thmagicalblog

[thmagicalblog]

Happy pride all dragons are assumed LGBT until specified otherwise

[thmagicalblog]

Peeks at the dragons in colour, these are from the (in-progress) main posts for each species! A leatherwing, an icehorn, and a feathertail

[thmagicalblog]

The Fauna Dilemma (TM)

The animals in a fantasy world can easily be one of the most difficult areas of worldbuilding.

Some fiction, like Wings of Fire, simply leave things as they are with 1:1 versions of the animals on earth (though they may be bigger to match the scale of the dragons?).

Some, like James Cameron's Avatar, have an entire ecosystem built from the bottom up (seriously, it's incredible).

I'll be discussing different approaches to how exactly I'll be filling my own fantasy world with it's own animal kingdom. Thoughts and ideas under the cut! This is a pretty long one folks

Let’s find a starting point first, at the moment I’ve been working with a system that simultaneously has earth animals + a few made up ones that I drafted while trying to flesh out the world. I kept the real, preexisting fauna in mostly for dragon names; I had a few characters called Fox, Coyote, etc that I didn’t want to rename, and their namesakes actually have to exist in the world for it to make sense.

Now I know that I have to stick to animals that are at least based off of ours on earth.

And here are the creatures that I’ve designed:

(these are old drawings, bear with me)

Blazen Elk.

These are pretty much giant elk with colourful keratin. Since their creation this animal specifically has gained a very important role in the plot of my story, their time for redesigning will come.

Fieldhoppers!

These guys are fun, just a slightly magical critter that fills a rodent niche. I like the biological differences between populations that live in different climates.

And finally Brightrock Lizards

Not a big fan of these but the Fire Swamps certainly need a ‘token creature’, perhaps I’ll ditch them altogether (or at least give the name a rethink)

From what I’ve already designed, you can see I was going down a path of “create amalgamations of animals that already/used to exist and add a little something special”. And while I like that idea, replacing everything in a similar way would be WORK. I have a slightly different idea.

I was thinking about the animals that you see in Avatar the Last Airbender. Hybrids of animals like the turtle-duck or otter-penguins.

While I don't want to just smush two animals together, I do like that they took away the identifying part of the animals name, if that makes sense. They aren't Emperor penguins or Adélie penguins, they're just penguins.

That solves a problem of adding, for example, Thompsons gazelle or a Bullet ant. No dragons named Thompson exist and I'll be damned if the dragons have invented artillery without me, they can just be gazelle and ant

Avatar also has a few special creatures like the Sky bison and the Unagi that don't fit into the regular rules and I like that too. It's good for if i want a creature a little more abstracted from what the audience is used to.

However, it seemed a little boring for my animals to stay so simple, so I kept thinking- and so far my idea is that each animal may have slight alterations to its name or even appearance so that they better fit into the world. As if the dragons themselves had named them. This gives the opportunity for multiple subspecies of the same animal to exist and also the opportunity to have what each creature is called by the dragons colloquially change and vary between regions or clans.

^^ Writing this out is confusing me lmao so I'll do a visual rep too.

As an example, I'll take an animal and slightly alter it now. I'm thinking the European fallow deer. Europe doesn't exist, obviously. And fallow is derived from fealu, meaning brownish-yellow in Old English so (for the betterment of my braincells i'm not going into how i'm tackling language in this project) i'm going to change it.

Here are the sketches. I imagine a deer like this would be suited best for the Halcyon Forest region, which is mostly deciduous forest.

For the name, their spots got me thinking. Since they're supposed to mimic dappled sunlight through the leaves, I thought 'sun deer' could be suitable. I took the sun theme and ran with it.

And my digital version with colour.

With the solar theme, I was inspired to alter the pattern and colouring a little. Spots mimicking sunspots and antlers that meet in a circle (referencing a solar disk). In my drawing I forgot that antlers change/regrow with the seasons oops- just consider it a colour and pattern reference.

Does changing the colours remove the original purpose of the spots? Yes. Does it still work as camouflage anyway? I think it could. Anatomically I didn't make any changes sans the antlers, I couldn't see any way to adapt them to better suit their environment (or help them run from dragons) that wouldn't be going overboard. I did debate adding a resistance to fire, which would make sense for the prey of a firebreather, but decided to reserve that trait for only a few select animals.

Using this method of creating animals for Asteria means I can easily make them up on the fly. Need a bear or a goat or something? Just zest it up a little and boom. The only exceptions for this I think would be butterflies and possibly birds. And that's only because I have two dragon species that directly reference these animals for their designs sometimes. I'll reevaluate when I get there I guess.

And that's how I'll tackle the fauna dilemma, if you made it to the end- thank you!

[thmagicalblog]

I made the little guy! Clay Ophis is one of my finer creations

NEW VIDEO OUT NOW!!!! Showing my prized possessions

[thmagicalblog]

Some headshot sketches I really liked, a feathertail and a leatherwing.

[thmagicalblog]

Dragon teeth pt3

In the third edition of the series we'll go to the Aether Isles: rainforest, plains, floating islands! The diversity in this region makes designing the dragons here even more interesting, this time we're looking at

the Feathertails and Nightscales

I'd also like to link here a series of articles I found on National Geographic with photography by Matthieu Paley, they've been invaluable in my research towards the practices of peoples who survive off the land which they live. Find them all [here] (find https at the bottom of this post)

Continue under the cut!

Original drafts and location notes

When it comes to the Feathertails and Nightscales I can use the same food notes for both, since the two share a home of the Aether Isles. The region itself is composed of 2 main areas- the rainforest and the plains. The floating islands there fall under the rainforest section. Both species share the space although they've got preferences that I'll address in their respective sections- ergo, I should make their teeth different!

In their old designs, both feathertails and nightscales had the same teeth- inspired from the uniform spikes of a shark or lizard (or your traditional style dragon, ha!). I just wasn't a fan of this for some reason, maybe because the rest of my species had more mammalian teeth. These teeth are also somewhat unsuited for small fish in the warmer waters and for any real tough vegetation.

Now to address the Aether Isles. The rainforest is teeming with life, animals, and plants. It's probably harder to pursuit hunt here with all the trees and such but I doubt that would stop a hungry dragon. This place can grow food unique to anywhere else on Asteria so we have a nice fresh list to look at- including cacao! Alongside sugar and vanilla, I'd love to explore the possibilities of dragon choclate (≧ᗜ≦)

As you head south and things dry out a little, you'll find a warm plains with expanses of grass and less diverse plant life. This is where you'll find the bigger things to hunt like horses and bison and such.

As I was finding the link for the articles inspiring these notes, I discovered one last article that I'd missed- about the plains! So, informally I will add on a couple of extra notes for this region, being mostly berries, tubers and honey! Now lets get to the dragons.

-----

Feathertails

New design

Feathertails were interesting because as a kin they have a much more plant-heavy diet than the other dragons. This was compensated by giving them large incisors for chomping off chunks of harder veg and sharp canines (on the smaller side?) paired with equally-sized molars for tearing and ripping. Theres a slight difference between the pre-molars and proper molars where the teeth further back are a little flatter to grind things.

In hindsight, feathertails probably have dental structure with more similarities to humans than most- especially the tongue! (Which is unforked, and not as flat or large as the other species, giving it a human-like appearance ⊙﹏⊙)

-----

Nightscales

New design

The Nightscales live with the Feathertails, but historically haven't sustained themselves on the same food supply. I figured if the two were going to share a region, that it should be the case to prevent fighting and territory disputes between the two.

The most notable thing about the Nightscales is their affinity for caves, which means their cultural hub is focused in the floating islands of the Aether Isles, which has plenty of caves within the islands above the sea and the surrounding cliffs from the mainland. This means one of their primary food sources is fish, and their teeth reflect that.

The ideal fish-catching teeth are long, narrow, and sharp for spearing slippery prey. Nightscales teeth reflect that with the canines and premolars, with the pointiest incisors too. As you head to the back to the main molars, they get a little larger and flatter to accomplish what the other teeth aren't as good at- which is crushing with lots of force and grinding. These serve to tackle larger prey as well as make do for other foods like vegetables. Although I imagine nightscales to be one of the more carnivorous species since the Feathertails have dibs on the vegetarian stuff.

Next up: Part 4 [WIP]

To see the rest of the series : Part 1

And here's a proper link to the series by Matthieu Paley:

https://paleyphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/EVOLUTION-OF-DIET-7-stories/C0000l6WIhBlmQ2Q

[thmagicalblog]

Dragon teeth pt2

This time we'll be taking a look at the desert/savanna regions of my world, homeland to two more of my dragon species:

Leatherwings and Embersnouts

Images and processes under the cut ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ )

Leatherwings

Original draft and flora/fauna notes

The Leatherwings! Large dragons from the Scorched Desert region. They populate the hot desert and it's surrounding savanna.

Originally I gave leatherwings teeth inspired from a snake- what?? Are they swallowing prey whole? Do they have venom? No and no! I just picked it because I thought it was cool or something (╥_╥) Now let's pay attention to the biome they live in!

These notes focus on the hot sandy deserts, I may have neglected the savanna part a little (ᵕ—ᴗ—) I figured whatever teeth I decide on will do just fine there too. In the less arid parts of the Scorched Desert you'll find fruit like prickly pears and dates, as well as a nice variety of vegetation. A big thing I noticed is flavour- lots of spices and flavourful foods that will be important when I design their cultural dishes and cuisine.

As for animals- your standard sheep/goats/dromedary to hunt, smaller game might not be as prevelant here than in other regions but there's still a decent supply. Now let's have fun with some teeth!

Here I had two main focuses- meat and fruit. Before crops were cultivated, I reckon fruits were the most readily available. We've got large canines for holding onto prey, I imagine their hunting style being like a lion. The molars and premolars are uniquely small and uniform, good for soft fruit! As for other plants- I gave them strong and sharp incisors for chopping pieces off of vegetables and the like.

They've got a big tongue with no fork and a rough texture. The rest of their mouths inside are also fortified (like a camel?) This gives them the ability to eat cacti and other prickly things no problem.

The Leatherwings are also one of the few dragon species on Asteria with "whiskers", sensitive sensory hairs growing from the snout and the odd other places. Leatherwing whiskers are the shortest.

~~~~~

Embersnouts

Original draft and a repeat of the notes

Something important about the Embersnouts is while their kin originated in the desert, they didn't stay there. In present day Asteria, embersnouts can be found in almost any region, provided the conditions aren't too extreme and the natives are welcoming to migrators. They've been spread out for a good long time too so it will affect the dentistry somewhat. Perhaps an Embersnout with a lineage that's been established in one area for a very long time might have teeth that grow a little differently? Something to muse about.

My initial embersnout teeth design was from a lion- not bad but too specialised for meat! They'll be eating a bit of everything.

The new design is similar to the old one but with a few adjustments. Canines are shorter- I imagine them to lean towards a pursuit hunting style instead of ambush. The molars are a little bit more rounded which will make eating everything else easier. Overall these teeth aren't very special.

They don't have defense against cactus prickles to the same extent as leatherwings, but their tongue and inner mouth are still rough- probably second place. Don't forget the little freckles! (❀ˆᴗˆ)

Next up: Part 3

And since this is the second in the series- you can find the first post here : Part 1

[thmagicalblog]

Lets design- Dragon teeth!

I'm currently cooking up the main reference sheets for my dragon species, but realised I need to take some time to focus on teeth! It's something I overlooked initially but its important. So after scouring natgeo articles and a little research of animal tooth structure- here they are!

There are 10 species that need their pearly whites at the moment, we'll start with two from the northern regions:

Icehorns and Pineclaws

Images and process under the cut!

It's worth noting here that for this instance and a few others, there is overlap between what sort of food each of these dragons have access to. Since their homelands are neighbours with no natural barrier.

Each of my notes also have a little subsection for drinks! This is mostly just musing on my part for now, but will come up if I ever get that far with their cuisines.

~~~~~

Icehorns

Original draft and flora/fauna notes

First up- the Icehorns! These guys live in the northernmost tundra of Asteria- which is covered by the Diamond Plains region.

We started off with unoriginality. I just gave them the teeth of a bear basically. Honestly a decent start point and didn't really need changing. But we can do better, lets have a look at whats available in their homeland.

The name is very much an indicator of what you'll find here- not much! Like the human populations of our own tundra, the average icehorn's diet is mostly meat. They raise no livestock usually, only hunt; seals are a main target, with smaller game wherever possible, and large hunts that can feed a family unit for some time.

Of course- there will be some regions where vegetation is more common in the form of berries, grasses, sea plants on the coasts, and the occasional veggie.

New design

Onto the new teeth! This one was quite fun since I had less to focus on. Large canines are a must to hold onto prey, and everything else is nice and sharp. I decided the molars could be bigger for that bite force- think hyenas. The incisors are short- maybe not great for the little grasses and berries, but I think they'll do just fine picking them with talons.

As for the tongue- this ones easy to describe. Big, rough, no fork. Imagine a big cat like a lion or tiger. Gets the meat off the bones!

~~~~~

Pineclaws

Original draft and flora/fauna notes

A little further south and you'll reach the Frosted Taiga! This place has a lot of potential if you know where to look- and luckily the Pineclaws are right at home here.

In my original design, they had the teeth of a cat- uninspired right? Actually they would work, though I put no thought into it. Lets revise!

A majority of the Frosted Taiga is an enourmous sprawling redwoods, so theres some nice foraging opportunity there, as well as smaller, agile animals that are better trapped than hunting by hand (talon?).

A major feature of this region is the fungi! Lichens, mushrooms of all kinds. This is something I've yet to completely explain but I've got a decent idea for it, it will be addressed eventually.

Other than that, there's larger game where the forest is less dense. The cultivation of crops for the pineclaws is too modern for it to affect their dental structure, but was worth noting.

New design

I had a smidge of trouble with the pineclaws teeth actually- I was unsure if I should make them overly carnivorous since a large portion of the modern pineclaw diet isn't meat at all. I figured that they must have had a history of hunting anyway so I just went for it!

The canines are larger than expected due to them making it easier to tear large chunks of fungi material (imagine the texture of a giant button mushroom) but they're still pointy, favouring ripping and tearing like a wolf over grasping like a lion would.

The back of the mouth is where is gets interesting. Flatter, rounded molars for grinding up plant matter, but they still have a bit of pointy-ness going on. As for the tongue, relatively normal. Originally they had no fork but I decided on it last minute.

Note to self: I think I'll give them some whiskers too, will have to add them to the finished linework.

Next up: the Leatherwings and Embernouts

[thmagicalblog]

How my morning went basically

This is Harmony since I don't have a persona character really ↑↑

[thmagicalblog]

Masterpost - Dragons

IF YOU'RE SEEING THIS: This place is looking pretty sparse! You got here early (ㅅ´ ˘ `) As the posts are made I will update this promptly with their links. Feel free to check out the few that are here!

Below are the links to each of the dragon species that populate the world! Dragons are the dominant creature on the continent of Asteria, and I have 10 established, with 2 more aquatic types in the works ✮⋆˙⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Clans vs Kin [TO BE DISCUSSED]

Ashfangs

Main post Tag

Cloudwings

Main post Tag

Embersnouts

Main post Tag

Feathertails

Main post Tag

Feywings

Main post Tag

Icehorns

Main post Tag

Leatherwings

Main post Tag

Nightscales

Main post Tag

Pineclaws

Main post Tag

Ridgebacks

Main post Tag

[thmagicalblog]

Introduction post!

If you like dragons, fiction stories, and magical in-depth worldbuilding- then watch this space as I gradually build up a full archive of my process as I design the land of Asteria!

A fan of Wings of Fire? Warrior Cats? The How to Train your Dragon book series by Cressida Cowell? Give my blog a browse and tell me what you think!

[thmagicalblog]

Welcome to the Hub of Worldbuilding for the land of Asteria!

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ I'm Katie and this is my blog! ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

This is an archive started in April 2025 that builds on my personal wordbuilding project and it's subsequent storyline - All about magic and dragons \(⟡o⟡)/

Intro post

Contents

As I make posts- I'll create masterposts for multiple topics that can direct you to where you wanna go, like a tumblrified wiki page (˶ˆᗜˆ˵) Watch this space !

Dragons Masterpost

As well as links, I have tags for the extra stuff I post, like WIPS or discussions

#magical designs - my processes to create new things!

#misc magical - drabbles, doodles, and the like

#magical draws - uncategorised drawings and nice finished pieces ✨

#magical discusses - posts of (mostly) text where I discuss the rules of my world or solve a problem

#magical wips - my works in progress / unfinished works

#magical reblogs - It's rare I'd reblog something here, but when I do it's tagged with this

Social Media

Instagram is my platform for updating on WIP's and submitting art pieces! This is also my main platform to commision art from me at this moment (COMING SOON)! Instagram - @ thatsmagical

TikTok is a platform that I won't be using as much anymore, but I like to use for the sounds and trends occasionally! I like to drive my engagement here the most. TikTok - @ thatsmagical_