Sartans

"...their spit a combination of liquid elements which, ignited, flames with great strength and quickness..."

— Phe o Chronilia

Sartans are a small species of lizard native to Arad and the areas around the Meleatte River. Rare and often kept as pets by the wealthy in Thripia, they are known for their absorbent bodies which are able to maintain hydration for long periods of time as well as their remarkable ability to spit bursts of fire. In agricultural areas of the city, they are widely considered pests for the potential danger they pose to crops and buildings. Their venom is used in the creation of flame oil for which traders will pay high prices.

Apperance

No longer than man's foot, sartans have smooth, slippery skin black in color with the undersides of their feet and the tips of their tails being crimson red. They have four legs, each ending in four rounded toes. Their heads are broad and flat with bulbous black eyes that glint in the light and tiny holes for nostrils. When open, their mouths can be seen to have a row of teeth on top and bottom the barbs of which are too small to do any major damage with a bite. Domesticated sartans can have more variety than their wild cousins. Some are known to have yellow, green, or purple auxiliary colors. Extremely rare variants, specially bred and found more frequently in the northern half of Thripia, are gold and silver in place of the normal black and crimson.

Properties

Sartans spend a majority of their lives roaming the Meleatte Desert searching for insects to eat. This mostly consists of scorpions, scarabs and locusts. They are particularly adept at hunting the latter given that locust swarms are notoriously vulnerable to fire which sartans are able to produce in bursts from their mouths. This is done by excreting a highly flammable liquid substance known as Sartan venom, used to create flame oil, from a vent at the back of their throats. Their teeth, which have been found to contain traces of metal, are rapidly slashed against one another to create sparks which in turn ignite the projected spit. This process happens too quickly for most to see and appears to an onlooker as a brief plume of fire. Sartans are careful not to excrete any more spit than necessary as it can damage their mouths and heads. The heat of their flames are not to be underestimated. Although they are unlike to cause serious burns on their own, they easily catch against dry wood, fur, cloth and leaves.
As small wanderers in a large desert, sartans require high levels of hydration in order to survive and produce their flammable toxins. They maintain their water levels by storing liquid in their moist skin, the water from which can be absorbed as necessary. In preparation for long journeys, they will often soak in the waters of the Meleatte or in waterholes for hours at a time, submerging different parts of their bodies to ensure all areas are hydrated.

Significance

Sartans are seen as exotic pets for the upper class within Thripia due to their rarity and are highly prized. Wealthy individuals may have one or more sartans within their homes either to show off to others or as companions. Trained sartans, often reared by expert Aradin handlers usually of the Raden tribe, are particularly valuable. The nomadic Raden peoples of the desert have owned sartans for centuries as, for their culture, they have a great deal of significancee. Sartans are remarkably adept at locating water sources; a proficiency critical to the nomadic peoples' lifestyle. They can also be used to light fires even in the coldest desert nights. Additionally, due to their ability to control both fire and water, they are seen as creatures embodying duality and the conflicting nature of the world's elements. Sartans are brilliantly adapted to live within the Meleatte Desert and represent, to the Raden, what it means to live in a place where life is seemingly rejected. It is superstitiously believed that killing a sartan will bring about ill fortune.

Lifespan

~20 years