Leviathan

Leviathan is an aged Zaratan nearing the end of his life. He housed the first successful city on Torm, and is a symbol of success on the planet. However, especially ever since his life partner died, he's been suffering symptoms of loneliness. Though he's unable to maintain a city any longer, Tormians regularly arrange visits to keep him company.

Appearance

The iridescent amber and emerald of Leviathan's shell glimmers in the Torm sunlight as he glides through the endless sea. Signs of age add to his regal appearance -- cracks in his leathery skin, scars on his flippers, marks on his shell where city buildings used to latch on. The orange of his eyes is barely visible through clouding, as his vision is barely functional after an estimated thousand years.

History

2390-2416

In the 2390s, the possibility of housing cities on the backs of zaratan was being assessed. Candidates were narrowed down by size, age, and health, all gauged as unobtrusively as possible. Though we can't truly know how a zaratan's mind works, brain wave and other scans suggested Leviathan was curious about his human visitors, and later came to enjoy their company. He was an estimated 200 years old at the time, an adult but far from full grown.

He proved the most promising for the first official city on the planet, and construction began in 2414. Lessons learned from prior attempts with other zaratan made the initial setup much smoother. More in depth scans of his physical and mental health supported the belief that he was happy to have this new company. The city was officially ordained in 2416.

Out of an abundance of caution, city leaders waited until 2420 before officially claiming the city was safe, and allowing families with young children to move in.

2416-3196

Being the first zaratan city, and the first attempt at this type of symbiosis, they ran into numerous growing pains and new lessons as time went on. They had no clear way to predict Leviathan's rate of growth, leaving most long-term city planning in indefinite limbo. Managing the city population took extra effort to ensure they didn't grow past their ability to feed and house everyone. And though the hardest lessons were learned early, the first dive aboard Leviathan was a harrowing experience for everyone involved.
The first focus of city leaders was on Leviathan's wellbeing. With backgrounds in biology, zoology, animal behavior, and similar, they all recognized that without Leviathan, all other city concerns of energy and waste didn't matter. They needed to ensure the city they raised saw matters similarly, and found ways to mold the developing culture around that.

Instead of celebrating the city's founding annually, the celebration was reframed as Leviathan's birthday (though they had no way to know when his birthday actually was).

Other observances and educational programs were developed to promote oneness with the zaratan and other sea life of Torm, becoming the start of Ahl-amaqism.

Using brain wave monitors, they figured out as best they could what Leviathan's favorite food might be, and made sure to supply it for every celebration in his honor.

As centuries passed, more and more cities were founded based on Leviathan's example. He withstood the Scream, and mourned the loss of so many lives with the city. He became a source of hope during the subsequent Silence, continuing on despite the catastrophe. The city celebrated several Joinings with Leviathan and his life partner, Nereid. Many of their offspring grew to house their own cities in time.

3196-Today

Eventually, around 2968, Leviathan's life signs showed the beginning of senescence. Other, city-less zaratan had been monitored throughout their lives so those tending to Leviathan would know what to look for. He was over 750 years old by most estimates, so the change was long expected, but no easier to bear.
Plans for how to dismantle the city had long been drafted up, but had never been put to the test. It was a massive process to find new homes for everyone aboard, dismantle all buildings and equipment, and remove as much human residue as possible from the zaratan's shell. It took well into 2974 to complete, despite how well-prepared they thought they were. For many, the hardest part was saying goodbye.
Once all humans had left, life sign monitoring showed signs of Leviathan's distress. When a group of zaratanologists journeyed to check on him, they found nothing physically wrong, and in fact the signs of distress decreased in their presence. Leviathan wasn't injured or ill -- he was lonely. Since then, and especially after Nereid's passing in 3104, Tormian cities have worked together to ensure Leviathan has visitors regularly.

Present Day

At over 1,000 years old, Leviathan still lives to this day. His vision is mostly gone, and he moves slowly through the water, drawing concerns that he may not be able to keep feeding himself. His birthday, however false it may be, is still celebrated across Torm, and he's still gifted with his favorite food every year. And every year, people fear it will be the last one.
Leviathan is considered a patron saint of Torm, and holds special reverence within Ahl-amaqism. Every temple across Torm, no matter which zaratan they ride upon, has a separate altar representing his unique shell patterns. Every Tormian honors him, as the first to carry humanity safely through the endless seas.

Timeline

2216	Estimated year of birth
2416	City founded
2974	City dismantled

Information

Current Location

Torm

Species

Zaratan

Church/Cult

Ahl-amaqism

Year of Birth

2216 1012 Years old

Realted