Godfish

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Godfish are enormous fish that dwell in near Erudite's equator just outside the cold zone. They were very common during Erudite’s prehistoric era but are now on the verge of extinction due to both overhunting and their slaying to make the oceans more feasibly traversable. They can be found in the oceans south of Valordyn.

Despite being feared for terrorizing sailors and making many parts of the oceans impassable, Godfish themselves are a prey species. Far larger, more dangerous creatures that prey on the Godfish dwell below.

Biology

Despite their name, the Godfish are not inherently magical or divine. They are just very large fish. They can grow up to 50 meters in length. They highly resemble a sea bass having a rather plain appearance and no teeth. However, the sheer suction force that occurs when it opens its mouth will draw in its prey.

Godfish can survive for long periods of time over vents of ekati releasing energy. However, they still must feed on live prey. They are omnivorous and will devour anything small enough to fit in its mouth. They prefer to target prey at the surface including schools of fish, seals, small whales and even ships. They will come up from underneath and emerge from the surface, swallowing their prey in a single gulp.

Because of the Godfish’s enormous size and difficulty finding enough food to properly satiate it, digestion is a very slow process. Prey that is swallowed by a Godfish can survive weeks, even months within its insides. The largest of Godfish are known to support entire ecosystems inside which behave symbiotically.

Habitat

Godfish dwell close to the surface of the ocean. They tend to dwell in warm waters near tropical islands and other coastal regions. It is thought living close to the ocean’s surface was an evolutionary adaptation as the Godfishs’ predators dwell far deeper below. Despite the ocean’s surface being much safer for Godfish, they will eventually need to dive deeper within range of its predators if food becomes scarce.

Predators

Waterborne Godbeasts and some species of dragons will also attempt to feed on Godfish. Smaller varieties will attempt to swarm one in packs, pecking and clawing at it until it goes down. However, more mythical, seldom seen creatures are known to prey on Godfish.

A sailor once told a tale of nearly being swallowed whole by a Godfish only for a large spear to strike from below piercing the Godfish instantly killing it. Mere moments later, the spear dragged the Godfish deep into the abyss. No trace of the Godfish was left behind as the piercing was described to be completely clean and silent. Despite their extraordinary luck, the sailor described themselves as being more afraid of what killed the Godfish than the Godfish itself.

Sightings of similar creatures that have pierced and dragged down both Godfish and ships have continued to circle about. This mysterious predator came to be known as the Harpoon Kraken. However, despite the Harpoon Kraken being potentially one of the Godfish’s major predators, the creature has never been seen in its entirety. Despite their rarity, what is particularly alarming is that the increased number of sightings of this creature coincide with the decrease in Godfish population. For one reason or another, the Harpoon Kraken is being forced to come to the surface more often to hunt.

Relationship with Mortals

The Godfish are a very old species, older than the Shattering itself. However, their numbers have dwindled to the point where they are very rare after being extensively hunted by mortals. The meat available from a Godfish has the potential to feed an entire small city for a year, and their bones can be used for architectural support. Not only does their hide serve as a food source, but often the things they have swallowed can be of value. Crates of supplies, old relics and other undigested materials have been discovered, some decades or even centuries old.

Many have searched for ways to tame Godfish to not attack ships. However, Godfish are not believed to have the levels of intelligence of a mortal. Thus, finding ways to communicate with them or control them has proven to be incredibly difficult. However, the Isle of Zakana managed to succeed by forming a mutual relationship with a Godfish which they call Namazu.