'Ásehhrág Tané

The 'ásehhrág tané is a species of slug is an animal endemic to Nuat Duinis Talou and its humid and wet climate. It is huge for a snail, reaching lengths of the span of a hand while being slender, almost like a garden worm. For this reason it's part of the 'slender slug'-group with the 'ás' in its name meaning slender and 'hhrág' meaning slug. The epithet 'tané' means 'long' or 'slender' and refers clearly to the slugs unusual appearance. 'Ásehhrág tané are quite common and are most often observed after rainfalls, as they prefer especially wet conditions.

The 'ásehhrág tané appears almost worm-like, thanks to its striking physique with their long stretched, yet very thin bodies, not exceeding a thumbwidth at its widest part. Their lower tentacles are as long as their upper, optical tentacles, reaching about two thumbwidths in length. These elongated tentacles ad them in hunting, as their eyesight is very poor. Their bodies are blackish blue on the upper and creamy white on the lower side. The population from the Moiyeli Swamplands appears a bit more milky and foggy in colour, while the Duinis 'Árforat population is crisp and clear in colour.

This species of slugs can only be found in two disparate areas: The Moiyeli Swamplands and along the Duinis 'Árforat. How these populations became separated is unclear. Both of them are restricted to low elevations though and enjoy a very wet environment. They also prefer densely overgrown areas with thick grass, herbs or shrubs, staying away from more exposed places like patches of stone or sand or wallows of animals like Moiyeli boar.

'Asehhrág tané set themselves apart from other slugs not only by their elongated body shape, but also by their nutrition. They are the only carnivorous species of slug in all of eastern Erana, hunting other snails and slugs as their main prey, only seldomly resorting to earthworms or insects. They are opportunistic, though and also do not shun clutches of slugs', snails' or insects' eggs or sometimes even carrion. Being an active predator has earned them somewhat of a place in Duiniken society as a pet for so called li'oud (fight), that is slug fights. Also the 'asehhrág tané is a symbol for the underground organisation Fhid'ou Lóm.

Although they are active predators, they also become prey to all kinds of birds, amphibians and reptiles. Also their eggs are consumed by birds, mammals or the carnivorous sídé barmarou. Eggs are laid in small clutches and are generally found after heavy rainfall or next to sources of water like puddles, springs or rivulets. They are very unassuming, transparently greyish in colour. Mature eggs develop a visible dark area in the centre, where the embryo grows.

The 'ásehhrág tané is an active predator, using its olfactory tentacles, to make out traces of other slugs, snails or invertebrates of other orders and follow them. They are faster than other slugs, yet calling them fast animals would be a gross overstatement. Upon reaching their prey, they start closing in on it and contracting their bodies while moving forward. When they approached their prey close enough, they spring forward - still slowly, but fast for a slug - and lay the front of their body over or on the victim. They excrete some additional, milky slime, that paralyses the prey, unless it is an insect, spider or isopod with a sturdy exoskeleton. These animals are held back by the slimes tackyness rather than by its paralysing properties.

Like most slugs, the 'ásehhrág tané is hermaphrodotic. The population from the Duinis 'Árforat reproduces in late spring and early summer, when it is most humid and there are plenty of other invertebrates to hunt. The population in the Moiyeli Swamplands reproduces almost year round, except for the deepest months of winter. It is assumed, that 'ásehhrág tané use some form of signal to indicate wether they are ready to mate, as encounters between two individuals can also end in cannibalism.

Because of its unique diet, the Duiniken, who are culturally more connected to slugs and snails than other peoples, hold 'ásehhrág tané in some esteem. While they are not the most effective enemies of crop damaging animals, the Duiniken have noticed, that this species helps protect the precious agricultural products the harsh environment of Nuat Duinis Talou provides.

As their hunting method differs from the carnivorous snails found in Nuat Duinis Talou, some Duiniken have begun to collect them as an animal to watch as some sort of pastime. It has become somewhat of a popular sport to organise events called li'oud, where 'ásehhrág tané are set up to fight against each other or also against species of carnivorous snails. Some people even place bets on these fights.

One of the symbols of regal power among the Duiniken has always been a snail. After being pushed out of their homeland, the symbol stayed, but the underground organization Fhid'ou Loum made the 'ásehhrág tané its symbol. It represents, on the one hand, the Duinikens loss of their homeland as well as the loss of the throne and thus the palace in which the throne stands. On the other hand, its ability to actively hunt and prey on other animals, represents in their eyes the strength and determination of the Duiniken as a people and of the Fhid'ou Loum in their quest to regain power.