Tribal affiliations: Ojibwe, Algonquin, Ottawa, Menominee, Shawnee, Cree

AKA: Great/Water Lynx, Underground/Water/Underneath Panther, Matchi-Manitou

A cross between a dragon and a cougar, this drafylis (a type of dragon that has feline characteristics) roams the Great Lakes of Canada, the United States, and the surrounding regions of the Ohio and Mississippi River. The Water Panther is described as having the head and paws of a mountain lion and a furry underside, but is mostly covered in scales; it has a long, prehensile tail made of copper (males only), a sharp, saw-toothed spine, and horns like a White-Tailed Deer. The creature makes growls and hissing sounds, some of which emulate the roar of rushing rapids or thunderstorms. Depending on the size of the waters they reside in, the drafylis can grow to be anywhere between 7-15 ft long and 2-4.5 ft tall; on land, they can move up to 30 mph, but they can swim up to 60 mph. Though all Msi-Pissi share many similarities, they vary from region to region. The species found in West Virginia has reddish-brown fur, speckled gray, yellow, and dark brown scales, black eyes, and rich, red spines and fins. The creatures have an acute sense of smell and excellent night vision, though poor hearing.

A dangerous animal, Water Panthers are known to drown men and women that cross through their domains. They prefer to live in deep water but have also been known to exist in shallow causeways. At the bottom of these watery habitats, Msi-Pissi call storms, roughen currents, raise young, and grow copper.

Reproduction and Development

In northern and western West Virginia, male Water Panthers tend to gardens of copper in muddy lake and riverbeds; caressing the ground with their tails, shimmery metal slowly forms on the surface, spreading deeper with time and with exposure to the creature’s secretions. These metallic beds and a male’s scent attracts females; suitors offer gifts of food, precious metals, or human trinkets in exchange for the male’s companionship and garden. Females may swim for hundreds of miles, seeking strong mates and spacious gardens near plentiful game. Multiple females may fight over one Water Panther, slamming their necks and heads against each other, their antlers clamoring noisily; the weaker adversary is forced to settle for less desirable males and copper beds. Males may intervene during these contests, choosing the one he prefers. Once joined, Water Panthers mate for life－males patrolling the surface and banks, while females defend the depths.

A Msi-Pissi’s garden of copper is comparable to a dragon’s treasure horde－an object of desire greatly defended; it is usually decorated with found items and used as a nest for offspring. The metallic constructs are craggy, laden with holes, and have a treacherous appearance; they glisten with blue, green, and coppery hues, which causes it to appear like a living creature when it shimmers in the light.

Bound to the waters, Msi-Pissi can only breathe underwater, though they can survive for short durations on land; their children, however, cannot initially. Every five years, 5-10 drafylis eggs are laid within the gardens－shiny, gem-like orbs that gleam a rainbow of color; they hatch after seven months, revealing chubby, miniature versions of their parents, but with large eyes and no legs, only wispy fins. Their mother and father brings them meals of shredded meat; the youths eat eagerly, tearing the pieces up even more with tiny, serrated teeth. Though they are vulnerable to other aquatic predators, their parents are always nearby, listening for mewling cries of “danger” or “help.” When threatened, they flee to their nest, hiding behind coppery spires; the movement and glisten of scales and copper confuses hunters, who may mistake the garden for a larger predator－one who consumed its targets effortlessly.

Several weeks after hatching, Water Panthers can hunt their own game; they target small fish, nests, and baby turtles. After a few months have passed, they are unable to hide within the safety of their nest as they have grown too large. After six months, the adolescents begin hunting and patrolling with their parents－males at the surface and females on the riverbed; as they grow older, they drift further and further away, more sure of themselves and strong. After 16 months, young adults leave their parent’s waters in search of mates or areas to build nests. Once their brood has departed, males begin adding on to their copper gardens, preparing for the next litter. Living for 13-18 years, a couple may have up to three broods.

Hunting and Defending

Nocturnal predators, Water Panthers ambush large prey but attack smaller victims if they happen to be nearby. The drafylis may consume fish, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, reptiles, and mammals that swim in their waters, fly too close, or drink from the banks. Once they are near enough, the animals fling themselves from the water or leap from the bank, striking at the neck and cutting with a many-toothed, serrated bite; with claws, the pin and render their prey lifeless, whipping stronger foes into submission with their jagged, pointed tails. A cold-blooded creature, they only need to eat a large meal once per month, as their metabolisms are slow. Msi- Pissi are also known to be opportunistic and contentious scavengers, attacking dying animals on the waterside and stealing the fresh kills of others nearby. To aid digestion, Water Panthers may consume bitter plants and stones.

On the rare occasion that a Msi-Pissi feels threatened, they will call to their mate with a high-pitched sound before making low, rumbling gurgles and hisses. The creature splashes water aggressively, daring the adversary to approach, swinging its horned head as if to impale. Fearing only large predators like the Ogua, Msi-Pissi generally live to old age, though elsewhere they are ruthlessly hunted by Thunderbirds.