MagiStream

Visitors to Taggelisk may find it odd that even in the height of spring when the marsh is full of beautiful flowers, vendors in the market never seem to sell them. No one is prohibited from picking wild flowers as they please, but throughout most of Taggelisk, flowers are considered symbols of bad luck. Weddings feature gemstones and colorful silks for decoration where flowers would be used in Synara or Voltar, and flowers in the city limits of places like Ageti are viewed as weeds. Most of these flowers are harmless, but one in particular, the marsh lotus, is seen as a sign of imminent danger -- and with good reason. The marsh lotus is a rare plant which requires a symbiotic host, the lianhua anthosuchus, in order to survive. It buries its roots into the outer layer of the animal's skin to receive nutrients from the creature's body, and in return it offers camouflage and an enticing treat for the anthosuchus's prey. The flower is highly sought-after for its medicinal properties, but those who go looking for it without understanding how it grows will quickly learn why the inhabitants of Taggelisk fear flowers.

Unlike many other reptiles, anthosuchus hatchlings are cared for by their mothers much like birds. While their mother doesn't incubate their eggs or feed them directly, she will regulate the temperature of the nest by covering it in sand or leaf litter, and once the babies hatch she will carry them to a small nursery pool where they can learn to hunt insects and small fish. Anthosuchus adults are generally solitary, but learning social skills early in life is important, and as hatchlings they can already emit the high-pitched squeaks and chirps that in adults become grunts and rumbles to communicate. Although they do not hatch with flowers on their bodies, the buds of their symbiotic lotus plants attach to the crocodile's scales within their first week after hatching, and will stay with them for their entire lives.

Many dangers dwell within the swamps of Taggelisk, and while anthosuchus are far from the largest, they are intimidating for their camouflage and raw power. Even those who have lived their whole lives in Taggelisk may have difficulty distinguishing an anthosuchus from a regular log if its flowers are not immediately visible. The crocodiles are surprisingly smart, and will tilt their bodies or encourage their flowers to close their buds when hunting prey that might recognize the plants. Many harmless lotus look-alikes exist in the swamp, and occasionally other flowers will grow on an anthosuchus' back in addition to its symbiotic plants. This can make identifying them particularly difficult, especially during the wet season when most of the flowers are in bloom, which is why most people avoid picking flowers in the swamp altogether.

Few creatures in Calidis wander down to the island's scant rivers alone, especially in the summer when the rivers dry up to become murky pools. The people who built the Ashen temple carved warnings on its walls of the creature they called Thulta'marn, Mouth of the Mud. The images and their accompanying descriptions depict a monster with immense jaws rising up out of the earth and swallowing a variety of creatures, from deer to wildcats, and even dragons. Curiously, all of these depictions featured symbols similar to that of the lotus flower top the creature's back. Until explorers set out to explore the deeper reaches of the island, these images were dismissed as artistic interpretations of volcanoes or earthquakes. However, in the northern scrubland of Calidis, where the seasonal rivers form still pools for part of the year, thulta'marn can be found hidden just beneath the surface of almost every water hole large enough to hide its presence. The adventurers who found it, or at least those lucky enough to have returned from the trip, warn others that no matter how desperate their thirst may be, when wandering the wilds of the island, beware the blue and red lotus.

Thulta'marn anthosuchus hatchlings are immediately recognizable for two reasons; first, they develop a symbiotic relationship with buds of blue or red lotus flowers which camouflage them and help the young crocodiles attract hungry water deer, and second, their mother is usually only a few yards away from them at all times. The curious gray crocodiles of Calidis hatch from eggs the size of watermelons and develop a fierce demeanor early in life. Mothers are highly protective of their hatchlings and will fight rival anthosuchus intruders to the death if they must. The hatchlings are curious but large enough to hold their own against most of the island's smaller predators from the moment they hatch, and their strong toothy jaws certainly don't hurt their chances at survival. Mother thulta'marn anthosuchus look after their offspring until they reach a third of their adult size, at which point the hatchlings disperse to find their own territories and face the remaining dangers of the island alone.

The thulta'marn depicted in the Ashen Temple is thought to be based on a Calidis relative of the lianhua anthosuchus. These crocodiles are the largest of their kind, and were thought to have been long extinct before they were rediscovered on the volcanic island. They thrive in the murky rivers of the dry north of the island as well as the swamps of its the south and east, though the small size of Calidis means that the total population of thulta'marn anthosuchus is restricted to only a few known waterways. Their eggs are exceedingly well-guarded by attentive mothers, and though slow and ungainly on land, in the water almost nothing on the island can best their power. As adults, they can reach nearly fifty feet in length and can snatch young Calidis dragons, though their preferred prey seems to be the large ungulates which roam the island's forests.

Visitors to Taggelisk may find it odd that even in the height of spring when the marsh is full of beautiful flowers, vendors in the market never seem to sell them. No one is prohibited from picking wild flowers as they please, but throughout most of Taggelisk, flowers are considered symbols of bad luck. Weddings feature gemstones and colorful silks for decoration where flowers would be used in Synara or Voltar, and flowers in the city limits of places like Ageti are viewed as weeds. Most of these flowers are harmless, but one in particular, the marsh lotus, is seen as a sign of imminent danger -- and with good reason. The marsh lotus is a rare plant which requires a symbiotic host, the lianhua anthosuchus, in order to survive. It buries its roots into the outer layer of the animal's skin to receive nutrients from the creature's body, and in return it offers camouflage and an enticing treat for the anthosuchus's prey. The flower is highly sought-after for its medicinal properties, but those who go looking for it without understanding how it grows will quickly learn why the inhabitants of Taggelisk fear flowers.

Unlike many other reptiles, anthosuchus hatchlings are cared for by their mothers much like birds. While their mother doesn't incubate their eggs or feed them directly, she will regulate the temperature of the nest by covering it in sand or leaf litter, and once the babies hatch she will carry them to a small nursery pool where they can learn to hunt insects and small fish. Anthosuchus adults are generally solitary, but learning social skills early in life is important, and as hatchlings they can already emit the high-pitched squeaks and chirps that in adults become grunts and rumbles to communicate. Although they do not hatch with flowers on their bodies, the buds of their symbiotic lotus plants attach to the crocodile's scales within their first week after hatching, and will stay with them for their entire lives.

Many dangers dwell within the swamps of Taggelisk, and while anthosuchus are far from the largest, they are intimidating for their camouflage and raw power. Even those who have lived their whole lives in Taggelisk may have difficulty distinguishing an anthosuchus from a regular log if its flowers are not immediately visible. The crocodiles are surprisingly smart, and will tilt their bodies or encourage their flowers to close their buds when hunting prey that might recognize the plants. Many harmless lotus look-alikes exist in the swamp, and occasionally other flowers will grow on an anthosuchus' back in addition to its symbiotic plants. This can make identifying them particularly difficult, especially during the wet season when most of the flowers are in bloom, which is why most people avoid picking flowers in the swamp altogether.

Few creatures in Calidis wander down to the island's scant rivers alone, especially in the summer when the rivers dry up to become murky pools. The people who built the Ashen temple carved warnings on its walls of the creature they called Thulta'marn, Mouth of the Mud. The images and their accompanying descriptions depict a monster with immense jaws rising up out of the earth and swallowing a variety of creatures, from deer to wildcats, and even dragons. Curiously, all of these depictions featured symbols similar to that of the lotus flower top the creature's back. Until explorers set out to explore the deeper reaches of the island, these images were dismissed as artistic interpretations of volcanoes or earthquakes. However, in the northern scrubland of Calidis, where the seasonal rivers form still pools for part of the year, thulta'marn can be found hidden just beneath the surface of almost every water hole large enough to hide its presence. The adventurers who found it, or at least those lucky enough to have returned from the trip, warn others that no matter how desperate their thirst may be, when wandering the wilds of the island, beware the blue and red lotus.

Thulta'marn anthosuchus hatchlings are immediately recognizable for two reasons; first, they develop a symbiotic relationship with buds of blue or red lotus flowers which camouflage them and help the young crocodiles attract hungry water deer, and second, their mother is usually only a few yards away from them at all times. The curious gray crocodiles of Calidis hatch from eggs the size of watermelons and develop a fierce demeanor early in life. Mothers are highly protective of their hatchlings and will fight rival anthosuchus intruders to the death if they must. The hatchlings are curious but large enough to hold their own against most of the island's smaller predators from the moment they hatch, and their strong toothy jaws certainly don't hurt their chances at survival. Mother thulta'marn anthosuchus look after their offspring until they reach a third of their adult size, at which point the hatchlings disperse to find their own territories and face the remaining dangers of the island alone.

The thulta'marn depicted in the Ashen Temple is thought to be based on a Calidis relative of the lianhua anthosuchus. These crocodiles are the largest of their kind, and were thought to have been long extinct before they were rediscovered on the volcanic island. They thrive in the murky rivers of the dry north of the island as well as the swamps of its the south and east, though the small size of Calidis means that the total population of thulta'marn anthosuchus is restricted to only a few known waterways. Their eggs are exceedingly well-guarded by attentive mothers, and though slow and ungainly on land, in the water almost nothing on the island can best their power. As adults, they can reach nearly fifty feet in length and can snatch young Calidis dragons, though their preferred prey seems to be the large ungulates which roam the island's forests.