sprayen

Sprayen are fictional mist-dwelling creatures described in fantasy literature and tabletop role-playing games. Native to marshlands and reed-fringed rivers of the imagined continent of Eldoria, Sprayen form loose colonies in vegetated wetlands. They are best known for a defense and communication spray—a fine, floral-scented mist—that can briefly obscure vision and carries pheromones for mating.

The name Sprayen derives from the in-world term spray, with the plural suffix -en. In different dialects, the creature is sometimes called Spräyen, but Sprayen remains the standard designation in most sources.

Adults measure about 15 to 20 cm in length, with slender bodies and iridescent blue-green skin. They have four limbs with semi-webbed digits and a line of small, internal gill slits along the neck in juveniles. A gland behind the head secretes the scented spray, which serves both defensive and social signaling functions.

Sprayen inhabit submerged reed beds and slow-moving streams at the margins of wetlands. They are primarily nocturnal omnivores, feeding on aquatic invertebrates and waterborne vegetation. Social groups are loosely organized, with adults guiding juveniles through foraging routes and predator-avoidance behaviors. Communication relies on the spray’s intensity and pattern.

Reproduction takes place in spring, with gelatinous eggs laid on vegetation near shallow water. Juveniles remain with adults for a season before dispersing. In Eldorian folklore, Sprayen symbolize rain and renewal; they appear in songs, carvings, and festival rites. Some healers in the setting claim the spray has calming properties, though this is described as myth within the fiction.