Planet Fact Sheet

Overview

Fauna of Alskyr

• E-I [Earth-Imported] Animals
• Antelope
• Butterflies
• Cats (Many species)
• Chicken
• Dogs (Many species)
• Gazelle
• Goats, Mountain
• Goats, Domestic
• Honey Bees
• Horses (Many species)
• Pheasant
• Silk worms (Harvested in-House, not wild)
• Snakes (Generally constrictors, some mildly venomous)
• Song Birds (Many species)
• Rodents (Involuntarily taken along; mice, rats. Voluntarily taken along; squirrels, chipmunks.)

Land Creatures

Adkins

Pronunciation: add-kinss
Contributor: Tershan
Microscopic bug-things that live in many plants, but especially Brekkin.Very good for you, they eat the stuff in your stomach that would otherwise just pass on through, and then you can digest them. Sounds gross, but its true. Only the really crazy scientist with their noses always in the old records about the coming and the first ones really know about them, but it is known that Brekkin is very good for diarria (or however u spell it) and most upset stomachs. Adkins are the reason.

Aifre

Pronunciation: EYE-fray
Contributor: Sabreya
Small creature, from 2 to 3 feet in length, including it's bushy tail, the creature resembling a fox. It has extremely large ears, each one about two-thirds the size of it's narrow head. It's coat is a solid cream, white, tan, brown, and black, it's eyes being black and brown. On light fur, the nose is a pinkish shade, while on dark fur, it's black. The aifre's fur is extremely soft, and when brushed, the fur that comes free can be used to weave very expensive and soft clothing, mostly sweaters. They are kept as pets, when one is able to tame or buy one.

They have kits once a year in the spring, most litters being around four kits strong. After six weeks, the kits are old enough to leave their mother and start their own life (if in the wild) or be bought by other humans as pets.

Alis Gryph

Pronunciation: al-ISS GRIHF
Contributor: Sabreya (Falora)
Alis Gryphs are very small versions of gryphons. They range in size from 1 to 2 feet long, beak tip to tail tuft. They cannot use any T-Power, and are much like Caer Lizards in their intelligence levels. They are slightly more ornery and stuck up, so it takes a patient person to deal with them.

Caer Lizard

Pronunciation: CARE LIH-zard
Contributor: Qalam (Shard)
Caer Lizards are small versions of the dragons. Caer Lizards are slightly larger than Alis Gryphs because of their long neck and tail. They range in size from 2 to 3 feet in legnth, muzzle to tail tip. They don't speak, or have any type of T-Power, they are just pets. Because of their lack of a highly advanced brain, they do not have any possibility of using any T-Power, so they cannot do much but flit, and be helpful to their owners. While they cannot speak, they are still as intelligent as an older human child, and can be just as willing or disobedient.

Chame

Pronunciation: cha-may, plural "chamiis"
Contributor: Bretta
Small, grasshopper like insect found in the region named for it. (my claim, if possible) Roughly 1-2 inches in size with no distinction between the genders, if there are even two.. Varying in color from a light tan to a deep burgundy. Caught by children and placed in handmade cages as a good luck charm. Believed to eat grains and such, causing a problem with fields (another reason for being caught and sold/traded off). Superstition tells that if one steps unknowingly on a chame, years of bad luck will follow. They are kept as pets, the burgundy being the most valued and hardest to find. Chamiis are often given to friends or family leaving on a journey for luck, or to a lover as a symbol of good intentions.

Chizatsa

Pronunciation: chihz-aht-za
Contributor: Zanara
Small mammal, about the size of a rabit. Can be brown, tan, black, white, or orange, and has big mouse-like ears, only much larger, for hearing predators. Has a short pointed tail, though it is so fuzzy it looks more rounded than the actual tail is. Eats various vegetables, and as it is defenseless (save its fast speed) it is a sourse of food for many small or medium size carnivores. Lives everywhere.

Dargio

Pronunciation: dar-gee--oh
Contributor: Silvermoonweyr
Dargios are like pigs, except they can fly. I got this from the expression "when pigs fly", so I figured our world should have some flying pigs. They are hollow boned like birds, but they do not have feathery wings, because that would make them too similar to the Centuran Oyank. Instead, they have sort of dragon/bat wings.

Delcer

Pronunciation: del-seer
Contributor: Yakima
deer like animal that is the size of a white-tailed deer. They have a white underbelly and legs while black stripes run horizontal along their legs.

Didhaga

Pronunciation: did-hay-gah
Contributor: HarvestGirl1303
Is a long haired mammal bearing a similar look to the ancient Mammoth of the Earth Ice Age although being about as large as the common earth house cat. Didhagas are omnivores, feeding on both plant life and small animals. Didhaga are able to be trained and kept as pets, but few chose to house these creatures because of their wild temperament.

Felaff

Pronunciation: FAY-loff
Contributor: Frizzle
Largish creatures, about 40 inches long when full grown, not including the tail. They have short fur, almost like feline fur, but they have thicker coats in the cold weather and they shed their undercoat when it gets warmer. They come in a variety of colors, blue, brown, purple, red, yellow, green orange. Rarely are they found in rainbow, or in two or more colors, or in black or white. Felaff colors have nothing to do with rank, they are merely the color of the fur.

Felaffs are born, like puppies, and litters happen when they happen. The pups become attached at birth to someone they feel they can trust, though this attachment is by no means permanent, it ensures the pups safety and food as the mothers are prone to go on and lead a normal pup-less life even the day after the birth of the pups. If there is no one present for them to bond to, they try and fend for themselves, and rarely stay together as a group. If this were to happen, much of the litter would be lost.

Fitharin

Pronunciation: fihth-are-in
Contributor: Tershan
horselike head and neck, with long silky mane. smallish arms and long, solid tail that it uses for balance when standing still. two long, hoofed legs that it uses for running. very fast, if ot always a smooth trip. they are domesticated, and used to travel from place to place. are often quite friendly, and would always appreciate a tender Gilspie root. eat grasses, grains, and some fruit as well.

Winged Wolf (Alskyrian Breed)

Pronunciation: --
Contributor: Yakima
Native to the Island of Lantir-setia in the Marbethil Valley. They are a rather ancient animal with a mysterious creation for none of the gryphons or dragons remember them existing as long as they have. They are wolves with wings; able to teleport like the gryphons and dragons, and some use magic that was taught to them by the gryphons years ago. The wolves are able to use the T-power to talk to humans and beasts alike as well as themselves. 

They have, most commonly, eagle-hawk type wings that give them the ability to make sharp turns and travel long distances. They have a light skeletal structure and muscular system. Keen eyes able to see at night. They talk aloud even if their mouth's don't move like the dragons and gryphons.

For more information: Alskyrian Winged Wolf

Lacestade

Pronunciation: lace-stande-dee
Contributor: Brina
the lacestade is a rare sight in the tropics but is commonly seen at the poles in shelters in snow burrows or rocky crevasses. they are 1 to 1.5 feet long with color ranging from dark brown to pale creamy whites depending on the season and if the place they live is snowy or rocky. the meat of the lacestade is tender and very good to taste (but how someone knows this is beyond me) and is a very good reward for a long difficult hunt, you would probably never catch the one you first tryed for since it would scurry into a burrow of it's and pop out a distant one making it very hard to catch. it would also be foolhardy to stick your hand down a hole to coax them out they are carnivores! (heh, heh, heh, the gophers revenge!)

Margro

Pronunciation: MAR-grow
Contributor: aflatgminor
A small, beetle-like insect. 10 legs, black, rounded, almost bullet-like. A livestock parasite, distant cousin to our Terran ticks, but larger and with tiny, distinct horn-like protrusions jutting from its head. Two more things that differentiate the Margro from the tick is that the Margro has wings to bring it from meal to meal (rather than hopping) and it does not choose one host and hang on, preferring variety. It is incredibly adaptable and goes wherever there are fresh hosts. Often used as a fiend in bedtime stories or to scare younglings from straying too far into the woods.

Meacker

Pronunciation: MEHK-er
Contributor: Yakima
A larger feline from the wolves' world. Cross between a lion, leapord, cheeta and tiger. main enemy for the wolves.

Sarkchi

Pronunciation: sark-chee
Contributor: Zanara
Small green parrots about the size of a parakeet. They live only in humid tropical areas, and they love tertitinn trees, which grow their favorite fruit. Some people keep them as pets, and they can be taught to imitate a few words though their vocabularies aren't very big, and it isn't certain whether they understand what they say or not.

Skirr

Pronunciation: (say 'skirt' and drop the 't')
Contributor: Mariana
An equine-like animal, looking rather like a cross between horse, deer, and cow. They are raised for two purposes: food and riding/burden beasts.

The ridden variety has slender legs and cloven hooves, with two cone-shaped, finger-width horns centered just behind their ears.(males have branches on theirs, while females don't). The horn is sometimes used for carving and decoration, but only after the beast is dead. The tips of the horns are needle sharp for defense, but the carrier is very dexterous and agile and hardly ever pokes anyone without meaning to. Skirr heads are shaped like a Terran horse's, but slightly shorter and wider. The torso is much like a deer's but more compact. Their coats come in many varieties--striped, spotted, solid, bi and tricolored. Mostly they are one solid color that darkens to black at the legs and nose (think of a Terran bay-colored horse); therefore the rarer, beautiful pale-shaded skirrs are prized.

The foodbeast type has stubbier legs and a stocky body. They too have horns, but theirs are slightly thicker and much shorter. These skirrs are placid and docile by nature. It is often said that they are phlegmatic enough to ignore even Ants, though this is highly unlikely. They are more like cows predominantly in build, and have solid hooves; their heads are deer-like with large eyes. Food skirrs usually have grey or mixed-color coats, sometimes with dapples. They grow out their hair very long during the cold season, and the soft strands are commonly used for clothing.

Note: What appeared as the fifth and sixth legs (or wings) on other Alskyrian life-forms have devolved (is that the right word?) into highly flexible, rib-like structures (commonly called flexribs. You can see why.) that allow the stomach to expand greatly and therefore accomodate more food if the need arises. The slight joint in the middle of both flexribs are unnoticeable to the naked eye even when the bone is exposed, and are the only indication that skirrs once had six legs (wayyyyyyyy back in primordial history, of course.)

Tsirin

Pronunciation: tseer-rin ('t' is mostly silent)
Contributor: Zanara
A small lizard that comes in two colors. Females are blue, and males are yellow. They have either spots or blotches on their scaly skins, and they live almost everywhere that doesn't go below 40 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the winter.
The males of the species can get up to 10 inches long, though females are only about 8.
They eat margro and ezach bugs and are therefore loved by the populace for helping to get rid of the annoying insects. Can be kept as a pet but isn't a very common one.

Zaryn

Pronunciation: zar-yin
Contributor: Tershan
A fox/weasil creature, probably related to the Aifre. they are low to the ground, long and skinny. They have a pointy nose for snapping up rodents, and clawed, tough feet for out digging lacestande. They are sometimes trapped for their fur (they have long, luscious tails), and sometimes tamed and trained to hunt yummy little rodents like lacestande and chizatsa.

Sea Creatures

Adoli

Pronunciation: ah-DOLE-ee
Contributor: Sabreya
Large ocean mammal, resembling a killer whale/orca of old Earth. It's mostly black, but in place of the black coloring on it's back it can also be gray or blue, depending on where it lives in the oceans of Alskyr. These are large creatures, their lungs particularly large, able to hold their breath for hours at a time.

They are gentle creatures, and love sparse contact with humans, though they don't crave it. They eat large varieties of fish, and when seeing the adoli, it's wise to throw out your net because they'll help chase the fish right into it - for a belly rub and some large fish as payment, of course!

Bandara
Pronunciation: Ban-dare-a
Contributor: HarvestGirl
Bandara are large creature, similar to the Earth whale; however, unlike a whale, Bandara are not mammals. The process an egg which, at the size of a small house, can weigh up to an exceeding 200 lbs. Bandara come in several colors, the most common of which is blue. The rarer red and green varieties are more often seen in deeper water than their blue relatives. Bandara have three fins, not including the back. Two on the sides, and one on their belly. The underbelly fin has three separate "fingers" which can move independent of each other and grab prey off of the ocean floor.
Bandara are normally carnivores, but will eat plants if the need arises.

Harbor Skates
Pronunciation: 
Contributor: Qalam
Harbor Skates are a smallish flat-bodied fish resembling the earthly flounder or ray. They have a flat, wide arrow-shaped body, with eyes on the top of their head, toward their pointed nose. They are strict bottom feeders, sucking up detritus on the sea floor, usually near beaches or tide pools. They are about 14" long, at most, and come in a dazzling array of grey, slate, silver, muddy black, and muddy white...

That's a joke son, they're "gray". Their bodies have small frilly fins along the edges, and a bit of a tail but it too is flat, and pretty small, like a small finger sticking off their rear.

They are good to eat, with solid, white flesh (more like calamari than fish), and people have been known to use their eggs as a caviar like garnishing.

They are hunted by nearly anything big enough to eat them, and are a favorite around spawning time (mid summer) with the nearby sea dragons or gryphon populations, as they tend to flop about in shallow waters depositing their eggs and fertilizing them in a huge mass-mating.

Exhausted but not dying, after the fish mate, they then head for deeper waters, but that usually takes a resting up period of a day or more. While they are doing this resting... is the best time to just wade in and catch them.

Pesce
Pronunciation: Pess-ce
Contributor: Brina
these little 5cm fish are hardly much to eat allone but they travel in large school's and are very tasty. The scales on this little fish are shinny silver and are used in decoration and a sybol of how wealthy you are. the meat is a pink to bright red raw and is a pale cream color when cooked which is how most people like them. the Pesce is a very fast fish making it hard to catch.

Picca
Pronunciation: Pick-cah
Contributor: Brina
The Picca is a relative of the Pesce, it being larger and more muted in color these fish are 1-2 feet long with gray scales with the rare silver one. They are not as tasty but are slower than the fast Pesce. These are a very common type of fish and are tender when cooked, when not cooked it is deadly.

Raggit
Pronunciation: RAW - giht
Contributor: Tiala
Small fish with very large eyes. Usually grows to about 7" long, black or dark blue in color. It has very poor eyesight despite its huge eyes which can be more than 2" in diameter. Lives in dark caves deep beneath the surface and comes out at night to feed on plankton. It can't see in light and has poor eyesight in the dark (hence the expression "blind as a raggit at noon") but it has such a bad taste that it has no predators.

Retar
Pronunciation: reh-TAR
Contributor: Sabreya
Scavenging fish, about five feet in length when fully grown, resembling a shark. They live in large groupings to better hunt together. They are very stupid creatures, but they know well enough to leave anything alive alone. Their only color is blue, making it extremely hard to see them in deep waters.

They feed off small fish that they can just swallow, and anything dead. They avoid things that are kicking or struggling because they don't want to be hurt, which they can be easily hurt, but once the animal is assumed dead, they move in to finish it off.

Mostly considered awful by commoners, they provide the trash service of the sea, keeping it clean so all the dead creatures don't just wash up on the shores.

Sea Nettles
Pronunciation: see net-lls
Contributor: Qalam
Rather like spiny sea slugs. They are around 4-8 inches long, and are shaped like, well, like a slug. Their upper half is covered with short, curved spines which are tipped with a mild poison (enough to numb a foot or hurt a young human), however the main use for these spines is to latch on to traveling objects in the water, and wander. The poison acts as a numbing agent, so living creatures will not always know that they are being ridden. They retract gently when the Nettle is ready to jump off.

Sea Nettles come in a variety of colors, from crappy-brown to ichor green to annoying yellow. Their spines are usually white. Their main defense against being eaten (as they are in fact edible) is to curl into a ball. Spine Fingers don't care. They just nibble away until the parts fall apart and have their fill. Sea Nettles will eat mostly plant life, however they have been known to chow down on settling remnants of meat.

Spine Finger
Pronunciation: spyn fihng-er
Contributor: Qalam
Spine Finger fish are about the length of your forearm, but more shaped like a football. They resemble the scorpion fish or lion fish of Earth: they have long, spined projections off their tail, dorsal area and fins, each of which has a bright set of stripes and is tipped with a sharp, poison bearing spine. The poison is strong, enough to kill a young human or severely injure an adult.

They are found exclusively in warm tropical waters, usually in the reefs around the isles. They are NO good for food, but they are very pretty.

They feed upon pretty much anything in its path, be it scraps from above, carcasses of something larger, living creatures, or smaller fish. They also occasionally feed upon poisonous SeaNettles.

Tiburon
Pronunciation: tib-uhr-on
Contributor: Brina
This large blue-gray-brown tough skinned sea creature resembles the earth creature 'the shark' in outer appearance but this 5 to 8 foot creature has many tiny teeth that are no good on larger prey like humans. It manly eats whatever small fish happens to come near. the Tiburon is a coward and if a bigger creature comes along it will flee.

Quilli Fish
Pronunciation: kwil-lee fihsh
Contributor: Tershan
A brightly colored fish, much like the neon tetra, except they are about the size of your hand. They aren't the best tasting fish, but are edible. Due to their availability (they populate almost all of the ocean) they are eaten often aboard cargo ships and shorelines. They taste kind of like tuna, except not as good.

Flora of Alskyr

E-I [Earth-Imported] Plants
Berry, Raspberry
Berry, Blackberry
Berry, Strawberry

Beans, Green
Beans, Cacao

Flowers, Iris
Flowers, Lilac
Flowers, Lily
Flowers, Honeysuckle
Flowers, Nasturtium
Flowers, Sunflowers
Flowers, Rose

Tree, Apple
Tree, Orange

Coffee
Cotton
Grape
Hazelnut
Lettuce
Potato
Sugar cane
Tomato
Wheat

Anaranjado
Pronunciation: ann-are-ann-jah-doh
Contributor: Brina
Grows on vines, cultivated much like grapes. In nature it grows in the ground or from rotting wood. It crawls up and grows on the trunks of trees in swamps or on the rocks near waterfalls. Has thorns on the sides making it hazardous to pick, thorns cause large stinging gouges that must be treated with pain killers and  immediately or results in an infection that causes a severe rash. However, despite the perils of picking it, it's used to eat. It's juicy, but feels granular under the tongue. the insides are creamy colored. The fruit, has a hard peel that first grows orange-red-yellowish and turns green once it is ripe. The peel is thin but very strong and can be bit through, but is fuzzy and leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth. The fruit is long and ovoid. It is grown on hillsides in areas with lots of rain. It is very hardy and can survive in very low temperatures. The flowers are simple and appear during the spring they are bluish off-white to deep blue with 5-6 petals and diamond shaped. The stalks have leaves that sprout off in opposing pairs, 2 leaves sprouting from opposite sides every 4 inches or so. The thorns are more frequent and are in a spiral pattern around the stem at 90 degree angles. The stem and leaves and thorns are dark green.

Brekkin
Pronunciation: brehk-in
Contributor: Tershan
A soft, thick grass that is both sweet and tart. Is made even more nutritious by the adkins that love to live in it. Most grazers love it, and it goes well in a salad. tiny pale blue flowers grow on the tip of each blade every spring, so if all you have in your yard is brekkin, it looks entirely blue every spring, especially from the air.

Cytis Tree
Pronunciation: site-is
Contributor: Yakima
Much like that of an elm tree with dark gray-brown bark and dark green, arrow shaped leaves that are long. This tree has no magical properties or much usefulness save shade. Found in plain-like settings where an average amount of rain falls.

Eruis Bush
Pronunciation: AIR-oo-iss bush
Contributor: Sabreya
Small prickly bush yielding many small blue berries which can, and are, eaten by flitters [Remember; Flitters is the general term for anything that flits.] and other small animals.

These berries grow year round and have a sweet, though not sickeningly sweet, taste to them, and are frequently used in pies.

Gilspie
Pronunciation: gill-spee
Contributor: Tershan
A hardy vine with variegated green leaves. It grows in wooded areas, climbing the trees to reach sunlight. It can sometimes cover an entire area, trees, ground, and all. It is very pretty, but is quite bitter to eat, an the undersides of the leaves are rough and can scrape off skin. It's flowers are large and either white or pink, and grow into a fist-sized sac once fertilized. around the end of spring, it will burst open and the seeds will be harvested by birds, especially the Tippinet. If a seed is dropped on the ground, it will spend the summer and fall establishing a root system, which is edible and sweet. After a whole winter of incubation underground, the roots will toughen and send up vines.

Kanlo Nut
Pronunciation: CAN-low nuht
Contributor: Sabreya
The nut, approximately two inches in length, is a light brown color when ripe. Unripe seeds are a pale green. These seeds are nearly never eaten, by anyone intelligent, at least, raw, because of their very bitter taste.

Pods are harvested when the seeds are ripe, and taken to the Medics in Caer, Cove, Aerie and House. The bitter seeds, with no smell attributed to it, is then crushed into a pulp. The pulp can be strained and the pulp can be used as medicine for sick stomachs, despite it's taste.

The ingredients in the seeds has an enzyme which calms stomachs, causing the stomach to cease, temporarily, its churning and producing of acids.

Kanlo Tree
Pronuncian: CAN-low tree
Contributor: Sabreya
Moderately tall tree ranging from 20 to 30 feet tall after 10 years. This tree is an evergreen, found on each tropic and north/south. While it can live near the equator, it doesn't produce as many pods, because it needs a winter to begin it's process. Only the hardiest Kanlo trees can produce pods when grown near the equator.

After two years it sproud large fleshy dark chocolate-colored pods, easily opened by bare hands. Inside the pods is the brown seed, oval in shape. The pods carry about 10 of these seeds in each pod.

Kervakin
Pronunciation: care-VAK-in
Contributor: Yakima
A vine with healing properties. Usually grows on the cyits tree where the two plants grow together. It likes the shade and lots of water.

Keyloran
Pronunciation: KAY-lore-ann
Contributor: Frizzle
Keyloran are plants that do nothing more than grow, bloom, seed and close, waiting for next season. The flowers are beautiful and fragrant, and are good for boquets of flowers, as they come in as many different colors as one could think of. The flowers make for good dyes, as do the leaves, as they are different shades of green. these plants are so abundant that there is no worry about taking a plant for dyes and having them become extinct. They grow to be about 9" tall, though they stretch out with their flowers, and have no real defense other than the bitter taste. These plants would be well used in making colors of cloth and dying other things as well.

Orchids
Pronunciation: or-kids
Contributor: Qalam
Growing mostly in shaded, highly humid areas of the world, usually tropical but some in temperate rain forests.

Very colorful and almost "erotic" looking flowers (probably imported from Earth). Fairly delicate in hand-raised settings, but flourishing in natural settings. They are eaten by few creatures, being bitter in taste. They come in a huge variety of colors and shapes, including their stalk and leaves -- leaves usually long and finger like and very dark green but ranging to splayed fronds and pale or even striated white and green. Flowers themselves range from brilliant violet and lilac-shades through spotted pinks, whites, yellows and vibrant reds. Often mimicing insect genitalia to induce pollination.

Orchids have few other uses than being very pretty.

However, there are a number which are cultivated for specific pretty purposes:

"Luck Orchid" -- a long-stemmed and very small flower in the pink-white range, with smaller delicate leaves at the base. These are cut and used in graduation and marriage cerimonies to promote the luck of the person or pair involved.

"Facet Orchid" -- specially grown on Alskyr to come in brilliant yellows and greens, in a sort of diamond-spot pattern, which are used to decorate offices of a more business like nature. They are said to ensure good work and bounty within a guild.

"Lover's Freshet" -- this beautiful pink-violet orchid has a rather obvious connotation in that it is often used to court a lady of substance (they are very rare, and usually not found among groups without much money). If she chooses to display this orchid on her person (usually in her hair or on her lapel/chest) she has accepted her courtier's advances. If she chooses to wear it on her wrist, shes "thinking about it", and if not at all... well, sorry.

Pathis
Pronunciation: TBA
Contributor: Lunardrake
An oceanic plant. The Pathis plant goes through three distinct phases during its life cycle… seed, adolescent, and mature. Mature plants produce pods, which when fully developed rupture, releasing hundreds of little seeds, each seed about the size of a large grape. A hard shell protects the seed, which drifts along the ocean currents (think little coconuts) until it consumed by a fish. The fish digests the hard outer shell, but the seed passes through. With out it’s buoyant protective shell to keep it afloat, the seed sinks to the bottom. If the seed is fortune enough to settle in nutrient rich silt, the seed will germinate and begin it’s second phase. The seedling Pathis first sends develops an elaborate root system, grounding itself to the ocean floor. The Pathis then sends out a stalk, which grows straight upward, towards the surface. Once the stalk reaches the surface, broad leaves sprout, to take advantage of all available sunlight. Great forests of Pathis can develop in sheltered areas with abundant nutrients… river deltas are often a good place for Pathis to take root. The Pathis will remain in this “adolescent” stage for about five years. When the plant reaches maturity, which varies from plant to plant, the root system will begin to shrivel up, while pods begin forming. There is no sexual reproduction for the Pathis, the seeds contain the same genetic information as the parent plant, meaning the rate of evolution is very slow, and the Pathis will suffer greatly from any sort of environmental change. After the pod ruptures, the parent plant will only live for a few more days, as the root system has become useless, and the currents uproot the plant. The plant then falls to the ocean floor, where it decomposes.

The Pathis plant has several uses. The seedpods are harvested (before they rupture); the seeds removed and when roasted, have a rich, nutty flavor, which adds spice and crunch to any dish. The leaves of the adolescent plant can be used for cooking; wrap meat or veggies in a Pathis leaf and place it on coals, the moisture of the leave prevents it from burning, and the leaf adds a pleasantly salty flavor to the food. The leaves themselves are too tough to consume.

Tertitinn Tree
Pronunciation: tairt-ih-tin (pronounced with a slight rolling of the r)
Contributor: Zanara
A tropical tree, with long green leafy branches, that are palm-like and shaped like a large five-fingered hand. They grow a juicy blue fruit (tertitinn fruit), which is usually eaten by sarkchi birds, if humans don't get to them first.

Wrekkin
Pronunciation: wreck-in
Contributor: Tershan
A variation of brekkin that lives in marshes or often- flooded grasslands. its flowers are a bit larger, and a bit more purpleish.

The Dangers

Rampage Plant
Contributor: Shard
Rampage plants have their common name from settlers because of the plant's destructive properties and way of life. All complexity aside, the plant is a weed. It produces an acid like substance through it's leaves and roots, killing off all plants near it by damaging roots and any leaves touching their own leaves, and contains an anti-toxin to its self, so it won't kill off other members of it's own species. Every month the plant generates spores on the buds of the plants, and the spores are taken by the wind, where they land and starts growing after a day of two. 

Because of the toxic acid on the leaves and in the roots of this plant, all operations to just pull them from the ground have been unsuccessful. These plants are also extremely hardy, and when burned, they can regenerate themselves from their unburned, below ground roots, much like grass. When the plants begin growing their second set of leaves, the plant begins production of the acid in their roots and leaves, because it needs massive amounts of sunlight to produce the acid, which only leaves can soak up. The only effective way to kill them in fields used for crops is to cover them with a pot, or other metal bowl, that sunlight cannot reach through. If there were enough pots to cover all the plants then there would be a surefire way to destroy the plant altogether, but there's no where near the amount of metal needed to create that many. And after the plant has been under the pot for a week, it will be dead, from both lack is sun, fresh air, and water. While their roots produce the acid, they are taproots and only go about eight inches into the ground, now far enough to seek underground water.

Dragons compete with this menace by calculating when the next outbreak will be and being there during the time the spores are released. Even the weakest equipped T-Power dragon can fight because they use their telekinesis to raise the spores high off the ground, and into the air, where they are burned by the flame-breathing dragons. The spores a plant can produce are great, and so battles with this plant, while being only monthly can last up to three hours. Any spores that are missed by the dragons, in either before or after raising the spores into the air, are searched for by ground crews after battle and burned on the ground. While the adult plants are capable of regeneration after flame, the spores are not.

Ant
Contributor: Shard
The common name for the creatures is 'ant' because of the way it looks. The dog-sized creature is most definitely insect, six legs, and three distinct body parts. The worker ants are the ones who swarm the land masses in search of new foods and places to live. The large pedipalps on the front of their faces are used as 'jaws', working sideways. Because of their size they can slice small trees, and likewise sized animal limbs too stupid to move out of the way, in half. The ants attack for nearly a week twice a year, in the spring, when they're warm, and the queen is breeding, and they need a new place to stay, and in the fall, when after the abundance of breeding by the now dead queen, they need a new place to stay, and take the new queen eggs, for when the queens hatch in the middle of winter and begin developing, they will kill each other if they sense one another.

Despite their repulsive appearance, they are very stupid. The ants' minds work on two things, find food, find shelter. When attacked, they release pheromones and the platoon of ants rally together to swarm the creatures if they can.

The best way to combat these creatures in in the air, if on foot, they would surely eat their way through anything. Gryphons are the best combatants of the ants because their range is much farter than dragons, and they can therefore, be safer away, and out of reach of the ants snapping jaws. Dragons with long flame reach are welcome to join, but those with shorter belching distance had best stay away, being as it is too dangerous to be so close.

Races and Residents

Humans

Humans are not a native species to Alskyr. They arrived nearly half a century ago on space ships; several hundred years before that a research team was stranded, perishing on the island currenly known as Lantir-setia Island, leaving behind the genetically engineered winged wolves. The humans have colonized their new world, befriending and bonding to the native inhabitants.

Land Dragons

Dragons are large creatures, and all are the same size, no matter their color. Dragons range in size from 30 to 50 feet long, and their size is not color specific. Dragons feed on whatever unintelligent creature they see fit, mainly their diet consisting of four-legged hoofed animals. They need to feed once a week once reaching adult hood, in one large mass feeding, and as Fledgling they eat in small quantities every day. 

More Information: Alskryian Dragons

Sea Dragons

Unlike Caers, sea dragons rely on their own kind to lead even if there is a bonded human around. The leader of the formation or pod is chosen through week long battles. Only the strongest and smartest make it through with their pride still intact. At the end of the battles, the winner is named leader. Though, should his rule prove to be incompetent, they can easily be replaced. 

More Inforamtion: Alskyrian Sea Dragons

Deep Sea Dragons

Rare, reclussive and recently discovered in the deep waters of Lantir-setia Island, the sea dragons that live in the deepths of the sea are simular to their higher dwelling kin except they have adapted to living and thriving in the dark waters of the ocean floor.

More Inforamtion: Deep Sea Dragons

Gryphons

Gryphons come in all shapes, colors and varieties. No one knows for sure why, but that's how they are. Gryphons are one huge society, there being no subspecies, and so all can breed with one another, no matter their looks to produce alike progeny. Human settlers have compiled this list of known variations resembling Terran feline and bird species.

More Information: Alskyrian Gryphon

Dangerous Inhabitants

Rampage Plant

Contributor: Shard
Rampage plants have their common name from settlers because of the plant's destructive properties and way of life. All complexity aside, the plant is a weed. It produces an acid like substance through it's leaves and roots, killing off all plants near it by damaging roots and any leaves touching their own leaves, and contains an anti-toxin to its self, so it won't kill off other members of it's own species. Every month the plant generates spores on the buds of the plants, and the spores are taken by the wind, where they land and starts growing after a day of two.

Because of the toxic acid on the leaves and in the roots of this plant, all operations to just pull them from the ground have been unsuccessful. These plants are also extremely hardy, and when burned, they can regenerate themselves from their unburned, below ground roots, much like grass. When the plants begin growing their second set of leaves, the plant begins production of the acid in their roots and leaves, because it needs massive amounts of sunlight to produce the acid, which only leaves can soak up. The only effective way to kill them in fields used for crops is to cover them with a pot, or other metal bowl, that sunlight cannot reach through. If there were enough pots to cover all the plants then there would be a surefire way to destroy the plant altogether, but there's no where near the amount of metal needed to create that many. And after the plant has been under the pot for a week, it will be dead, from both lack is sun, fresh air, and water. While their roots produce the acid, they are taproots and only go about eight inches into the ground, now far enough to seek underground water.

Dragons compete with this menace by calculating when the next outbreak will be and being there during the time the spores are released. Even the weakest equipped T-Power dragon can fight because they use their telekinesis to raise the spores high off the ground, and into the air, where they are burned by the flame-breathing dragons. The spores a plant can produce are great, and so battles with this plant, while being only monthly can last up to three hours. Any spores that are missed by the dragons, in either before or after raising the spores into the air, are searched for by ground crews after battle and burned on the ground. While the adult plants are capable of regeneration after flame, the spores are not.

Ant

Contributor: Shard
The common name for the creatures is 'ant' because of the way it looks. The dog-sized creature is most definitely insect, six legs, and three distinct body parts. The worker ants are the ones who swarm the land masses in search of new foods and places to live. The large pedipalps on the front of their faces are used as 'jaws', working sideways. Because of their size they can slice small trees, and likewise sized animal limbs too stupid to move out of the way, in half. The ants attack for nearly a week twice a year, in the spring, when they're warm, and the queen is breeding, and they need a new place to stay, and in the fall, when after the abundance of breeding by the now dead queen, they need a new place to stay, and take the new queen eggs, for when the queens hatch in the middle of winter and begin developing, they will kill each other if they sense one another.

Despite their repulsive appearance, they are very stupid. The ants' minds work on two things, find food, find shelter. When attacked, they release pheromones and the platoon of ants rally together to swarm the creatures if they can.

The best way to combat these creatures in in the air, if on foot, they would surely eat their way through anything. Gryphons are the best combatants of the ants because their range is much farter than dragons, and they can therefore, be safer away, and out of reach of the ants snapping jaws. Dragons with long flame reach are welcome to join, but those with shorter belching distance had best stay away, being as it is too dangerous to be so close.

History

Timeline

Terms

There are several terms coined by many of Alskyrians, therefore they will be explained. And in alphabetical order, no less! All islands are different, so while these are the normal, there will be others. The terms are much like accents. Someone from one part of the world will speak differently from another, and will use different terms.

Aerie

Pronunciation: AY-ree
The home of the gryphons and their human bonds. Gryphons are social creatures, and like to be around their own kind, so it's only logical that they live together in one place. Many times an Aerie is part of a mountain range, giving the gryphons a good vantage point to see far off and to glide off the edge of cliffs instead of being forced to leap into the air from a stand-still.

Aerie Mother

The Aerie Mother is the overall leader of the Aerie. She can be placed in this position depending on the system of the Aerie, she can fight her way, be elected, or be born into command, all depending on how the Aerie runs. She picks her seconds, known as Aerie Daughters, and are her right hand ladies, helping the Mother in her work, and shouldering their own work for the Aerie. Anytime there is a Council meeting, the Triad will go.

Aerie Daughter

The Aerie Daughter is not necessarily related to the Aerie Mother, though can be, and is one of two right hand women of the Mother.

Bond

Pronunciation: BOHND
The Bond is when the minds of humans are merged with the minds of their one and only counterparts. A human cannot bond another creature if his or her dragon or gryphon dies, and they may try to suicide. Dragons and gryphons who loose their humans may also try to suicide, especially if alone and not in the Caer or Aerie, but can be saved by others of it's kind. It will never bond again, but it's knowledge may be well used until the day it dies, and without a life partner, their lives will be very shortened.

Bond Searcher

Pronunciation: BOHND Sir-cher
Also Known As: Search Rider
Bond Searches are the riders of dragons or gryphons who with their dragon or gryphon go in search of Bonders to stand before the eggs in either Caer or Aerie. These dragons and gryphons have a higher empathy rate with humans than most other of their kind, and can sniff out Bonders more easily.

Bonder

Pronunciation: BOHND-er
The title of a human young adult which is to stand with other young humans awaiting the hatching of the dragon or gryphon eggs in either Caer or Aerie.

Bonding

Pronunciation: BOHND-ing
Bonding if the second when a dragon and human, or a gryphon and human, minds merge. Their thoughts are connected for life, so they can hear one another think, and speak to each other in this fashion.

Caer

Pronunciation: CARE (CAY-r)
Caers are the homes of dragon multitudes. Like gryphons, many Caers are formed from mountain ranges because of the abundance of advantages in living so high.

Caer Dunes

Pronunciation: CARE DOONS
Also Known As: Hatching Sands, Hatching Grounds, Hatching Cavern
The Caer dunes are the extremely hot sandy area in a Caer that the female dragon lays her eggs on. Depending on the placement of the Caer and the island of Alskyr it's situated upon, the Dunes are either heated by the sun or underground sources.

Caerlady

Pronunciation: CARE-lay-dee
Caerladies are the female leaders of the Caer. They take care of everything they need to, including the picking of positions in the fleets, picking the job positions of other caerriders, Making sure that food is distributed and grown properly, supplies are distributed and crafted properly, meeting with other world-wide Caerladies and -lords for important matters, and other such things. They have as much, if not more, control over the Caer than their mate, because they are the deemed leaders, while their mates can easily be changed should the male not suit her liking anymore, or he gets too big an ego to run the Caer fairly.

Caerlet

Pronunciation: CARE-let
The private room belonging to a dragon and human bonded pair in the Caer.

Caerlord

Pronunciation: CARE-lord
Caerlords are the male leaders of the Caer. They take care of everything that as Caerlady does, including run the Caer fairly. Should they ever abuse their power as Caerlord they can easily be disposed of, because the female rises when she pleases, every two months at maximum, minimum being to rise once each year. If after two months the Caerlord proves himself not worthy of the title, the mate of the female dragon bonded to the Caerlady can easily be changed.

Covelord

In a Cove, it is a purely masculine workforce. Like the Aerie with is purely feminine, females can take leadership positions in a Cove but there will never be a female Covelord. (Like Aeries will never have a male Aerie Mother) The Covelord is the overall leadership position, he handles everything that falls on his shoulders; pod assignments, battle directions, training directions, appointing leaders, etc.

Dragoner

Pronunciation: drah-gone-er
Dragoner is the term for any human and dragon bonded pair.

Dragoneer

Pronunciation: drah-gone-ear
A bonded sea-dragon and human; used commonly in Lantir-setia Island.

Flat

The Flat, or Aerie Flat, is the large area someone close to the Aerie, or inside the Aerie, where airborne creatures can make a safe landing. Dragons and gryphons alike will use this to land their riders before going off in search of somewhere more comfortable.

Fledgling

Pronunciation: FLEDG-ling
The general term for an immature dragon or gryphon.

Fledgling Trainer

Pronunciation: FLEDG-ling TRAIN-er
Fledgling Trainers are the trained riders of dragons or gryphons, in a Caer and Aerie, respectively, that train the Fledglings from before their Bonder time frame, to the day they graduate to become Dragoners or Gryphoners, and active parts of the Caer and Aerie, respectively. 

Flitter

Pronunciation: FLIT-er
Flitter is the general term meaning anything of a small variation that can 'flit', or fly in a sharp direction quickly. Caer Lizards and Alis Gryphs are examples.

Gryphoner

Pronunciation: grih-fun-er
Gryphoner is the term for any human and gryphon bonded pair.

Leadership Triad

The Aerie works in groups of threes, and then a mass group beneath the three. The Aerie Mother and the Aerie Daughters, and the Pride Leader and the Pride Seconds are examples of this. There is no set number of the mass that are run by the Triads. 

Magic

Pronunciation: MAH-jik
Magic is limited to the gryphon race. Because dragons breath fire or other elements, and gryphons are not built with the same fire-breathing components, they have evolved to compensate for their lack. Gryphons use magic as an extension of their T-Power. Magic is formed between their front paws, their paws held like when humans hold a basket ball in front of their chest, and the magic formed is a ball about the twice the size of a basketball. Depending on what the gryphon was making will depend on what type of glow the ball will receive. If fire, the ball will glow with a red-orange light, if ice or water, a blue-white light, if earth, a green-brown light, if electricity, a yellow light. When the ball is "shot", the ball will explode, not anymore a glowing ball but whatever they created. It will look like a small (2-foot) stream no matter the creation. Gryphons then control where their magic goes by using Telekinesis, loosing control over their magic if they loose sight of it. Magic after being shot is no longer magic, but whatever was created, and when it lands on something, it will freeze, burn, drench or electrocute. Earth magic is not used often in battle because it is used to grow things quicker than naturally.

Nest

The Nest is a large nest, low to the ground, with only barely sculpted sides to keep the eggs in, but allow the hatched kittens easy escape if they find a Bond. The Nest materials varies with the island, but they're usually a mix of native tree limbs, leaves, mud (dried), fur and feathers. After each clutch, the mother cleans out the nest of the shells and fur and feathers, leaving it clean for the nest mother to clutch. When there are more than one mother clutching at the same time, they will share the nest, caring for their eggs in the same very large Nest, though keeping careful protection of the eggs to keep them separate.

Pod

The sea dragon pods are the equivalent of the Aerie prides and Caer fleets. They, however, are usually not as large, staying to about ten members and under.

Pod Leader

The Pod Leader is the leader of the sea dragon pods. The leaders are usually male, but can sometimes be female, if she's determined enough to earn the respect of her male peers.

Pod Second

There is usually only one Pod Second, being the leader when the Pod Leader falls sick or can't complete their duty as Leader. If a Pod Leader is killed, or dies a natural death, the Pod Second becomes the Pod Leader and takes over the pod of sea dragons.

Pride

The prides are the Aerie equivalent of Caer fleets and Cove pods. They contain a large amount of gryphons and their riders depending on their personality and specialties.

Pride Leader

The Pride Leader is, as one would think, the leader of the pride. They with their riders, direct the pride they lead in training, even when adults, gives out chores and routes to survey the land and watch for the spreading of the rampage plant and ants anywhere near the Aerie or Houses.

Pride Second

The Pride Seconds, there are two per pride, work as the right hand men and women of the Pride Leader.

Roost

The roost is the name of the room where a bonded gryphon and gryphoner lives.

T-Power

A More Defined Theory by Tiala
Pronunciation: TEE POW-er
T-Power is the term used by all Alskyrians, denoting the powers the gryphons and dragons have. T-Power has three parts, Telepathy, Telekinesis, and Teleportation. 

Telepathy

Telepathy has two parts in its self, there is the private telepathy where a dragon or gryphon can talk to anyone he or she wishes without the use of broadcasting. This type of telepathy is mental, and heard in the minds of those being spoken to rather than aloud. And the third type is rapid creature-to-creature telepathy, where the dragons and gryphons can relay to each other mentally faster than humans would be able to comprehend, and if a human tried to listen in, it would sound much like a buzzing because of the speed.

Humans do not have T-Power, therefore they cannot speak to any dragon or gryphon mentally, nor control one or more persons with any of the other T-Power components. This also works in reverse. Whatever is thought by the human is heard by their Bonded dragon or gryphon only. No other dragon or gryphon can "listen in" to a human other than their rider or another dragon because they are not bonded mentally to them.

Telekinesis

Telekinesis is the art of moving objects with the mind, and dragons and gryphons often do this to tease their bonds or fellow species. Depending on the strength of the dragon or gryphon's T-Power, is how much they can lift and for how long. Weaker T-Power Telekinesis cannot move large things, like humans, dragons, gryphons, beds, dressers, large items of that sort, but can move anything smaller. Depending on the strength of the T-Power, the creatures also are limited to what they can move from how far a distance. But, items being moved must be within sight range, or it cannot be moved. If enough dragons are used, very large items can be moved, and if the entire Caer worked together, moving very large masses could easily be achieved. There is also the use of broadcasting their voice, much like you or I would speak to one another. Their voice is projected aloud, rather than in the minds of others, and is transferred into physical sound waves which can bounce off items like your own voice would. This 'speaking aloud' is a combination of Telepathy and Telekinesis.

Teleportation

Teleportation is instantaneous, and can be done from anywhere, even on the ground. Where they teleport to must be in the air, however, because if they teleport too close to the ground they may become impacted in it, and while they wouldn't die if their heads were exposed and could breath, they would have to teleport a second time to the air. If a Fledgling, the term for adolescent training members of both dragon and gryphon fleets, teleport and become impacted in the ground, they are grounded (no pun intended) until their supervisors see they have become more mature in their judgment. Some dragons can't teleport at all, because it takes a very strong toll on the body, both physically and mentally.

Below is a chart used on Lantir-setia Island to determine the rank of T-Power. It was developed after studying winged wolves, dragons and gryphons.

Sea Dragons

Unlike Caers, sea dragons rely on their own kind to lead even if there is a bonded human around. The leader of the formation or pod is chosen through week long battles. Only the strongest and smartest make it through with their pride still intact. At the end of the battles, the winner is named leader. Though, should his rule prove to be incompetent, they can easily be replaced. 

More Inforamtion: Alskyrian Sea Dragons

Calendar

Alskyrian Calendar

Known Holidays

Gyr 1 - New Year's Day
Sperance 1 - Fool's Day
Veksle 15 - Summer Solstice
Pente 14 - Lover's Day
Desenlance 28 - Spook's Day
8-18 - Catena Chocolate Festival
11-15 - Winter Solstice

Calendar

Agency	Owner	Status	Link
Arminas Aeire	Yakima		Visit
Caer Brynmor			Visit
Caer TolEras	Yakima		Visit
Tavrobel Cove	Yakima		Visit

Maps

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Original Map
Submitted by StarFyre

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Climate Map
Submitted by Yakima

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Basic Map
Submitted by Yakima

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Geographical Map
Submitted by Yakima

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Political Map
Submitted by Yakima

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Rainfall Map
Submitted by Yakima

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Tempeture Map
Submitted by Yakima