Ice Threader

Due to the harsh natures of the northern sea's, the few animals that live within it's freezing waters have learned to greatly adapt to the dangers of the climate, and what lurk there. One such predator is the Ice Threader. These Orca's are the largest of their species, the males being the larger of the gender's normally weighing in at over 3 tons, the largest ever seen was said to be almost 20 meters in length from tip of the nose to the end of the tail. The females being just slightly smaller than this by a few hundred pounds and a meter or so. Despite their large size, the terrifying appearance of this animal is what has given it's name as Ice threader. Made up of rigid bone and touch leather like scales, the front of it's face is pointed into that of an ice cutter, or ram, to allow it navigation through the coldest parts of the realm, permitting it to break through chunks of ice to continue moving through it's territory or to help it track prey that attempts escape. Due to the nature of this behavior, sailors who have spotted these creatures have begun to learn to track them , and use the routes that they make through the ice as shipping or sailing routes as a useful way of navigation, avoiding having their ships lodged or destroyed by the ever freezing ice.

Distribution

This species of Orca are only found within the coldest regions of the realm, sticking to area's where their adaptations are well suited for the climate. They are often found near the surface or just below as they are mammal's and use blowholes for sources of air, and areas such considered rare. Coming up to refill their lungs every 10 min or so, these animals swim in pods, the max of a group size usually being about 4-5, with a male in the alpha position, the lifespan of these animals usually ranging from 40-50 years.

Diet

These whales are strictly carnivorous in nature, having a diet consisting of seals, fish, sharks, and even other whales should the conditions be right, being that they are Orca's the behavior when it comes to food is very aggressive, being among the top of the food chain for their climate and territories. Due to the size of these animals they can consume hundreds of pounds of meat in a day should their hunt be fruitful, however with the process of slow metabolism in the freezing north they can survive without eating for more than week.

Relation

Due to their brutish appearance, one may believe they lack any kind of intelligence- although this is the far opposite. Ice Threader's have been known to communicate through echolocation, to the point where they recognize their own species enough to not cannibalize. Similarly to most animals, they are naturally protective of their young. Males will often defend the pack with their lives, rarely retreating when it comes to facing a doomed situation. Otherwise, they remain neutral to smaller beings in nature, only reaching hostility towards large animals capable of reducing their innate hunger- such as mankind.

Mechanics

• The heads of these animals are constructed to be incredibly hard, capable of cutting ice in the freezing north
• Hard, leathery skin is underlined with thick layers of fat, providing essential interior warmth.
• May communicate towards others of their own species via long-range echolocation.
• Incredibly intelligent, capable of group organized hunts and understanding of dangerous situations.

Material Properties

• The bones of the ice threader, if collected, are an extremely dense bone-like metal, just as durable as steel, though milky white in color. These bones cannot be shaven or changed in shape in anything but blacksmithing, and require to be created into proper weapons exactly like one would a blade. This metal carries a special affinity with ice just like the creature it once was. While normally thick, hard and not easily chopped-the bone of the Ice-threader cuts, breaks, and cleaves through ice like it were a hot knife through butter.

Alchemical Properties

• The fat of an Ice-Threader can be melted down into an alchemical that naturally regulates the body temperature when ingested, making them temporarily resistant to all dangerous types of weather, such as extreme heat, cold, or humidity.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier