THE
NIRAKAA
FISH
("LIGHTNING
FISH") |
The Nirakaa (literally "lightning" in the Tarshiinite tongue) is a remarkable fish which inhabits the oceans of Nybelmar’s Western Bay. Travelling in schools of hundreds and glowing a soft, inviting blue, the Nirakaa Fish, which is rarely larger than a human thumb, is perhaps the most unlikely predator in all the western seas. Utilising a remarkable ability that allows them to emit a shocking pulse with an effect reminsicent of lightning (though on much smaller scale), the groups of Nirakaa wait to be consumed by would-be predators, before knocking them unconscious and devouring the stunned creature from the inside out.
Appearance.
With the naked-eye the Nirakaa would appear simply to be a flake of iridescent
blue that darted through the water. However, under close inspection with
nearseers the fish can be viewed in much greater detail. The fish itself
resembles a streamlined arrowhead in shape, elongated but completely smooth as
if made of delicate glass. Though rarely larger than a human thumb, Nirakaa vary
in length from three to ten nailsbreadths. While scholars have somewhat
logically suggested that the fish grows with age, Nirakaa kept in captivity have
shown that the some specimens grew by less than a nailsbreath in their entire
lifetime and the sheer number of fish that compose their naturally-occurring
schools make it impossible to determine growth rates in the wild.
For the most part the Nirakaa appears completely symmetrical. With two
translucent fins adorning each side of its body, the creature is enabled to
propel itself at considerable speed for its size, while its cold metallic eyes
give it an almost otherworldly appearance, each of the shimmering copper beads
resting on either side of its head. The fish is decorated by thousands of tiny
scales, varying slightly in pigment but never deviating from the tranquil,
glowing blue. Each of the scales is both hard and flexible with a texture
reminiscent of well-kept fingernails. As some form of natural phenomenon, the
scales of the Nirakaa form infinitesimal geometric patterns ranging from
swirling spirals to rigid vertical stripes, scholars theorising that each
arrangement of scales is as unique to each fish as the finger print is to each
human. Such is the intricacy of these patterns that the philosophers and artists
of the Scepteres of Tarshiin
who in the 11th century a.S. emphasised the didactic worth of geometric symmetry
were known as ‘Nirakites’ in reference to the fish.
Though there is no definitive answer as to how it is achieved, the Nirakaa
manages to flush itself with a brilliant blue pigment which causes the scales of
the fish to glow. Though some have theorised it is a colourful component of
their diet, the fact that captive Nirakaa are fed mainly on crabs and do not
lose this astonishing hue somewhat refutes this idea. Instead, many believe that
the glow is caused by a substance within the blood of the fish, an idea
validated by the fact that the glow ceases some time after the creature’s death.
However what this ‘substance’ is remains a mystery.
Furthermore, the Nirakaa also has an uncountable mass of sharp teeth in its tiny
mouth, educated estimates suggesting that they have anywhere two and three
hundred. A polished, rock-like grey in colour, the teeth of a Nirakaa are
seemingly indestructible- resistant to heat, powerful aceeds and the application
of brute force. Due to their minute size but retained roughness, the
Tarshiinites have taken to mixing Nirakaa teeth into therapeutic creams as a
sediment to lightly exfoliate the skin.
Special Abilities.
The Nirakaa is an effective and novel hunter. Usually travelling in groups of
many hundreds, schools of Nirakaa utilise their features to attract, entrap and
devour their prey. The schools of Nirakaa, which glow a powerful yet inviting
blue, use their colour to draw their prey towards them with an almost hypnotic
effect known as the ‘Nirakaa’s Dance’ – a co-ordinated pattern of synchronised
swimming that seems to mesmerise any creature into finding the school of fish a
delicious prospect:
An account of a Tugaru Diver cited in ‘Studies of Tarshiinite Marine Life:
Speartongue, Riikrata and other Aquatic Predators’:
As the dim, orange light
of the glowcoral I was using to navigate the dark recesses of the reef
began to reveal little other than black water around me I caught a glint
of shining blue in the corner of my eye. Looking to it, I saw it was an
enormous school of Nirakaa, so small were its parts in comparison that the
congregation itself appeared as one entity. My eyes began fixed on the
patterns the fish were forming, spiralling towards me and then dissipating
like escaping smoke, only to reform in a medley of smooth spheres and
extravagant flourishes of shape that resembled splatters of ink. Soon my
whole body seemed to twinge with hunger and my mouth began to salivate
underneath my heavy Tugaru. |
It may seem odd for a hunter to try and invite its prey to eat
it, though this exactly where the ingenuity lies. Unlike the Riikrata, with its
violent red and black stripes and enormous, gaping jaws, there is nothing
aggressive about the Nirakaa, its soft blue colouration making it seem even more
defenceless. After making their prey overflow with hunger the fish simply waits
for the creature to consume the entire school. Once eaten, each Nirakaa releases
an amazing pulse that seems like a wave of lightning that encapsulates the fish.
Though the spark produced by an individual Nirakaa is usually only enough to
sting a large fish (or prying human hand), the
combination of all the fish in the school creates a shock which is enough to
leave almost any creature unconscious, or in some cases dead. Once their
internal assault is concluded the creatures begin to eat their prey from the
inside out, using their tiny teeth to scrape every last morsel of flesh off of
the poor target’s skeleton, leaving nothing behind but a collection of bones
floating eerily through the water.
It has long befuddled scholars of the Western Bay as to how the combined shocks
of the Nirakaa schools stun or kill a much larger creature while leaving each
individual fish unscathed. Though there is no concrete explanation, previous
researchers have asserted that some internal organ or fluid that the fish
possesses in some way "cancels out" the effects of the pulse, making them
effectively "shock-proof". Though there is little certainty as to what this
internal equalising structure is, some have hypothesised that it is in fact the
glowing pigment which characterises the Nirakaa that gives each fish an immunity
to the other's shocks. This notion was taken to extremes by Ukapii Risikna, an
eccentric Tarshiinite naval captain, who ordered that his ship be completely
covered wiith a paint made of crushed Nirakaa, believing this would safeguard it
from being struck by lightning during storms. It will come as no surprise to
hear that Captain Risikna was discharged from the navy only a few years later,
deemed unfit for service due to "inappropriate levels of madness".
Aside from their hunting prowess, the Nirakaa are also very agile in the
water. Due to their speed, schools of Nirakaa
can rarely been still aside from when they are attempting to enchant their prey.
Though the fish have little worry for predators, they are capable of fleeing at
enormous speeds, much to the displeasure of the Tugaru divers tasked with
catching them.
Territory.
The Nirakaa seems exclusive to the waters and reefs of
Nybelmar’s Western Bay, sharing the waters
of the Tarshiinites and the esoteric Numentan. Unlike other fish they do not
seem to migrate as their sources of food and mating habits do not require it,
and as such while Nirakaa do not entirely fill the
waters of the Western Bay, their populations
remain a noticeable constant.
Habitat/Behaviour.
For the most part, the Nirakaa can only be seen to be doing one thing: swimming.
Schools of Nirakaa, which average to encompass hundreds if not thousands of the
tiny fish, seem to spend all their time swimming in aimless patterns, either
looking for other schools to mate with or prey to hunt. As the only permanent
dwelling of any Nirakaa is the labyrinthine nursery that their parents tunnel
into coral, the fish seems to spend its whole life seeking out activity. Such a
trait can also be seen to be separate of the groups of Nirakaa, as individual
fish kept captive are still eager to swim in circles around their tanks with no
prospect of reward.
The fish themselves tend to be somewhat cautious, often using their shocking
ability to ward off any creature they fear is getting too close. Though wary of
strangers, the Nirakaa seems to be completely pacifistic in its dealings with
others of its own kind, even remaining pleasant during the frenzies of mating.
Despite their speed and the fact they are eager to be swallowed, Nirakaa are not
completely bereft of predators. While they are often too small to chew, they are
preyed upon by creatures such as Yuranno 'Guzzling' Fish, whose potent stomach
aceed can completely dissolve a school of Nirakaa before they can coordinate
their own internal assault on the fish. Another notable predator of the Nirakaa
is the Coralmaw Mollusc, a creature whose exterior resembles coral of the
Tarshiinite reefs. When the schools of pregnant Nirakaa begin to craft their
nurseries (see Mating), those who mistake the Coralmaw for normal coral are
engulfed in the creature's own sedative ink, the Coralmaw then sucking the whole
school into its fleshy mouth and digesting them slowly before they even wake up.
Diet.
The diet of the Nirakaa is far less about what they eat and more about what
attempts to eat them. Due to their small size it is assumed Nirakaa do not
require much sustenance to survive, and what they choose to eat is utterly
dependent on what their mesmerising dance entraps. Though the fish is generally
only preyed upon by fish large enough to devour a whole school, their diet can
vary enormously from the glass shark to small crustaceans and everything in
between.
Mating.
Unlike other creatures, there seems to be no specific mating season for the
Nirakaa, the fish seizing every opportunity it gets. Whenever two schools of
Nirakaa meet they immediately swarm around each other. In a flurry of movement
the male Nirakaa impregnate the female Nirakaa orally in a motion that takes
only a couple of blinks to complete. However the process is lengthened by the
fact that all the Nirakaa from one school mate with all the Nirakaa from the
other before the two depart. As a result scholars have come to the conclusion
that, based on their behaviour when they meet, schools of Nirakaa must either be
completely male or completely female. However, more outlandish thinkers have
suggested that there is in fact no gender at all and that the Nirakaa are
ethryalic, asserting that when two groups of Nirakaa meet one nominates
themselves to be impregnated and the others are nominated to fertilise. However,
it is difficult to see how in the frenzies that ensue during reproduction such
decisions could be made.
After mating the ‘female’ (or at least ‘pregnant’) school begin to build a
nursery in the reefs to lay their eggs. Using their rows of strong teeth they
tunnel into the coral and spit their eggs into the recesses and leave their
unborn young forever, moving onwards to either hunt or mate again. After around
three weeks of development the coral nursery behinds to overflow with fully
grown Nirakaa who then form their own school and begin their own frenzied
escapades under the sea.
Usages.
The primary use for the Nirakka is its teeth. Due to their ability to retain
their strength and shape when mixed with most known chymicals, the minute teeth
of the fish are added to a medley of skin creams and lotions to provide an
exfoliating element. Though the process of removing the miniscule teeth from the
tiny fish is a laborious one, the rejuvenating effect that the products have
makes the cosmetics particularly prized, creating a small industry that is
understandably popular when the Tarshiinite penchant from hygiene and grooming
is considered.
As well as this, the eyes of the Nirakka contain a viscous fluid resembling
liquid copper. When mixed with the fruit of the chuunara tree, the fluid can
create a potent sedative and analgesic. Though it enjoyed a short-lived period
where it was used recreationally, the product, known as "Tarshiin Slumber"
outside out the Scepteres, is
often used in small quantities to soothe the agonies of teething infants.
Myth/Lore.
The Nirakaa, due to its unassuming but dangerous nature, is the root of many
Tarshiinite phrases. One of the most common is "to have been led by a Nirakaa’s
dance", referring to someone who is forced into action by the lure of some
enchantment, more often than not referring to young men who are haunted by
foolish romantic gestures they have offered attractive women.
Though not a particularly superstitious people, the Tarshiinites do maintain
that to see a Nirakaa outside of the waters of the Western Bay is a bad omen, a
notion validated particularly by the tragedy that befell the Monk Agaruu Yahana,
who drowned in the research aquariums at the Enkyklopadie’s facility in Maghin.
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