Ceto

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## General Appearance

Cetos are giant, majestic fish-like beasts with skin as strong as steel and strange but natural propulsion systems. Cetos have two disc-shaped organs protruding from their backs and light particles emanating from their fins, and somewhat resemble whales. Their tails and ends of their fins have natural "engines" that slowly propel them forward, producing a dim light behind them. These nocturnal creatures float through the skies at night in search of prey, before retreating back into the depths of the seas at sunrise.

## General Behavior

Although behavior differs between subspecies and climate, in general, Cetos are sluggish, slow moving predators that feed on birds and other small avians, if they can get them into their mouths. While they can also consume fish and other sea creatures during the day, they prefer to eat during the night when they are more active. Their backs are equipped with large echolocation organs designed to sense their surroundings and help subdue prey. Upon sighting a potential victim, Cetos emit concentrated bursts of sound waves to stun the target before closing in for the kill. Cetos live solitary lives and only come together to mate, which they do so above the water's surface. Female Cetos can lay up to 10,000 eggs, which spend most of their lives underwater as fish, becoming larger and larger until they develop flight organs and take to the skies. Of the eggs, only about 1 in 50,000 will end up surviving and ultimately reaching adulthood. Cetos do not care for their young, and the pair will part ways after mating.

## General Diet

Cetos will generally catch anything they eat, but will not eat anything larger than half its own size. Although they do have powerful defensive mechanisms, they only use these against prey when hungry. On normal occasions, they chase down flocks of birds and the occasional dragon for a meal. If a Ceto is unlucky enough to not catch any meals during its night hunt, it will simply eat fish and other sea creatures upon its return to the ocean. Because of their poor eyesight and low intelligence, they often mistake small aircraft for food and will not hesitate to chase down planes and the like. Although the chances of them meeting is extremely rare, there is a chance that a Ceto may go after the legendary Nigricaan beasts, where a beautiful display of light will occur as the two beasts engage in a fight for predation. Cetos are not cannibalistic, and even when underwater, will never eat young Cetos.

## General Habitat

Although habitat varies through subspecies, Cetos live in a wide range of environments. Because they are often high in the atmosphere when in flight, surface temperature isn't an issue for them. During storms, Cetos are known to come close to the ground to avoid being injured by lightning. Cetos also hate ambient lighting, and stay far away from cities and the like, preferring undisturbed territories and forests as long as they are close to the sea. Depending on the temperature, Cetos' lights change color, from blue to cold habitats and pink to hot ones, with yellow being just right.

## General Facts

Cetos live for about 350 years, which is rather short considering their relative and ancestor species lived much longer. Cetos can be trained to become giant mobile aircraft by mounting a ship underneath their bulk, allowing them to be piloted like a steamship. Some nations use Cetos and other similar creatures as mobile flying battleships, by attaching weapons and armor to them. Cetos are considered a rare delicacy, as their meat is delicious, but they are notoriously hard to bring down. They are considered vulnerable to habitat destruction by the NESCS. Interestingly, Cetos were originally weaponized by the Luminoths for warfare, and eventually, were used as living CEVA Battleships during later periods in the Altaran War. Despite their size, Skewers often bully Cetos, and sometimes are lucky enough to kill them midair and feast on the meat within. This is rare however, as Cetos have powerful natural defenses to ward off and attackers.

## Subspecies

Hailstorm Ceto

Molten Ceto

Pulsar Ceto

Nebula Ceto

Golden Ceto

Lunar Ceto

Sunstar Ceto

Chiron Ceto