#I'm too sleepy to remember if psychopomp is a widely known word outside of my autistic ass so just in case

[thekavseklabs]

Do you have any critters or flora unique to this world/blog, and if so, could you tell us about one of them? :D

I sure do, lots of them! But here's one I haven't talked about before: Lilila'[click], or Ripplelight-(harmless)fish. They're a type of fish with long, rippling bodies, similar to ribbon eels, but bioluminescent both in a pattern of dots alongside their sides, and on the bulb ends of little stalks that grow along their bodies. Their faces are reminiscent of viperfish, which is terrifying, but like viperfish, they feed primarily on algae, scavenged meat, and small fish eggs, the teeth are for self defense, and the lights are for communication. They travel in spread out colonies rather than close knit schools, each within view of a few others, and they follow currents or vents.

Many sea kei believe that they are spiritual guides, and that following them to or in a current must be done cautiously and respectfully as they are finding their next soul to guide, and that one should not follow them once they break downwards from the current, as they are leading that soul to the realm of the dead. In reality, they are drifting downwards to search vents or loose sand for either eggs or scraps of neglected meat, and when heading upwards, they are finding a current.

That said, due to their need to scavenge widely, they have a high tolerance for dangerous environments and can become aggressive once followed into a hunting ground where they can't just feed off algae in the current and luck. On their own, they aren't dangerous, but they can make you bleed, and bleeding in the ocean while alone and im a possibility especially dangerous environment is a very bad idea on K'war, just as is the case on Earth. There is also a small chance they will swarm even if another predator doesn't take notice, so it is in fact not a good idea to follow them or try to touch them once they leave the current- they may in fact lead you to the 'realm of the dead'. Heading towards or actively in the current, they are generally harmless, and following them can help a kei find a good current to follow and rest in, though again, be cautious and respectful of them, and never feed them anything larger or more solid than loose algae if you don't want to accidentally risk sending it into aggression.

Despite the superstitions and danger, they are widely beloved, and when in the current, sea kei will often follow them and play by swimming circles around the fish or by playing with hoops around it. The fish in question will generally ignore them, but if they catch any indication the fish is bothered, those kei are backing off immediately and apologizing. After all, you wouldn't want to offend or anger a potential psychopomp. You have no way of knowing if its next soul to guide will be yours.