Profile
Summary
In general, Jackyls appear to be calm Lythians, as they plod about at a leisurely pace and even gesture slowly. These gentle giants spend most of their day digging holes and building elaborate underground living spaces, for both themselves and other nearby creatures. They usually get along quite well with Igalyphs, who also make use of their tunnel systems for travel, and their excavated dirt for above-ground creations. However, Jackyls tend to be more detail-oriented than their mute cohorts, having the claws to carve intricate features into the walls of their subterranean homes.
✦ Body
Standing at about six feet tall, Jackyls' bodies are matte, furred, or a combination of both. All of them are born quadrupedal, but eventually learn how to stand on twos by adulthood.
✦ Snout
Every member has a slender, long snout that slopes downward. Although Jackyls have poor eyesight and hearing, it is surprisingly difficult to sneak up on them. That is because stored in that long snout of theirs is a hypersensitive tongue that is constantly tasting the air around them for scents.
✦ Neck
Jackyls tend to have elongated features — most notably their neck — which gives them a somewhat elegant appearance overall. Their necks are typically two to three times the length of their head when elongated, allowing them to extend their reach. When in a resting position, they are S-shaped, first curving back to give them a high hump behind the head, then forward to create a bulge at the throat.
✦ Paws
Standard Jackyls have very large, plush paw pads on both their forepaws and hindpaws. Although this prevents them from performing delicate hand gestures, they are able to at least hold objects, while their long claws help them perform other tasks as necessary. Some have even developed hand-like feet to help with this issue; they aren’t as heavily padded, which allows these Jackyls to more-easily grip things with their hindpaws instead.
✦ Tail
Most Jackyls are born with a prehensile tail that allows them to hold additional objects, and even trip up enemies, should the situation call for it.
Builds
✦ Pygmy
Pygmy Jackyls are about half the size of your standard Jackyl, about three feet tall when standing on their hind legs. They lack the extra height that standards have, because their necks cannot elongate, but instead are always scrunched up. Despite this, Pygmies are known to be quite dexterous, as they lack the big plush paw pads of their larger counterparts. Instead, their palms and soles are covered with a slightly rough texture, similar to that of a paw pad but without the extra width. This provides them just enough friction to securely grip objects, while their fully-retractable, smaller claws give them additional tools to work with. Those who have horns and ears only have very small ones that don’t exceed the length of a hand.
Variants
✦ Monster
This is a temporary condition that overrides a Jackyl’s normal variant. This means that a Jackyl can be both a Standard and a Monster by transforming between the two. A result of this transformation is that the Jackyl’s size and strength increases by quite a bit! This is more of a defensive state, as most Jackyls only transform into this form in order to protect themselves or their family. They can be quite deadly if necessary, though most of the time, their fierce appearance is enough to ward off the threat. If the enemy is not scared away by their appearance, a strong thwack by their scale-covered tail is sure to change that.
Core Features
- Jackyls always have long, tapered snouts that slope downward.
- Their necks are long and rest in a curved position.
- Standard Jackyls have large, plush paw pads on their forepaws.
- Some Jackyls have hindpaws while others have hand-like feet.
- They have long, retractable claws that don’t exceed the length of their hand.
✧ Extra Suggestions
- matte or furred bodies
- ears shorter than head
- horns shorter than head
- prehensile tails
✦ Cheeb
- Their necks remain scrunched up, and cannot extend like a Standard.
- Instead of paw pads, Pygmies have textured skin on their palms and soles.
- Their retractable claws are quite short.
✧ Extra Suggestions
- small or no ears
- small or no horns
✦ Monster
- Monster Jackyls develop scaly growths that can appear all across their body.
- They must have at least one pair of horns.
- Monster Jackyls have longer necks than average.
- Because their arms get so long and trail across the ground, they walk on their knuckles.
- All their claws get much longer and sharper.
✧ Extra Suggestions
- elongated ears
- no visible sclera or pupils
- protruding fangs or tusks
Baby Information
Baby Jackyls are called pups, and they’re born deaf and blind. Their eyes are fully closed, and their ears are small and folded over. However, they are not completely helpless, as their tongues are hypersensitive, alerting them to even the faintest smells and vibrations. Because they do not have their claws yet, the pups tend to run away from even the slightest hint of danger.
✦ Baby Features
- Baby Jackyls all start off quadrupedal.
- Their eyes are half or fully closed.
- Their ears are small and folded over; some are born with no ears.
- The pups have no claws yet.
Origin Story & Quest
Mrowko
When the Crypt Keepers first arrived in Mausolia, there were no others, only them. However, as they began to uproot the ground and construct their mounds, they unearthed an odd sphere. It was coiled tight around itself, covered with years of dirt and mud that had been hardened into plates. Slowly and carefully, they chipped away at it until it began to unravel and reawaken...
Jackyl pups are born deaf and blind, so start their lives by running away from all potential forms of danger. However, one day, their fight response will overpower the flight, and at that moment, they will finally be able to unsheathe their claws and face their enemies head on.
What situation did your Jackyl find themself in that would warrant such a reaction? When did they finally decide they were ready to stop running away? Are their claws the only things they unleashed in response? Or did their body change in other ways, as well? Please portray your Jackyl using their baby design or an adolescent design that’s not quite their adult form yet.
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