#garagulan

[wirecat]

Efreir belongs to tigerdragon1001

[tigerdragon1001]

Subspecies and stuff

(More info bc now I’m on a roll oops)

As of now there are three main subspecies: Plains, Fungal and “Forest” (it’s not exactly forest but I don’t have a name for the area yet), from largest to smallest. 

PLAINS The only fully nomadic group. They are considered the height of attractiveness by Fungals due to their very long horns. Not much is known about them as they keep to themselves and are rarely even seen by other subspecies, or even other groups within their own habitat. When pickings are scarce (or moreso than usual) they might trade desert “plants” with Forests for food.

FUNGAL Fungals live in huge, mushroom-like organisms that feed off decaying large critters. As a result, they are more frequently scavengers than predators, as they pretty much have a buffet available to them at all times. The acid produced by the “mushrooms” doesn’t affect them, and they even wash themselves in it as it kills off any parasites living on their skin. (You can tell I don’t have too much information on them yet lmao)

FOREST The only subspecies to have written languages, as the other two don’t really have the materials for it, and also something of a trading group. The “trees” that they write on have a thin layer of bark that must be scraped off first, that comes off in almost perfect rings. Fungals like to wear the rings on their horns and feet, and will trade chunks of their “mushroom” homes for them. 

Forests also happen to be the only monogamous subspecies, but tend to have less rigid ideas of beauty compared to the other two. Their cramped environment makes long horns (and larger bodies) a hazard, so they base attractiveness on markings instead. 

[tigerdragon1001]

rough alien I drew for my friend c:

[tigerdragon1001]

I HAD A REVELATION

I was wondering why the hell the Forests would even want weird mushroom chunks... but then I realised. Wouldn’t it be cooler if they painted on their own markings?? The mushrooms are white and can be mashed up into a paste of the same colour, and the Forests are quite dark bc the “trees” are dark in colour and camouflage and all that. It would be silly for them to have bright, high contrasting markings all the time, they’d be like walking targets. But if they used the mushroom paste to briefly paint themselves to attract a mate... yes

[tigerdragon1001]

Some Facts (TM) about Efrier’s species

Because I realised I have so much info about them that I have never written down or told others. Also I’m probably gonna change their name.

They do not feel pain from acids or capsaicin (the chemical that makes peppers spicy), but do feel other types of pain. This is due to their ancestors (as well as one modern subspecies) living in a very acidic environment i.e. a soup of creatures being digested by giant fungi, and the fumes of vapourised acid that form when the temperature rises (more on this habitat later).

They have only one sex, with their idea of gender (or the closest thing they have to it) being based on a mixture of age and physical health. Younger, fitter individuals take the ‘female’ role with older, weaker ones taking the ‘male’ role. Those that don’t fit either criteria are designated a third gender, and do not reproduce. (This is really the basics, I’m not even going to begin to elaborate on cultural views and norms just yet)

The genetic variation within their species is a lot greater than in humans. Individuals from different habitats can appear to be completely different species. (Similar to the huge differences between some domestic dog breeds)

Their tail ‘fans’ used to be a third pair of limbs. On the same note, their ‘hands’ are actually becoming more vestigial as the species evolves. This isn’t that much of a problem though, as they use their feet more like ‘hands’ anyways.

Although two pairs of their eyes see visible light, they can only see in black and white. The other two pairs can see infrared.

The outer ‘fangs’ are are grooved, and help channel a black secretion that’s used to mark their territories. While it is completely harmless to them, the secretion also happens to contain chemicals that cause hallucinations and sometimes death in Irkens when it enters the bloodstream, even with the small amounts that are leftover in their mouths. This does not stop the Irkens harvesting it in small amounts and using it as a drug though.

[wirecat]

This have sketch has been lying around, so I decided to colour it.

@tigerdragon1001  ;)

Efrier belongs to Tiger