CHIRAVIANS
Lore
Originally hailing from an island with no natural predators, chiravians are a species just now interacting with the world. Many have begun to sail away from home, and the world that they’ve found among the rest of civilization is more than they could have ever dreamed.
They’re an idealistic species at heart, and some might call them childish in their optimism. This ideology largely comes from never having experienced predation in any way. Chiravians born away from the island tend to reject the species’ traditional way of thinking though, and instead blend in much better with non-chiravian society.
Feral Lore
The lore for feral chiravians is reminiscent of warriors, with the three species of chiravian staying in separate groups that best fits their biology.
Cave Chiravians live in a long-extinct volcano and the cave systems below it. They run under a monarchy, with authority doled out between councillors, generals, and comittees.
Sea Chiravians liive on the shores of their island, loosely organized yet staying united. They're semi-nomadic, migrating between the northern and southern beaches for summer and winter.
Forest Chiravians live pretty much every where else on the island and are by-far the most common. They don't live in a single organized group, but instead have a variety of social structures. Sometimes there's large, clan-like groups, and other times theres solitary healers nosing through battlegrounds to pick up the pieces.
Extras
OPENAs in the world's title, these wide-eyed creatures are an open species. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a PM! As well, if you've made any of these guys feel free to add them to the world :)
Head
Chiravians have a head very similar to an owl from the tyto genus. They’ve got large, pointed ears that stick upwards on the back of their heads. Thick fur grows out from the sides of their facial disks.
Body
A long neck, often covered in a thick mane, extends into a canid body. Some chiravians have webbed wings extending from their shoulders. Thin fur covers the top end, but the underside is bare skin. In feral form, they have long legs and short bodies.
Paws
Chiravians have wolf-like paws, and can have owl-like talons where claws should be. They have thin webbings between each toe.
Tail
On the end of their tails is a furless, sail-like fin. It can be used to help maneuver inside the water. Their fin can be in any shape, from a tiny spade of membrane to something akin to a Betta fish. In feral forms, chiravians store water and fat inside their tails.
Wings
Chiravians CAN have wings. They’re webbed like a bat’s, and very large. They’re not functional while they’re young (chirlets), but when they grow up, a chiravian can fly with them. (Generally, I tend to draw mine without wings.) They have fur on the topside of their wings, but it’s furless on the underside. The webbing is just a lighter, solid version of their fur-colour.
Colourations:
Chiravians can have any type of colouration, but their eye spots, fins, paws are the same colour. Their facial disks and the skin on their wings tend to be a lighter colour than their base coat. Note: Unless a chiravian has the snowflake gene, they cannot have white ANYWHERE on their pelt.
Examples:
- A purple-grey chiravian has yellow paws, fins, and eye spots. Her eyes are golden.
- A teal chiravian has sapphire-blue “points”. Her eyes are red.
- A chiravian is dark brown, with orange patches up and down his side. His points are sky blue, and his eyes are the same colour.
- A chiravian is a light sap green, with darker stripes along his body. His points are also green, a rare combination.
Chiravians in feral form come from four different biomes, and because of such have evolved to match their surroundings. If your OC is not feral as their main form, this can be disregarded. It can still be used for inspiration, though.
Cave
Cave chiravians find themselves happiest underneath the stones. Their eyes have adapted to low light conditions, and if they have wings they’re smaller than average. Cave chiravians tend to have dark, muted fur. Their points are bright as means of identification.
Forest
Forest chiravians live in the trees. Their wings are large and their fur tends to be thinner than the average chiravian. They come in shades of browns and greens. Their points can be any colour, but blue points are rare.
Sea
Sea chiravians live on the shore. They can hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, as their main source of food is the ocean. They come in all colours, blending in with coral reefs. Their paws have thicker webbing between them.
Snow
Snow chiravians are an all-white species with very scant colouring. They have extremely thick fur and have extra lids on their eyes, and long lashes to keep out the snow. They live in far northern tundras, with mountains dotting their landscape. They’ve got massive paws with tufts of fur sticking through the pads, like lynx or bobcats.
Some traits are unusual in chiravians. They may affect lifespan and quality of life, but some variations are simply there. Below include many, but not all alleles and how they can affect a chiravian.
Snowflake Syndrome
Autosomal RecessiveSnowflake morph chiravians have patches of white on them. These white patches are a pigment within the skin that require extra nutrients to maintain, and this can be responsible for blood sugar dropping much more rapidly than normal. This gene affects lifespan heavily, and it’s rare for a chirlet to survive to adulthood with the gene. The gene is named after the extinct snow chiravian.
Dorsal Fin
Sex-linked DominantShows in males. A fin similar to the one on a chiravian’s tail. Usually in a similar shape as the tail and in the same colour as the points. Susceptible to cancers.
Talons
Autosomal RecessiveMassive owlish talons where claws should be on their paws.
Ear Tufts
Autosomal RecessiveTufts similar to eared owls sticking out in front of the ears.
Gill slits
Autosomal RecessiveA vestigial feature, there may be a few openings on the side of a chiravian’s neck. They have no use, and are prone to infection and getting things lodged in there.
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