There are still many unknown creatures and beings living in the deep seas of Eidon some of which have started myths and legends most of which have yet to be proven to exist. However as the beings of the deep have started to make limited contact with the land dwelling races of Eidon, proving some of the legends have at least some truth to them it becomes harder to dismiss these accounts as mere fabrications. The Tolteca for example are one such being once thought to be just a story made up by drunk or supersticious people, but they have become a much more common sight on many shores these days and people have started trading with them. The Vossen have known them for a long time and traded with them when they first arrived at their new home hidden in the Sea of Mists, and have called them the Kaippa or Kappa. The Vossen claim that it is thanks to the Kaippa that they were able to settle and survive much quicker on the islands since resources were pretty scarce at the time and the trade provided some much needed supplies to build their new home in the harsh conditions.

As the Vossen have stated the Tolteca are willing to trade with other races although they seem to craft little, if anything, themselves. Their wares are all scavenged from beaches and shipwrecks which explains the many accounts from beach combers running into the Tolteca on the beach after a big storm, as they look for anything interesting the storm might have washed up. They are rarely agressive and prefer to retreat back into the water when spotted unless they have anything to trade, in which case they will approach anyone camping on the shore that look friendly enough. While they do have weapons and some minor armor of often low quality or rusted junk, they are not intended for fighting but for hunting or simply for show so others might think twice about attacking them. Their real weapon and defence comes from their ability to release an electrical charge from their body, so fighting a Tolteca up close is generally a bad idea, but even at range you can get shocked or pelted with rocks from their slings. Another problem for those who get close enough to be within biting range is their incredible bite force, as Tolteca have been observed biting entire chunks out of rock so you can picture what that would do to a human or anyone not covered in the toughest hide or scales, and even then a bite might easily snap bones. And aparently their bite is also rather toxic so even if someone survives a bite from a Tolteca they might still die from the poison in the wound.

It is uknown where exactly the Tolteca live or what their culture is like as their language is not yet fully understood and they aren't very talkative ouside of making a trade. Thus all information we do have is from observation and theory crafting. Tolteca are well suited for rough coastal waters as though they are rather slow on land they are fast and powerfull swimmers, perhaps being able to manipulate the water around them or aided by their three tails to propell them. Their tails also allow them to cling to any surface and anchor themselves against powerful currents or the waves crashing onto the rocks during the fiercest storm surge. Apparently they can not survive long on land without drinking or returning to the water regularly, the longest they have been observed on land is about two hours, any longer and they simply collapse into a comatose state untill they are either awakened by rainfall or have water poured on them. What is interesting is that in that state their head and limbs all retract into their shell after a while as part of the survival mechanism. Another ability they seem to have is using their tongue to spear fish, however it seems they can not use this ability on land, or perhaps they simply choose not to for some reason. Care should also be taken with the spikes on their shells as these are razor sharp and similar to shark teeth they also continuously regrow from inside their shell, the shed spikes make for some good arrow heads, spear tips or carving tools.

Thus far it has been nearly impossible to tell male and female Tolteca apart on sight alone, and for some time it was thought that they might not even have males or females at all as they all look pretty identical. It wasn't untill a pair was caught mating on a sandbank that we were certain they have different sexes, but no real clue as to how to tell them apart, though one theory seems to be that only the females wear shells on their clothing, which also uses a lot more draping cloth, but no proof of this theory thus far, and the different style might just indicate a rank or social standing for all we know. But then ofcourse why would it matter either way as the Tolteca have shown no...romantic interest shall we say, in any other races. Perhaps once their language is better understood we could learn more about them at last, ofcourse if we could properly speak their language in the first place as the many clicking and rumbling noises aren't easy to mimic by humans but it sounds similar to that of some of the lizard folk so perhaps one of them could translate, it is just a pity we do not have many lizard folk scholars, let alone any versed in linguistics, so for the time beign we will have to row with the oars we were given.

~Seidya Haaz, Field Researcher and Archivist (Formerly), Artis University.

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