Whelk

"Whelks are a lot harder to control than horses! And I've never seen one that wasn't hard to handle! They're unfriendly, temperamental..."

— Man near stable in Worent

Whelk オーム Oomu
Portrait
Sprite
Home												Worent, Western Continent
Occupation												transport animal
I				II				III				IV				V				VI

Whelks are a type of domestic animal that appears in Breath of Fire IV. They are large nautilus-like creatures used as mounts, both by civilians and the military. They are known to be aggressive and are typically significantly more difficult to tame and ride than horses.

Role in Breath of Fire IV

In Breath of Fire IV Ryu borrows one from a Woren in Worent so he will be able to cross the Golden Plains to find Tarhn. The Whelk that Ryu rode on seemed to take a liking to him quite quickly which surprises its owner.

After Ryu and the party arrive in Chek, the Abbess explains the occurrence of this phenomenon due to Ryu's lifestream. As Yorae Dragon, his lifestream is bigger and stronger than that of other other lifeforms. Animals or humans that cross his path alike, get intertwined with his fate. This is how Ryu could tame the Whelk rather quickly. Once the party returns to Worent after Cray's rescue, the Whelk can be found eating the farmer's crops, much to his dismay.

A man in Pauk explains that they catch whelks and sell them to the imperial army as mounts for war. That's how the village sustains itself. Indeed, at Causeway, a whelk can be seen as a mount near a soldier, which corroborates their use in combat.

Gallery

The whelk taking a liking.

Ryu's Whelk riding lessons do not go as intended...

Finally, success. Riding the Whelk in the plains.

Whelk eating crops in Worent.

NPC in Pauk explains that they catch Whelks and sell them to the empire.