THE
CERUWING
BUTTERFLY |
The Ceruwing Butterfly is named for the flower whose nectar it feeds upon, the cerubell. These adorable little insects are never found very far from one another and are known for their elegant, romantic mating rituals. They are, in short, an elegant yet innocent creature gracing the banks of Northern and mid-Santharia.
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Appearance.
The Ceruwing are rather small little butterflies with a wingspan of between 3
nailbreadths and five nailsbreadths in length. Their wings can be two
nailsbreadths to four and a half nailsbreadths in length. The Cerubell have
beautiful cerulean wings that blend in perfectly with the
cerubell flowers and
are often times mistaken for just that. From a distance, one cannot tell a
cerubell flower from a Ceruwing Butterfly. The wings of this elegant creature
are rounded and not extremely detailed and intricate, giving it more of an
innocent, simplistic feel and allowing the observer to gain more enjoyment in
admiring its stunning blue color.
Like most butterflies, the body of the Ceruwing has tiny furs on it and it has
six little legs with small hooked hairs to help it catch on to surfaces that
aren’t perfectly horizontal. Because their eyes are located near the outside
of their hair, they use antennae to sense things that may be in front of them.
Like all butterflies, the Ceruwing also has a proboscis to suck up nectar from
their only food source, the Cerubell.
Territory.
The Ceruwing Butterfly has a seasonal migration pattern. These small
Butterflies travel in groups as large as 20,000! They spend the warm season
basking in the sun around Eight Winds Bay and feasting on the
cerubell nectar.
It is here that the Ceruwings will find a mate and go about their elegant mating
rituals. In mid to late summer, thousands upon thousands of these little
creatures will swarm to the Aerelian Lakes by way of, first, following the Liben
River until it connects with the Quest River, then following the Quest until it
meets the Luquador River, which will lead them through the Celeste Mountains and
eventually to Crystal Lake. From here they will either cut across the east side
of Dragon Maw and follow the Rayne River to the Vandrina River and eventually to
the Aerelian Lakes. Some might also take a different route from the Crystal
Lakes, cutting across the west side of Dragon Maw and landing them at the
Taiphra River and eventually cutting into Rayne River, then following the
Vandrina River to the Aerelian Lakes.
The arrival
of the Ceruwing is a much-celebrated festival connected to the annual harvest. For this
reason, in this region, Ceruwings have an essential connection with
Jeyriall, Goddess of
the Harvest. These Butterflies have become an important part of life for the
peasants as their
coming signals when the harvest will take place. The Butterflies don’t stay long,
though. They lay their eggs on the leaves of the Cerubell plant then seem to
vanish all together into hibernation. Thousands of these innocent little
creatures will die in the long winter, especially if they do not go into
hibernation soon enough or if they go into hibernation too late. When mid to
late spring comes, they awaken, then return to the cooler regions near the Eight
Winds Bay.
Habitat/Behaviour.
These little insects prefer rather cold climates, but cannot withstand too
extreme of temperatures. In years where the winter is especially severe,
thousands and thousands of Ceruwings die. Also, the Ceruwings will rarely venture
anywhere that the cerubells do not grow. The plant has become part of their very
existence, critical in every stage of life, and for that reason the Butterfly
will not leave it. Ceruwings are extremely social, preferring to travel in
swarms of at least 2,000 or more, though there have been records of these little
butterflies traveling in groups of 20,000.
Diet.
In both caterpillar and butterfly stage, the cerubell
is the creature’s only
food source. The Butterfly feasts on the nectar the flower produces while the
caterpillar eats the leaves. Attempts to make this Butterfly drink the nectar of
any other plant has proved unsuccessful - the Butterfly dies without ingesting a
drop of the unfamiliar flower’s nectar.
Mating.
Mating season for these Butterflies occurs in early summer. During this time,
observers may see thousands of little Butterflies seemingly dancing over the
waters in Eight Winds Bay. They dip the tip of their long abdomens into the Bay,
creating ripples across the water. They dance around each other, then meet in
midair, connecting for a brief moment so that the male can insert his sperm into
the female, then they part and flutter back into the gardens of wild
cerubells.
After the seasonal migration to the Aerelian Lakes, these Butterflies lay
hundreds of thousands of eggs on the leaves of the cerubell plants then go into
hibernation. The eggs will hatch into caterpillars in late winter or early
spring before their parents are migrating up north again. They eat the leaves of
the cerubell until they are plump and large enough to spin cocoons for
themselves. This usually takes place in the beginning of summer. The heat helps
them to grow and develop within the cocoons. They will emerge from these cocoons
in late summer or early autumn in time to feast upon the last of the
cerubell
flowers before going in hibernation with their parents. After this they will
journey with their parents to Eight Winds Bay and become one of the group to
mate in the coming year.
Usages.
The Ceruwings' main function
for Santharian people is
to calculate when the harvest will take place. Aside from that, Ceruwings are
mainly admired for their innocent beauty.
Myth/Lore.
The Ceruwing is believed to have a close connection with
Jeyriall, Goddess of
the Harvest. In the regions near Crystal Lake,
Jeyriall is rarely pictured
without Ceruwings fluttering around her, usually adoring her auburn hair. Many
believe them to be the creation of Jeyriall
herself, saying that the little blue
creatures emerged from her fingertips.
Information provided by
Rayne
Avalotus
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