once hatched they are especially prone to danger given their soft skin and shells, during this stage they are usually kept in an underground nursery so as to minimize the danger. This stage lasts roughly for another fifty years. The next stage is adolescence where they begin to harden and grow to their full size, this stage lasts for roughly seventy-five years before they reach adult-hood.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They subsist on a diet of stone, ore, and gems. Which leads to their added importance to Aadimhorian culture as they help to dispose of the waste from building their underground homes.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

They are considered sacred and are revered as signs of power, strength, longevity, and prosperity in addition to being used as waste disposal for various building projects involving stone. They are also used as heralds of disaster. Upon their deaths they become a special and sacred meal for the people of the surrounding area to bring fortune and good luck.
However, a strange phenomenon that no one is quite sure the origins of is the occasional Atopal growing to colossal size and living twice as long as average at least. When this happens though, upon death, their shells are quickly converted into temples or palaces, with the largest two recorded serving as the Hollow Mountain of Aadimhor and the Temple of the Astral Court.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Part of why they are considered sacred is due to the the idea that they foretell disaster, this comes from their tendency to burrow and hibernate right before major disasters of any kind.

Origin/Ancestry

Unknown, thought to be blessed by the astrals.

Lifespan

700 years

Conservation Status

Protected, they are considered sacred so when one is found it is taken care of and protected from harm to the best of the island's ability.

Average Height

6 feet from tip of shell to the ground bellow

Average Length

6 feet

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Atopal's skin tends to be incredibly vibrant and colorful, it is thought that this is a direct result of the gems, river rocks, and soil they eat while young as this coloration slowly appears with age from a blank white base. The color of their shells is also believed to be dependent on the main rock of their diet. However, they maintain a slight shimmer and sparkle akin to gemstones.