Inky Medusa

Introduction

Deep within the depth of Lake Onix - the largest under the dark skies of the Dome - lives one of nature's strangest creature: the Inky Medusa.
The depth and width of Lake Onix has never been truly ascertained. It stretches for miles and miles east of the City of the One Prince, and away from the more tamed tip of its western banks, its dark shores are home to ruins and other cursed landmarks, which have never been explored.

It is among the Dark Kelp forests and strange ruins of drowned cities within the untold depths of the lake, that smacks of the phosphorescent Medusa have made their home.

The Medusas are also very much in demand with the citizenry of the City not only as a source of food but also as components for the mages of the Enchanters' Ward.
Guilds of intrepid Retrievers make a small fortune braving the dangers of the lake to fish out the Medusas and sell them to merchants and wholesalers.

Anatomy and Morphology

The inky Medusa is the blooming reproductive form of a creature that mostly spends its time feeding and growing as a larva stuck to a stone support on the lake's bed. Its most distinguishable feature is its luminous inky-blue shape bell, which can reach over 3 meters in length.

The edge of the bell is divided into rounded lobes, which allow the bell to flex and thus gather movement. In the gaps are dangling rudimentary sense organs which bears extremely long tentacles. The tentacles can reach a staggering 30 meters in length and are of the same inky-blue colour as the bell.

The tentacles are full of a stinging substance which the medusa uses to kill its preys. Medusas' stings are harmful, or even fatal, to warm blooded creatures.

Sensories Capabilities

Medusas have rudimentary eyes they use to locate preys and avoid obstacles. They do not seem to have a brain or nervous system and are impervious to pain.

They also are very sensitive to movement in the water and can detect the smallest variations in the current for hundreds of meters around them.

Not much is known about their sentience but Medusas have been known to use their tentacles to communicate with others.
Usually, medusas are solitary creatures, however under attack, they are able to rally other of their kind and gather up in large smacks to defend their communities.

Biological Cycle and Reproduction

As far as it has been observed, Medusas use fission and are able to divide themselves to reproduce.
They also release, when mature, a series of pods that gently floats until they find a support to latch on. From this larva stage, it usually takes two years for a medusa to reach its bell-shaped reproductive stage.
Very large specimens are usually 5 or 6 years old.

Diet

Medusas are carnivores and use their many tentacles to first, stun their preys and then, bring them to their mouth.
What they eat depends on the size of the Medusa. Small medusas will eat planktons and other crustaceans living among the kelp forest.
When they get bigger, Medusas are able to eat larger fish.

Ecology and Habitats

Inky Medusa are found in one of the most beautiful but also most inhospitable habitat of the Dome. Retrievers need to plunge to a great depth to find the creature.

However, the depth of Lake Onix are not as dark as they may seem.
Many creatures, including plankton, are able to create their own light through phosphorescence.
Usually, retrievers are able to spot their fishing sites by diving to reach the lights of the Dark Kelp forests.

To make matters worse, Inky Medusas have a predilection for settling their colonies among the ruins of the lake's drowned cities. The stones providing great supports for their youngs.
These ruins pose their own dangers and should be avoided as much as possible.

Cultural Significance

When brought back to shore, the Inky Medusa is dried, pressed and served as a delicacy throughout the City of the One Prince. It is a great source of protein.
It is also seen as a symbol of immortality - being able to create itself from itself. The medusas have been for centuries used in untold potions and as ingredients and components of magic spells.