tantrmak

tantrmak is a mythical creature from the folklore of the northern provinces of the ancient Khanate of Xylos. According to oral tradition, it is described as a small, fox‑like beast with a luminous, opalescent coat that shifts through a spectrum of colors when it moves. Witness accounts from the 11th to 14th centuries mention that the creature emits a faint, humming resonance, believed to influence the growth of surrounding vegetation. It is said that the tantrmak is elusive, rarely seen, and prefers to inhabit dense wetlands and misty ravines. Scholars have correlated stories of the tantrmak with the rare plumage coloration found in local species of the Arigat fox, suggesting that the myth arose from the misidentification of nocturnal foxes observed at twilight.

The creature is sometimes associated with auspicious harvests. In communal festivals, participants offer fermented grain to the “shadow of the tantrmak” in hopes of ensuring abundant crops. The tantrmak appears in several medieval manuscripts, most notably in the illustrated codex of Tsarion, where it is depicted guarding a silver chalice. Anthropologists argue that the animal symbolizes a liminal guardian between the material world and the spirit realm, reflecting the tribes’ ambivalence toward nature’s unpredictable gifts. Despite acknowledgement in local lore, no physical evidence of the tantrmak exists. Modern researchers view the myth as a cultural artifact that provides insight into the symbolic worldview of early Xylos societies.