Great Ghulfrostian Whale

## Summary

### Description

The Great Ghulfrostian Whale was a species of whale that lived in the Ghulfrostian Barrier Sea. The whale was approximately 42.7 meters in length, dwarfing all other species that shared its oceans. Due to the size of these whales, the species rarely reproduced. It was for this reason that the resources gained from killing one became extremely rare, though plentiful after a fresh kill. The resources that a successful kill would give far outclassed a successful hunt of ten of its smaller cousins.

### Religious Connection

The Lunar Paladins of Ghulfrost saw the Great Ghulfrostian Whale as a religious symbol of sorts, since its stalwart nature reflected the spirit of those who sough to protect others. Several sects of Lunar Paladins took up the whale to be their Lunar Symbol, as these sects were dedicated to the protection of others at the expense of their own numbers. Many Paladins outside these sects still saw the Great Ghulfrostian Whale as a revered being. While they were never truly worshipped by the Lunar Paladins, the Great Ghulfrostian Whales remained as an important figure in their ideology for many years.

### The Food Chain

#### Predators

The Great Ghulfrostian Whale's size was significant, so much so that one of these whales could beat smaller would-be predators to a pulp without even intending to. For this reason, the Great Ghulfrostian Whale did not have any *natural* predators.

#### Prey

The Great Ghulfrostian Whale fed mostly on common krill, although they would rarely band together and consume aggressive sea beasts. The reasoning for this unusual dietary choice was thought to be abstract until further research correlated the attacks on aggressive sea fauna with said aggressive sea fauna's feeding patterns. The Great Ghulfrostian Whale seemed to have a sense of empathy, so that when one of these sea beasts ate a large number of smaller, weaker prey, it would intervene. This observed practice is one of several reasons for their consideration as a Lunar Symbol to the Lunar Paladins.

## Extinction

### Resources

As noted earlier in this document, the Great Ghulfrostian Whale was very large and just as scarce. Using every part of these gargantuan beasts would provide an isolated village with up to 3 months of food, oil, and blubber as well as other miscellaneous supplies. The advent of larger cities in Ghulfrost is one of several events thought to be a major force in the extinction of the Great Ghulfrostian Whale.

### Excessive Hunting

Once it was noted that these giants of the sea were valuable, many sought to claim large sums of money by selling the whale carcasses to countries across the world. This practice proved lucrative, resulting in an ever increasing rate of poaching directed toward the Great Ghulfrostian Whale. The use of harpoons made such efforts much easier for these poachers. By the time LPS-003 "The Watchful Eyes" had caught on to this trend, the damage to the population of the Great Ghulfrostian Whale was thought to be irreparable.

### Final Resting Place

The last Great Ghulfrostian Whale was confirmed to have died in the Northern Ghulfrostian Sea. To this day, its skeleton sits atop of a plateau. This last member of the species did not meet its end by hunting, but instead from old age. The whale spent approximately 84 years alone in the ocean, sending out calls to its long dead companions.