Zelas Snail- For Seth

Basic Overview of the Beast
The Zelas Snail is a native of the Thaeleon forest, a curious creature that is capable of floating to the forest floor like a leaf with its shell, which may very well grant it the title of "Fastest Sarvonian Snail."

Appearance
The Zelas resembles most garden variety snails in that it is an unpleasant, colour that never seems to settle between green, yellow or brown. This body is coated with slime, like those of its relatives, but rather than a single foot, the Zelas has a long, coiled wormlike body, which grants it one of its two noteworthy capabilities.

When stretched out, a Zelas measures roughly half a palmspan in length, though no more than a few nailsbredths in width at either end. The middle of the Zelas, where it is attached to the shell it secretes, is thicker than the rest of the snail, and seems to be where it is most firmly anchored.

The shell of the Zelas is a wide, green bonnet-like construction which the snail secretes over time. Unlike the shells of some other mollusks, this is not intended to protect the Zelas like armour, but serves as a means of locomotion, and possibly camouflage. The shell covers much of the Zelas' body while the snail is coiled, often seeming to resemble a leaf. The shell is much wider than it initially appears, as its edges coil under the rest of the shell, only unfurling when the Zelas uses it to descend.

Special Abilities
The Zelas Snail possesses the remarkable (for a snail) capacity to glide down to the forest floor by using its shell. Zelas have also been seen to let a breeze carry them from one branch or tree to another. The shell of the Zelas is flexible and tends to be much wider than the snail itself. The snail loosens its grip on whatever surface it is attached to, and drops, where its own weight then rights it in mid air and causes the shell to unfurl, dropping it gracefully onto the ground below.

The Zelas may also extend its own length in order to gain a footing on a lower branch, and then slowly coil itself back up again, almost in a manner reminiscent of a spider descending on a thread.

Territory
The Thaleon Forest is the sole known place where Zelas snails may be found. Occasionally, a snail will be blown free of the forest by an errant gust of wind, but seldom live very long afterwards, lacking the protective cover of the forest canopy and its accompanying leaves.

Habitat/Behavior
The Zelas is, like most of its relatives, a sedentary creature. It ambles about searching for food at its snails' pace. Unlike other creatures the Zelas

Diet
The Zelas feeds on vegetation, be it grass, the leaves of trees, flowers or even crops. It disolves them through its foot and consumes the resulting slime.

Mating

Myth/Lore/Origin

Researchers
As with many mollusks, the Compendium owes its knowledge of the Zelas to the notes of researcher Friddiv Alav, which the compendium acquired following his death.