Arcane Axolotl

The Arcane Axolotl is a creature native to Ivendarea's south. It feels at home in both warm and cold water and usually lives close by the coast in cavernous stone formations, coral reefs, or kelp forests in the sea and rivers alike. They are shy creatures and therefore rarely seen despite reaching an impressive size, and their magical nature definitely helps with hiding from the eyes of curious swimmers.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Arcane Axolotls are large aquatic animals classified as amphibians.
They have big, almost triangular heads with small, bead-like eyes. Three to five horn-like appendixes protrude from the jaw on each side, containing gills that enable them to breathe underwater. The body is long and slender; they have four legs, two in the front, two in the back, and a long tail with an almost translucent vertical fin. The frontlegs have five fingers, the backlegs have four toes each, with webbing inbetween.
Arcane Axolotls have rudimentary lungs and can survive outside of the water for short amounts of time (>3 hours) as long as they stay moist. They can't intake oxygen through their lungs when out of the water, only through the skin. Their arms and legs would theoretically be long enough to stand on, but they are not sturdy enough to carry the animal very fast or far when out of the water, which is why they shouldn't be removed from their natural habitat. They make up for this through magical abilities such as teleportation though, even if only for short distances as well. This is also a natural protection against predators.
The skin of the axolotls is very thin and almost translucent in some animals, the colour ranges from flush pinks and purples to cooler blues and greens. Furthermore the skin is also a natural defense mechanism: to blend in with their surroundings arcane axolotls can become nearly invisible by changing their skin-colour and texture.

Lifespan

50 years

Conservation Status

Arcane Axolotls aren't under any special protection by law, but it is also unsure how big their population in the wild is currently. While there are examples of people keeping them as pets, especially on Maan Garth and the coastal region of the Ivendarean Mainland, it is still advised against removing them from their natural habitat. Those in search of an exotic pet could destroy its natural habits, and then end up disappointed anyway: usually, after a few days of captivity, most Arcane Axolotls will mysteriously disappear from their captor's homes if they find it not suitable. And they have high demands.

Average Height

20 cm

Average Weight

3.3 kg

Average Length

50 cm