[✓] [Creature Lore] - Bloodied Piranha

[Royal Peasant 445]

Spoiler

 

A creature that gathers around the shores where large bodied creatures find their home in large writhing swarms. Dangerous for all creatures that fall into the ocean as their ravenous hunger will have them biting down and feeding eagerly upon their flesh until every inch of them has been consumed, all the way down to their bones. About the size of a palm in size, a single swarm of these creatures could go from anywhere to twenty to fifty in number.   

 

 

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History

First discovered in the deep waters, believed to be nothing more than a beautiful, but haunting mirage within the waves these creatures, along with creatures such as whales are the main course for the haunting ripples of colour and crimson waters that flow against the beach and stain it the dark vicious shade for a short time. This usually being a big sign that they are in the surrounding area, a warning for those that know better. While the truth wasn’t always known those that did discover the bloodied beaches were much more cautious of the sea, though the tales of it being haunted by the spirit of all those that had fallen to the ocean began to spread among sailors and their passengers has been a myth that has remained whispered from one person to another for centuries. And likely will always remain a suspected truth even with the discovery of these creatures.

As for the true discovery itself. They were found by accident by the victims that had swam in the waters fearlessly, only to be caught by these deadly fish and consumed while their friends and comrades could do nothing but watch with how quickly they were brought into the waters. Leaving only bones and blood to wash up upon the shores. The sheer need of the piranha almost seems to be beyond the limit that their own small body creates. As if pushed on by something supernatural. Perhaps that is another reason why the belief of the shores being haunted by the souls of the lost will never lose traction.  

 

 

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Physical Appearance

 

Individually each bloodied piranha has blue scales that allow them to blend in with the water, with crimson spires of bone with a razor sharp edge growing from the back of their spine and a maw filled with sharp teeth with the same crimson tinged shade. Only the smaller, children of their kind have a pure white set of spikes and teeth for they have yet to bloody them within the feast. Similarly the tail and fines of the fish start off as a faint pale blue colour, but as they age they begin to gain a red stain to their fins.

However these fish never travel alone, they travel in swarms. From the smallest number of ten, to the highest number of fifty and above. Creating a mirage of colour under the waves that is oddly enchanting, and beautiful, a ripple of blue that has a glaze of red mixed into it as they swim under the surface. A beautiful image that hides the sheer lethality that it holds, like much of the deadly creatures of the world. 

 

 

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Mental Characteristics

Frenized. That is the base, and core mind set of this fish from the beginning to the end. They do not sleep, they do not stop swimming through the ocean ,and should they come across anything that isn’t one of their kind, they will bite, gnaw, and shred it alive in a freezing frenzy until not a single bit of matter they can consume remains. They do not know fear, they do not know reason, speaking to them through the arts of the green only blasts the user of the practice with a maddening cacophony of noise from the swarm. 

It is this state that has the swarms challenge any creature, even sea serpents! Creatures so much larger than them that they are practically ants in comparison to it, on a regular basis. Tearing at their hides and severing flesh in small, barely noticeable amounts. But in doing so filling the ocean with the dark red blood of their blood and staining the waters red. Especially with their own nectar, when the creatures crushes them, pulverises them, and breaks them. It is a vicious cycle that repeats again, and again, which has allowed them to help other creatures be strengthened and grow in power as they adapt. While the piranha’s have grown stronger in return. Able to shred through leather easily, though metal is still quite difficult for them.

 

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Lifespan and Development

 

The creatures live for a total of twenty years, but in actuality they have a closer lifespan of six with their nature having them challenge things that far out class them again and again resulting in an early death. They begin life within the swarm. Carried on the back of their kindred, who are bred into being when they are not able to fight something. A strange circle of fight, and breeding has been the only reason these creatures that never sleep and rest have been able to continue to exist despite their frenzied state of being. Otherwise they would have certainly gone extinct out of sheer stupidity in their aggression. Some have even compared the creatures to descendants due to their nature to challenge dragons when they have nothing but a sword, and the stupidity of their actions that never change despite the generations that pass.

 

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Territory and Grouping

They exist surrounding the nearest, juiciest and biggest creature they can find, though when they are not able to find a large creature to tear into and challenge to the point of the death of their swarm, they will instead head to places with a large amount of creatures instead. Though if there's some big beastie out there there is bound to be remains of these creatures resting near their nests for their blind attempt to savage them. 

Though this is only the random fights of man that witness the endless cycle of battle between these creatures and others. In grouping they gather in swarms, if one is ever found outside of its swarm then that in itself is going to be an unusual entity. Or one that was born with a mutation and was somehow lucky that it wasn’t consumed by its swarm, which in nature is rare. 
 

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Spoiler

Tamability: While it is possible, its only for a mutation that has become a herbivore, much of their nature having changed in the process as they lose their hunting instinct and feral edge and becoming much more docile. They aren't recognized  by the swarms and would be killed on sight, to the point where some may need to 'save them' as their being chased by a swarm. 

OOCly: Another submission for some potential fun at sea. At rivers, or even just big ponds should they somehow end up there! This one a bit more of a 'environmental' issue over something to be fought, though they could be considering their aggressive nature. 

 

Spoiler

Redlines:
Harvest: The spines, teeth and scales could be harvested from them. With the spines and teeth being razor sharp, but brittle like most bones. The scales a bit tougher, closer to a leather hide in strength but having a beautiful shimmer to them. There shouldn't be anything else of a reward from them unless you feel creative like adding something they have swallowed into their guts. 

Threat: They have the strength to tear and cut through leather pretty easily, and are ferocious without any care of their own well being. Which makes them highly dangerous in a large swarm but more of a manageable threat in small numbers. I feel like these could be a fun little addition to a larger threat, to make waters dangerous to pass through, or even just a little event when there's something 'strange going on in the waters'. Just keep an eye on how big the swarms are.  

 

[squakhawk 7889]

This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon. Please note that if this is playable lore, such as a magic or CA, you will need to write a guide for this piece. You will be contacted regarding the guide (or implementation if it isn’t needed) shortly.