After a sudden surge of ley energy that welled up from the very life essence of the world itself, strange creatures began to appear across the northern hemisphere of Ravillia. They were of different sizes, shapes, and purposes. The changes were slow at first, new creatures appearing one at a time and throwing the ecosystem into chaos... or at least, they should have. Yet, the animals that rather suddenly came into existence melded seamlessly into the environment; plant hybrids that did not compete against their normal counterparts for natural resources. Niche predators that specialized in hunting the new creatures appeared at the same time as others, others that filled bizarre niches.

Perhaps one of the most outstanding new arrivals were the massive tortoises, called Fellshells.

These creatures lay dormant for months at a time, their bodies sinking down into the ground with roots extending from their legs to spread through the soil like trees. Like many of the new inhabitants of Ravillia, the Fellshells absorb sunlight and water to survive without a need for conventional food sources. Their massive bodies appear to be nothing but hills while dormant, and with so little that can actually disturb the colossal creatures many are none the wiser to their presence. Fellshells become home to a variety of vegetation and animals, from exotic trees to unique deer that rely on the protection of the Fellshell's shell to hide from predators that would otherwise have easy pickings.

One problem with the Fellshells is that when they do choose to migrate to different location large holes are left behind that fill with water and create marshes in otherwise open plains. Killing a Fellshell is a massive task (no pun intended) even for a dragon to handle. The best method of preventing damage to important roads or settlements was to herd the Fellshells towards uninhabited regions. Despite their size, the Fellshells are skittish and will avoid the perpetual hustle and bustle of a busy town or road nearby. Despite the environmental damage the Fellshells cause every few seasons; they are cherished by the people and have become almost a folklore to locals. People from around the world travel to Muir'Beinn and the surrounding territories in hopes of seeing one of the great beasts migrating across the green pastures of the north.

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An absolutely gorgeous, beautiful, and very dear to my heart image that has been in my mind for a very long time. There are so many characters in this picture and the details are so astoundingly crisp that it almost brings me to tears. Blackwing24, otherwise known as  blackblueblaze has done it again. Do me a favor and view the original post, retweet it if you have twitter.

You'll notice in addition to the Fellshells, a poor carriage is trying to slip by before the beast fully wakes up. Baba in the lower right who is excited to see the Fellshells, as well as Rakant and Takaani who are keeping an eye on things to make sure the Fellshells don't cause too many problems.

Takaani and Baba belong to me but Rakant belongs to  faluma. His upload is here, along with the description I stole from him once again!