Glacia Alsalto

Glacia Alsaltos are a Solstice 2020 Event creature introduced on December 24th alongside Frida Fisistos. They are based on arctic foxes. Unlike their relatives Klara Alsaltos, they cannot be found in the cupboard year-round. They can breed with Klara Alsaltos to produce hybrid Transira Alsaltos.

## Growth

### Capsule

"Small crystals decorate the edges of this glassy capsule."

### Young

"Soft, thick fur keeps this energetic juvenile warm as it frolics in the snow. It spends much of its waking hours playing—the movement helps it stay warm. If kept in a housing unit, artificial production of snow as well as a cooler temperature is recommended, since it may otherwise overheat. After eating, it will nap for a few hours, curled up in a tight ball, before returning to its play."

### Adult

"The warmth provided by their thick fur makes Glacia Alsaltos perfectly adapted for cold environments, and they spend much of the year in the arctic tundra. As winter storms sweep in further south, some Glacia Alsaltos will follow the snows into other areas. They feed on birds and small mammals and are most often spotted in their signature pounce stance as they leap out of a snowdrift and dive down to catch their prey. Although the crystalline structures many adult Glacia Alsaltos display resemble ice shards, they are in fact mineral-based. Their purpose is not yet known, but it is possible they are used for camouflage like those of Monta Selos. Juvenile Glacia Alsaltos do not exhibit these growths, so it is likely they develop upon reaching adulthood—this means they may be a way of determining a Glacia Alsalto’s age. Another unusual feature is that of their multiple tails, with some displaying as many as nine fluffy appendages. The extra tails do not appear to hinder movement and help trap more heat while a Glacia Alsalto sleeps in its standard curled position, keeping it warm even in subzero temperatures.

The creatures that dwell in this rather desolate world still display some diversity in appearance, eating habits, and social behavior. Whether they have fur or feathers, skin or scales, their unique genetic makeup allows for a variety of colors and markings within each species. Despite limitations in food sources, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores are all present in the food chain, and each species requires specialized care within a laboratory. Although the artificial setting of housing units and breeding pods precludes most opportunities to study true interspecific behavior, the interactions within and between species has been studied extensively in the wilderness by scientists daring enough to venture beyond the outpost’s walls."

## Extra Info

The information below is included in Glacia Alsalto's creature notes on site.

### Intriguing “Ice”

"Although the purpose of the mineral crystals that grow upon certain Glacia Alsaltos is not known, they appear to grow throughout the adult’s lifetime, breaking off now and then without causing any harm to the Alsalto. They are lightweight and translucent, lending to the appearance of shards of ice."

### Migratory Patterns

"Glacia Alsaltos follow the winter snows south, crisscrossing routes with each other as they travel. During this period of traveling, unpaired males and females will seek out mates for the short breeding season. Their migration patterns differ from that of paired Alsaltos, which take a more linear path south until they find a suitable den."

### Storm Sense

"When a winter storm is approaching, Glacia Alsaltos become more active in the hours leading up to the arrival of the snow. They use this time to hunt as other creatures seek shelter from the coming bad weather, then sleep through the snowfall in a temporary den. As the storm dies down, the Glacia Asaltos will begin to emerge and prepare to travel further south, following the edge of the cold front."

## Variations

### Body

The trait associated with Glacia's body color is in the format AABBCC. The first set of letters (AA) determines the body color, while the second two sets of letters (BB and CC) are only included to aid in determining the outcome of offspring between a Glacia Alsalto and a Klara Alsalto, a species which has a more complicated body trait.

### Fire

While Glacia Alsaltos cannot have "fire" (and therefore only ever have aa genes for this trait), the fire trait is included to account for Glacia's ability to breed with Klara Alsaltos.

## Trivia

TFO uses Esperanto as a basis for creature names (although it's not always exact—accents are ignored and spellings occasionally shift). “Glacia Alsalto” means “Ice Leap.”

## Acknowledgment

Art by: Corteo, infinis. Descriptions by: Shark.