Thread:Crowsoul50/@comment-33229352-20190329041930/@comment-33229352-20190329042524

Species Name: Bushbeasts

Scientific Name:foliis periculo

Names: The Bushbeasts name themselves, but it's in Tree and most people cannot understand it or speak it, as it's a wordless language. As such, they can be named by more conventional means by Ishmael, Huck, Milo... anyone really. However, they cannot be named after plants. They find it offensive and akin to identity theft.

Lifespan: Like many trees, they can live indefinitely. The older they are, the bigger they can be. The smallest adult ones are about as tall as a horse, with some of the biggest the biggest being over 100 feet tall at the shoulder. Many of the larger Bushbeasts are in a permanent state of hibernation and do not surface often, it at all.

Genders: There are male and female Bushbeasts, but there’s no way to really tell until they bloom. The males have deep red flowers, and the females have light purple flowers. This typically happens in the springtime but the growth can also be accelerated through stress or magical means. Both types of flowers  grow around the face and neck.

Hierarchy: Bushbeasts live cohesively, with the vast majority of them residing in Ishmael's domain. While they tend to conglomerate based on their animal or by carnivores and herbivores, but there really isn't and official heirarchy or grouping. Huckis the leader of all Bushbeasts, no matter if they are in Ishmael's domain or not. However, they will follow the orders of the one who grew them if Huck does not give them any or is not around.

Typical Appearance: Bushbeasts are typically large and burly in build. They have the general body shape of a fourlegged creature, and one could describe it as bearlike in nature with a longer neck. Their bodies are covered in thick bark that acts  as natural armor plating. They start off with a limited amount of foilage that covers their head and necks like a lion's mane, and on their legs. As they grow, they accumulate a variety of plants and rocks, and the oldest and biggest ones can even have whole trees growing on their backs. The prey-headed Bushbeasts  are usually slimmer in build and may lack the claws that predator Bushbeasts have. If the animal head they have has other prominent features, such as long legs, horns, or hooves, that may often appear in the animal as well.

Most Bushbeasts are considered deciduous, but a few are coniferous and do not hibernate during the winter.

Though uncommon, there are Bushbeasts that look exactly like the animal they are derived from, albeit in plant form. This means they are the same relative shape and size as their animal. This was a mutation from Shiloh's experimentation of the Bushbeasts. This does not cause them any health issues, and the other Bushbeasts do not treat them any differently, although they are more careful of their footing these days and will allow the smaller ones to ride on their backs to avoid being squashed.

All Bushbeasts have the head of existing animals, such as lions or dogs. Mammals make up a good 80% of the Bushbeast population, but reptiles have been seen, too. Bird Bushbeasts do not exist, and neither do bug or insect types. All Bushbeasts have eyes made of glowing amber stones. These are what the Bushbeasts use to see, however they can be taken out or even shattered through brute force. Bushbeast amber is much harder than regular amber and is quite rare, making them a lucrative item in the poaching business. Huck is the only known anomaly, as his eyes are blue amber instead of the regular... amber amber.

Clothing: Some Bushbeasts will drape themselves in different kinds of flowering vines, but that's as close as they get.

General Personalities: Extremely loyal to their grower and to Huck, Bushbeasts will follow almost any order given to them, except when attacking their own. They’re generally peaceful creatures, gentle giants. They will not go out of their way to harm another unless they are commanded to or the thing in question is hurting another Bushbeast. They're simple beings and aren't extremely inteligent, but they aren't mindless either.

Abilities: They have limited control over plants; they can spout vines from their body and from the ground to immobilize and ensnare a target. They are very strong and have moderate healing capabilities. Broken bones are about as high as they can go.

Weapons: Claws, teeth, etc.

Communication: They communicate with one another in Tree and nonverbal body language. The older ones have limited telepathy, and can send images and feelings to each other and those outside of their species, but have difficulty articulating it into words. Those fluent in Tree (*cough* plant deities *cough*) can understand them just fine.

Background/History: They were created by Ishmael in a burst of desperation during one of the rare times he engaged in combat. In his early deity days, he was attempting to defend a medieval city single-handedly from an invadng army. He was losing badly and the Bushbeasts burst from the ground and decimated his enemies. He felt bad that they were created solely for the reason of destroying lives and sought to develop them into a species and not just a weapon. Now they roam throughout his domain in relative peace, keeping it safe from those who would seek to destroy it but also staying safe themselves.

Other:

-The Bushbeasts believe that Forengard and the world in general is on the back of a giant Bushbeast floating through space, but that’s about as far into religion as they will go. -Bushbeasts will camouflage themselves by “rooting” into the ground; they will sink into the ground until only the tops of their backs are visible. Some hills are in fact Bushbeasts who just want to be left alone. They use this as a form of transportation as well. This is also how they hibernate. A full forest can appear overnight thanks ti a group of slumbering Bushbeasts. -They do not like fire (wow wonder why) -If they lose too much foliage, they can die, they also bleed sap.

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