Whale

Whales were the largest mammals in the world. They were gentle sea-dwelling creatures that migrated from place to place in the oceans. While peaceful, whales were known to only attack ships and other sea creatures when provoked.

Types of Whale

 * Baleen whales: The baleen were the larger, most intelligent variety of whales within the Realms. These fed by straining seawater through long strips of baleen that they had in place of teeth, from which they got their name, in order to eat plankton and krill. The known species of baleen whales in the Realms included &mdash; humpback whales (also known as the peasant whale), night whales, pilot whales, sapphire whales, and the white-hued snow whales, gray whales, and right whales. Those first five species could all be found in the Sea of Fallen Stars, with the humpback being the largest.
 * Toothed whales: Toothed whales were active hunters that preyed upon such large creatures as giant squids and krakens, though often relied upon smaller more accessible food. Like fish, squid, and smaller marine mammals. The known species of toothed whales in the Realms included &mdash; killer whales, narwhals, and sperm whales. All could be found in the Sea of Fallen Stars, with the killer whale being the one most often sighted by sailors and scholars due to their hunting grounds coinciding with some of that sea's more prominent surface trade lanes.

Society
Whales were intelligent enough that they had devised their own calendar system, known as Whaletime.

Relationships
Whales were sacred to the elven god Deep Sashelas and the deities Istishia and Valkur.

Usages
Whalebone was used in creation of corsets, notable, the corsets popular among overly-fanciful noble women of the Blade Kingdoms. Whale oil was used as a type of lamp oil on the western shores of Maztica.

Habitats
Whales inhabited Patzcoatl, the Western Ocean of Maztica. They were hunted by the Metahel tribes that lived along the ocean's shores.

History
In the 14 century DR, many scholars in the Western Heartlands insisted that very few whales existed within the Sea of Fallen Stars due to its relatively small size. Though those who lived within that body of water attested that many could be found within its deeper waters.

Notable Whales

 * Leviathan, one of the Children of the Earthmother.
 * Naahal, the famed whale bard.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Treasure Hunt
 * Novels
 * The Council of Blades
 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale
 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale