Name: Skaldal
Quick Facts: The Skaldal is a strange little creature that moves around on all four as well as two legs, similar to some kind of chimp. They are known to travel in large groups of anywhere from 10 to 40 depending on the location. They have little in regards to natural weapons to defend themselves with, the most they have are large incisors that are more so for eating as they are a mix of both foragers and scavengers. Skaldals love anything that sparkles, shines, or seems valuable. They like stealing from stupid people who leave their valuables somewhere easily accessible. They say finding a Skaldal den is as good as following a treasure map to its conclusion. Because the large groups they live in and the multiple generations that use the same den as a home, the treasure will pile up to great amounts, though dens are stupidly hard to find.
Height: 3 feet (when sitting on hind legs)
Width: 16 inches roughly
Length: 3 feet. Adding in the tail will add an extra foot and a half.
Weight: 4 and 5 kg (9 and 10 lb)
Native to: Usually forested areas. Both warm and cold climates but not to extremes.
Locations: Central, North, and West are the easiest places to find the Skaldal however they can be found in the East and South even if it is rare.
Appearance:
The Skaldal are small black creatures that look like a cross between a monkey, a rabbit, and a very furry cat. Most if not all have large yellow eyes that are cat like or rabbit like in nature, depending on the tribe. There is a small amount of very rare Skaldal who have blue eyes. Skaldal with this eye color is usually born blind or with severe vision problems, more often than not leading to their demise. One of the very noticeable traits of the Skaldal is the fact they have human like hands with long fingers and opposable thumbs, this is often where the comparison of monkeys comes from in combination with its feet and tail.
Habitat: A Skaldal will take up residence in any area with proper tree cover. They tend to stay in the trees as often as possible since it's a good place to forage as while as steal from the unwitting. Skaldal dens aren't so much dens as they are a clump of trees close enough together to hold the entire tribe. Usually, a hole will be dug out under the tree for them to keep the treasures they collected as well as to hide the sick or pregnant tribe members. It's easy to mistake these small dens for fox holes, making it hard to locate the treasure even if you know where a tribe of Skaldal live. Some will even disguise the area through the use of whatever natural material is in the area. Skaldal will try to pick an area with a mild temperature or somewhere that is only a little above the mid line. Skaldal are not prepared for either extreme, however, they'll have an easier time dealing with the cold than the heat thanks to their thick coats.
Lifespan and Development: Skaldal are born in litters of usually around 3-6. Most young Skaldal won't survive due to illness or the general weakness of the species. Skaldal are social animals that stay in tribes in order to protect the young and the old. Usually, Skaldal becoming of breeding age at about 2 years old. Young Skaldal stay in tree based nests at all times. They usually stay towards the center of the tree keeping them far from the ground while also out of the way of large birds of prey. Between the ages of six months and an arc, the Skaldal aren't old enough to wander far from home. They are, however, allowed to exit the tree and are often tasked with the job of taking care of younger litters. Once they reach an arc and a half of age the tribe will start to take them out to forage. Occasionally a Skaldal will leave it's tribe once they reach breeding age. Skaldal only live about 10-12 arcs tops.
In a tribe, there is usually one or a couple Alpha Skaldal. They aren't necessarily the leaders of the group, by they are the most highly skilled. They'll be smarter or stronger than the average Skaldal. This advantage usually makes them the protectors of their tribe leading to an Alpha to being much more aggressive than the average Skaldal.
Diet: Skaldal are generally accepted as very small and weak creatures. They are known to be foragers and what little meat they do capture is usually scavenged or small rodent like creatures caught by the Alpha Skaldal. Most tend to harvest berries from bushes or fruits and nuts from trees. Some Skaldal are born with slight mutations to their hands which give them the ability to efficiently dig, these Skaldal tend to hunt for roots. Alpha Skaldal, depending on the Skaldal, will hunt small creatures. For example, smarter Skaldal steal from others while stronger Skaldal steal it themselves. Depending on the area they live in they can catch small rodents, fish, or the lost meals of foolish travelers and farmers alike. Because the nature of their diet the Skaldal have built up a powerful immunity to most plant based toxins. Animal and chemical poisons are a different matter, but if you're trying to kill a Skaldal with poison from a plant be it the roots, leaves, or berries, then it's better you give up while you're ahead.
Temperament: Skaldal tend to lean towards a trickster personality, they are tiny and mischievous. When a member of the tribe locates a predator they will chase the predator out with simple tricks such as throwing rocks at them from the trees or causing them to run into things in an attempt to catch one as prey. However when a Skaldal is faced with a threat that can catch them most of the tribe if not all of the tribe become cowards. They will flee to the best of their abilities and if that fails they'll offer tribute from their hoards, often handing over the prettiest and by extension the most expensive items of their hoards.
Alpha Skaldal tend to react a bit different, tricking and trying to fend off a foe until the bitter end. They will not hand over their treasure and they are the most likely to attack with what little skill they have in the area of fighting. If you win the favor of an Alpha Skaldal by helping their tribe in some way then they'll finally offer treasure in return. Someone who has won the favor of an Alpha Skaldal will always be remembered the tribe even sometimes generations later. They will still treat the person as a friend, occasionally offering gifts or running to them when trouble arises.
Abilities: The tail of a Skaldal is very useful for climbing as it functions similar to a monkey. They have claws but the shape and side of the claws are for the purpose of better climbing. Skaldal actually have thumbs and nimble fingers which helps them collect food. High poison resistance. Some Skaldal are born with more scoop like hands and claws which help more with digging than with climbing.
The signature ability of the Skaldal, however, is their ability to secrete fluids from their skin that accelerates bark growth within the areas they make their nests, making it grow around the perimeter, to the point of making the clump look like a single tree and helping mask the den's scent from predators.
Credit: Nightshade
Quick Facts: The Skaldal is a strange little creature that moves around on all four as well as two legs, similar to some kind of chimp. They are known to travel in large groups of anywhere from 10 to 40 depending on the location. They have little in regards to natural weapons to defend themselves with, the most they have are large incisors that are more so for eating as they are a mix of both foragers and scavengers. Skaldals love anything that sparkles, shines, or seems valuable. They like stealing from stupid people who leave their valuables somewhere easily accessible. They say finding a Skaldal den is as good as following a treasure map to its conclusion. Because the large groups they live in and the multiple generations that use the same den as a home, the treasure will pile up to great amounts, though dens are stupidly hard to find.
Height: 3 feet (when sitting on hind legs)
Width: 16 inches roughly
Length: 3 feet. Adding in the tail will add an extra foot and a half.
Weight: 4 and 5 kg (9 and 10 lb)
Native to: Usually forested areas. Both warm and cold climates but not to extremes.
Locations: Central, North, and West are the easiest places to find the Skaldal however they can be found in the East and South even if it is rare.
Appearance:
The Skaldal are small black creatures that look like a cross between a monkey, a rabbit, and a very furry cat. Most if not all have large yellow eyes that are cat like or rabbit like in nature, depending on the tribe. There is a small amount of very rare Skaldal who have blue eyes. Skaldal with this eye color is usually born blind or with severe vision problems, more often than not leading to their demise. One of the very noticeable traits of the Skaldal is the fact they have human like hands with long fingers and opposable thumbs, this is often where the comparison of monkeys comes from in combination with its feet and tail.
Habitat: A Skaldal will take up residence in any area with proper tree cover. They tend to stay in the trees as often as possible since it's a good place to forage as while as steal from the unwitting. Skaldal dens aren't so much dens as they are a clump of trees close enough together to hold the entire tribe. Usually, a hole will be dug out under the tree for them to keep the treasures they collected as well as to hide the sick or pregnant tribe members. It's easy to mistake these small dens for fox holes, making it hard to locate the treasure even if you know where a tribe of Skaldal live. Some will even disguise the area through the use of whatever natural material is in the area. Skaldal will try to pick an area with a mild temperature or somewhere that is only a little above the mid line. Skaldal are not prepared for either extreme, however, they'll have an easier time dealing with the cold than the heat thanks to their thick coats.
Lifespan and Development: Skaldal are born in litters of usually around 3-6. Most young Skaldal won't survive due to illness or the general weakness of the species. Skaldal are social animals that stay in tribes in order to protect the young and the old. Usually, Skaldal becoming of breeding age at about 2 years old. Young Skaldal stay in tree based nests at all times. They usually stay towards the center of the tree keeping them far from the ground while also out of the way of large birds of prey. Between the ages of six months and an arc, the Skaldal aren't old enough to wander far from home. They are, however, allowed to exit the tree and are often tasked with the job of taking care of younger litters. Once they reach an arc and a half of age the tribe will start to take them out to forage. Occasionally a Skaldal will leave it's tribe once they reach breeding age. Skaldal only live about 10-12 arcs tops.
In a tribe, there is usually one or a couple Alpha Skaldal. They aren't necessarily the leaders of the group, by they are the most highly skilled. They'll be smarter or stronger than the average Skaldal. This advantage usually makes them the protectors of their tribe leading to an Alpha to being much more aggressive than the average Skaldal.
Diet: Skaldal are generally accepted as very small and weak creatures. They are known to be foragers and what little meat they do capture is usually scavenged or small rodent like creatures caught by the Alpha Skaldal. Most tend to harvest berries from bushes or fruits and nuts from trees. Some Skaldal are born with slight mutations to their hands which give them the ability to efficiently dig, these Skaldal tend to hunt for roots. Alpha Skaldal, depending on the Skaldal, will hunt small creatures. For example, smarter Skaldal steal from others while stronger Skaldal steal it themselves. Depending on the area they live in they can catch small rodents, fish, or the lost meals of foolish travelers and farmers alike. Because the nature of their diet the Skaldal have built up a powerful immunity to most plant based toxins. Animal and chemical poisons are a different matter, but if you're trying to kill a Skaldal with poison from a plant be it the roots, leaves, or berries, then it's better you give up while you're ahead.
Temperament: Skaldal tend to lean towards a trickster personality, they are tiny and mischievous. When a member of the tribe locates a predator they will chase the predator out with simple tricks such as throwing rocks at them from the trees or causing them to run into things in an attempt to catch one as prey. However when a Skaldal is faced with a threat that can catch them most of the tribe if not all of the tribe become cowards. They will flee to the best of their abilities and if that fails they'll offer tribute from their hoards, often handing over the prettiest and by extension the most expensive items of their hoards.
Alpha Skaldal tend to react a bit different, tricking and trying to fend off a foe until the bitter end. They will not hand over their treasure and they are the most likely to attack with what little skill they have in the area of fighting. If you win the favor of an Alpha Skaldal by helping their tribe in some way then they'll finally offer treasure in return. Someone who has won the favor of an Alpha Skaldal will always be remembered the tribe even sometimes generations later. They will still treat the person as a friend, occasionally offering gifts or running to them when trouble arises.
Abilities: The tail of a Skaldal is very useful for climbing as it functions similar to a monkey. They have claws but the shape and side of the claws are for the purpose of better climbing. Skaldal actually have thumbs and nimble fingers which helps them collect food. High poison resistance. Some Skaldal are born with more scoop like hands and claws which help more with digging than with climbing.
The signature ability of the Skaldal, however, is their ability to secrete fluids from their skin that accelerates bark growth within the areas they make their nests, making it grow around the perimeter, to the point of making the clump look like a single tree and helping mask the den's scent from predators.
Credit: Nightshade
