A Leviathan Skeleton

Near the edge of the The Frozen Wastes, an enormous set of remains was found wedged inside the rock, one belonging to what is believed to be a member of the Leviathans. Most Leviathan remains were thought to be completely destroyed, with this being one of the only specimens available to study.

Anatomy

The skeleton depicts a large fish-like creature around a hundred feet long, with a bulky body, and an enormous head. The head contains six eyes, with two being larger than the other pairs combined, as well as a jawless mouth opening horizontally. Its head also contains a large fin on top, as well as two smaller ones on the side, thought to be its pectoral fin. The body of the skeleton stretches far into the rock formation, complete with a rib cage, and what appears to be bony armor near the front end of the creature. Its tail could not be observed, but its other fins appear to be intact.

Geography

The remains were found inside of a large rock formation in an otherwise flat plain of sand. The rocks, appearing similar to basalt on the surface, forms a crescent-shaped plateau with small cliffs and overhangs on the edges. There are also small boulders around the edges of the structure, with some inside the skeleton. On top of the plateau lay several sections of upraised rock, where some species make nests for their young.

The skeleton is completely hollow, being the only entry point inside the plateau. Beyond the mouth, there is an enormous cavern taking up the majority of the plateau, which serves as homes of various species from the Dunes. There are very scant tunnels inside this cavern, though they do not stretch far into the rock. The floor of the cave is also mostly comprised of sand, and has little variation.

This place also has frost growing over its surface, with icicles forming in several different places, though there is no instances of brine pools. Being in the Wastes, it is subject to the same phenomena, while being close enough to the Dunes to offer living species a place of refuge. It remains to be the most densely populated area still in the Wastes.

Ecosystem

While the frost makes it somewhat difficult, various sessile lifeforms have made their homes directly on the skeleton, namely barnacles and mussels with ice covering their shells. There are also the occasional plants, which are not eaten by any of the inhabitants of the skeleton. Very few plants appear to be edible, and are thought to be frozen equivalents to plants such as the Dune Bush and Pygmy Palm. Despite there not being much room, their populations remain stable. There are also large starfish that cling to the undersides of the walls and rocky overhangs of the plateau, feeding off of dead creatures inside the cave.

The cave is largely dominated by herbivorous species such as Sand Crawlers, Deep Koi, and Sandback Turtles. There are also larger species like the Agelisichthys. These creatures keep to themselves most of the time, only seeking to build their nests away from any other species that could harm their young, and occasionally feeding off the plant life around the skeleton. Such dense collections of life also attract predators to prowl the cavern, and because the only entrance is the Leviathan's mouth, there is almost nowhere for their prey to escape in the long run. Most predators will leave after they've eaten enough, but some Agelisichthys chase them off if they feel threatened by their presence.

Most often, nests can be found inside crevices in the rock, nearly anywhere on the walls. Some can also be found in depressions in the sandy basin, as well as inside the Leviathan's skull. As for materials to build these nests, they most often take to deceased plant matter found on the outside, or vacant mussel shells at the base of the plateau. Most species attempt to keep to themselves, as brawls between families have broken out over available space. The ones with no need to make nests also use the caverns as an opportunity to mate with others of their kind, or simply use the open space above ground to stay out of danger.

Localized Phenomena

Quakes that strike this plateau can cause rocks to fall from the cave roof, and crash into the floor, potentially destroying nests that get caught in the way. These rock slides don't seem to affect the skeleton, merely breaking apart and sliding off the bones. Ice will also form on the walls of the cave, and clog any crevices that could be used as residences, before breaking and falling to the floor.

Natural Resources

The only natural resources used by the inhabitants are shells belonging to dead animals such as the barnacles and mussels, as well as the deceased bodies of every other plant growing in the rock. The various rock pillars found inside the cavern are used as hiding places, and predators make a habit of using the rocks to ambush prey passing by.

Attempted Reconstruction

Several predictions have been made of what type of creature the skeleton once belonged to. It is likely that the creature was a herbivorous species, as its small mouth would not be fit for killing smaller creatures, and there are no other known weapons that it has developed. It is also likely that it had bony armor to protect itself against the other Leviathans, should they have went on an attack by their own will. Because it is one of the few of its kind to have its skeleton preserved, it could've had very dense populations before the Nightlight Zone changed, perhaps having rather advanced sociality.

Type

Rock Formation

Location under

The Frozen Wastes