Sea Serpents

Sea serpents of Litvantar are usually found in the warm waters of the Talhar Sea. One of the few aquatic mythical creatures that is very little seen or known about, there are different species of sea serpents that currently exist. Each species has a different appearance and temperament.

The difference between sea serpents and naga in Litvantar is that sea serpents generally grow up to impressively massive sizes, have horns and have no forelimbs or hands. While a naga can come onto land as they are, sea serpents are so large that they have to take on a manageable form. They cannot communicate to non-serpent races in their natural forms, giving them more reason to keep aside a humanoid form.

When coming onto land, a sea serpent may take on one of the two forms - a lamia form (half-human, half-snake) or a completely humanoid form. However, they retain many of their aquatic features such as fins, scales, gills and colours, so they never look human.

Origins
The race of sea serpents was said to have been descended from the Leviathan, the greatest and biggest sea serpent of all. Like the other two of the Ahar'Kulakh, the Leviathan is an intelligent beast; it passed down its wisdom to those who wished to be part of the world out of water.

As time passed, the sea serpents migrated across the world's oceans and seas, and began to take on new features depending on their environment. Each different species is known as a tribe, and each one is specially adapted to deal with their surroundings. The current tribes known are Shimmerfin, Tidecaller, Deepwater, Icebreaker and Stormsinger.

Appearance
Appearance varies depending on the tribe, as each tribe has adapted physically to match their preferred habitats.

The Shimmerfin tribe is shallows-loving, with glimmering scales, long fins running the lengths of their vertically squashed bodies, protocercal caudal fins and being the smallest species of sea serpent there is; their maximum adult length is 25 feet. They love warm waters and the sun, and are the friendliest of the sea serpent tribes. However, if provoked Shimmerfin serpents have a nasty bite and often don't let go. Shimmerfins love to snack on reef fish and crabs, but always migrate with the currents every year in order to keep the balance in their favourite spots. These are the fastest serpents.

The Tidecaller tribe prefers the cooler waters between the surface and the deep, and reside in underwater caves. Mostly coloured with different light shades of green and blue, they have tougher hides than the Shimmerfin and have larger air bladders than any other sea serpent tribe to enable themselves to float in storms. They also have the widest jawspan, as they eat large amounts of fish in one go. Tidebreakers are very recognisable from the hard bony forehead plate that protects them from the rocks during storms as well as their reversed heterocercal caudal fins, and have poisonous spines to prevent other creatures from invading their caves. They stay closest to land.

The Deepwater tribe can withstand the pressures of the depths of the sea, and are the largest of all sea serpents, reaching up to 800 feet in length on the oldest sea serpent. They are also the most physically powerful, armed with great horns and strong bodies. Their most distinctive feature are their fins - their dorsal fins stand proud and upright, their pectoral fins are oar-like and their homocercal caudal fins are vast, all for swimming great distances. They can hold their breath the longest. Their diet consists of the giant sea creatures that otherwise have no predators (giant crabs, giant squid, giant fish etc.) because of their size.

The Icebreaker tribe is the fattest due to living in the much colder seas. While they are not as large or long as the Deepwaters, they are still very resilient and can handle temperatures well below freezing. They have horns and tough bony dorsal scales to break ice, and are known for their cruel and merciless head shape - narrow, streamlined and very long pair of jaws lined with rows of small teeth. Their colours almost always consist of blue and white, and while their dorsal fin is nonexistent they make up for it with their vast pectoral fins which they hold up horizontal along their bodies, heterocercal caudal fins, which resemble a shark's, and their large frills, which they use for courtship or territory.

The Stormsinger tribe is the most rarely seen; they do not like to make appearances except during storms. They are unique in the sense that they can appear to look like waves, and are the only sea serpents to have underbite jaws, which suit their long heads. They feed on crustaceans (hence the heavy underbite jaw). They are most well-known as the only sea serpent tribe that can vocalise; Stormsinger "songs" can be heard during storms, but it is not recommended to follow the sounds as usually Stormsingers depend on storms to feed and mate.

Society
Sea serpent society is usually seen as very isolated. Because of their general size (save for Shimmerfins), both male and female sea serpents tend to stay alone in a territory they have marked for themselves. Sea serpents without territory are looked down upon by others who do, but can contest for territory by different methods depending on their tribe: Magic and physical battle are both highly prized by the tribes, but some may prefer one over the other or both. Sea serpents, being violent creatures by nature, do not think highly of pacifism.
 * Shimmerfins have aggressive dances where they nip at each other; the one to have had enough and give up loses their territory.
 * Tidecallers specify a clear territory border and have a headbutting match; the one that gets headbutted out of the territory loses.
 * Deepwaters lock into horn tussles and proceed to try and push the other out of their territory.
 * Icebreakers open their frills and stare down their opponent as intimidation.
 * Stormsingers are the most brutal and will physically fight over territory, including biting and scratching with their spiny fins.

Because of the way sea serpents reproduce, the young serpents do not have a family or parents they know of - instead, they are taken in by their tribe's elders and taught if their elders find them worthy. If they are deemed useless, young sea serpents are often left to die in the open oceans.

Age does not necessarily mean strength; elder sea serpents are not just old but have proven themselves to be great protectors and travellers with plenty of wisdom. Usually they have survived not being killed in the treacherous seas for so long that even other sea serpents respect them.

Religion
Sea serpents have no religion as far as is known. Some worshi[ the Great King (the Leviathan) as their progenitor and Her teachings as the law of the serpents, but the tradition is dying out and younger sea serpents are more likely to take on other cultures' religions as they see fit or none at all.

Migration
The Shimmerfins, Deepwaters and Tidecallers migrate annually to waters of their preferred temperature. Shimmerfins are more likely to migrate south for winter and north for the northern summers, and usually prefer Phalas Ocean and the Talhar Sea.

The Deepwaters migrate north for winter and south for summer for the north, and stick to the Talhar and Estinian Seas.

The Tidecallers usually migrate around coastlines, north for winters, south for summers, and can be found in the uppermost areas of the Mel'turra Ocean and Stiphis Bay.