Dolphins

The whales may have been the first children of the sea, but the dolphins were the first to cross the oceans and explore their farthest reaches. The various dolphin species comprise the most influential parts of Tesheli society, and they bridge the gaps between all the other cultures of the world.
The dolphins' success on Teshelyn is most easily attributed to their natural talents for communication. Each dolphin subspecies can easily learn to understand, if not speak, many of the other languages used by other species. Balaceti, merfolk, and even humans can expect to be understood when communicating with a dolphin. And although the field of cetalinguistics was started by a balaceti discovery, many of the subsequent advances in the field have been due to work by dolphins.
There are numerous species of dolphin present on Teshelyn, but the most influential are:

• the silverfin
• the wavecrest
• the roughtooth
• the orca

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dolphins range anywhere from 5 to 30 feet long depending on the species, but they all have the same general shape - long, hydrodynamic bodies with powerful tails and fins used for swimming. They are invariably obligate carnivores, and each species has different adaptations to suit their preferred hunting methods. The smaller wavecrest dolphins have narrow beaks and pointed fins to allow for quick movements to catch smaller fish, while the massive orcas are adapted to overpower and outlast their prey.

Ecology and Habitats

Dolphins can be found in every corner of the Tesheli oceans, but distributions vary among species. Orcas are by far the most widespread, as they are one of the hardiest species of dolphin, where the roughtooths tend to prefer warmer waters.
As air-breathing species, they tend to be more easily found towards the surface, though with the right preparations a dolphin could reach the bottom of the deepest trenches with minimal outside assistance.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Dolphins are carnivores. The prey of choice varies from species to species, and sometimes there is even variation between subgroups of the same species, but they are all hunters through and through.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Nuclear family oriented or extended family/clan-based, depending on species/subgroup

Geographic Origin and Distribution

cosmopolitan

Average Intelligence

high

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Dolphins tend to have relatively poor eyesight, but they make up for it with one of the most specialized senses found in Tesheli biology: echolocation. While the great whales are known for their powerful songs that carry for long distances through the water, dolphins have instead developed a type of vocalization consisting of rapid clicks and chatters that echo throughout their surroundings and give the dolphin a sense of what is nearby.
Because of this highly-specialized vocal ability, and because the dolphins do not have arms, most magic performed by dolphins is verbal in nature. The sweeps and clicks of echolocation were further refined to not just detect but affect their surroundings, and a dolphin mage can influence anything from water currents to the minds of others with the right set of vocalizations.

Conservation Status

least concern