DESERT
These dashers make their homes in the arid regions of Jo’arca, traveling in vast nomadic caravans, settling dusty mining towns, or creating grand and elaborate oasis cities. Largely nomadic, these dashers’ hooves are much stockier than their dainty forest counterparts, and wide enough not to sink into the sand as they travel over mountainous dunes.Their fur is much shorter than their fluffier brethren, with large ears and often lighter coloration to stay cool in the sun.
Ancient nomadic trading tribes cross the Great Expanse, bringing goods between the northern cities, including the Shooter controlled Regiment Outpost, down to the massive trading city of Shrine’s Delta. While crossing the desert is difficult and dangerous, many of these nomad tribes are willing to offer assistance and passage for coin or barter.
The desert Dashers of Sicco Glutture and Drevilheim enjoy a more varied landscape, from dunes and dry canyons in the east,to prairies and savannas in the west. These landlocked dashers focus less on trade and more on livestock and agriculture. Many share the thriving city north of the crest falls with their Eater and Sweeper cousins, and their caravans help travelers find their way through the expansive canyons and arid steppes to reach the Eater capital of Starfruit Valley and the fertile lowlands further to the north. Just east of the Drevilheim mountains, these Dashers share several mining towns with more desert attuned Starcrafters.
These dashers' ears grow with very little fur, flat and rounded into tips. They often have a slight darker tip to them. Their horns often grow into much sharper and spindly points. Their wide, stocky hooves can grow similarly to horses or camels, and true to their name lose no speed on the sand. Their fur grows short, and is often a bit coarse, though it is said there is nothing softer than a desert dashers fuzzy ears. Their hair varies in texture, but it's common for desert dashers to grow nappier hair and tails, some even sporting flora similar to various straws and tumble weeds.
Despite what you may think of sparse desert flora, lady desert dashers find no shortage of flowers and plants to claim for their hair piece. They do get a little more creative though, picking cactus flowers, little cacti, aloes, agave, palm leaves, and succulents. No one knows quite for certain why, but many desert dashers seem to be next to unphased by prickly thorns and other sharp brambles, but many believe it's either due to magic, or incredibly thick skin.
Depending on the time of day and brightness of the sun, desert dashers may close one set of eyes to protect them from dust and bright reflections.
Some tribes may choose to be nocturnal, choosing to travel by the stars in the cold night air than face the oppressive heat of the mid day sun.
KELPIE
“Beware the lights in the bogs...nothing good comes from the lights in the bogs...”
There are many warnings to StarDragons young and old to avoid the marshy swamps in their travels. Tales of dangerous creatures and even more dangerous StarDragons. Most StarDragons assume the warnings are in regards to StarRobbers as the undead often make the secluded area their home. But the StarDragons who live near the borders of the Oriens swamp know there is a far worse threat that lurks beneath the murky waters.
For the longest time the Kelpie Dashers were considered more an urban legend and old wives tale. The fact that those who ventured into the swamps rarely returned to tell what they have seen contributed to this. Ironically enough, it was thanks to the slow growing acceptance of Robbers that information about Kelpie Dashers began to surface to the outside world.
According to most Kelpie Dashers, they trace their origin back to a legend of a village of Dashers that swore fealty to Lenus. Depending on the tribe, it is said Lenus either blessed them or cursed them to the forms they have now. Regardless of if their adaption is divine or simply the result of multiple generations living in swamp like conditions, the Kelpie Dashers have adapted to life in the swamps quite effectively. While not able to breath water, Kelpie Dashers can submerge and hold their breath for great lengths of time. Their fur tends to grow longer and more shaggy, particularly around the lower arms and legs. Instead of the typical Dasher hooves, they sport two toes, sometimes webbed to aid in swimming as well as their ears often taking a more fish like appearance with webbed aesthetics.
The most notable adaptation however is that their gems are embedded deeper in their bodies, often with a layer of skin over them so all that is visible is the glow. There has been a lot of speculation about the reason why. Some theorize it is to make them more difficult for shooters to harvest. Others speculate it aids in stealth as they are seeking prey in the swampy waters. And some theorize it is because when Lenus transformed them, she wanted to make them appear more like her fishers so the gems now resemble where gills would have been. Those who theorize that also theorize it explains why the Kelpie Dashers behavior is more similar to fishers than their fellow dashers. With sharp fangs and a near carnivorous diet, the Kelpie Dashers are considered a more predatory StarDragon species... and have shown themselves to be fully capable and willing to cannibalize other StarDragon species that travel the swamps. Where as most Robbers in the swamp are pretty obvious in their tactics, Kelpie Dashers more ambush predators... often using magic to create mist and noises and lights to confuse and lead lost travelers to their doom.
Generally Kelpie Dashers are more solitary, though rumors of small villages hidden in the swamp have been whispered about. The average Kelpie tends to live alone in a small hut raised above the swamp waters. In recent times however, there has been a growing amount of Kelpie Dashers who share their homes with Robbers... finding the undead race pleasant company and also unappetizing to eat themselves.
In a twist of fate, it is thanks to the Robbers that the Kelpie have begun to become more curious of the world outside their swamps, with a few beginning to travel outward for the first time. Thanks to them, the outside world has begun to gain access to incredibly rare plants that aid in magical reagents and medicine. As it turns out, a fair amount of Kelpie Dashers are quite adept that making sigils and alchemy... making poisons toxic enough it can drop a Sweeper or medicines that are rumored to even be able to cause Severblight to go dormant.
With not many flowers that grow in the swamp, many female Kelpies make an adornment out of moss and bones and vines. There has been many rumors of young ladies escaping the swamp alive due to trading away her flower for her life as female Kelpie Dashers often vie for the more beautiful looking flowers that live outside their domain.
In recent times, some Kelpies have begun to explore the world outside their swamps. They tend to naturally get along with fishers and robbers, though often find it difficult to connect to their fellow dasher brethren. Despite the knowledge surfacing about this subtype, most still heed the warnings to avoid the swamps and be cautious of the creatures that lurk within.
MOUNTAIN
[No information was provided]
(StarDragons are an Open Species, created by DeleteTheStars, RaptorSlut and CloneClone. bellumi was given moderation of the community by the creators.)