Mariscale

Mariscale is the name given to a creature that inhabits the sea along the northern shores of Mirateia, not much is known about how the creature lives as the only ones that have been seen have all been dead ones that have then washed up on the shores.
Scholars have theorised that due to them always washing up alone and some of those have marks on their scales that indicate fighting with other members of their species, the Mariscale is a solitary creature.
Since ancient times the Mariscale have become the stuff of legends, mostly due to their enormous size but also because many find them particularly beautiful with their iridescent scales that look like they are shimmering in the sunlight, due to these factors they have become both the monster in these legends, sinking ships and attacking villages along the coast but in some of them they have also become the hero of these with them acting as a small island that shipwrecked sailors can cling to but some stories also tell about them driving flocks of fish inland and onto the beaches were the locals and pick them up, these stories always take place during a famine or other periods were the food is limited.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The scales of the dead creatures can be processed and turned into armament and can sometimes be found on ships, both military and civilian, where these are used mainly on the bow of the ship to protect against unexpected collisions, like that of floating debrie or unchartered undersea corals and rocks, these scales are useful in these cases as they are hard enough to withstand the impact and in most cases prevent the ship in taking the same amount of damage as it would have had it not had these scales.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Judged by the indivuals that have washed up on shores, the primarily geographic distribution of Mariscale is believed to only be the northern shores of Mirateia, scholars have not ruled out that they might not inhabit all the sea around the continent and its either due to sea currents that they only wash up in the north or that they simply chooses it as their place to rest.

Average Intelligence

Estimated by the legends surrounding the creature, they are believed to be very intelligent, perhaps some of the most intelligent of what scholars have classified as sea monsters.

Lifespan

Unknown, believed to be centuries

Average Height

Up to 5 meters

Average Weight

estimated at around 100kg

Average Length

Up to 20 meters