Potter snail

An arboreal mollusk native to the temperate band of Atria, the potter snail is a slug-like creature with soft and squishy purple-black skin, six small tentacles at the fore of its head, and a waxy round shell that the snail constructs and expands as it grows. Each of its tentacles has a different function; one pair of tentacles atop their heads is tipped with light receptors, one pair of tentacles near the mouth is used for eating and rasping, and the third pair of tentacles at the rear of their heads is used for reproduction, excretion and more constructive emissions, such as the dark trails of adhesive fluid used to both smooth their way across rough terrain and stick to vertical or inverted surfaces, as well as the substance from which they sculpt their shells.

Growing up to twelve centimeters wide in some cases, the potter snail will create many shells across its five-year lifespan, which it uses to store food and water, carry eggs, and into which it retreats if faced with danger, sealing the entrance with sticky and irritating mucus.

When grown for food purposes, the snails are fed a sugary solution and water to clear their internal tracts ('blanching' their purple skin lilac) before being chilled, putting the mollusk to sleep painlessly. The meat of the potter snail readily absorbs the flavors of the seasonings in which it has been prepared, and is prized for its tenderness and the ease with which it can be adapted to any flavor profile.