Ogresnails

Is it a rock? Is it a snail? You better check.

  When travelling the wide grasslands of the north, one may come across giant stones, carved into the shape of snail shells. While these Snailrocks may look like an ideal resting spot, shielding a weary wanderer from wind and sun alike, one is well advised to check whether the supposed boulder, shaped like a snail shell, actually is the former, and not the latter. While Ogresnails do not actively try to harm people, waking up with a five-meter-long gastropod crawling over you is far from a pleasant experience. Looking at the base of a Snailrock could mean the difference between a well-deserved rest and an unceremonious demise. At the same time, travellers should avoid walking and especially camping downhill from a formation of supposed Snailrocks, in case one of the "rocks" makes use of it's peculiar method of escaping.    

Gargantuan Gastropods

  Ogresnails look fairly similar to their common land snail cousins, except they can reach a length of up to five meters (16.4 feet), a shell height of two meters (6.6 feet) and a weight of almost two metric tons. Due to their size, their mostly grey shells are often overgrown with moss or algae, causing them to resemble boulders slowly crawling across the landscape. Their actual skin is of a greyish-brown hue and far tougher than that of smaller snails, even when taking their size into account. It is also less slimy, almost resembling reptile's scales, which helps the snail to conserve moisture while in sunlight. Their underside however features an abundance of slime, shielding the Ogresnail from injuries when crawling across rocky ground. On the topic of crawling, the huge size of the snails also greatly boosts their mobility – to about half the speed of a walking human. Since they don't make for particularly effective hunters, Ogresnails simply graze on the wide plains, preferring rainy or cloudy days and the shade of trees at the edge of forests, but will also eat any carrion they may come across. While Ogresnails may also be found in other regions, those living in the grasslands are far more common and also display a behavior unique among snails: They do not live in solitude, but in herds of about ten to twenty-five individuals. Due to the abundance of grass in the, well, grasslands, Ogresnails can afford to rest during the night, sticking close to each other for protection. Only during particularly dry days will the snails retreat into their shells to conserve moisture, and feed during the night. This comes with the danger of getting seperated from the herd though, and as you might imagine, catiching up to anything, even to others of the same species, is quite the challenge even for the largest of snails. To shield themselves from attackers, Ogresnails will, of course, retreat into their shells, which will deflect weaker blows without issue. Should the snails find themselves to be the target of a particularly crafty or powerful foe, they have one last means of defense: They prefer to crawl uphill, as long as there is foliage to be found in that direction, which often places Ogresnails on ridges and hilltops. If they determine that their shell is unable to protect them against an attacker, they will give themselves a push and roll downhill, potentially reaching great speeds and covering long distances. This is a last resort for the individual snail though, since even a small rock in its path can be enough to shatter its shell and spell its doom. The herd on the other hand may even be saved by such a sacrifice, as predators will be distracted by the remains of the unfortunate snail, allowing the herd to (very slowly) escape. Attackers may also get cought up in the rolling escape, often leading to their demise – though the same goes for any unfortunate bystander in the Ogresnail's path.    

The Snailrocks

  So far, one may get the impression that any shell-shaped objects on the northern plains should be avoided, as to not risk grievous injury. And while that is, honestly, a fair assessment, not every such object is a living snail, as alluded to earlier. Scattered across the plains, usually arranged in small groups on hilltops, are the Snailrocks. These are actual boulders, or the empty shells of long-dead Ogresnails. They act as camouflague for the real Snails, as an attacker my be disparaged after finally breaking through a tough shell, only to find it empty – or after trying to attack a snail and hitting rock. Additionally, both the rocks and the empty shells serve as shelter for smaller creatures, which each group forming a tiny, fascinating ecosystem, which I may write about on another occasion.    

Of Ogres and Snails

  At this point, my dear reader, you may wonder about two things: How do the Snailrocks end up in their peculiar shape and position? And why are groups of Ogresnails called "herds"? The answer to both of these questions is of course that there are people who herd the snails and put the Snailrocks where you may find them. As you may know, Ogres are not exactly the fastest among the peoples of this world, generally preferring to travel at a leisurely pace and not exert themselves. As greenfolk, they are active during the day and lethargic at night, and need far less food than other beings of their size. All these attributes make them ideal herders for Ogresnails: Snailherds, if you will. Many Ogres keep to the edges of the plains, close to the surrounding forests, following their peculiar fascination with borders between things. Their snails also profit from this arrangement, even developing a special quirk while under the protection of an Ogre: They start laying their eggs on their own shells, carrying their young around until they are big enough. Wild Ogresnails cannot do this, since their offspring would be out in the open and exposed to predators, but these will be quickly scared off by the Ogre. To protect their flock, the Snailherds collect any stones they find in the valleys of grasslands, preventing their snails from injuring themselves in case they roll down the hill. Smaller stones are kept and used as ammunition for the slings which they use to defend their herd, while larger rocks and boulders are rolled up the hills and carved into Snailrocks. This takes a while of course, but if there is anything a Snailherd is not, it is 'in a hurry'.   As previosly stated, Snailherds and their flock can usually be found at the edges of the northern grasslands. Occasionaly, an Ogre may wander further inward, perhaps to pick up a stone or in persuit of their snails. This is not something they do thoughtlessly, as Ogres feel uncomfortable when they are whithin something, and they will usually return quickly to its borders. In rare cases however, first and formost during an Empyrean, an Ogre may have a sort of religious experience while looking up from the bottom of a valley. Surronded by hills, with the horizon only a few steps up a gentle slope, they will recognize the hilltop as the boundary between heaven and earth. This allows them to walk atop the ridges, even in the middle of the seemingly endless grasslands, without constantly feeling uneasy. It is hard to understand without an Ogre's sense for borders and boundaries, but this seemingly simple idea represents a huge shift in perspective for them. For my fellow practicioners of the arcane arts, it may be compared to the revelation that there are other paths to traverse the world than physical roads. A Snailherd who has this experience will often interpret their snail's instinct to crawl along a hilltop as analogous to an Ogre's desire to travel along a boundary, and develop a sort of kinship with their herd. They travel further and further into the grasslands, where a sort of religious community of Snailherds has formed. Many of their regular traditions take on new meanings, such as the carving of Snailrocks, which becomes atonement for the snails an Ogre has eaten during their lifetime, with the Snailstone itself becomig a Tombstone of sorts. Their specific beliefs are a topic for another time, for now you only need to know that they don't seem to be dangerous, though a bit strange – especially if you don't have a particular affinity for snails.