Sorotubu Kojira (Sore-Oh-Two-Boo Co-Jeer-Ah)
The Sorotubu Kojira is a massive whale that migrates all through Zhen Gho. They are about two to three times the size of of a normal whale found in the oceans of Zennith. However besides their size there is one large different between them and other whales. It comes from the name people usually call them which is flying whales. The Sorotubu Kojira doesn't have wings or anything like that. However they do have a magical aura around and inside them. The whale can tap into this power just a bit. During feeding and mating times the whales will jump from the water and actually float along the surface using this magical aura. It does not last very long and can't be used to get onto land, but it is a spectacular thing to witness. The males do this in order to attract a mate by showing them a dance of sorts. During feeding it allows the whale to actually skim the surface with their mouth to get the higher living schools of fish that flee from them below.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Sorotubu Kojira is in all physical regards an average whale. They have two large fins that guide their movement while their tale provides the power to glide through the water. Their eyes rest on the side of their head and their mouth is designed to scoop up small fish for nutrients. They also have a dorsal fin that helps keep them level side to side while swimming. In terms of size they are, at adult hood, 180-300ft long and can weight several hundred tons.
As mentioned earlier they also contain a magical aura within them that they can access. They do this in order to glide above the water. Most scholars will say that they use the aura in order to cast a version of the levitate spell on themselves. It doesn't not last forever and seems to be protective enough that it won't allow them to levitate themselves onto the shore. So far no other magical feature has been seen by the flying whales.
Genetics and Reproduction
The flying whales reproduce very similarly to other whales. They will have a live birth of usually one young. Twins are rare but not impossible. Usually the mother will carry the baby whale for 10-16 months. Then the mother and father will raise the young whale within their pod until they are ready to be on their own.
Growth Rate & Stages
A baby Sorotubu Kojira will spend about a day in an infantile period. After they have learned to use their fins for movement, seen their first feeding, and began to move around more they will swim next to mother and father. From there they spend about two years traveling with the pod and learning about the dangers around them and how to fend for themselves. Then depending on the makeup of the pod they will either join or live to join another or start their own pod. Most cases a male whale will go off on it's own and try to form a new pod. Most female whales stay with their original pod or seek out another if that one is already too large. The biggest part of their growing up is learning how to access that magical aura. They will be shown and then after a number of tries they are expected to figure out how to fly like the rest do.
Ecology and Habitats
The flying whales prefer to migrate nearly continuously. They will stay in certain areas for a number of months. They prefer areas of very deep ocean or places that are nearby landmasses. This allows for a large amount of available food for the pod. The traveling constantly allows for the areas they were in to grow back in population for food for all sources. The way the different pods move, and the current population allows for areas to regenerate their population as the whales leave.
Dietary Needs and Habits
They eat small krill and a bit larger fish as well. Because of the amount of food each whale requires the Sorotubu Kojira will migrate very often. There seems to be an understanding of the flying whales that they need to move continuously in order to keep eating and having habitats that will replenish food that they require.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Sorotubu Kojira live in a social struction called pods. This usually contains 5-12 whales. They are more often than not family units within the pod. Those that grow up in the pod will sometimes leave to seek mates, or stay in and seek a mate. In the case of males they most often leave to join another pod or form their other. Females will most likely stay in their currents pods and seek a mate when they interact with another pod.
Domestication
Attempts have been made to domesticate flying whales. However every attempt that has been made has ended in disaster. No mundane attempt has ever succeeded and nothing really happens of that. When magic is used a whole different disaster happens. Both the spellcaster and the whale die from a massive magical backlash. After several attempts this process has been banned and any research has been disallowed in all countries officially.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Their eyes do have a decent perception of the area around them. However it seems as thought they use a localized sense of echolocation to get clues about what is in front of them. They will hum a tune that sends on vibrations in the water and depending on when and how they bounce back, the whale knows what to avoid and where to go. This also seems to go deeper and tap into their magical aura. In recent years scholars are beginning to think that they can also tap into their aura and use it for sight. They will avoid dangerous magical phenomena that are around them. More tests and observation need to be done in order to arrive at any form of conclusion.
by MidJourney
Origin/Ancestry
Whale
Lifespan
70-120 years
Conservation Status
This species is currently under protection. They were hunted in the early years of discovering them. Not only for their natural resources they provided, but also for the magic within them. This magic could be harvested by special spellcasters and bottled into different spells. They fueled easy spell scroll creation as well as being able to store spells in containers to be used at a later date. After the species was near extinction a number of countries in Zennith got together to protect the Sorotubu Kojira in order to keep it alive. There numbers are still not as high as when first discovered but have been growing steadily each year.
Average Weight
200-400 tons
Average Length
180-300 ft
by MidJourney
by MidJourney
I love how you blend the magical with the mundane here, that they can fly but not too high, and that there are evolutionary reasons for the adaptation (getting fish who hide from them closer to the surface). Well written and well thought-out!