10000 IslandsBoard

Title: Gerald The Deer. He is an anthropomorphic deer, symbolizing the national animal of Rylland, the Giant Antler Deer.
Submitted by: Rylland

Gerald was created by artist Arnold Schmidt in the 1960s. Arnold has been creating mascots for Ryllandic mascots, so he came up with an idea about a mascot symbolizing Rylland itself. He borrowed a character from his own story book named "The Deer King of Souchelia", and came up with the name Gerald, named after his son.

Title: Lutu - the Surfing Crab-Eating Bat
Submitted by: Safiloa

Safiloa is home to many unique animals, including the Lutuang, also known as the Crab-Eating Bat (Mystacina carcinivora). The Lutuang swims close to shore along the coasts of Safiloa and hunts crustaceans and other invertebrates that get trapped in the tidepools. It is crepuscular and hunts at dawn and dusk. They live in small burrows in the white sand or in hollowed out tree trunks in the mangroves. They sometimes will swell up with air and float along with the waves. Their oily fur is somewhat waterproof and their single digit fingers at the tips of their wings allows them to grasp on the seaside rocks and mangrove roots.

Safiloa's mascot for competition there for will be Lutu - the Surfing Crab-Eating Bat. This fun and joyful mascot represents the uniqueness, pleasure-seeking, seaside easy-go-lucky spirit of the Safiloan people. Lutu likes to party, sing, dance, surf, and eat delicious vegan food, just like the Safiloans! Lutu was designed by an 8-year-old in third grade, Veralina Pochettino, as part of a national call for a national mascot for this very competition. The entire nation of Safiloa is very excited to see what will come of this!

Lutu the karaoke singing surfing bat even has a song!

Title: The Polar Bear
Submitted by: Svalbard og jan mayen
The Polar Bear: A Symbol of Svalbard og Jan Mayen's Rugged Beauty and Fragile Future
Svalbard og Jan Mayen, a nation sculpted by glaciers and windswept plains, finds its perfect embodiment in the majestic polar bear. These magnificent creatures, perfectly adapted to the harsh Arctic environment, embody the spirit of the nation itself. Here's why the polar bear reigns supreme as the national animal of Svalbard og Jan Mayen:

A Symbol of Strength and Resilience: Polar bears are apex predators, thriving in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their thick fur, powerful claws, and keen hunting instincts mirror the harsh beauty and unwavering spirit of Svalbard og Jan Mayen. Just as the nation has weathered countless storms, both literal and metaphorical, so too do polar bears endure the challenges of the Arctic.
A Connection to the Land: Polar bears are integral to the Arctic ecosystem. They rely on the sea ice for hunting and travel, mirroring Svalbard og Jan Mayen's dependence on its unique environment for its very existence. The polar bear serves as a constant reminder of the delicate balance between human activity and the pristine wilderness.

A Beacon of Conservation: Sadly, polar bears are threatened by climate change, with shrinking sea ice jeopardizing their hunting grounds and survival. Choosing the polar bear as the national animal signifies Svalbard og Jan Mayen's commitment to environmental stewardship. It's a call to action for the nation and the world to protect this iconic species and the Arctic ecosystem it represents.

A Unique Cultural Identity: Polar bears are deeply woven into the cultural fabric of the Arctic. Their presence features prominently in folklore, art, and even local cuisine. By adopting the polar bear as their national animal, Svalbard og Jan Mayen celebrates its unique cultural heritage and its place within the wider Arctic community.

The polar bear serves as a powerful symbol for Svalbard og Jan Mayen, representing its strength, resilience, and connection to the Arctic. It's a call to protect not just a majestic creature, but the very environment that sustains both the polar bear and the nation itself.The Polar Bear: A Symbol of Svalbard og Jan Mayen's Rugged Beauty and Fragile Future

Svalbard og Jan Mayen, a nation sculpted by glaciers and windswept plains, finds its perfect embodiment in the majestic polar bear. These magnificent creatures, perfectly adapted to the harsh Arctic environment, embody the spirit of the nation itself. Here's why the polar bear reigns supreme as the national animal of Svalbard og Jan Mayen:

A Symbol of Strength and Resilience: Polar bears are apex predators, thriving in one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. Their thick fur, powerful claws, and keen hunting instincts mirror the harsh beauty and unwavering spirit of Svalbard og Jan Mayen. Just as the nation has weathered countless storms, both literal and metaphorical, so too do polar bears endure the challenges of the Arctic.
A Connection to the Land: Polar bears are integral to the Arctic ecosystem. They rely on the sea ice for hunting and travel, mirroring Svalbard og Jan Mayen's dependence on its unique environment for its very existence. The polar bear serves as a constant reminder of the delicate balance between human activity and the pristine wilderness.

A Beacon of Conservation: Sadly, polar bears are threatened by climate change, with shrinking sea ice jeopardizing their hunting grounds and survival. Choosing the polar bear as the national animal signifies Svalbard og Jan Mayen's commitment to environmental stewardship. It's a call to action for the nation and the world to protect this iconic species and the Arctic ecosystem it represents.

A Unique Cultural Identity: Polar bears are deeply woven into the cultural fabric of the Arctic. Their presence features prominently in folklore, art, and even local cuisine. By adopting the polar bear as their national animal, Svalbard og Jan Mayen celebrates its unique cultural heritage and its place within the wider Arctic community.

The polar bear serves as a powerful symbol for Svalbard og Jan Mayen, representing its strength, resilience, and connection to the Arctic. It's a call to protect not just a majestic creature, but the very environment that sustains both the polar bear and the nation itself.

Title: The Pelican Eel
Submitted by: Elivastov

What is its origin?: The pelican eel was first found in medieval times in the village of Conta Porta. Old records show that low-class fishermen who first found the animal dead in the middle of the sea captured the creature. The animal was considered a monster due to its appearance, as it was found with its large mouth open, and was nicknamed the “Hellmouth”. The news spread quickly, not only to the village, but also to the entire nation that dominated the region (the kingdom of Melenia). The churches of the time declared the waters cursed, affecting a large part of Elivastov's territory.

At the same time, the Elivastov region became increasingly opposed to Melenia's domination. With the news of the pelican eel spreading and its nickname, the citizens of the Elivastov region, for complaining too much about the problems in their region, were called by other regions “The talkers from hell” or “The complainers from hell”, eventually shortened to “Helltalkers."

Soon, the Pelican Eel and the citizens of Elivastov were constantly associated at the time, and it was easy to see this association in the news and in art. Eventually, the local culture was also affected, and the citizens adopted the animal as their own mascot, and in the revolt for independence, the animal was one of the major symbols used.

How does it reflect your nation’s culture, history, or values?: The pelican eel represents the citizens, presenting them as people adapted to dangerous situations, using strategy to gain an advantage and not being afraid to fight for what is theirs. This vision has been gradually built up over the years through patriotism and culture.

What are the mascot’s special traits or personality?: The pelican eel has the unique characteristic of having a giant mouth, which is much larger than its body. The mouth is loosely articulated and can be opened wide enough to swallow a fish much larger than the eel itself. The mouth is quite large with powerful jaws that span nearly a quarter of their body. The eel also has an illuminated organ that attracts prey. The pelican eel lives in the deep sea, in depths ranging from 600 to 4000 meters deep.

Title: Lej The Dragon
Submitted by: Pathonia

A snow-white dragon, airborne, in a position resembling the Ouroboros (circular snake, forever consuming itself). The wings of the dragon are swooped back, following the sort of pattern made by the now-circular dragon body. They'd stop just short of being merged with the base of the wing. Within the small hole formed in the middle by the Ouroboros-like dragon would be a plain pale yellow dot.

Backstory/Origin: Rooted deeply in the epic of Lej and Rimna, whereby the founder of our royal family- Rimnaith Sentross -slew the dragon Lej and founded what would be our capital city for millennia up until a few years ago. In doing so, she freed the vast majority of the Pathonians from the dragon-worshipping cults that'd sprouted to try and win favours from the dragon-tyrant Lej.

The dragon is snowy white to try and show the stark nature of the battle. Contrasting with the black backdrop, the dragon is essentially the only thing standing in the way of a perfectly unified solid-colour image (ignoring the small yellow dot).

For all his physical strength, Lej was a somewhat mindless brute. He relied more upon the dragon-worshipping cults than they knew. And when the eventual challenger Rimna showed up, said cults were easily dispatched- being the religious devotees (not warriors) that they were.
Lej's hide couldn't be pierced by anything made by the Elves, Dwarves, or Humans.

Rimna ultimately defeated Lej by running circles around the Lejian Pillar/Column (the yellow dot. This is a top-down scene), and quickly dodging his attacks.

Once the dragon had fallen into the comfortable pattern of chasing Rimna in a circle around the pillar, she quickly ran out of the loop as Lej's maw began to close around her.

The dragon wound up consuming his own tail, which is why the dragon is shown to be doing that- in the fashion of the Ouroboros -in the mascot.

Culture: The Sentross' had ruled Pathonia for millennia following Lej's death. Not including the recent events which lead to their near-extinction, they had cemented themselves in every Pathonian definition of power and control. The word 'monarch' didn't even exist up until less than a decade ago; 'Ruling Sentross' was used instead. The defeat of Lej, as shown in the mascot/image, is their greatest showcase of power. And, as an extension, is the greatest display of Pathonian power.

Values: Dominance and the intelligence of the humanoid races, alongside the value of having (... well, this point isn't as relevant anymore) such a powerful family / representation of Pathonia defeating a creature formerly considered to be a god. It forms a loose basis for the superiority of mortals over religiously-grounded deities, which is a key tenet in our current Empress's Pathedonist Creed.

What are the mascot’s special traits or personality: Ah... Lej, who was in fact a sort of demigod- if not a full god -was arrogant and generally fits the apt stereotype of a strong-but-not_smart individual. Lej had the ability of flight, of course, and- perhaps strangely -is the only dragon in recorded Pathonian history to have been able to wield the notoriously difficult lightning school of magic. For all their power, only our current Empress has managed to achieve mastery over lightning; Lej's ability to use it all the way back during the genesis of magical study and development reinforces how special / infamous / dangerous he was.