Crafter art & concept by raptorslut
Writing by missmab
Background art by sharkbutts
DESERT
Having left the subterranean underground, these crafters have adapted to the harsh climate of one of Jo'Arca's desert. While still able to withstand the heat of the sun and the inferno of their forges...they no longer have their cousin's vision in darkness, however they possess a secondary transparent eyelid that keeps sand out and allows them to see during all but the harshest of sandstorms.
The largest population of Desert Crafters can be found in the Great Expanse and the Sicco Glutture, carving elaborate pueblos into the sides of the cliffs and canyons that line the deserts. A gregarious and social race, it is not uncommon for them to share their community with the other desert dwelling stardragons.
Much like their underground cousins, the desert crafters are curious and often innovators. And without the need to focus on mining and gem-crafting, the desert crafters have taken to tinkering and building strange mechanical devices of metal as they attempt to scavange shooter technology and reverse engineer it for their own gain. It is well known by many of the races that the desert crafters will often pay well for shooter technology.
Desert crafters tend to have shorter thinner ears they can flatten against their head in times of sandstorms. With horns tending to grow in a circular or V shaped arrangement versus the typical line of horns their standard counterparts possess. They also sport small spines that run along their tails, neckline, arms, and even their face. (Not to be confused with the uncommon crafter trait ridge plates) As a subspecies, they're quite spiky, the bane of balloons and silk linens everywhere.
No longer needing to use their tails to crack boulders, a few desert crafters have started to develop somewhat shorter and pudgier tails more designed to store fat, thus requiring them to eat less than their counterparts. Please note, crafter tails cannot be ejected in times of stress, (their life gems are attached to it after all.)
Unlike other crafters, the desert crafter females prefer making their 'flower' out of small moving parts of metalwork and gears rather than carving gems, essentially creating small clockwork flowers that move and spin on their own as the magic normally used to preserving a flower is instead enchanted to maintain its constant rotations.
The most recent innovation from the desert crafters have been some form of land mobility machine. While quite fast, the devices are also quiet loud and the sound of crafter biker gangs can be heard well before one even begins to see the dust cloud of them approaching. There is currently a hot debate between inventors over if they should make them quiet for stealth purposes or louder because it’s badass and cool.
Crafter art & concept by raptorslut
Writing by cloneclone
raptorslut
missmab
Background art by sassmassacre
DEEPFORGE
While standard Crafters are known to live just beneath Jo'Arca's surface, the Deepforge reside in the deepest caverns. We're talking *really* deep. Like lizard people from the center of the earth deep. Many go their entire lives never seeing the light of the sun and have since adapted to seeing flawlessly in the dark- in exchange for barely being able to see at all in the light. Thankfully those who stick underground in the dark enjoy the soft ethereal glows of magic-dense materials and fungi that they use to construct their breathtaking cities deep near the planet's core.
While their closer-to-the-surface cousins have advanced magical technology, the Deepforge boast a proud and ancient mastery of magics and engineering said to have borne the rest, all diligently practiced and chronicled at the library of the First Forge. The abundance of magical energy and materials allowed the deepforge clans their advancements and successes. Their cavernous cities practically hum with energy, sparkly with gems and crystals infused with arcana. Some say it is the heart of Jo'Arca herself, blessed with life and magic just like the stardragons.
Their cities truly are a sight to behold to those who make it so far down and can make it out in the low lighting. Massive pillars of stone and cavernous formations have living spaces carved into them, connecting to one another with webs of delicately crafted metalwork, stained glass, and magically enhanced bridges engineered to withstand even a rockslide. The birthplace of magical engineering and arguably the oldest Starcrafter clan, the city surrounding the temple of the First Forge attracts many academics looking to glean knowledge from the ancient masters.
The "First Forge" is actually a temple of Raziel, the blacksmith god of the earth. The temple is built as a massive magical forge harnessing the molten core of Jo'Arca herself. The temple which few top-dwellers to witness called it more beautiful than the temple in Sagev...at least when Sagev officials aren't around. Part temple, part engineers college library, and part art museum, the First Forge is important to Starcrafter heritage, religion, and their technological advancements. Having one's art or invention displayed at the First Forge is an incredible honor.
Their differences from their other kin are the black sclera, corkscrew ears, unrefined rock-like tail gems, and crystalline shale- alongside their clever wit. Most Crafters are considered rather silver tongued in a crass way, but Deepforge Crafters keep their clever retorts a bit more refined, preferring intelligent remarks over brute forcing their way through negotiations with sassy clap backs. Roasting of the wits, much like a poncy rap battle, is a common practice in noble courtrooms and college dorm rooms alike.
Highly sought after minerals such as Hyth's Tears and Basut's Blood is their main source of trade to those above their dwellings, as the rare ores can only be found deep in the crusts of Jo'Arca. They've freely shared all of the information housed at the First Forge, copies of books and drawings of schematics and inventions making their way freely to the surface, but it is considered the archive of Starcrafters collective creative knowledge. With recent years and more and more Deepforge actually being adventurous to make the long journey to reach the surface, many often find marvel at simple albeit highly flammable objects due to their rarity. Sweeper feathers in particular are a delight so many sweepers have learned to watch themselves around Deepforge Crafters out of worry of being plucked.
Deepforge crafters often make their flowers from particularly rare glowing crystals though there has been a recent trend with young girls to select a type of glowing mushroom.
ARCTIC
[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.)