[✓] [Creature Lore] Ethuil

[MayRndz 1128]

Spoiler

[!]During the creation and denial process of my previous post it was suggested through the ST to add a bit more flavor to the creature as is if I was looking to have it accepted. Thus there are many similar portions kept the same however this creature is a bit different from the original post finally having had the chance to update it. I also changed the name because I wanted it to sound more elfish. Hope this is up to better par for all of you :))!

Ethuil



Summary

The Ethuil are agile fox-deer hybrid-like creatures known for their cunning intelligence and agility in the forests of Almaris. These forest dwelling creatures have inhabited the land of the titans for hundreds of years, their nocturnal habits making them stay hidden to the eyes of the public for the longest time. Sneaky and unseen they do not like the idea of interacting with Valhalla, perhaps having a rather developed mind of their own. These creatures are adapted diversely to many conditions, though prefer to stick to a variety of rustic wooded conditions because of the shelter of trees, and mountainous burrows offered. 
 

Characteristics:
 

They are known for their sleek and guarded fox-like pelts with a variety of colors resembling different vulpine species. Upon their backs and tail they are spotted with lighter patches of fur resembling similarities to a young white-tail deer. 
 

Specific to the males upon their heads they have beautiful shaped antlers that branch out in many directions. The females have small antlers that point out on an angle, only growing till they reach about three inches in length. If one were to take a closer look they almost had a woodland like appearance, akin to the bark on the wood of an oak tree. These bestiary creatures perhaps emerged from something much deeper than the world present, as flowers and vines grow about from their antlers changing based on the seasons of the year. Flowers blooming and emerging during the spring, bright colorful leaves in the summer, and an array of autumnal bits slowly shedding and falling when the fall season came around. Their antlers remained rather barren through the winter until the cycle began again and they were to bud. They seemed to sprout with heavy concentration of Druidic Energy, perhaps the species having originated from the Fae realm having become lost and adapted to said mortal plane much like their floral sprite counterparts during the dawning of a full moon.
 

The legs of the Ethuil tend to be longer than that of a fox, their standing height up to their shoulders being about 50 cm on average. The base of their legs resemble the keratin hooves of a deer in shape though are instead split into four sharp toes. The long legs allowed them to jump and pounce about, while the sharper claw like toes following their adaptive tendencies to the terrain around.


 

Temperament:
 

The creature is not commonly found within civilization as partners due to their finicky personality, however through more recent events in the vale of Nevaehlen druids have found and began to communicate with these beautiful creatures. They would rather flee than befriend someone else tending to be a species that quite enjoys solitude. The only known reports of descendants being attacked by these creatures are defending a nearby burrow  in which people reported witnessing strange antlered creatures rather than any real documentation of what they were.
 

The Ethuil is able to be tame and friendly towards people, however their likeness towards another is likely to be because they were raised by descendants, or because of an association with positive likings. Just like any other creature when being raised up they can be trained and develop both negative and positive habits.  
 

Dietary Habits: 
 
The Vespidae species is known to be herbivores with a diet that consists of wild fruits, and nuts that can be found within the forests and cities such as berries. They occasionally will eat the buds of flowers off of low bushes and trees in the spring and summer seasons. Just like plant growth they need the nutrients of the plant life, water, and sunlight to grow and prosper. Perhaps allowing the antlers of the creature to go through a photosynthesis-like process.
 

Something observed from their habits is that they begin to store foods during the autumn and winter seaons, and create burrows deep within the ground producing warmth and a source of energy even throughout the cold seasons.
 

 Housing Habits:
 

The housing habits of these creatures commonly include ones similar to the vulpine family, burrowing down partially into the ground with a bed lined with leaves, mosses, feathers, and other comfortable factors. They sleep in these burrows during the day and commonly emerge in late afternoon as the sun goes down and night hours, returning back to the den shortly after the sun begins to rise. They will specifically create their dens that usually provide some sort of predatory advantage for example finding areas at the edge of a rigid point. This keeps them safer.
 

They can commonly be found in any of the habitats listed below.

 

Spoiler

- Evergreen Forest
- Tropical Deciduous Forest
- Mediterranean Forest
- Temperate Forest
- Coniferous Forest
- Swampy Forests and Terrains
- Canyon like Terrain and Ledges

 

Life Cycle:
 
The life cycle of an Ethuil never quite ends on its own, living in a strange cycle of regrowth as if a plant that withered away leaving a seed planted in the soil to regrow. About every 100-150 years this cycle happens in which the Ethuil will begin to shed the plant life on its antlers, and the bark-like surface would begin to crack and wither. Eventually passing as a newborn emerges from the withering of the past creature.
 

The new borns are referred to as Fawns, their bodies fragile and small having to go through the process of growing and prospering. Gradually the antlers grow in, their pelts becoming thicker, and once again living in their new young life.

However, should the creature be killed, or pass away to other causes this cycle would not take place, and its soul returned to the realm in which it originated, a lifeless corpse of its body having been left behind. Aswell as the process in which they are reborn can only repeat roughly three times before having fully passed, unable to continue. 

Cleaning Habits:
 
Much like many mammals they will clean themselves, tending to constantly groom their own pelts keeping themselves very tidy and scent based. They groom themselves by licking their own pelts. When they bed for the day they will clean themselves for hours on end before slumbering.
 
Besides their own pelts they are generalized clean creatures, and will keep their dens and burrows very organized and tidy, nothing ever seems out of place around their homes. Besides perhaps a curious clutter of objects collected through their lifetime.

Weaknesses
 

The creatures, much like mundane plant life, are vulnerable to flames and fire, tending to avoiding close contact with it at almost all costs.
 

Ethuil are vulnerable to any blight that would otherwise affect nature, slowly withering and passing from the effects should it take place within their own form, only druids with the ability to blight heal can then save them from passing on.
 

During the time in which their life cycle is being reborn and they are still smaller in form they are extremely vulnerable to the elements around them, as well as to descendant races easily able to be found and killed without slipping away.


 

Communion
 

Much like plant life, animals, and other creatures of the Fae they possess the ability to be communied with and actively express thoughts and feelings of sadness, happiness, pain, ect.. Perhaps one finds these creatures to be more intelligent than one may think.

- The creatures can find themselves speaking with single mundane and simple words through communion though never full sentences.

- Their communication range is passively 15 blocks

 

Trivia:
 

Ethuil Are known to be very cunning and smart creatures, and have a habit of being tricksters.

They will bark, scream, and howl much like wild red foxes do. [https://youtu.be/iPFTEuT3d4I]

Affection can be expressed through a series of yips and barks.

These beasts are known to hoard objects and when living with others they will often cause clusters in their homes.

The flora in which grows on the antlers of the Ethuil can range in variety and unique to each one, no one creature ever having something quite the same.
 

Redlines:
 

 An Ethuil cannot be used to metagame location or anything similar, nor to powergame hiding or stealth. They follow all general server redlines, and rules for companions.

They are not willing to fight other beings for you on command.

They Are able to fight in an event setting against creatures, but not used against players unless absolutely in a life threatening position. (Aka. Hunts or battles against other entities.)

Never can one necessarily be regarded as a pet, however could decided to be a loyal companion and follow along with the life of a descendent, still in terms of how it lives having a mind of its own not to be trained.

Unique features of these creatures are primarily for aesthetic purposes.


Credits:

- Art used within this post does not belong to me! I do not take credit for it and simply use them here for aesthetic pusposes.
- Alot of the information Fae wise was helped by Sprite and Epifite lore
- @MayRndzfor the writing
- @SquakHawkfor the Fae change idea

Changelog Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mLbH6bvgRV7x7FYmGydn0bY-6d5ndkGLWMCJOf7g3_Q/edit?usp=sharing

[_Sug 2554]

Well done May, creature lore could use a boost to the list of naturally occurring forest dwellers for more rp scenarios! +1

[TwistedFries 426]

Oh boy, more interesting lore and creatures for my characters to interact with. It sure would be nice to have more unique creatures running around the realm- +1

[rukio 8910]

PETS

[MayRndz 1128]

3 hours ago, rukio said:

PETS

NO :<< friends not pets

[squakhawk 7303]

This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon. Please note that if this is playable lore, such as a magic or CA, you will need to write a guide for this piece. You will be contacted regarding the guide (or implementation if it isn’t needed) shortly.