SELKEN
Selkens are sleek, beautiful animals who live in the oceans. Air breathers, they must come up to the surface to breathe, or risk drowning. Besides swimming, they love sunning themselves on warm rocks, but are somewhat clumsy on land. Nothing like the graceful figure they cut when darting about the water.
A rich purple in color, they have streamlined bodies. Their front fins are strong enough to support their weight and haul themselves along on land. In the sea, they use these fins mostly for steering. And these fins have sharp claws they can use to fight with. The back of their body tapers off into two more fins. Powerful, these two fins, in unison with their tail, propel the Selken through the water like miniature torpedoes. And the creatures have two small back fins. Males have large tusks protruding from their mouths.
Selken females can grow to about 7 feet in length, and reach a shoulder height of 3 feet. The males, much bulkier looking than the sleeker females, can reach 10 feet in length, and reach 6 feet at the shoulders.
In Early spring, male Selken begin arriving on the shores of The Bay of Tramandy and begin to fight with each other for territory on the beach. These fights are often bloody and often lead to death of at least one of the combatants. All males over two years old bear scars of prior battles. By the time the females arrive, three weeks later, the males have all claimed areas on the beach. As the females come up onto the beach the males herd them towards their space, fighting off other males trying to steal away the females they've claimed. For the next two weeks, the males mate with their females, and watch over them, trying to keep other males from stealing the females. A month later, the pups are born, and are completely dependent on their mothers. Selken females can give birth to one or two pups a season.
Selken females allow no one near their pups for the first two weeks, and will even attack the larger males. After that, they break their fast and return to the sea to hunt fish. Returning to their young as soon as possible. They spend the next month continually nursing their young. The males remain with the females, protecting their groups from other males, and any predators who come to close.
After the first month, they begin weaning theiryoung and regurgitating
fish for the young to start eating. By the time the baby Selken are three
months old, they are able to eat solid food and are ready to learn how
to swim in deeper, more dangerous waters. Year old Selkin are not old enough
to mate yet, and while the adults are mating, these young gather farther
down the beach, closer to the city of Aedelfar, where they, for the most
part play. In an area where, they are more vulnerable to hunters and predators.
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Rainbow's End is the creation of Amber McNett
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