Greatshells (WoR spoilers... sort of?)

[PiedPiper]

Jasnah mentioned in (I think) WoK that the Lanceryns (basically fully-grown Larkins) and the Chasmfiends were the last greatshells on Roshar, and that all the other creatures with giant gemhearts had been hunted to extinction. Sounds believable to me -- humans hunted down all the megafauna on Earth.

What about the Reshi Isles? Each island, which can house hundreds of people, is one giant greatshell. It's easy to see there being serious preservation efforts directed at them, but all it would take is one rogue with a Shardblade to swim under the island, stab upward into the chest, and harvest the gemheart. Besides, there are no mentions of such efforts -- and you'd think they'd at least mention it in Rysn's WoR interlude -- and, in addition, Jasnah explicitly states: "When the lanceryn died off during the scouring of Aimia, we thought we’d seen the last gemhearts of large size." This indicates to me that no one had thought of the Reshi Isles yet.

Am I missing something here?

[Honorless]

The Tai-Na are unknown to wider Roshar, as we see with Rysn. They are unaware of what a moving island is supposed to be, if they were to somehow even begin to entertain the notion of moving islands to begin with.

[+Bzhydack]

We know Tai-Na are greatshels. But this is not common knowledge. In fact, the whole Roshar thinks, that they are just islands. Reshi tell/show outlanders nature of islands only, if they really trust them. Secret is the best protection for these creatures, as well as fact they are part of religion.

I doubht also that one maniac with shardblade will be able to kill Tai-Na. Their shell can be too thick, and they have many defenders.

[Dunkum]

21 minutes ago, Bzhydack said:

I doubht also that one maniac with shardblade will be able to kill Tai-Na. Their shell can be too thick, and they have many defenders.

at the very least it would be a lot harder than just getting underneath one and stabbing upward.  there is no way that there is anything vital within one shardb;ade's length from teh bottom of the carapace.  youd probably almost have to tunnel your way into the thing

[GoWibble]

51 minutes ago, Bzhydack said:

Reshi tell/show outlanders nature of islands only, if they really trust them

Well, if you go sailing out in the middle of of the Reshi sea, you could find one and notice that it is a huge animal and connect it with other greatshells

 

2 hours ago, PiedPeterPiper said:

Jasnah mentioned in (I think) WoK that the Lanceryns (basically fully-grown Larkins) and the Chasmfiends were the last greatshells on Roshar, and that all the other creatures with giant gemhearts had been hunted to extinction. Sounds believable to me -- humans hunted down all the megafauna on Earth.

So the lanceryns are only kind of fully grown larkins. they are more like larger (I'm pretty sure) and only somewhat related to the larkin:

Quote

AhoyMatey (paraphrased)

Are larkin and lanceryn one and the same?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

There’s a little bit more than just [being] one and the same, but in some ways they are.

Words of Radiance Seattle signing (March 8, 2014)

 

[Doomdrinker]

This is a theory but perhaps this is the reason why the tai-na have developed a symbiotic relationship with people. People get a large fertile home and the tai-na gets protection from hunters.