#cherufe

Cryptid of the Day: Cherufe

Ancardia's Unusual Animals--The Cherufe

Classification: Beast (crocodilian)

Habitat: Volcanically active regions along the tropics, especially on the Isles of Bleeding Rock and on the islands of the Sea of Sibili.

            The Cherufe is a curious species in the crocodile family, one which is adapted to live strictly in the tropics close to volcanic activity. They are a common sight on the slopes of small shield volcanoes and along the sides of solidifying lava flows, and are also a very good indicator of the presence of accessible hot springs when they are spotted in the undergrowth areas away from lava rocks. The beasts are, as you might guess, very strongly magically attuned and are almost entirely resistant to extreme heat and flame, able to walk right across cooling lava flows which still measure in at over 250 degrees Celsius. Cherufe are generally laidback, opportunistic omnivores, basking in the extreme heat of geothermal activity and the tropical sun most of the time and feeding on a variety of things found in the vicinity. They commonly scavenge carcasses of animals which succumb to the hazards of volcanoes or extremely hot springs, and are also known to browse on the fruit and foliage of a number of plants found in greater density around volcanoes—such as coffee berries, ash succulents, air plants, tree ferns, passionflowers and mountain orchids. They are astoundingly comfortable around humanoid presence and attack only when provoked or approached too closely; in many areas, the local group of cherufe become a default source of disposal for kitchen scraps.

            While some cultures regard the cherufe with reverence and forbid hunting or harassing them for any reason, alchemists in the Heartland, Nechola, and the Ayn Coastlands covet various materials from these creatures for a number of purposes. The blood of cherufe is perhaps the most valuable as it is the base ingredient for a potent potion against some of the most fatal inflammatory diseases, but some mages seek out the hides of cherufe for their natural baseline of enchantment—making them some of the most powerful raw materials for items that provide immunity to fire and heat. Cherufe are not easy quarry at all—measuring an average of 3.5 meters in length at adulthood, in addition to their powerful jaws full of large, conical teeth and heavy, scute-plated tails, the cherufe also employs its natural arcana to spout plumes of flames up to 20 meters in length, heat an area around themselves up to ignition temperature to ward off attackers, and emit defensive flumes of heated, toxic ash clouds. In spite of their great strengths, cherufe are nonaggressive and prefer to flee whenever possible from fights.

*bangs fists into table*

Cherufe

Seasoned, smoked, or even plain, human is Cherufe's favorite food! In fact, a volcanic sacrifice is the only way to calm this creature made of fire and magma! Feel the burn at the shop today!