Fracturga Whale

In the Emerald Sea, blood is spilt. The warring navies, whalers, and abyssal predators splash crimson over the tides. It is a traumatizing place to live. The beasts of the sea have learnt to hide from the prying eyes and harpoons of the vessels above- all but few. Amongst this bastion of beasts who dare to stand in defiance are the Fracturga Whales. ‘She who breaches’, as they’re often known to fishermen. They have a reputation for being exceptionally gentle and exceptionally violent, a disposition almost certainly molded by the influence of man and elf. They’re somewhat fleeting in their broader ranges as whaling has begun to take a considerable toll on a once fairly numerous species.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

A species of toothed cetacean, Fracturgas are the sole endemic marine mammal of Ludwag. They share many characteristics with their close pilot whale cousins with an equally appropriate diet. They feed largely on fish and cephalopods with a series of teeth that can puncture and hold slippery prey. Their gape is wide enough to swallow a small dog whole- translating to taking swabs of fish at a time. The excess goes into a fatty blubber which surrounds all but the head and blowhole of the beast. This blubber provides a reserve which the Fracturga Whale can subsist on in times of hardship while also providing insulation in its southerly cold ranges.

Fracturga Whales are famous for their keratinous, mineralized headgear. This headgear encompasses the jaws and shoulder blades with a thick armor as durable as rock. This armor makes the beaks of cephalopods all but useless however it has a far more bold purpose. By generating considerable speed with its tail fin, Fracturga Whales can generate short yet powerful charges. Should these charges collide with something, it will almost certainly pulverize bone and break wood or chitin. Such a devastating attack is often employed on armored prey but has recently been used against vessels. A Fracturga Whale may prove a dangerous adversary for any maritime vessel as their charges may rupture holes in the hull and doom the crew to a watery grave.

As mammals, Fracturga Whales give rise to one calf every few years. Twins are possible albeit significantly rarer. Calves do not possess their armored headgear at birth, they will grow their headgear overtime by subsisting off crustaceans and what their mother provides. Calves take half a decade to become wholly independent of their mothers. A mother will not have another calf until her current one becomes independent or dies. Regardless of calves presence, males will develop their colors in attempts to impress passing females. Fracturga bulls can be easily distinguished from cows during this time by the bright orange or red splotches that form along their back.

#### Psychology

Fracturga Whales are social creatures. Pods are composed of an elderly female, adult females, and their juvenile offspring. Bulls are largely solitary once mature, only returning to form pairs or to battle with other bulls. Much of a pod's doings are directly controlled by the elder who directs her pod to food and fortune. Elders will often teach their underlings methods of hunting or areas to avoid that will in turn be passed down to their offspring. Through this hereditary instruction, certain Fracturga Whales develop specific hunting strategies or sentiments toward other organisms. Toward sapient races, no recorded instance of unprovoked assault on one has been recorded. Their shipping vessels on the other hand are often subject to attack; especially by calf-bearing pods or hormonal bulls.