Chowlings

Please refrain from using this information until the SpriteFestival website update is done

5/19/2023

Chowlings are spirits that live in the universe of SpriteFestival.

Standard chowling without lineage.

Anatomy information Chowlings are a small species of spirit which has history with working in the kitchen, hence the name "Chowlings". Chowlings have large heads with large eyes, a small curvy mouth, no nostrils, cheekfur and a short bumpy muzzle. Their bodies are short and stubby with stout legs to match. Chowlings have hidden gills on their neck that they use to breath oxygen (cannot be used to breath underwater) and a pouch to carry their young called "Ramekits". Chowlings are about the size of a small to medium size dog standing quadrupedal but when bipedal they can be as tall as humans. Chowlings are extremly intelligent and crafty, but due to their size they can lack physical strength. While it might not look like it, Chowlings are fast and are great climbers too, and they can squeeze into the tiniest spaces if necessary. Chowlings have short nails and their teeth can look like anything (canine, buck, snaggle teeth etc.) their muzzle is not designed for hunting but rather for foraging and digging up edible roots, mushrooms, truffles and vegetables.

Chowling standard anatomy details

Tongue The most traditional and popular tongue a chow can have is the "split" tongue shown in the image on the left. But chowlings can have any kind of realistic tongue! Any tongue that appears in real animals can be used on chowlings. Gills Chowlings have gills on their neck which they use to breath oxygen. They have 2 or 3 gills on both sides on their neck which are usually hidden, if gills are extremly exposed it can indicate illness but chowlings with very thin or no fur can have theirs slightly exposed even when healthy. Pouches Chowlings are a hermaphrodite species which means any chowling has both reproductive organs. Chowlings can still be born male, female or intersex and have slight differences with internal anatomy. Each Chowling has a pouch on their stomach which is hardly seen unless they carry a baby, a Chowling baby is called a "ramekit" (which comes from the word "ramekin"  which means small dish) Paws Chowlings do not have standard pawpads like dogs or cats, the palms of their hands and feet are more similiar to primates. The palms of their hands are covered with tough skin rather than being padded. Chowlings have 4 fingers including a posable thumb and 3 toes on their hind legs. Chowlings their paws and tongue color can be any color you'd like.

History

The first recorded instance of human contact with Chowlings was recorded at a restaurant deep in the woods, far from civilization. Despite its apparent age, there are no reliable records of the restaurant having existed prior to this event. It was as though the building had simply materialized out of thin air. A group of hungry travelers was lured to the paper lanterns which decorated its exterior.

Once they had stumbled inside, they were greeted by some very peculiar staff. Four-legged creatures led them to their tables and prepared meals for them until they had eaten their fill. These travelers, astounded by what they had experienced, came back the next day with others from their village. 

They, too, were captured by the culinary skill of these strange creatures and in time the restaurant would become quite popular. Patrons of this restaurant took to calling the creatures Chowlings, after their ability to create such delicious meals.

The relationship between the villagers and the Chowlings would continue for some time, until one morning when the village woke to find that their beloved restaurant had vanished. All signs of the building had disappeared as though it had never existed at all.

After this initial incident, sightings of Chowlings became more and more common. Chowlings appeared in all sorts of places doing all manner of things, though they were most often seen during festivals and times of merriment.

Chowling lineages

Monster chowling anatomy Monsters have fully clawed front and back paws that resemble reptilian claws. Unlike feline claws, these claws cannot be sheathed. They are primarily used to dig, climb, and provide traction for running great distances. While these claws are capable of being used for self-defense, they are also somewhat brittle and easily cracked, sometimes even accidentally.  Scholar chowling anatomy Compared to other Chowling lineages, Scholars are relatively similar anatomically to standard Chowlings as they have no distinctive physical features characteristic of all Scholars. Some do have small floating wings (as in detached wings that hover over where wings would be attached to the Chowling), which are an exclusive attribute of Scholars. Dragon chowling anatomy Dragons can have long tails and serpentine bodies similar to that of a wyrm. Their bodies are often, but not always, covered with scale-like markings, and they sometimes possess horns or antlers. All dragons have one long spur on both their thumbs called a "dragon spur".  Fighter chowling anatomy Fighters all possess long, partially retractable claws (to the knuckle) on their dominant hand. These claws are sturdy and capable of withstanding prolonged combat, unlike the claws of monsters or dragons. Their sharpness is a status symbol and thus Fighters are careful to keep them well-maintained, often avoiding using their clawed hands for menial work in fear of dulling them. Marionette chowling anatomy Marionettes are characterized by their wispy fur, giving them a ghostly, ethereal appearance. Marionettes may be difficult to spot in the dark or in shadowy areas due to their fur. Marionettes are commonly mentioned in folklore as "ghosts" due to their ability to vanish quietly and due to their whispy fur that can be ghostly or have a dim glow in the dark. Siren chowling anatomy Sirens have some more subtle anatomy differences, these anatomy features helped them thrive in their enviorment. due to the aquatic enviorment sirens come from, they aqcuired webbed feet and hands to help them swim through the water more easily. Sirens their gills, unlike standard Chowlings, are always visible no matter what, they use these gills to both breath on land and underwater (being able to hold their breath for up to 12 hours)

What is a birth tag? Chowlings obtain an item called a "birth tag". A birth tag is a small card like item which has the chowlings title (theme) written on it in a spirit language, these tags contribute to Chowlings representing and growing into their looks. Birth tags as it says, are most commonly obtained at birth but can also be obtained later in a chowlings life, they are not forced to obtain one as soon as they are born. A chowling can be given their tag at birth by their parents but some wait until the chow is old enough to decide on their own, but circumstances greatly vary. Chowlings would survive without obtaining a tag but this is extremly uncommon, as it is a huge part of their culture to have one.

Birth tags are commonly made from natural material such as wood, bark, leaves, stone or other earthly materials. On rare occassions birth tags are made out of unnatural product such as: metal, plastic, glass or even something more high-tech. The Chowlings who make these little tags are called the "root family". The root family is a large group of root themed Chowlings that are all to some degree related to another due to their ancestor. Root family members are the only chowlings that can make real birth tags and each root Chowling that reproduces will produce a root chow ramekit. If you want to read up about each root member please go here (TBA). When it comes to cannon lore, you HAVE to choose one of the root chows tag designs in order for it to be official, you are allowed to make a random design but i do not consider this cannon to my lore.