Cilvku

Cilvku is a fictional semi-aquatic mammal created for world-building and speculative fiction. It appears in multiple novels, games, and fan lore set in the imagined Varis Archipelago. The creature is typically described as intelligent, social, and adaptable to coastal ecosystems.

Physically, cilvku are around 1.2 to 1.5 meters long, with a streamlined body, a paddle-like tail, and a dorsal crest. Their skin is smooth and varies in gray-blue tones, often with bioluminescent patches along the flanks that glow faintly at night. They have rounded snouts, strong whiskers, and dexterous forelimbs that aid in foraging.

Cilvku inhabit shallow bays, mangrove fringes, and tidal lagoons within the Varis Archipelago. They form seasonal groups, relying on shoals of small fish and crustaceans. They are described as having a role in nutrient cycling, aiding mangrove health by dispersing seeds and detritus.

Social structure centers on pods of 5–20 individuals. They communicate through a complex mix of clicks, whistles, and body signals, and exhibit cooperative foraging, alloparenting, and play. Reproduction is typically seasonal with a gestation around 11 months, usually yielding a single calf.

In-world, cilvku are used to explore themes of cooperation, curiosity, and balance with nature. They feature in fictional ethnographies such as the Cilvku Lexicon and appear in interactive media where players encounter protected populations in sanctuaries. The term and its lore are routinely noted as belonging to a fictional setting and are not intended to reflect real species.