stingrays

Scaraquan stingrays are pretty similar to real world stingrays in most physiological ways, but they are symbolically treated very differently.
The mighty Oshamni Empire was not always a might ocean spanning empire, they used to be a relatively small shallow water kingdom and their founding homeland had many stingrays opting for them to make it their national symbol, which they kept as their symbol as Oshamnus expanded.

Oshamni Heraldry by Warden

The Oshamni talk about a stingray's grace and elegance, it's mighty bite and it's potent poison and draw favorable comparisons to their nation's power.
Originally, the Oshamnus was little more than a small Merfolk city-state, they were more likely to talk about stingrays as consumate survivors, cunning, intelligent, and with sharp senses to boot.
The original Oshamnus was almost entirely made up of merfolk but the current Oshamni Empire encompasses large numbers of every major Scaraquan race.
Some have tried to draw metaphors between the "Imperial Stingray" and the various Scaraquan subjects' (and enemies') relations to the the Empire. It is noted that many stingrays primarily eat hard shelled crustraceans and many view the Empire's treatment of astalakians as exploitative but as a whole the astalakians are generally staunch and loyal supporters of the Oshamni Empire, more so than the others, or so the crab people like to claim.
Stingrays and sharks are similar in many respects and both are believed to be the creation the goddess Bellusk. Many karakhai, especially the Samearu (shark priests and priestesses) claim that stingrays were Bellusk's first creations, but were somewhat unsatisfactory to the great goddess so she created sharks which were much more to her liking. Some karakhai outside the Empire say the Imperial Stingray is a good metaphor for the Oshamni Empire's weak attempt to mimic the strength of true sharks whereas karakahai that are part of the Empire are more likely to speak highly of the stingrays' abilities and their spiritual kinship to sharks.

Basic Information

Anatomy

There are many species of stingrays differing in many ways such as having different sizes, colors, habitats, but they have some commonalities.

Stingrays are noteworthy for their flat bodies largely relying on cartilage for their bone structure. They usually have a different coloration on the their bottom side and top side. They usually have a tail with a sharp stinger with a toxin of varying potency. They have mouths on their bottom side and have a surprisingly powerful bite for having such proportionally small mouths.

Stingray in aquarium by Angela Lo

Ecology and Habitats

Stingrays can be found in many waters around Scaraqua, but they are mostly commonly seen in fairly warm fairly shallow waters and are especially common in the Sea of Enosha.
There are many different species of stingray in Scaraqua. Scaraqua has many supernatural sea creatures swimming in its depths, but relatively few exotic fantasy variants of real world stingrays. Most of the supernatural stingrays that do exist are true monsters.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Stingrays are carnivores and eat a wide variety of prey but they primarily invertibrates such as shrimps, crabs, snails, mussels, oysters and clams. They produce a lot of biting force meaning hard shelled prey is no problem for them to chow on, and they are often slow and conveniently easy to catch.

Behaviour

Unsplash upload by P. Desai

Stingrays are predators but they are not top tier predators, often finding themselves prey to sharks, whales, and seals.
Most stingrays are not particularly aggressive generally only attacking to hunt or when they feel cornered. They often rely on stealth to avoid top tier predators, burying themselves in the sand.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Unsplash download by Fransesco Ungaro

Stingrays do not make good pets, and they have never been truly domesticated, but some varieties of stingray have been tamed. They can be taught that Scaraquans are not a threat and some wealthy Oshamni will encourage stingrays with aesthetically pleasing patterns on their topsides to swim near their estates by occasionally feeding them. Not unlike some wealthy Scarterrans choosing to keep peacocks.

Stingrays can be commanded by magic like most sea creatures, but they are rarely a mage's or theurgist's first choice of an aquatic minion.
Some Scaraquans harvest the toxins of certain stingrays. Some of the stronger toxins have been utilized by assassins and some of the weaker toxins have been used by healers as an anesthetic. Some toxins are even used recreationally as vinumaca.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Stingrays have eyes on top of their body and mouths on their bottomside, meaning they cannot normally see what they are biting.
Stingrays are one of two classes of creatures (the other one being sharks) that have ampullae of lorenzi which allow stingrays to detect living creatures by their electrical impulses which in the sting rays case makes up for their unstrategic eye placement.

Geographic Distribution

• Scaraqua
• Sea of Enosha