Shaal’ta (sharl-tah)

Written by EmberMagic

I still remember those eyes - like a pair of fiery suns, ablaze with malice, yet cold as ice.

— Exerpt from an account of a shaal'ta encounter

The shaal'ta are an ancient and terrifying species that haunts the nightmares of northern dwellers, from young children to fearless, battle hardened warriors. The name literally translates (from the language of those who dwell within its domain) to "flying death". Though relatively rare, these creatures are iconic of the kra'shal mountains and most travellers who venture into their depths will catch a glimpse of one of these fearsome monsters.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A shaal'ta is, on average, roughly the same size as a large bear but, is more than twice as terrifying. With its lithe and graceful body, similar to that of a panther, and its wolfish face, which almost always seems to be twisted into a sadistical grin, this creature looks as maleveolent as a demon lord. Their font paws are possessed of peculiarly long digits that make them look disturbingly like human hands, or would, if it weren't for the large, onyx black talons protruding from their tips. They are covered in a thick, shaggy coat of mottled grey fur, which is so soft and difficult to obtain as to be prized by the richest of societies all around the world, that fades into a bluish hue towards their extremities, such as their face and fox like tail. A thin membrane of skin stretches from their front legs to their hind legs, similar to a flying squirrel, and it is this that gives them their terrifying ability to swoop down upon unsuspecting prey, thus also giving them their name - flying death. The ears of a shaal'ta are long and floppy, almost comically so, and are tufted on the ends like a lynx's. This in no way negates their terrifying appearance though, since the rest of one's face is truly awful to behold, with fiery amber, slit pupiled eyes and that quintissentially evil expression (although, apparently, when they're not trying to rip your face off they can be almost cute according some survivors of shaal'ta encounters). They have uniquely interesting fangs, which protrude from their mouths rather like a vampire's or a sabre-tooth tiger, however, the difference that makes them so special is that there are two fangs on each side rather than one, with the front fang being ever so slightly larger than the back one.

Growth Rate & Stages

A baby shaal'ta is called a kitten, since the species is reminiscent of many felines. They grow at a similar rate to other big cats, beginning to crawl a day or two after birth and walking around three weeks of age. They reach full maturity at about five years of age, at which time they venture off into the world on their own. Male and female shaal'ta have similar lifespans, ranging from an average of thirty five to forty years, with males normally living a couple of years longer.

Ecology and Habitats

Shaal'ta are found in the kra'shal mountains, in the north of the Island. Their adaptations make them idealy suited to the frigid conditions and innumerable, craggy cliffs of these mountains. They tend to dwell in the higher up parts so as to be able to use their ability to glide and the females of the species normally create a sort of permenant lair in a sheltered area or, rarely, a cave. Shaal'ta lairs are surprisingly clean and well kept - no bones strewn around, no half rotted corpses of unfortunate prey. They actually collect tree branches and leaves, and use their remarkably dexterous front paws to, almost liek a bird, weave a sort pf nest. And, all of those bones and corpses that are absent from the lair are dumped in a bone yard, which is normally less than a mile from their lair, but is an ominous sight to behold for any explorer who stumbles across one.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Shaal'ta are primarily carnivorous, however, it is suspected that they consume some plants, such as roots and berries, for nutrients too. An apex predator, the shaal'ta hunt anything and everything, from rabbits, to deer, even humans and other sentient species. Shaal'ta are also often the culprits of dissapearing livestock in and near the blue mountains, but, they tend to avoid more civilised areas - generally anything larger than a village or small town - unless they are desperate. This is because of the species' natural, deep rooted fear of humanoids.

Behaviour

Shaal'ta are normally solitary creatures but, when they find a mate, they will stay together for the rest of their lives. Devotion like this is normally only seen in intelligent, sentient creatures, which has led to some people theorising that shaal'ta are more intelligent than they seem at first glance. A female shaal'ta will settle down and create a lair of sorts in a single location, while the males roam around, attempting to court the females that they find. Often this leads to two male shaal'ta fighting to the death, but, the victor is not guaranteed to win over the female since they can be very picky. Once a pair of shaal'ta are bonded then they never leave each other and, strangely, the male will help to raise the kittens. When a chance encounter occurs between two roaming males or a bonded pair and a male, the result is never pretty. A shaal'ta fight is said to be one of the most terrifying and horrific sights in all of the world.

Additional Information

Domestication

There are only a few recorded cases of a shaal'ta ever being tamed and, in most of these, they had been taken as kittens and raised by their owners. This is partly due to the species' fierce independance and status at the top of the food chain, however, the main reason that few of these magnificent creatures have ever been domesticated is their unusually extreme, inherent fear of all humanoids. This makes most of them act irrationally around people and is the reason behind their reputation for being cold and merciless killers, when really, they are just afraid and dealing with their fear the only way they know how.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The pelts of the shaal'ta are highly prized by royalty and nobility all across the island. This is because of the incredible softness and beautiful, mottled blue-grey colouration that makes their fur so unique. Only adding to its value, is the fact that it is incredibly difficult to capture or kill one of these creatures and there are only a few skilled hunters who can claim to have brought one down. Also, because of the difficulty in killing a shaal'ta, and thus the rarity of many of its body parts, they are prized for traditional medicines and remedies, for example, their claws are ground into a paste that is supposed to cure infection and fevers. Whether there is any merit to the medicinal properties of shaal'ta, it is unknown, since they are so rarely found.

Lifespan

35 - 40 years

Average Height

0.75 - 1.25 metres

Average Weight

100 - 200 kilograms

Average Length

2.00 metres

Geographic Distribution

• The Kra’shal Mountains