Balloon Whale
Stat Block
Beast of burden, machine of war, or commander of the sky. The balloon whale has been known as all of these and more throughout the ages. Magestic and mild mannered, they can be seen floating high in the skies, unconcerned with the happenings of those below.
Table of Contents
Template CR: 0 (0 XP)
Tiny , any
Armor Class:
Hit Points:
Speed:
STR
-5
DEX
-5
CON
-5
INT
-5
WIS
-5
CHA
-5
Saving Throws: Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
Damage Vulnerabilities: fire
Damage Resistances: necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: cold
Challenge Rating: 0 (0 XP)
Title. Description. Additional details.
Actions
Action. Description. Action Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 1d8+4 bludgeoning damage.
Table of Contents
Basic Information
Dietary Needs and Habits
Like most mammals, young Balloon whales rely on mother's milk to provide nutrients during their first year of life. However, since the mother is rarely able to lower her bouyancy to be within range for suckling, she will often lactate above the nest, allowing the infant to drink the fat rich liquid that pools around it. Younglings will also suppliment their diet by grazing on plants.
Adult Balloon whales, being too boyant to touch the ground, are dependent on the relationship with their parasitic fungi for nutrition. The Fungi uses chemicals in the atmosphere and through a process known as Chemosynthesis, creates nutrients the whale can consume. A byproduct of this process is a gas the whale keeps in it's flight blatter, which keeps it afloat. Algae also takes up residents in the fungal bodies, which the whale consumes.
Biological Cycle
Life begins on the ground, gathered in small herds where they feed on local flora and mothers milk. However once they become infected with fungi, the whales begin the process of transitioning to life in the sky. It is unclear whether these fungi are passed from mother to offspring, or if they are ingested during their time on the ground, but at least three seperate species of fungi have been observed developing on the bodies of Balloon whales. The fungi travels throughout the body via the bloodstream until it finds a suitable place to take root, there it will attach its mycellium to collect nutrients. These present as spots on the whales body. Small fruiting bodies have been observed pushing through the skin at this stage as a possible way for the fungi to redistribute itself to more fertile parts of the body. In exchange for the nutrients, the fungi releases gases into the bloodstream, which travel and make the adolescent boyant, but unsteady in the sky.
As time goes on and the whale grows, so too do the fungi within it. Gases are filtered from the bloodstream and stored into a pouch on the underside. Much like a swim blatter in fish, the whale uses muscles to move, expand, or expel the gas along its body, helping to propel it through the air. It can use a gust attach that expels some of its gas, causing it to be less boyant for a time. The more gas it accumulates, the more bloated its underside becomes. More of the fungi begin to push through the skin, establishing structures that collect chemicals in the atmosphere. By the time the whale is nearing sexual maturity (approx. 10 years) it is too boyant to ever touch the ground again. It relies on the fungi to provide it with nutrients, via chemosythnesis along with algae blooms within its structures, from then on. The large the fungi grows, the more it deforms the whales muscle and bones structures. Fossel records of whale falls have show massive holes in the skull, some indicating an abupt break, while others indicate gradual bored channels.
When the fungi have reached the end of their life cycle, they create a final blooming event. The fungi stop making food, which pushes the whale to seek higher altitudes. Then the fungi push forth their fruiting bodies, releasing spores into the air in a massive cloud. The whale often hemorrages from the final influx of gas, the pressure on it's body tremendous.
Once spawned, the fungal bodies die off. If the hemmoraging doesn't kill the whale, the starvation will. When a balloon whale dies after a sporing event it is called a whale fall. They are a great source of nutrients for the ecosystems they are apart of.
It is unclear just how long they can live for, but it is estimated somewhere between 50 and 80 years, based on fossel records at whale falls. Lifespan is solely dependent upon the fungi and the whales tolerance to the continual gass buildup.
Balloon Whales
Geographic Distribution Map
Conservation Status
Endangered species. Conservation efforts including breeding programs, antifungal treatments, ethical treatment agreements. Biggest threat aside from fungal blooms is poaching.
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