Volgrin (FOL-grin)

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The volgrin is an extinct, sapient species with the ability to reorientate intentionally, making it possibly the only animal to have affinities aside from humans. The volgrin relied heavily on reorientation for survival, utilising only very basic tools from wood and stone despite their intricate carvings and arts. It was the largest and heaviest member of the Halvarðr (HAL-var-ther) family. Though their largest settlements were located in the northwest of Isord, volgrins tended to be solitary creatures and were scattered over every continent except for the south pole. They first appeared during the end of the Primordial Age and went extinct after the Second Apocalypse, though how they evolved is a matter of debate. It is claimed that they were built as tools by the Natives or that they swam through the expanse of space to reach Ereya or, for the religious, they were crafted by one god or another to end the Natives.
From references in Second Age records and artefacts, we know that humans once had a far clearer understanding of the volgrin's origins and perhaps even an intimate relationship with them, but such knowledge has been lost to the Unnamed War. As such, we have a limited understanding of the species. The only proof of the volgrin's existence outside of mythology and folklore is the few remaining skeletons and the preserved specimen at the Tsagadai, which has been frozen in time.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Volgrins are one of the largest land animals of all time. The most complete specimen available to the the Archives, HSPC3656 from the Historical and Scientific Preservation Centre of the Vegard Institution, is a skull of a subadult volgrin. The full length of the specimen is an estimated 25 metres in length. Asuran legends mention volgrins whose shadows "devoured the entirety of the Sky God's Throne (a mountain range now called the Tsagadai)"; the remains of these has yet to be found. The specimen at the Tsagadai is approximately 36 metres from head to tail.

Eyes

Volgrins had five sets of eyes–two larger ones at the very front of the face. The rest were spaced evenly over the triangular skull, though these seemed to be redundant as the main pair provides a nearly 360-degree view; in fact, the additional eyes may be blind from birth. Instead, the redundant eyes may be involved in a mating ritual, attracting ideal partners. Volgrins from the First Age had a vision that was much sharper than humans but about the same by the end of the Age. They have circular pupils, allowing a general observation of their surroundings. However, they have specialized UV-sensitive cones that allow them to perceive a much wider section of the EM spectrum and are thus able to detect lightstorms rapidly.

Horns & body

Two large horns protruded from either side of the head. They had a long, flexible neck studded with small spines and horns that break off and grow back throughout their life, while the main horns on their head cannot be regrown. They were quadruped, though capable of balancing on hind limbs.

"Wings"

As with humans and our hands, volgrins used the motion of special limbs located on their backs to aid in reorientation, though the movement does not cause reorientation themselves. These had similar bone structures to bird wings and were initially mistaken as wings, but they were far too small relative to the rest of the body to create the necessary force to lift the massive creatures; volgrins also lacked the muscles required for self-propelled flight. However, they were capable of flight using their "wings" to adjust air density and glide on the winds they create by reorientating. The limbs were highly flexible and covered with hard, bony growths bearing similarities to feathers. They usually had one or two pairs of "wings", though some may have had three.

Genetics and Reproduction

Though volgrins find partners, with whom they spent their lives and raised offspring if they had any, they did not apparently copulate. According to human legend, volgrins do not give birth–they simply tore through the body of their parent once fully developed. Increases in population only occurred when multiple volgrins are born from the same parent. Of course, this cannot be confirmed and seems rather unlikely given that sculptures from volgrin cities indicate that they raise their children. A current theory is that they reproduce asexually, but there is no substantial evidence to prove this. Researchers are still unable to differentiate between male and female volgrins, partially due to a lack of complete skeletons.

Growth Rate & Stages

However they emerge into the world, volgrins begin their lives as small, snake-like younglings with four stubby feet. They will slither for most of their early lives, appearing not much different to a snake, until their legs grow long and strong enough to support their weight. Over the course of five to six years, volgrins grow into sub-adult with "wings," allowing them to properly reorientate. Their main horns will have started to push out from their skull, but will not be fully extended until adulthood, which can take decades to reach. By various accounts, volgrins grow at a slow rate, though will continue to do so even after reaching adulthood, suggesting that they never stop growing.

Ecology and Habitats

Fossils of volgrins can be found throughout the globe though they were concentrated in areas of cold climates and high ambience. This coincides with the location of their "cities," which were mostly constructed in the Second Age. They would be called villages in human terms, consisting of 10–20 individuals, but given the size of the volgrins, their cities span many hundred square metres. All that remains are broken rock, but the buildings were carved from single blocks of stone with complicated, spiralling patterns, with massive columns and archways. This type of architecture was reflected in ancient human cities such as Merisu in the Isordi Desert. Volgrin cities consisted of housing, one per individual, administrative buildings, storage space and even schools. Roles were distributed by ability, with each individual contributing what they were best at.
Though most of their history, volgrins preferred to live alone or with a partner. City-dwellers were the exception, not the norm. Volgrins outside of cities, called "solitary volgrins," constructed houses as well. They were not as elaborate as the cities' but were adorned with carvings along the walls, floors and ceilings.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The shape of their teeth indicates that they were carnivorous. Despite their sizes, the volgrin did not consume much meat, nor much food in general. They could supposedly convert light into energy that they can use–why they would eat meat is unknown, since they had qualms against needless killing.
City-dwellers domesticated animals for consumption, such as goats, camels and horses, while solitary volgrins preferred to hunt. They created illusions to draw in prey and to camouflage themselves. Then, they either speared the prey with the sharp spikes on their "wings" or struck with their claws. Volgrins preserved food by curing, summoning fire to smoke meats or evaporating water from seawater to produce salt.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Volgrins lived throughout Ereya, though were most common in Isord. The oldest cities were located in Central Isord but the volgrins moved northwards following climate change. After the outbreak of the disease in the Middle Second Age, many volgrins migrated to Asura, spreading across the Szarvas and what is now the Broken Continent. Several cities were founded along the Spine, but they were short-lived.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A study conducted by the Institution found that volgrins had the ability to sense low-frequency sounds, an enhanced sense of smell and keen vision. As previously mentioned, the volgrins had a nearly 360° vision. It is estimated that they had 13 times the visual acuity of a human and a limiting far point as far as 10 km. Given their prowess in reorientation, it is likely they were highly sensitive to threads.

Civilization and Culture

History

Hearken the Winged's call,
King crowned by stars, Carver of the land,
On the light-weaved throne o'er the sky,
Weep for the lords of the Age lost!

— name unknown, an ancient Isordi song from the Third Age

As with most things from the Primordial age, little is known of the volgrin's creation. They were possibly involved with the First Apocalypse, which is described as "the great cataclysm of ice-salt and flames".
The volgrin's civilisation rose to its peak early in the First Age, which is sometimes known as the Age of the Volgrin. However, it is a misunderstanding to believe that they ruled over Ereya and "dictated the comings and goings of the waves and winds" as the songs claim. Though they relied heavily on their ability to manipulate threads in their everyday life, a fact that has come to characterise their downfall, volgrins had little impact on the environment, much less than humans. They had great respect for nature and organised elaborate rituals to thank trees chopped for wood and offered the souls of every animal killed for food (which likely included other volgrins and humans) to the water, a practice still carried out today by us.
During the Middle First Age, the volgrin population plummeted worldwide. Fossils of volgrins from this era show disfigurations that indicate an outbreak of a plague. Cities were abandoned and volgrins began migrating en masse to Asura across a land bridge that was joined the continents together. During this period, humans and volgrin coexisted. The latter was able to "plant thoughts" inside of human minds, implying telepathy, possibly even a form of the Purple Affinity. Some were worshipped, spawning cults, some befriended, but most avoided. The disease did not catch onto humans, but volgrins ate without judgement.
Eventually, the disease died out, but despite a period of peace that followed, their numbers still dwindled in the latter half of the First Age. It is believed by some that the majority of the volgrins lost the ability to reorientate, which would have severely impacted their ability to find food, construct shelter, and even communicate with other volgrins. No major settlement was built since then, and the already small population was reduced to a dozen individuals by humanity's Bronze Age.
They were entirely wiped out by the Second Apocalypse, the details of which are even more elusive than that of the First. Even scholars of the Second Age profess ignorance to the events. It is merely called "the Screaming Night".

Historical Figures

Halvarðr, whom the Halvarðr family is named after, is the supposed first volgrin to be created or arrive on Ereya. The human myth of the first volgrin has existed since the First Age which was likely adapted from the volgrin's own mythology. The name "Halvarðr" was only used in the Third Age, after Halvarðr I, the Duke of Old Vallr, who had been collating the knowledge of the Ages and making changes where he so pleased. As such, we do not know what the name of the first volgrin is or even what it was during the previous Ages.

Common Myths and Legends

In Asura, there is a prophecy of the Enkhgerel, or "Black One", a child of Halvarðr, who will free all living creatures from the cyclical misery. There is just enough historical evidence to prove that the prophecy originated with the volgrins, or at least they had something similar in concept: a descendant of the mythical volgrin Halvarðr will liberate the souls of all living creatures on Ereya. It is one of many apocalyptic prophecies, promising a future Age to come, but it is the only one to suggest there is an end to the Ages. Of course, the volgrins believed the Black One was one of them or possibly other species of the Halvarðr family. Asuran cults believe it is the volgrin at the Tsagadai, who will one day break free from the cage of time to free humanity.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

What do volgrins think of us? It's a difficult question to answer. Asking is not an option and everything that is known of their people is tinted by the lens of humanity.
The volgrin was able to communicate with humans by "planting thoughts." The experience is reportedly overwhelming for humans, leading to some misunderstanding and animosity on our part. What the volgrin thought of us is not certain. They allowed themselves to be worshipped, to be studied and in some cases even to be used. Perhaps, they really were created to be tools, albeit ones that learnt to think and dream and bend the entire world to their will. Perhaps, they became nostalgic for that past.
It's hard to say what we think of them. Stories tell of queens and mages who sought the volgrins for counsel, while others describe their wrath and how they level entire citadels. More still tell of their furiousness to protect what they thought was theirs; or their kindness towards the lost and wounded; or their beautiful, soundless songs.

by keita okada

Skull of a subadult [HSPC3656]

EXTINCT

Note: though a living specimen still exists, it is unrecoverable from its current state. For all intents and purposes, the Vegard Institution and all its derivative bodies consider the species to be extinct.

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Lifespan

Possibly infinite

Average Height

4.5–10 metres

Average Weight

Approximately 4000 kg

Average Length

13–35 metres

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Volgrins have a wide variety of colouring. Records described them as having "jewelled skin".

Geographic Distribution

• Asura
• Ereya
• Isord

Further Reading

What on Ereya is reorientation? Threads? Here's a handy guide into the magic system:

Other interesting creatures (that is not extinct):

Additional: