Remarkable Creatures: The Lavellan

Another page in the Remarkable Creatures compendium of real, mythic and imagined beasts.

No matter where in the galaxy you roam, you inevitably hear tell of unusual rodents. Tales of malignant, rat-like creatures - toxic of breath and nature. Of these stories, some are confused, some exaggerated, and some outright fancy... But be wary; any warning offered of a nearby lavellan should not be incautiously dismissed.

The lavellan is a strange beast; it has a long, depressed snout, extravagant whiskers, and coarse fur. Beneath the fur it hides armoured skin, almost scale-like in nature. The beast is larger and brighter than a common lizard, nimble of movement, swims and dives with considerable facility, and has remarkable flashing eyes. It is most renowned, however, for its attack. A lavellan's breath is noxious and - if alarmed or upset - the beast can issue forth a far reaching projectile of gunky spittle, toxic to humans and livestock.

This interesting creature lives among moss and wood and stony waterways, finding ready shelter in the innumerable cracks and passages through the rock. It builds an underground nest in which to store provisions for its short period of dormancy during the coldest days of the year.

Regarding the carnivorous propensities of the lavellan there appears to be no reasonable doubt. It is rather more inclined, however, to a diet of aquatic plants and tubers - using its sharp, strong incisors to tear through roots rather than flesh.

The creature's reviled reputation comes not from its feeding habits, but from its extreme territoriality. For the most part, the lavellan avoids contact with other beings, but it vehemently - and violently - objects to intruders in the expanse of river and land it claims its own. An exception to this attitude is made for cattle, against which the lavellan bears an inexplicable aggression and will attack without provocation.

The beast's fierce defence of territory can hardly be faulted. The lavellan belonged to these lands long before we, yet many folk persist in believing it a pest and its skin a cure for sick livestock. We have, we admit, no great sympathy for those superstitious, would-be lavellan hunters who never return home.

Characteristics

Type of Beast: Rodent-lizard hybrid.

Habitat: Rocky waterways in cold climates.

Strengths: Camouflage. Fast, stealthy, dexterous movement. Superior sense of smell.

Weaknesses: Little physical strength.

Unique features: Can spit poison up to 120ft. Really hate cattle.

Usual Disposition: Cranky loners.

Can I fight one?: Yes, if you absolutely have to. You've bought this on yourself though.

Can I pet one?: Yes, if you can find one. Wear non-corrosive protective clothing though.

Size: Small compared to a human, unusually large for a rodent.

Cognition: Sentient (able to feel and to perceive).

Movement: Swift on land and even faster in water.

What do I do if I see one?: Make no sudden movements. Look for cover. Hide your cows.

But Why?

The lavellan appears in Scottish folklore (from Caithness and Sutherland in particular). It's generally assumed to be a demonization of the water shrew, though has also been represented with characteristics of the common lizard, water vole and marten. It may well be a combination of them all.

In creating my version of the lavellan I have taken significant liberties (of course), but have based the creature on the following sources.

Sources:

• A Vertebrate Fauna of Sutherland, Caithness, and West Cromarty. By J.A Haevie-Brown and T.E Buckley, 1887.
• A History of British Animals, Exhibiting the Descriptive Characters and Systematical Arrangement of the Genera and Species of Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Mollusca and Radiata of the United Kingdom; Including the Indigenous, Extirpated, and Extinct Kinds, Together with Periodical and Occasional Visitants. By John Fleming, 1827.
• Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. By John Gregorson Campbell, 1900.