Cryptid-Artha's Page Revisions

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>A vhalkai's mane, antennae, tail, and posture is very important for reading their mood. The movement of the antennae, the position of the mane, position of the head, movemetn of the tail, all of that can convey a lot without a single word.<\/p>\r\n<p>Warbred growl, roar, huff, chuff, grunt, and even let out a low chitter or chirping sound when greeting or happy. Their vocalizations are very low and beastly.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the Emperor leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their Emperor is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the Emperor, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the Emperor is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Maneless: Mutation. Rare, due to the Emperor selecting against it. Maneless vhalkai are more armored than their maned counterparts, but the gene is tied to volatile aggression and they are far harder to control. Most maneless do not make it through training, as the Emperor sees them as useless and they are culled. The first maneless to make it is Artaxus, and all subsequent maneless in the army were trained extensively by him to calm their volatile nature. Maneless vhalkai are a lot more vocal, as their mane is very important to their bodylanguage. Mane position antennae position, posture, all convey mood without a sound. Maneless will go straight to growling and grumbling instead of lowering their head, pinning their antennae, and bristling their mane. This makes a mildly irritated maneless vhalkai look pissed off. Other vhalkai have trouble reading their intentions, so generally leave them alone.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>A vhalkai's mane, antennae, tail, and posture is very important for reading their mood. The movement of the antennae, the position of the mane, position of the head, movemetn of the tail, all of that can convey a lot without a single word.<\/p>\r\n<p>Warbred growl, roar, huff, chuff, grunt, and even let out a low chitter or chirping sound when greeting or happy. Their vocalizations are very low and beastly.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the Emperor leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their Emperor is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the Emperor, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the Emperor is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Maneless: Mutation. Rare, due to the Emperor selecting against it. Maneless vhalkai are more armored than their maned counterparts, but the gene is tied to volatile aggression and they are far harder to control. Most maneless do not make it through training, as the Emperor sees them as useless and they are culled. The first maneless to make it is Artaxus, and all subsequent maneless in the army were trained extensively by him to calm their volatile nature. Maneless vhalkai are a lot more vocal, as their mane is very important to their bodylanguage. Mane position antennae position, posture, all convey mood without a sound. Maneless will go straight to growling and grumbling instead of lowering their head, pinning their antennae, and bristling their mane. This makes a mildly irritated maneless vhalkai look pissed off. Other vhalkai have trouble reading their intentions, so generally leave them alone.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vhalkai (Warbred)","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug supersoldiers that have been selectively bred for generations to create an obedient and powerful warrior.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>A vhalkai's mane, antennae, tail, and posture is very important for reading their mood. The movement of the antennae, the position of the mane, position of the head, movemetn of the tail, all of that can convey a lot without a single word. <\/p>\r\n<p>Warbred growl, roar, huff, chuff, grunt, and even let out a low chitter or chirping sound when greeting or happy. Their vocalizations are very low and beastly.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Maneless: Mutation. Rare, due to the Emperor selecting against it. Maneless vhalkai are more armored than their maned counterparts, but the gene is tied to volatile aggression and they are far harder to control. Most maneless do not make it through training, as the Emperor sees them as useless and they are culled. The first maneless to make it is Artaxus, and all subsequent maneless in the army were trained extensively by him to calm their volatile nature. Maneless vhalkai are a lot more vocal, as their mane is very important to their bodylanguage. Mane position antennae position, posture, all convey mood without a sound. Maneless will go straight to growling and grumbling instead of lowering their head, pinning their antennae, and bristling their mane. This makes a mildly irritated maneless vhalkai look pissed off. Other vhalkai have trouble reading their intentions, so generally leave them alone. <\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>A vhalkai's mane, antennae, tail, and posture is very important for reading their mood. The movement of the antennae, the position of the mane, position of the head, movemetn of the tail, all of that can convey a lot without a single word. <\/p>\r\n<p>Warbred growl, roar, huff, chuff, grunt, and even let out a low chitter or chirping sound when greeting or happy. Their vocalizations are very low and beastly.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Maneless: Mutation. Rare, due to the Emperor selecting against it. Maneless vhalkai are more armored than their maned counterparts, but the gene is tied to volatile aggression and they are far harder to control. Most maneless do not make it through training, as the Emperor sees them as useless and they are culled. The first maneless to make it is Artaxus, and all subsequent maneless in the army were trained extensively by him to calm their volatile nature. Maneless vhalkai are a lot more vocal, as their mane is very important to their bodylanguage. Mane position antennae position, posture, all convey mood without a sound. Maneless will go straight to growling and grumbling instead of lowering their head, pinning their antennae, and bristling their mane. This makes a mildly irritated maneless vhalkai look pissed off. Other vhalkai have trouble reading their intentions, so generally leave them alone. <\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vhalkai (Warbred)","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug supersoldiers that have been selectively bred for generations to create an obedient and powerful warrior.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vhalkai (Warbred)","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug supersoldiers that have been selectively bred for generations to create an obedient and powerful warrior.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lifespan<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai live roughly 150 years on average. They can live a bit longer if they are healthy, but they don't make it past 160-170 without a lot of help. They tend to retire at around 100 years old. They go from nymph to adulthood in about five years in the time chambers, but if growing naturally, they grow up at about the same rate as humans. They molt into their fully adult form around 16 to 18. They have a clear line between childhood and adulthood. Once they have had their first heat, they go molt their last childhood shell, and emerge as their fully adult form and won't grow anymore. Unlike humans, who grow gradually and become sexually mature before they are physically mature, Enterrans (vhalkai included) do not become sexually mature until they are physically mature.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>"}},"title":"Warbred","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug like Super Soldiers created with a combination of science and magic that have been selectively bred for generations.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The alpha of a pack is not based on strength or dominance, but rather the age and experience. Warbred do not fight for dominance, but rather settle naturally into a pack dynamic based on their abilities. They become stressed if their pack gets too large, so when they start getting to the upper limit, the youngest members would leave to find other wanderors to establish their own pack. This, of course, is not seen in action as vhalkai are highly controlled.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. Vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches, but most commonly have 1, rarely 2.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<\/p>"}},"title":"Warbred","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug like Super Soldiers created with a combination of science and magic that have been selectively bred for generations.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army. <\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Vhalkai, commonly called warbred,&nbsp; are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by Emperor Zarkhan in the Shadowed Empire, Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Vhalkai are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed Emperor's power over his Empire.<\/p>","field1":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Species Name: Vhalkai<br \/>Common Name: Warbred<br \/>Species Type: Modified Biological, Wereform<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there. <br \/><br \/>They were created by Emperor Zarkhan, commonly known as the Shadowed Emperor.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most vhalkai will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient vhalkai. The Emperor takes the eggs as soon as they are laid for his own purposes. vhalkai do still have very strong maternal instinct; and this leaves them very antsy for a while after the egg is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a vhalkai to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier vhalkai. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young vhalkai are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Empire. vhalkai the Emperor intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.<br \/><br \/>There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of vhalkai that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>Those who highly disappoint the Emperor or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a vhalkai as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange vhalkai from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as vhalkai coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it.&nbsp; While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the vhalkai in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The vhalkai belong to him, after all. He created them. vhalkai who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger vhalkai is sent over. Early generation\/elder vhalkai have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation vhalkai are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the Emperor is trying to encourage.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai have been in the process of creation for numerous generations, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.<\/p>","field2":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">By and large, vhalkai are a new species.&nbsp; They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed Emperor holds them close. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular vhessen (See more about vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting vhalkai species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient dead entity known as a Lifetree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">It took a while for the vhalkai characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Because of this, all vhalkai have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Empire yet. They were significantly larger than the vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The Emperor started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized vhalkai was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the Emperor's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.<br \/><br \/>The format of the ID number is as follows<br \/><br \/>G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]<br \/><br \/>Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know. <br \/><br \/>An example would be<br \/><br \/>G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris<br \/><br \/>This denotes a 13th generation vhalkai of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of&nbsp; Larion and Virek, with their name added. <br \/><br \/>vhalkai are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The Emperor awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his Empire. Very few question this.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Generations and Lineages<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of time chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are separated by Generation, though later generation vhalkai are separated by their lineage or purpose.<br \/><br \/>Generation 0 - Taken directly from the Abyss after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in the Abyss. The Pale Emperor was unaware of this. They closely resemble regularvhessen. Vhessen were created with the aid of the Life Tree's reamains in the core of Enterra, thus each one of the Generation 0 is genetically unrelated to every single other one. The Life Tree's influence in addition to the malleability of Void allowed Zarkhan to modify them far more than he would have been able to otherwise. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together.<br \/><br \/>The 2nd generation looked very similar to the 1st generation, and real vhalkai characteristics didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who.&nbsp; He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every vhalkai was given the Wereform, including even gen1, as he was still making use of them at that time.<br \/><br \/>Around the 5th generation, all vhalkai had the massive beast form.&nbsp; Around this generation is when vhalkai traits were becoming far more clear. They were significantly larger than normal Vhessen. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many from this generation were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage. This problem grew worse with each generation until he started working on it around Gen 8.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A few different bodytypes emerged at this point, and he started working on different lineages. The lean, fast build, the average build, and the large and impressive brute build.<br \/><br \/>Around the 8th generation, the Shadowed Emperor noticed that exaggerating these traits caused them to become more aggressive, so he started working on making them more docile and obedient. Some earlier generation vhalkai were added to this line. Due to strengthening the traits he wanted to come out, this had little effect on their size and strength.<br \/><br \/>Around the 10th and 11th generation, they were pretty close to what he wanted them to be. Docile and obedient, with powerful beast forms, large, and excellent soldiers.<br \/><br \/>12th and 13th generation was when he got exactly what he wanted, and the vhalkai body type was truly set in stone.&nbsp; Towering tall, but not to the point of losing mobility, fiercely loyal and obedient, intimidating... perfect in every way. While some rebelled, vastly more remained right at his side.<br \/><br \/>Starting at the 13th generation, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts, to make breeding them far easier. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone.&nbsp; Because of Lumis being in charge of these \"Ferals\", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the Emperor's Automatons. These 'Feral' vhalkai act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from vhalkai within the army. <\/p>","field3":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other vhalkai that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the Emperor typically provides each vhalkai with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another vhalkai. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both vhalkai bond.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A vhalkai will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.<br \/><br \/>They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack. <\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">vhalkai are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the Emperor and Empire as a whole.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><strong>Diet<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>Vhalkai are obligate carnivores. Though they can eat fruits, vegetables and other things, they require a high protein diet. They have high caloric needs due to their Beast form, so they have healthy appetites.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Physical Characteristics:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">On average, vhalkai stand around 10 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Vhalkai have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Beneath the plates on their back and chest are thick, naturally armored bone scutes. The scutes around the chest are in two pieces, allowing the chest to expand and contract with their breath. Unlike actual insects, vhalkai also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated\/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The vhalkai's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A vhalkai's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The throat, belly, and underside of the tail is made of thick, leathery chitin resembling tough skin, which is flexible and furred. The chitin beneath the man, also, is thick, leathery, and flexible. They retain a scruff into adulthood, and do retain a bit of the scruffing response their nymphs have. One warbred grabbing another's scruff in their jaws can cause a momentary stagger as they reflexively try to curl with tail curling against their side around their back legs.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Vhalkai have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. vhalkai can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older vhalkai's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A vhalkai's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/77bd8b2ecc92e20fd0a7e76e4b672fa0\/5b5333d5baa39dc3-9d\/s540x810\/860a922f30ddadb932db9228d2cc5ffbbbbad0d2.gifv\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"294\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Abilities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><br \/>Vhalkai have a fair amount of natural abilities.<br \/><br \/>- Wereform. This is in the section beneath, but all vhalkai have a massive werelike beast form.<br \/><br \/>- Toxin Tolerance: Vhalkai can handle a lot more toxins than normal bugs.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>- Pain Tolerance: Vhalkai have HIGH pain tolerance. They can handle WAY more than any normal bug. A vhalkai can shrug off injuries that would make any other bug unable to do anything but scream or lay there shaking.<br \/><br \/>- Regeneration: While this isn't instant, vhalkai have a very strong rate of regenerating. Wounds, even serious ones, heal much faster than normal bugs. This is also connected to their Wereform.<br \/><br \/>- Abyssal Roar: This is something any vhalkai can be trained to do. They unleash a terrible roar that shakes the very air around them and makes the ground quiver. It is felt more than heard, making your bones rattle within you. It can send a bug flying and inflicts low-level Void-based Damage, leading to one feeling exhausted and slow. While the Abyssal Roar takes a lot of energy to unleash and vhalkai usually have to regather their energy to do it again, it is highly effective. They often have Void tendrils appearing around them and everything around them going dark while unleashing this ability. Other than that, vhalkai (Aside from early generation\/higher void content vhalkai) can not summon or control Void tendrils.<br \/><br \/>-Growl-speech: vhalkai, like their Vhessen ancestors, do not have a proper voice, but they can snarl, growl and roar. They are known to take this natural growl and force it to form words, allowing them to communicate with other bugs who can't hear their void-speech. It gives them unnatural, growly guttural beastial voices, which can take some getting used to.<br \/><br \/>Beast Connection: This is, in essence, their connection to their Inner Beast. This connection fluctuates, and strengthens when the vhalkai needs it. Such as when exposed to toxins, or injured, or frightened; the Beast form connection rises stronger and gives the vhalkai more of what they need, sometimes to the point of causing a transformation if they aren't transformed already, before drawing back when no longer needed. This has its drawbacks, however; vhalkai do not handle anesthetic well at all due to this constantly shifting connection. They have to be given enough to knock out the Beast, but when the Beast is knocked out the connection ebbs causing there to be way too much of the medication in their system, leading to an immediate overdose and death. As such... a vhalkai can not be put under for a surgical procedure. If one is needed... they just have to take it. They have intense pain tolerance, but even that makes them grit their teeth and growl.<br \/><br \/>Soul Focus: Much like their Vhessen ancestors, vhalkai are able to focus on the Soul energy within them to heal and repair damage. They are trained to direct this healing flow outward and into their comrades, allowing vhalkai to heal eachother if needed.<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Vhalkai Wereform<\/strong><br \/><br \/>-The vhalkai wereform or Beast form originates from a bioengineered virus, heavily modified with both magic and science to give a vhessen a secondary form. Many failed experiments were done before the Beast form was perfected. At this point, ALL vhalkai were given the serum. The Wereform can be passed on from one vhessen to the next with blood contact, so a normal vhessen can gain the beast form. The blood of the vhalkai must come in contact with an open wound on a normal vhessen for the wereform to pass on. It is not transmitted sexually or through the bite, but is passed to offspring. Vhessen born with wereform do not go through any of the symptoms of catching the virus, and can shift fluidly from the moment they hatch. A hybrid must have high enough Void content for the virus to take hold, as it takes advantage of the malleability of Void as well as the dravhokonus side of initial vhessen creation. There are several stages after initial blood contact.<br \/><br \/>Stage 1 - Asymptomatic. This dormant stage lasts 3-6 months depending on the individual. The infection is silently spreading, undetected by the Vhessen's immune system. Once exposed to vhalkai blood, there is no cure. It can not be reversed.<br \/><br \/>Stage 2 - Illness. The vhessen becomes very sick. Symptoms include high fever, tremors, vomiting, headache, dizziness, exhaustion, severe constant body aches, and weakness. Every cell in the Vhessen's body is being twisted and changed at this point, and it is not pleasant. Lasts 2-4 weeks. As miserable as it is, this stage never kills the Vhessen.<br \/><br \/>Stage 3 - The illness goes away. As its symptoms fade out, the vhessen experiences several strange new symptoms, increasing in frequency as the virus finishes doing its work. The Vhessen will feel a frequent burning in their chest, slowly spreading until their entire body experiences this burning sensation, usually brought on by strong emotion. Their appetite will slowly increase until they are eating way more than they were before. Their pain tolerance will start to increase as well as regeneration abilities appearing, strengthening.&nbsp; Finally, they will become more wild and instinctive with heightened senses.<br \/><br \/>Stage 4: Completion - The First Shift. This can either happen on its own, or triggered by a burst of strong emotion. The first shift is by far the worst. Even with their newfound regeneration and pain tolerance, the Vhessen will experience so much pain, they often scream. It feels like every bone in their body is being broken into pieces as every joint is twisted and stretched apart, every muscle pulled tight to the point of tearing. Cracking, popping, creaking, and various other sounds you'd expect of such a transformation are heard as their screaming turns to a gutteral snarling and growling, and finally a loud, earth-shaking roar once they've turned. The pain fades away, leaving them dazed and panting. They will remain in Beast form for several days as their body adjusts before shifting back to their natural form. The first several shifts are uncomfortable and painful, but none nearly as bad as the first. After the first few, shifting stops hurting and is natural to the Vhessen. Upon completion, the werevirus can be passed on to their young.<br \/><br \/>Vhalkai always have perfect control over their Beast forms. They do not go mad or become more aggressive, but can be wilder and more instinctive. There is no loss of cognitive function, no going \"wild\" - if a vhalkai wouldn't attack you in natural form, they won't do so in Beast form.<\/p>","field5":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. vhalkai nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the vhalkai mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Vhalkai often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">Some details on vhalkai milk and a very young nymph<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/125_155_Ec2aoCNiDQTM0mx.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1110\" height=\"896\" \/><br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><br \/>A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/112_141_E8DuWmoAgSs5xPa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"749\" height=\"482\" \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teenage vhalkai. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle. Once the first heat ends, their transformation into their adult form is complete once they molt their last adolescent shell and emerge with the impressive mane of an adult vhalkai.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/123_152_msmiwycI0cqP8Iy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"819\" height=\"655\" \/><\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p data-indent-direction=\"false\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Vhalkai have a few different bodytypes.<br \/><br \/>The most common is the average. The average vhalkai stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed. <br \/><br \/>The speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average vhalkai, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. speedy vhalkai are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any vhalkai can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other vhalkai lineage. speedy vhalkai are known for having what could be called a case of the \"Zoomies\", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again. <br \/><br \/>The 'dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the vhalkai builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation vhalkai have.&nbsp; dwarf vhalkai are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. dwarf vhalkai stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized vhalkai in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy vhalkai, though getting a more slender dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as dwarf type vhalkai tend to be stocky and thick in build. Dwarf vhalkai can not be bred together. The nymph will be stillborn, much like double merle syndrome. Because of this, vhalkai are incredibly rare.<\/p>\r\n<p data-indent-direction=\"false\">The brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other vhalkai types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.<\/p>","field7":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>Other Notes<\/strong><br \/><br \/>- Vhalkai have a VERY high pain tolerance. They can feel pain, but it barely bothers them. Even if severely injured, they can and will keep fighting. Many will continue to fight until they are dead, or so severely injured they pass out or can't move anymore.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are naturally very loyal to their Emperor, but also to eachother. They tend to be stationed in squads, of 6-12 vhalkai in an outpost, serving under their Commander and the Commander's second in command. Vhalkai are always stationed in pairs, these pairs often balancing eachother out. Partners are often bunked together in the barracks.<br \/><br \/>-While fierce and often used as an elite police force, vhalkai are surprisingly friendly when not under orders. They are surprisingly docile, due to breeding for obedience. vhalkai are very unlikely to attack or be dangerous unless ordered to. They can be downright lazy.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai are incredibly tough, with natural regenerative properties tied to their Beast forms. Their Beast form was engineered from Zarkhan's own abilities. As such, their beast form does somewhat resemble a Dravhokonus in some ways. In some ways they can be compared to Werebeasts, though they don't become a different creature, just a beastial version of themselves.&nbsp;<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai generally have large horns, making their heads appear bigger with longer snouts and jagged, sharp jaws.<br \/><br \/>-Unlike normal Vhessen, vhalkai have a voice, sort of. They are able to produce a thunderous growl. This growl can be forced to form words, giving them a guttural beastial voice that can be frightening until one gets used to it. They are still able to use Voidspeech.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai still have Shades, and their shades do tend to stick around for a while after they die. Due to being fairly low void-content, however, vhalkai shades don't last too long. BUT like normal Vhessen, if the Shade is stabilized, the body can be repaired\/healed. A vhalkai is not truly dead until their shade fades away.<br \/><br \/>-Vhalkai usually only have a single egg. Being gravid is quite a bit harder on a vhalkai than it is on a normal Vhessen. They can, rarely, have 2 eggs. IF somehow they have 3, the entire clutch usually fails. vhalkai before generation 5 can still have full clutches.<\/p>"}},"title":"Warbred","is_visible":"1","summary":"Genetically engineered werebug like Super Soldiers created with a combination of science and magic that have been selectively bred for generations.","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":["Enterra","A Tale of Two Brothers"]}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young.&nbsp; They do have a form of sexual dimorphism. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari are actually the opposite. Females still have male reproductive organs that are fully functional, but they are larger and more territorial and thus more likely to become receptive and bear a cub<\/span>.&nbsp; Males still have female reproductive organs that are capable of bearing cubs, but they are smaller, less territorial, and tend to wander. Some male vikari can act almost docile in certain situations. Many others sit somewhere between male and female and they may even change from male to female during their lives. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns.&nbsp; They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if they decide to, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. A biological female who uses male pronouns and has a masculine name and vice versa is so normal among vikari that they don't think twice about it. An example is an individual named Ophelion. Biologically, he is female. But he goes by he\/him and has a view masculine name. He is a pride leader. A pride member, Seraphis, is also biologically a female. But he also prefers to be seen as male. Voryth, the youngest in the pride, is biologically male and switches between he and they pronouns.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Vikari are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender as we know it, though they do have a form of sexual dimorphism. Vikari are rare creatures, rarely meet, and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are entirely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sexual anatomy is very unique. While they do have convergent traits with other creatures, the internal workings are very different. They do have an organ that functions as a womb with a pair of structures that serve the function of ovaries attached. When the Vikara is healthy and well established, the ovaries will release a hormone that causes a unique structure to develop in the womb. The structure carries half of the genetic information needed to grow a new vikara. It remains there for potentially years. If it receives spores from another vikara, it may then begin to develop into a fungal egg. A Vikara's male reproductive organ is usually fairly large and prehensile, helping them find the right spot to deposit their spores. They have a structure resembling testes where the spore-packed fluid is produced. It serves the same function as semen, delivering genetic material to another vikara. A Vikara's reproductive spores can persist for days outside of the body, weeks if kept warm and moist, and can survive for years in optimal temperature and moisture with a source of nutrients. The viability can be determined by the glow, though this is simply a byproduct. The spores glow as long as they are alive. Vikari are capable of producing more than one cub from a single pairing due to how long the spores can survive.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of a receptive vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. Wandering vikari are usually male, as males tend to be restless and wander frequently and rarely stay in one territory for long. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are, especially the large and aggressive females. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire will often linger near the edge of their mate's territory for a couple weeks. Mating occurs frequently during this time. After that, they return t<\/span>o their own territory or resumes wandering. The sire takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young.&nbsp; They do have a form of sexual dimorphism. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari are actually the opposite. Females still have male reproductive organs that are fully functional, but they are larger and more territorial and thus more likely to become receptive and bear a cub<\/span>.&nbsp; Males still have female reproductive organs that are capable of bearing cubs, but they are smaller, less territorial, and tend to wander. Some male vikari can act almost docile in certain situations. Many others sit somewhere between male and female and they may even change from male to female during their lives. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns.&nbsp; They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if they decide to, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. A biological female who uses male pronouns and has a masculine name and vice versa is so normal among vikari that they don't think twice about it. An example is an individual named Ophelion. Biologically, he is female. But he goes by he\/him and has a view masculine name. He is a pride leader. A pride member, Seraphis, is also biologically a female. But he also prefers to be seen as male. Voryth, the youngest in the pride, is biologically male and switches between he and they pronouns.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Vikari are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender as we know it, though they do have a form of sexual dimorphism. Vikari are rare creatures, rarely meet, and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are entirely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sexual anatomy is very unique. While they do have convergent traits with other creatures, the internal workings are very different. They do have an organ that functions as a womb with a pair of structures that serve the function of ovaries attached. When the Vikara is healthy and well established, the ovaries will release a hormone that causes a unique structure to develop in the womb. The structure carries half of the genetic information needed to grow a new vikara. It remains there for potentially years. If it receives spores from another vikara, it may then begin to develop into a fungal egg. A Vikara's male reproductive organ is usually fairly large and prehensile, helping them find the right spot to deposit their spores. They have a structure resembling testes where the spore-packed fluid is produced. It serves the same function as semen, delivering genetic material to another vikara. A Vikara's reproductive spores can persist for days outside of the body, weeks if kept warm and moist, and can survive for years in optimal temperature and moisture with a source of nutrients. The viability can be determined by the glow, though this is simply a byproduct. The spores glow as long as they are alive. Vikari are capable of producing more than one cub from a single pairing due to how long the spores can survive.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of a receptive vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. Wandering vikari are usually male, as males tend to be restless and wander frequently and rarely stay in one territory for long. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are, especially the large and aggressive females. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire will often linger near the edge of their mate's territory for a couple weeks. Mating occurs frequently during this time. After that, they return t<\/span>o their own territory or resumes wandering. The sire takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young.&nbsp; They do have a form of sexual dimorphism. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari are actually the opposite. Females still have male reproductive organs that are fully functional, but they are larger and more territorial and thus more likely to become receptive and bear a cub<\/span>.&nbsp; Males still have female reproductive organs that are capable of bearing cubs, but they are smaller, less territorial, and tend to wander. Some male vikari can act almost docile in certain situations. Many others sit somewhere between male and female and they may even change from male to female during their lives. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns.&nbsp; They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if they decide to, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. A biological female who uses male pronouns and has a masculine name and vice versa is so normal among vikari that they don't think twice about it. An example is an individual named Ophelion. Biologically, he is female. But he goes by he\/him and has a view masculine name. He is a pride leader. A pride member, Seraphis, is also biologically a female. But he also prefers to be seen as male. Voryth, the youngest in the pride, is biologically male and switches between he and they pronouns.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Vikari are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young.&nbsp; They do have a form of sexual dimorphism. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari are actually the opposite. Females still have male reproductive organs that are fully functional, but they are larger and more territorial and thus more likely to become receptive and bear a cub<\/span>.&nbsp; Males still have female reproductive organs that are capable of bearing cubs, but they are smaller, less territorial, and tend to wander. Some male vikari can act almost docile in certain situations. Many others sit somewhere between male and female and they may even change from male to female during their lives. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns.&nbsp; They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if they decide to, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. A biological female who uses male pronouns and has a masculine name and vice versa is so normal among vikari that they don't think twice about it. An example is an individual named Ophelion. Biologically, he is female. But he goes by he\/him and has a view masculine name. He is a pride leader. A pride member, Seraphis, is also biologically a female. But he also prefers to be seen as male. Voryth, the youngest in the pride, is biologically male and switches between he and they pronouns.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Vikari are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>More Information Coming<\/p>","fld1":null,"fld2":null,"fld3":null,"fld4":null,"parsed":{"description":"<p>More Information Coming<\/p>","fld1":null,"fld2":null,"fld3":null,"fld4":null}},"title":"The Liminal","is_visible":"1","summary":"A mysterious liminal space that can be used for interdimensional travel","utility_tag":null,"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 9-11 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Big, fluffy demons, known for their soft fur and huge tails.<\/p>","field1":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/126_156_CT80rB9G3fCvis6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1227\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Common traits for a Floofdemon <br \/><br \/>Rarity Guides coming soon<\/p>","field2":null,"field3":null,"field4":null,"field5":null,"field6":null,"field7":null,"parsed":{"description":"<p>Big, fluffy demons, known for their soft fur and huge tails.<\/p>","field1":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.cryptid-creations.com\/images\/pages\/0\/126_156_CT80rB9G3fCvis6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1227\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Common traits for a Floofdemon <br \/><br \/>Rarity Guides coming soon<\/p>","field2":null,"field3":null,"field4":null,"field5":null,"field6":null,"field7":null}},"title":"Floofdemon","is_visible":"1","summary":"Big, fluffy demons","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Big, fluffy demons, known for their soft fur and huge tails.<\/p>","field1":null,"field2":null,"field3":null,"field4":null,"field5":null,"field6":null,"field7":null,"parsed":{"description":"<p>Big, fluffy demons, known for their soft fur and huge tails.<\/p>","field1":null,"field2":null,"field3":null,"field4":null,"field5":null,"field6":null,"field7":null}},"title":"Floofdemon","is_visible":"1","summary":"Big, fluffy demons","utility_tag":null,"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a very unique<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are rumored to carry souls souls in their belly\/chest, and draw power from this. Some theorize that vikari use these souls to power their sonic shriek ability.&nbsp; This is only partially true;&nbsp; It is a form of energy that is present all throughout the world, and is commonly referred to as Soul, or Soul Energy. Every living thing has some of this soul energy, with those who are aware and conscious having the most. Vikari gather this soul energy, making use of it, and storing it away in their skolek. This energy, having imprinted with the souls of those it was once connected to, carries with it echoes of those it once inhabited.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The swirling energy, which can sometimes resemble faces, aisn't actually souls of fallen people, but rather echoes. Memories. Reflections of those who once lived, their energy being stored in the skolek.&nbsp; The actual soul moves on, with the energy that once powered it left behind.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While extremely rare, it is possible to experience some of the memories vikari have stored within, meaning they are historically very valuable.... If you can approach and they trust you enough to let you have direct contact with their very heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari take in energy from many sources, geothermal heat, eating deadwood and decaying organic matter.... And Gathering life energy, or, soul energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is present naturally everywhere in the world, but is the most concentrated in self aware, conscious beings, forming a proper soul. The vikari gather this energy, though the person themself moves on to the afterlife.... But, their memory, their echo, remains. And it's these echoes and memories that form the eerie blue glow within a vikara's heart.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, some vikari carry memories and reflections of times long past, civilizations that fell in ages past.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can get close enough to one, and gain its trust enough to open its very heart, you can catch glimpses of these reflected memories.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some vikari were around people who died horribly, or were around death caused by a terrible tragedy. The echoes can effect their mental health and temperament&hellip;. And makes some vikari incredibly hostile and dangerous. The echoes of it stick with them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vikara can share this energy with others, restoring their life and youth.&nbsp; <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power hungry people figured this out. They killed numerous people, for various reasons, then lured a vikara to the city center, drained away the energy and used it for themselves. This, of course, packed the vikara with tragic, painful echoes. Making it increasingly aggressive and dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual named Yugoth was one of the vikari used for that very purpose. Taken from its mother when it was quite young, packed full of energy from fallen enemies and executed criminals, its heart kept pried open and the high priest stealing the energy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This eventually caused the young vikara to snap. What pushed Yugoth over the edge was when the mother of a child it grew very attached to was put to death for theft. She stole to provide for her family, and her energy was poured into the bound and captive vikara, and then ripped away. All the while, its core was locked away in the structure at the center of the city... Causing it to be in a constantly vulnerable state and in constant pain, but also unable to leave. The kid ended up blaming Yugoth. It managed to kill the high priest, but its rampage also ended up killing most of the city dwellers with the rest fleeing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yugoth has been alone in the ruins of the city it was bound to since, heart exposed and living with the trauma of all the deaths used to feed it and its own traumatic experiences. In constant pain, due to its constantly alert state. Vulnerable, with its heart exposed.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phantom had a much more pleasant experience, she willingly shared her energy with those she cared about, and gently held onto the energy of those who passed naturally. In a sense, giving them peace and keeping their memories alive within her core.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a very unique<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with skolek<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singular: Vikara<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikari<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikara<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikara<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptor (IE, Vikari features, Vikari Language)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young vikari still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps Vikari populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most Vikari contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger skolek patches in the Depths. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the skolek patch. Smaller skolek patches are most likely to only host a single vikara, and probably fairly young. Much larger skolek patches can sustain more Vikari, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are still more likely to host a single well established adult. Large skolek patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large skolek patches can host a Vikari pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger Vikari. Vikari prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger Vikari are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger Vikari has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a vikara will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Vikari are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a Vokari pride will have two large older Vikari, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, Vikari do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. While humans may see more submissive, smaller individuals as &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; and larger more dominant individual as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;, Vikari have no concept of this, though larger, stronger individuals have more feminine hormones than smaller, more submissive individuals. This has no effect on their ability to sire or bear cubs.&nbsp; They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine if exposed to the concept of gender and pronouns around other races, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive vikari are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, Vikari can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many Vikari are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, vikari can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a vikara can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded vikara may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some Vikari are able to understand the languages of other races is because of Vikari in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the cub when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the Vikara intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the Vikara. The Vikara must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the Vikara understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it. The Vikara must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Vikara's sonic roar is used in territorial displays and battles. They are able to lay their ears back and shut out sound while unleashing this ability. It disorients their opponant and shows their strength and power.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their skolek growth, as is their internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry.&nbsp; Vikari claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two. Coupled with their impressive upper body strength, their attacks are efficient and deadly.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, Vikari function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their skolek growth. Their skolek growth produces special buds, which the Vikara will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Vikari tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their skolek growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the Vikara becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the Vikara. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the Vikari's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrilskoleks. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, Vikari do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A Vikara's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the Vikara is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the Vikara will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Vikari breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Vikari are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound Vikari produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Vikari can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, Vikari need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; Vikari wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so Vikari will eat the fungal buds from their skolek colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down with special enzymes. The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why Vikari need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the Vikara's colon.&nbsp; Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their sca, despite beeing soft, is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the scat of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true no matter what a vikara eats, unless they are sick. If a vikara's scat smells bad, it means there's something wrong with their health.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari generally love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can digest fresh wood, but prefer not to as it takes much longer to break down. Vikari saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the Vikara decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a Vikara and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a Vikara to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach. Due to the sheer volume held in the larger stomach, when it empties, it does so in a projectile manner. When Vikari get sick, it's nasty and very messy.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, Vikari urinate frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. It has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animal's urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. Some may find the strong petrichor-like scent and unique musk pleasant, depending on their personal tastes. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a Vikara around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a Vikara's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are most vulnerable when charging up their sonic shriek ability. The rib growths spread to the side as their energy gathers. During this time, a hit to their chest and stomach does considerably more damage, as the core of their energy and being is exposed to bring in energy and direct it into their roar. Because of this. Vikari only use this ability from a distance.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their skolek colony is established enough to support a Vikara and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle, though Vikari are more fertile in late summer. They shed their unique shoulder growths in early summer, mate in late summer, and gather resources and materials through autumn, as autumn is when leaf litter is abundant, and winter is when they have a lot of access to deadwood. There is no noticeable change in the Vikara's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind, though this is a lot more pronounced during their breeding season. While they can mate year round, they are most likely to mate in mid to late summer. While they are effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender.&nbsp; They are both, and neither, at the same time. Vikari rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive. This is more pronounced in mid to late summer months. This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual Vikara, meaning sexual encounters are enitrely possible and not at all unheard of. While most don't believe somebody who tells stories of such an encounter with a Vikara, there's a surprising number of people who have similar stories. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile vikara, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a vikara would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial Vikari are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or just outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Vikari rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some Vikari that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari carry their egg for about a month. During this time, Vikari will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their skolek produces increases as the Vikara will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the Vikari is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Vikara cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced Vikari know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikara cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of Vikari, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s skolek patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a Vikara dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the Vikara can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a Vikara known as the Phantom are able to understand several human and other race's languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Vikari are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that Vikara grudges will often pass down through the generations. A Vikara that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making Vikari from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for Vikari to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Vikari rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, Vikara fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the Vikara's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient Vikari, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest Vikari alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Vikari can vary in their coat color, growths, mane type, fur length, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Vikari have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. One who is effected by this effect is said to be Darkened. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other Vikari, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the Vikara seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkness effect taking hold. It seems to be a defensive ability against creatures that use their eyes to see.<br \/><br \/>Vikari are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their skolek a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Vikari nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, but a lot of the wool is often missing because the vikara living there gathered it for their nest. Vikari living there often take the wool and take it to their nest and burrows, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of skolek that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the Vikara to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a Vikara as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek colony is a part of the Vikara, symbiotically linked. The skolek grows special fungal buds that the Vikara eats. The skolek extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a Vikara needs. Vikari often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the skolek to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutritients for the skolek to break down which ends up in the special buds the vikari eat. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the Vikara and anger it, but generally they coexist alright.<\/p>\r\n<p>The skolek buds are safe to eat for creatures other than Vikari. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the skolek bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Vikari are able to create sentinels using their skolek, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the skolek to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the skolek mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with skolek move a lot more awkwardly as the skolek connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikara<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptir<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore, that grew into their own thing. There is still some minecraft lore, however!<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Vikara<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One Vikara, Two Vikari<br \/><br \/>It is also a descriptir<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as skolek found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a vikara and where there is a vikara, there will be skolek. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have unique growths on their biceps, resembling shelf fungi in their appearance, and more of these growths wrapping around their sides. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall when standing on two feet on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A Vikara's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p>In short, Vikari are an eldritch fungus that resembles stange eyeless semi-anthro cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are known as the Terror of the Depths.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have a face that resembles the face of a Manticore. They entirely lack eyes. They have long ears with a curl on the end and nubs along the length of the ear. They have long fangs like a saber toothed cat sticking up from their lower jaw. Vikari always look grumpy, whether or not they are in a good mood.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have thick manes, shaggy but shiny, which resembles a lion&rsquo;s mane. Their mane often falls over where their eyes would be if they had any. Vikari are usually a deep blue black color with teal or blue fading in on the limbs and belly. They can have spots, stripes, marbling like a marble bengal cat, or rosettes. All Vikari have glowing specks on their bodies, usually light blue in color though can appear indigo, purple, magenta, green, or teal depending on the individual. Vikari are covered in thick, shaggy fur. A Vikara's mane is usually a deep dark&nbsp; blue or teal. The mane is iridescent with flashes of purple, blue, aqua and blue in the light.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their digitigrade feet have three toes armed with long, curved claws on their feet, their hands resembling paws with three fingers and a thumb. Their arms are long and muscular. Vikari have more anthro features, but due to their long arms and short legs, are equally comfortable in two feet as they are on four. The arm and leg structure is like that of an anthro. The arms and hands are thicker and bulkier than the feet and legs.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long, slender tail with a frill of nubs along the sides of it and down the back of the tail.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are generally large and bulky creatures, well muscled. They stand around 12 feet tall when on two feet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are usually seen deep underground, near patches of a unique dark fungus known as skolek, though they do often venture to the surface to gather deadwood, leaf litter, and other decaying plant matter.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari have unique growths on their upper arms, their backs, and wrapping around their sides, resembling a rib cage. These growths resemble shelf fungi the color of bone. The shade can range from almost white, to an almost yellow orange or dark tan. The length of the growths in the Vikara's biceps is a good way to tell a Vikara's health and age. Older Vikari have longer growths on their biceps. They resemble, in shape, shelf fungi with portrusions like cordyceps in shape.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are territorial and aggressive, very dangerous, but if you leave them alone and don't bother them, they'll simply ignore you.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are sentient and intelligent, though are solitary and territorial creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vikari are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, though long and silken in texture, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek and shiny. It has some iridescence in the light, but not as strong as the mane. The iridescence is thought to be because of the natural structure of the fur and resembles, in a way, the opalization that happens when isopods get Iridovirus. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a vikara, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns due to their shape, though they are flexible. Vikari use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the Vikara's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While Vikari do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Vikari gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other Vikari.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. There are slit nostrils on either side and a triangular nose pad. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A Vikara can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. Vikari can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Vikari can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender prehensile tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a vikara's mood. While they can't grip and lift things with their tail, they can wrap it around things to stay steady if needed and will sometimes use their tail to inspect items closely. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other vikari or knowing if it is night or not when they go to the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping.&nbsp; The back teeth are incredibly tough and powerful, able to crush deadwood, They produce lots of saliva, which starts to break down the wood and make it easier to chew and swallow.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about Vikari and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures. Aside from the ability to create a terrible roar laced with a shattering sonic boom and their ability to cast an effect known as Darkened, they have no noticeable magical abilities.<br \/><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that Vikari once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous cateclysm alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the Vikari, and some old folklore call them the Wardens of the Deep Cities, and many still have a vikara or a pride of vikari still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a vikara known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this vikara as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this vikara is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many vikari trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human and other race's languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While vikari have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Vikara","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore.<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One warden, two wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as sculk found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a warden and where there is a warden, there will be the dark sculk. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have boney growths down their backs, wrapping around their sides, and on their upper arms. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A warden's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p><strong><br \/><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a warden, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have bony growths on their upper arms, around their sides resembling a ribcage, over their shoulders, and a line of bony spines down their back. This is usually pale in color, but can have hints of yellow or green to it. It is always noticeably lighter than the body.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns, though they are flexible. Wardens use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the warden's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While wardens do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Warden gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A warden can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. A warden can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Wardens can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a warden's mood. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other wardens or knowing if it is daytime on the rare occasions that they end up on the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. They have tusks that jut up from their lower jaw. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping. The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about wardens and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that wardens once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous darkness alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the wardens, and many still have a warden or warden pride still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a warden known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this warden as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this warden is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many wardens trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While wardens have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore.<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One warden, two wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as sculk found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a warden and where there is a warden, there will be the dark sculk. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have boney growths down their backs, wrapping around their sides, and on their upper arms. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A warden's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p><strong><br \/><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a warden, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have bony growths on their upper arms, around their sides resembling a ribcage, over their shoulders, and a line of bony spines down their back. This is usually pale in color, but can have hints of yellow or green to it. It is always noticeably lighter than the body.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns, though they are flexible. Wardens use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the warden's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While wardens do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Warden gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A warden can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. A warden can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Wardens can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a warden's mood. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other wardens or knowing if it is daytime on the rare occasions that they end up on the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. They have tusks that jut up from their lower jaw. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping. The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about wardens and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that wardens once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous darkness alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the wardens, and many still have a warden or warden pride still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a warden known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this warden as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this warden is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many wardens trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While wardens have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massive, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Warden","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}

{"data":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore.<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One warden, two wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as sculk found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a warden and where there is a warden, there will be the dark sculk. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have boney growths down their backs, wrapping around their sides, and on their upper arms. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A warden's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p><strong><br \/><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a warden, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have bony growths on their upper arms, around their sides resembling a ribcage, over their shoulders, and a line of bony spines down their back. This is usually pale in color, but can have hints of yellow or green to it. It is always noticeably lighter than the body.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns, though they are flexible. Wardens use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the warden's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While wardens do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Warden gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A warden can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. A warden can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Wardens can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a warden's mood. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other wardens or knowing if it is daytime on the rare occasions that they end up on the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. They have tusks that jut up from their lower jaw. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping. The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about wardens and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that wardens once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous darkness alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the wardens, and many still have a warden or warden pride still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a warden known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this warden as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this warden is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many wardens trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While wardens have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massiveb, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>","parsed":{"description":"<p>Deadly Eldritch fungi that resemble strange, eyeless cave lions. My version of the warden mob from Minecraft with a bunch of fun personal lore.<\/p>","field1":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plural: Wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One warden, two wardens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, deeply connected to a unique fungus known as sculk found deep underground.&nbsp; Where there is the strange dark eldritch fungus, there will also be a warden and where there is a warden, there will be the dark sculk. Their colors are similar to the fungi, nearly black with bioluminescent specks that glow blue. They have boney growths down their backs, wrapping around their sides, and on their upper arms. The length of these growths a good way to tell the age and strength of an individual. They stand between 10-12 feet tall on average, though grow larger as they age. They are fierce and powerful, dangerous and highly aggressive. Highly territorial.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a symbiotic relationship with sculk, which to be a part of them and they a part of it, as they are always found together.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are sapient, capable of thought, reason and speech. Their language, however, is vastly different from the language of humans and they have trouble forumalating words. They can generally understand the speech of others alright, but have trouble actually speaking back. A warden's voice can be compared to the groan\/moan\/meow of a tiger combined with an infrasonic rumble and their unique clicking\/chittering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h5><strong>Physical Description<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n<p><strong><br \/><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens entirely lack eyes. They see using echolocation, vibrations, and sound and have an extremely advanced sense of smell. They can navigate incredibly well in complete darkness, as they do not need light to see at all. While they lack eyes, they do still have eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are usually in shades of dark blue, almost black, green, or teal.&nbsp; They usually have light blue or aqua speck markings on their bodies that glow with their natural bioluminescence. Their mane resembles that of a lion, often wrapping around their neck fully, though it can cover less. The texture is shiny and silken.&nbsp; The mane very often falls over where the eyes would be. Their fur is shaggy and thick, but surprisingly sleek. It feels damp to the touch, despite being dry. If one were to touch a warden, they would be cool to the touch, but produce an inner heat from their metabolism. Despite feeling cool and damp, their breath is hot.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have bony growths on their upper arms, around their sides resembling a ribcage, over their shoulders, and a line of bony spines down their back. This is usually pale in color, but can have hints of yellow or green to it. It is always noticeably lighter than the body.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have long ears with a pronounced curl around the end, which are actually the tendrils they use to echolocate. Some have mistaken these strange ears as horns, though they are flexible. Wardens use them to emote, the position being a good way to tell the warden's mood. The tendrils twitch and glow when picking up vibrations. While wardens do not see with light, their echolocation is shockingly precise, allowing them to read body language, gestures, and posture. They have trouble tracking quick movements, so Warden gestures are usually slow and deliberate and body language and posture are somewhat exaggerated to make picking up on their mood easier for other wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their face superficially resembles a feline face, with a flatter muzzle a bit closer to humanoid shape. Their nose, in shape, somewhat resembles a big cat, but this resemblance is superficial. They have fluff on their cheeks that can be compared to the fluff on a Lynx.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They appear anthropomorphic in their build with digitigrade legs and large paws armed with sharp, tough claws. Their pads are thick and tough, able to grip the ground and cushion their steps. They are surprisingly light on their feet, despite being large, bulky creatures, standing between 10-12 feet tall on average with a thick, muscular build. A warden can move comfortably on all fours, and will often drop to all fours when charging. They move shockingly fast for such a large creature. It can be described as charging at you like a werewolf that ate a brick of cocaine, but deadlier and more terrifying because of their ability to cast an effect known as Darkness. Darkness obscures your vision so thoroughly that you can hardly even see a torch held in your hand. A warden can control this ability.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they do not have eyes, Wardens can see you quite well. You get the distinct feeling of being watched when they turn to face you despite their lack of eyes.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have a long slender tail with nubs on the sides and along the top, the movement of which can be a good gauge for a warden's mood. Surprisingly, their tendrils are actually able to detect light, though this is not used towards sight. It seems to be connected to detecting the bioluminescence of other wardens or knowing if it is daytime on the rare occasions that they end up on the surface.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their tongue is wide and forked with nubs along the sides, feeling almost velvety and slightly rough like a dog's tongue. They have tusks that jut up from their lower jaw. Their jaws are muscled with a powerful bite force, with the back teeth designed for crushing and the front teeth designed for gripping. The front teeth are often used to carry their cubs by the scruff.<\/span><\/p>","field2":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not much is known about wardens and where the creatures came from. They appear to be from another reality or another dimension, and have a lot of strange eldritch abilities and energy about them. They can be described as a force of nature. They are powerful, sturdy, and very hard to kill. While they have a connection to life energy or soul energy, they are not inherently magical creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some theorize that wardens once had an alliance with early humans when they were hiding underground from a strange dangerous darkness alluded to in old tales. This theory is reinforced by the ruins of ancient cities that can often be found deep underground. They have what appear to be shrines and statues in honor of the wardens, and many still have a warden or warden pride still dwelling there. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One individual of note is a warden known as the Phantom of the Deep. This unique warden is seen as a bit of a local cryptid by those living above its ancient city. Locals tell tales of a unique pale warden who is unusually large. The Phantom is said to be calm and quiet, and some have even described this warden as almost friendly, even if standoffish and not fond of touch. The ruins this warden is said to dwell in are extensive, denoting a city that was once huge and thriving.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Phantom is ancient and many wardens trace their lineage back to her. Her descendants are notable in that they are generally friendlier towards humans and similar races, less likely to attack unless heavily provoked and capable of understanding several human languages.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While wardens have a fearsome reputation and many people are terrified of these deadly Eldritch cave monsters, they are not carnivores, not predatory, and don't hunt. They completely lack any hunting instinct and are unable to eat meat without getting sick. They will not go out of their way to hunt you down unless provoked. They are extremely territorial, so some are provoked by something as simple as you being close enough to their territory for them to detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","field3":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are generally solitary and highly territorial, and tend to chase off things they do not want in their territories. Despite this, they do have some social instincts. Sometimes, they can be seen in small family groups called prides due to how some people describe them as reminding them of cave lions. Prides consist of an elder who is a large and powerful dominant individual who is the pride leader, and up to three smaller, less dominant individuals and any young they may have. Young wardens still instinctively leave their dam&rsquo;s territory when they reach maturity, so these small groups are generally unrelated individuals. The instinct for young to leave the territory and settle far away helps with genetic diversity, and keeps warden populations diverse and healthy. They breed so rarely that genetic issues from inbreeding could be detrimental to their population. Additionally,&nbsp; they can recognize the scent of one who is related too closely to produce healthy offspring, which further helps avoid accidentally inbreeding.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These family groups will usually only have one cub among them at a time, though sometimes two if their territory is established enough. The cub is usually sired by the pride leader.&nbsp; While most wardens contentedly live a solitary life outside of mating and cub rearing, these family groups aren&rsquo;t unheard of in larger sculk patches in the Depths. They are generally referred to as a pride, due to how wardens somewhat resemble large fungal cave lions. The best way to know if there&rsquo;s more than one is the size of the sculk patch. Smaller sculk patches are most likely a single warden, and probably fairly young. Much larger sculk patches can sustain more wardens, and thus are more likely to host one of these small prides, though are more likely to host a single well established adult. Large sculk patches usually only have a single older individual, but only large sculk patches can host a warden pride.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dominant elder, who is the leader of the pride, has a scent that can actually be calming to the territorial instincts in younger wardens. Warden prides always have one larger more dominant individual among them, because without them the younger wardens are far more likely to fight eachother over territory. The bigger warden has a calming influence on the younger smaller ones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, a warden will pair bond with another. When this happens, this pair bond will last for life. Occasionally, for very well established pairs, their young will stay with them even after maturity for a time. They will always eventually go off to found their own territory, but if the territory is established enough they may help care for any cubs born to their parents for a time. Wardens are long lived and powerful creatures, and don&rsquo;t breed often. Because of this, they pour all their resources into insuring their cub reaches adulthood safely. The case of pair bonding is the only time a warden pride will have two large older wardens, as they are too territorial otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being eldritch fungi, wardens do not follow the same genders\/gender identities as humans and other flesh and blood creatures. They are all capable of siring and bearing young. More submissive, smaller individuals are more likely to be the one to carry a cub and can be seen as more &ldquo;feminine&rdquo; while the larger more dominant individuals can be seen as more &ldquo;masculine&rdquo;.&nbsp; However, this is more about their size and strength than their gender. They generally don&rsquo;t understand gender, and don&rsquo;t really care. Their Deep Eldritch language does not have gendered pronouns. They may see themselves as more feminine or more masculine, but otherwise don&rsquo;t really care. Those that are exposed to humans or other creatures with genders\/pronouns when young, or taught about humans and other sapient beings are more likely to adopt a pronoun. Otherwise, they are simply referred to as it\/its or they\/them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are very territorial, but if you stay out of their territory and don&rsquo;t bother them, they&rsquo;ll usually leave you alone. Younger, more aggressive wardens are far more likely to attack. The best way to avoid getting killed is to sneak past, stay out of their territory, and don&rsquo;t provoke them. Sometimes the best way to avoid provoking one is to just not be detected by it. Once they decide to give chase, you are very unlikely to escape. They are fast, and have a deadly ranged attack as well that can send you flying even from a distance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In temperament, wardens can actually be compared to huge and dangerous cats, or tigers. They prefer to be left alone, only want interaction on their own terms, and tend to bond very closely with one or two people if they bond with anybody at all. Unlike a tiger, however, wardens are sapient, so one does not have to worry about a random attack if they do manage to befriend one. They are intelligent enough to hold back their wild instincts if needed. Wardens are also not hunters or predators, so they have no prey drive or desire to hunt or chase. Their aggression is purely territorial and defensive in nature.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite being massiveb, powerful, and dangerous eldritch monsters, they are sensitive creatures, easily overwhelmed and overstimulated, which leads to aggression. While many wardens are highly territorial and attack anything deem as a threat or invader, others will simply observe and only attack if provoked. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When not aggressive, wardens can actually be fairly curious. They are safer to interact with outside of their territory, as their territorial instincts are less apparent. While they don't like physical contact unless they trust you, a warden can become incredibly affectionate when they do bond with somebody. They will do a feline head bump, purr, or simply follow you around and settle nearby. A very closely bonded warden may lay curled around the person they've bonded with.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They become very protective of their chosen Favorite Person, and can be incredibly possessive and territorial.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, through special spores passed from parent to cub. These spores carry with them knowledge and some nebulous memories. The memories are more like&nbsp; feelings that come up when encountering something and can serve to warn if dangerous or feel comforted if familiar and safe. The reason some wardens are able to understand the languages of other races is because of wardens in their lineage that knew this and passed this through these special spores to their offspring. The spores are given to the curb when it's quite young. They are inhaled by the cub. They are passed through what appears like a gentle nuzzle between mother and cub. They are carried in the mother's breath. Passing the spores to the cub is instinctive. They must do it on purpose, the spores are not present unless the warden intends them to be.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These spores can be shared with humans and other races as well. While not as effective, it can pass enough knowledge for the human to communicate with the warden. The warden must use very simple words and concepts, due to humans not being able to hear infrasound, but it can allow conversing, where the warden understands you, responds, and you are able to understand it.The warden must keep the words simple, but it's much better than no communication at all.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spores do have side effects, however. They make you feel lethargic, feverish, itchy, give you a runny nose and make you sneeze. They also produce a euphoric feeling, producing something like a mild high. This lasts until the immune system fights off the spores, which varies depending on the strength of the immune system. The spores are not dangerous, but the body reacts to them as if they are so it's technically a sort of allergy.<\/span><\/p>","field4":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are fungal creatures, but they have a lot of similarities to flesh and blood creatures in how their bodies function, though also numerous differences. The bone growths down their backs, on their upper arms, and around their sides are actually a form of chitin strengthened by the minerals they extract from the stone with their sculk growth, as isvtheir internal skeletal structure. This makes their bones incredibly tough and surprisingly flexible.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are covered in thick, shaggy fur. This fur can be compared to touching the cap of a mushroom, but the mushroom cap is made of fur. It feels cool and almost damp, but is actually dry. They have thick manes that can go all the way down their backs. Warden claws are so hard and sharp they can dig through solid stone with surprising efficiency and speed. This also makes their attacks deadly, able to slash through even strong armor in a hit or two.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like any fungi, wardens function in the nutrient cycling in whatever ecosystem they end up in. They will often venture to the surface to gather deadwood and leaf litter, but also anything that has died and begun to decay. They seem to prefer old growth forest, and will also eat driftwood, or water plants that have washed ashore and started to decay. They also extract nutrients from the stone with their sculk growth. Their sculk growth produces special buds, which the warden will eat. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and even simple proteins. They are actually safe for other creatures to eat, and have an earthy taste with a subtle sweetness which isn't unpleasant. Wardens tend to do best in areas with geothermal heat. Their sculk growth thrives on geothermal heat, which helps it break down and metabolize nutrients from the stone it or other material it has broken down. It also draws in life energy, or soul energy, or just simply magical energy found around, which they use to power their abilities.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have eyes. Their skulls don't even have eye sockets. There is a slight indentation where eyes would be. Surprisingly, their brain has a structure that works incredibly similarly to the part of the brains of creatures that process visual input. This is connected to their tendrils, which are attached to their ears. Their tendrils are usually just referred to as ears, though their function is different. They pick up vibrations while the ears pick up sounds. They have incredibly keen hearing. Their echolocation creates a constant driving thrumming which can be compared to the sound of a large, slow and deep heartbeat in its rythm. It picks up pace when the warden becomes angry, frightened, or excited, bringing in extra input and making its view of the scene much clearer. The echolocation thrumming carries with it layers of infrasound which is felt in the very bones more than heard\/ the heartbeat sound is only a very small part of the actual sound emitted by the warden. It makes being in the presence of one of these creatures unsettling and scary. The layers of infrasound combined with this thrumming bounce back to the wardens's tendrils forming an incredibly clear picture of the world around them with a lot of detail. Things moving very quickly or very small aren't picked up as well, but they can navigate through even twisted and cramped caverns with ease. Surprisingly, they are able to detect light through their tendrils. While they don't see with it, it can slightly enhance the images formed by the vibrations, though bright light is painful and makes it harder for them to detect what is around them. For this reason, wardens do not like sunlight or bright light and generally prefer to remain underground unless it is dark outside. A warden's unique vision could be compared to a 3D rendered environment, made of a static noise effect without color. Closer would be brighter, further would be darker, making it seem as if the surroundings are shaded and the warden is the \"light source\". Things that move and produce vibrations show up much brighter compared to the surroundings, effectively highlighting things that are moving, causing them to stick out from the background. This is why you can escape detection if you are very quiet, but the warden will home in on you in an instant if you produce vibrations it can pick up or move too quickly.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wardens are incredibly good swimmers, able to spend a lot of time underwater before needing to come up for air. They are also resistant to high heat. Their fur holds their natural moisture against their skin and can prevent them from drying out for a surprising amount of time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their internal biological systems work differently than any normal creature. They are eldritch fungal beasts, and they are deeply connected to the strange fungi that grow around their range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are cool to the touch, though their metabolism does produce heat within their bodies. Meaning that they are warm inside. Their breath is warm, though their tongue and lips would be cool. Wardens breath, despite them being a creature that generally consumes decaying organic matter, is surprisingly fresh smelling. It smells similar to petrichor, the smell right as it begins to rain, with a fungal undertone.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens can stand on two feet, or move on all fours equally as comfortably. Most individuals prefer to stand on two feet, though they tend to drop down to all fours when charging or running, as it is fast and efficient. Wardens are shockingly fast for their large size, and can get into surprisingly tight spaces. If you manage to escape their claws, they can hit you with a sonic shriek, a powerful ranged attack that does a lot of damage. A terrible shriek that can pass through even solid objects and do damage up to 60 feet away.&nbsp; It causes pain, disorientation, and can even break bones at close range.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the infrasound wardens produce, being near them can be incredibly unsettling, causing dizziness and even nausea. Some people report mild hallucinations. It can feel like a pressure strange buzzing thrum in the back of your head, and can be compared in some ways to the Taos Hum some people can detect.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens are herbivores. They are able to eat meat, but it must be well cooked or dried out so it's not full of dangerous bacteria and they can't eat very much if it. They also occasionally eat old bone or antler sheds, though digest this quite slowly. &nbsp;Any bone they eat gets integrated with the growths on their arms and down their backs, as well as their claws and teeth along with minerals from the stone their fungi grows on. Wardens can't eat fresh meat. It will rot inside their unique digestive system, which makes them incredibly sick. This will cause vomiting and diahrea, which can become so severe it causes permenant damage.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being fungal creatures, wardens need a lot of water. They drink a lot.&nbsp; It helps them digest, and helps keep them healthy and comfortable.&nbsp; wardens wouldn't do well in dry heat, and would need to be around fresh water. Salt water would not work for them, too much salt would make them very sick, or even possibly kill them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden digestion is unique, and rather slow. They have two stomachs, to a point. One stomach smaller, where the easier to access nutrients are extracted from their food before passed to their much larger second stomach, and a second stomach, where the rest of their meal will be broken down by enzymes very similar to the enzymes put out by various molds and other fungi. This process is a lot slower, so wardens will eat the fungal buds from their sculk colonies and easier to digest stuff for quick energy boosts, while eating harder stuff, such as deadwood, bone, and other similar difficult to break down stuff goes to this second stomach to be thoroughly broken down.The food is broken down by enzymes and water and absorbed by the body, which is why wardens need to drink so much. The solids that remain are then passed into the warden's colon. Extra water is extracted. Once enough builds up in a structure similar to a colon, it is passed just as one would expect. Their body is quite efficient so their scat is actually mostly odorless. It might have an odd fungal or slightly musty or moldy smell, but wouldn't smell like the poop of a normal creature. Comparable, at least somewhat, to a damp old attic overgrown with mildew. This remains true even if they eat rotting meat. It makes very good fertilizer<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens generally&nbsp; love bread if they can get ahold of it, though they will often seek out rotting wood and leaf litter. They can not digest fresh wood, it must be dead and rotting. Warden saliva actually has a powerful antibiotic property to it. It kills dangerous germs on whatever the wardens decides to eat. The side effect of this is that their saliva can actually completely get rid of infection, so if you know a warden and it doesn't hate you and you get hurt, it can lick your wounds and keep them from getting infected.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is little to no odor when they relieve themselves, getting sick is another story entirely. It's rare for a warden to vomit, but when they do, they empty both of their stomachs, and the smell is absolutely foul. It can be compared to something that has been spoiling in the back of the fridge combined with stagnant bog water, sour and downright rotten. It looks as horrible as it smells, and there's more than would be expected from a creature their size due to the size of this secondary stomach.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens do not have stomach acid like other creatures. Instead, their stomachs contain a blend of potent fungal enzymes that break food down. The enzymes found in the smaller stomach are different in composition than the enzymes in their main large stomach, which slowly breaks down harder to digest materials into their components to extract their nutrients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens require a lot of water for their size and drink a lot because of its important function to their digestion. Due to drinking so much water, wardens pee frequently. It&rsquo;s clear blue in color, and actually has a glow to it, though this fades within a few hours. It is used in territorial marking and some level of pheromone communication. Iy has a strong and distinct smell but is very different from an animals urine. The smell is unique and hard to describe, not particularly pleasant but also not particularly unpleasant. It&rsquo;d be something that you&rsquo;d easily recognize once you&rsquo;ve smelled it once. A unique thing about it is there&rsquo;d be no breaking down into ammonia and other toxic materials. It just breaks down into water and inert minerals which is actually good for soil and plants. Having a warden around is actually beneficial if you could get it to not want to sonic shriek you into the stratosphere, because it can eat stuff that would be unsafe, break it down, and basically pass plant fertilizer out the other end. A living composter, in a sense.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens use their urine to mark their territory and, to a point, communicate. The intention behind marking effects the scent and pheromone profile of the urine. A mark to establish territory, for example, is potent and lingers for weeks. While not particularly unpleasant,&nbsp; a warden's territory mark is very distinctive. It can be compared to a strong musk with a fungal undertone.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens also mark to display their genetic fitness and strength to potential mates. In this case, the scent mark is much milder, and breaks down within a few hours. The smell is surprisingly pleasant if one doesn't know the origin of it.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens will sometimes mark as a form of spite, when angry about something. When they mark out of spite, the scent is heavy and potent, and rather unpleasant. It lingers as long as their territorial mark.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they go just to relieve themselves, there is no musk or pheromones in it. The scent is subtle, but distinctive.<\/span><\/p>","field5":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens breed infrequently, and have, in general, low fertility. They become fertile when their sculk colony is established enough to support a warden and their cub, at which point they become receptive and are able to be fertilized and carry an egg. This does not function like a heat or ovulation cycle. There is no noticeable change in the warden's behavior aside from a slight reduction in their territorial behavior towards others of their kind. It is effected by their hormones, but they don't become a hormonal mess like some creatures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens, unlike other fungi, reproduce sexually. They all have both male and female organs, and do not really have a concept of gender. As they are both, and neither, at the same time. Wardens rarely meet and have low fertility, so they have a very high sex drive.This can even be turned towards other races depending on the individual warden, meaning sexual encounters are possible. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When catching the scent of another fertile warden, they will approach their territory, often carrying a peace offering of rotting wood or something else a warden would enjoy eating. These encounters can be very dangerous with how territorial wardens are. Mating usually takes place on the edge or juat outside of their established territory. The sire returns to their own territory afterwards and takes no part in caring for the cubs unless the mating happens within a pride or between a bonded pair. Wardens rarely meet their sires.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens that live near each other will often meet to mate whenever they become receptive, so there are some wardens that have full siblings out there somewhere. Those who mate more than once will often get used to each other, making subsequent matings a lot more safe and peaceful.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens carry their egg for about 6 months. During this time, wardens will eat more than they usually do, drink more water, sleep more, become even more protective of their territory and will begin to increase and add to their nest. The fungal buds their sculk produces increases as the warden will eat a lot more while growing the egg and the cub within. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The egg is actually fungal in nature, resembling a puffball mushroom matching their fungal growth in color with little glowing blue specks on it. It will connect to the fungal growth and grow for another six to eight months, depending on how well established the wardens is.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cub will chew its way out of the egg when it is ready to hatch. The shell of the egg will become the cub's first meal. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are very small when they first emerge, and generally remain quiet unless in danger, and prefer to stay near the nest. They can be territorial and aggressive even at a very young age, and will bite and growl if provoked. Warden cubs are very sensitive to sound, especially in the weeks after hatching, and this can cause them to become distressed if there's a lot of sound around them until they get used to it. This can make them snappy and aggressive, even towards their parent. This can be stressful for a new parent, but more experienced wardens know how to calm their cub down and calm them calm so they are less aggressive. They will generally calm down after a bit, once they get used to things.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Warden cubs are very attached to their parent, though they are capable of being comfortable and happy alone in their nest for hours at a time. They do become curious sometimes, and will often wander around their parent's territory. Due to the fierce territorial nature of wardens, their cubs are very safe if they stay within the territory. Staying within their dam&rsquo;s sculk patch is instinctive, though they will occasionally wander too far. The parent can find them easily enough, due to their incredibly sensitive noses.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens mature at roughly the same rate as humans, though they are much longer lived. They tend to instinctively leave their parent's territory around 20 years of age to find their own territory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wardens have a form of ancestral memory, from special spores a warden dam passes on to their cubs. These spores carry with them knowledge the warden can use later on as well as some memories, though the memories are more nebulous. An example of the function of these spores is how all of the descendants of a warden known as the Phantom are able to understand several human languages and are generally calmer around humans. Her descendents can even speak a few limited words because of the spores passed down through the generations.&nbsp; Wardens are rare, and breed extremely slowly so this passage of knowledge from parent to offspring provides a clear advantage in their survival. This means that warden grudges will often pass down through the generations. A warden that has had a bad experience with humans, will pass on this aggression towards humans to their cubs, and along down the line making wardens from that lineage more aggressive and dangerous, while those who have had better experiences will pass that down, creating less dangerous and aggressive wardens.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is thought to be impossible for wardens to produce hybrids with other races. It is possible due to their unique eldritch nature, but extremely unlikely. Wardens rarely interact with other races, though they have a very high sex drive so situations that could lead to a hybrid aren't impossible. Despite this, warden fertility is incredibly low. The chance of conception is low even between their own kind and usually requires repeated couplings to succeed. Their biology is very different from humans and other races. While conception could happen, the chances are incredibly low.&nbsp; Hybrids are only possible because of the warden's unique eldritch nature. It is so unheard of that even ancient wardens, including one known as the Phantom who is one of the oldest wardens alive with a fondness for humans and has had numerous sexual encounters with them in herlife, have never seen a hybrid and don't know it's possible.<\/span><\/p>","field6":"<p>Wardens can vary in their coat color, bone growths, mane type, shape of their tail and ears, and general build.<\/p>","field7":"<p>Wardens have an effect they can cast on other creatures known as Darkness. Darkness makes everything around you so dark that you can't see anything at all, not even a torch or lantern held in front of you. The ability does not work on other wardens, due to their lack of eyes, but it works on humans and other species. The origin of this ability is unknown, but the warden seems to have some control over it, since some can be approached without the Darkening effect taking hold.<br \/><br \/>Wardens are capable of burrowing, though it is fairly slow. They claw up the stone to give their sculk a better surface to hold on to, and often hollow out a den and nest, with some tunnels that allow them access to various parts of their territory. As such, they can be observed seemingly rising from the ground when alerted by an intruder, and will simply go back into one of their tunnels once the intruder is gone.<br \/><br \/>Warden nests are often lined with anything soft they can get ahold of. Some ancient city ruins show evidence of wool pathways, with some parts missing. Wardens living there often take the wool and take it to their nest, because it's soft and comfortable, and dampens sounds so squeaking flapping bats and other creatures do not bother them.<br \/><br \/>They shed their fur from time to time, and this shed fur also ends up lining the nest. There is also a special sort of sculk that grows around the nest that has a thick, soft fluffy texture, forming a cozy bed for the warden to sleep in.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens sleep a lot. They aren't very active creatures, though they will often wander their territory. They can be observed wandering to various parts of their territory and picking various favorite spots to lay down and relax. This is another reason they are sometimes compared to eldritch fungal cave lions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Some people may refer to a warden as an \"Eldritch mushroom with anger issues\"<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk colony is a part of the warden, symbiotically linked. The sculk grows special fungal buds that the warden eats. The sculk extracts minerals and elements from Deepslate, using these resources to form various proteins and nutrients a warden needs. Wardens often find dead things, deadwood, leaf litter, and other nutrient sources for the sculk to grow on and some will even set up shop far beneath bat colonies, as their guano also provides a lot of nutrition for the warden. The bats, of course, die of they make too much noise around the warden and piss it off, but generally they coexist alright. T<\/p>\r\n<p>The sculk buds are safe to eat for creatures other than wardens. They have a surprisingly pleasant earthy taste with a mild sweetness, somewhat like jicama. The texture is similar to a potato, both cooked and raw. When raw, they have a crispness to them. When cooked, they can gain an umami flavor. They pick up other flavors quite well, like many mushrooms. They are especially good when pan-fried with butter, with a crisp outside and smooth inside. When deep fried and salted, they are similar to French fries in texture with the earthy sweetness of the sculk bud.<\/p>\r\n<p>Wardens are able to create sentinels using their sculk, by inoculating corpses with spores, allowing the sculk to overgrow and replace the flesh. Freshly killed things make much better sentinels, and move more fluidly, since the sculk mimics the muscle structure, while skeletons overgrown with sculk move a lot more awkwardly as the sculk connects them and makes them move in its own way.<\/p>"}},"title":"Warden","is_visible":"1","summary":"The Terror of the Depths","utility_tag":["wip"],"page_tag":null}