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Mermay 2024 is quickly approaching but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to participate much this year. But to commemorate one of my favorite challenges of the year I give you the Great Winged Sirenia. 

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Tengu are a medium sized, arboreal, humanoid inhabiting the lush mountain and forest terrain of Nippon . Communal and highly social, Tengu live in large extended family units with a matriarch or patriarch at the helm. 

Sexual dimorphism is subtle. With males and females being roughly the same size, color and shape. While males and females both posses large noses, dominant elder males have been recorded having noses that extended beyond their stomachs. Such a nose is incredibly attractive to highly selective females. 

While relatively docile in nature, if provoked, they can be quite dangerous, using their large fangs, claws and brute to wield fatal blows. This ferocity is especially displayed during territory disputes amongst rival clans.  

While relatively high on the food chain Tengu are still susceptible to predation. Kitsune, Ryu and at times even Oni will actively hunt adult Tengu. However it is the young pups who are most susceptible during their nascent voyages away from mom. 

While incredibly nimble in the trees, Tengu also are able to fly. Due to their robust bodies they can only fly for short distances but can cover vast distances despite this.

An eclectic diet, Tengu are opportunistic eaters. With a diet ranging from fruits and nuts to Kappa chicks and small rodents. 

Due to their high intelligence Tengu are known tricksters who will regularly steal clothing, food and supplies from lost travelers. 

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Gnomes are a small, ground dwelling, fairy found across most temperate forests, grasslands and in rare occasions mountain dwellings. They are one of the few fairies to be commonly found alongside human dwellings, having an affinity for their gardens. While most fairy beings can be seen as pests, the Gnome has managed to sway favor as they speak to a relatively good sign for agricultural communities. Having a Gnome is a good sign your crop is healthy and being tended too.

While most fairy species live relatively peacefully alongside one another, the Gnome is one of the few fairy species who do engage in warfare. This animosity is particularly found with Pixies.

Their “red cap” has become the moniker of the species. However this “cap” is not a piece of fashion, but a highly sensitive sensory organ used to help travel in their deep underground dens. They also act as a silent way to communicate with one another in dense brush or long grass. Only males of the species possess one. Female’s caps are small and dome-like, which they commonly adorn with flower crowns. The male’s cap doesn’t always remain active, they can actively render their cap flaccid, allowing them to burrow and squeeze into tight spaces. A male’s cap will grow throughout the course of his life, some reaching lengths double their body length. 

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The four leaf clover has long been associated with fairy magic and as such was highly sought after. While the plant itself has some magical properties it is the Clover Fairy that is much sought after. Far more elusive than the Shamrock Drake or the plant itself, the Clover Fairy is a much prized piece to any magical menagerie due to its potent magical uses. Their very aura is good for repelling magical forces or beckoning good luck. While dried, ground and ingested has miraculous healing properties. Such a prize does not comes easy as Clover Fairies are highly elusive and are known for their malevolent nature towards other beings. One has a single chance to capture one of these fairies or it can spell disaster. Clover Fairies are widely known to “pixie lead” would be advisories to their doom.

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The Cranial Hacksaw Drake is small but formidable and arguably just as fearsome as any goliath of the skies.

While it’s name is fearsome in it’s own right the act by which it gets it’s name is far worst. Alone, this 4inch dragon isn’t much to fear, however in it’s large familial flocks it is an apex predator. These little drakes are capable of taking down prey that are triple it’s own size. With a powerful bite it will latch onto it’s pray. The serrated barbs that run down its body become lodged, the deeper it bites, making them nearly impossible to remove. With familial swarms that can number in the double digits these little drakes can feed their entire swarm off of one kill. They are a particular menace for farmers as they have a liking for bovines and swine and while not known to feed on humans there has been documented cases of human casualties. Family units typically roost in caves which are typically torched on site if discovered. 

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While the mermaid is still best kept at a safe distance the rise of the ornamental, exhibition or lap mermaid brought the fearsome beasts of the sea into the family parlor. A craze largely seen amongst the social elite and aristocracy, ornamental mermaids were a status symbol of wealth. 

These household mermaids come in an assortment of forms and sizes, many of which having been genetically modified through years of selective breeding. Glorified decoration these pet mermaids were both visual delights and living music boxes. Especially those who are wild caught and reared as fry. These wild caught species, Males in particular, were most sought after for their singing voices. However the potency of the mermaid song is still a dangerous one. It is not unheard of to find entire gala parties dancing lost in a crazed fever haze.

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The life cycle of Merfolk, despite their vast dimorphism, is quite similar. Most Mermaid species are egg layers, with a very small minority being livebearers. The Merfolk life cycle begins as an egg, embryo, larvae, fry, juvenile and ultimately adult. While a Mermaid is a formidable predator it too is quite vulnerable in it’s young life.

While Merfolk are largely kept at a healthy distance and were once feared by seafarers they have become synonymous with livestock or game in certain parts of the world. Mermaid Roe has long been known for it’s medicinal, cosmetic and culinary properties and purposes. Also known as “Edible Pearls”, the harvesting of mermaid eggs is a common practice. There is some debate as to whether or not Merfolk are deemed sentient, however their roe offers far too much of a commodity for the issue to be pressed.

[vcreatures]

Happy Lunar New Year! Today marks the official transfer of power between celestial generals and their respective animals. Gone is the water rabbit, so it’s time to welcome the wood dragon. I hope you all have a prosperous and luck filled year of the dragon!  

[vcreatures]

Mimicry is a common evolutionary path for many “magical fauna”, including drakes. While many of the larger more impressive dragons have evolved outside of this, smaller drakes took to mimicry in vast numbers. From mimicking plants to insects mimicry is one of the major defense mechanisms for smaller dragons.  

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The Infernal Aves, or colloquially known as the Phoenix, are a small but varied group of highly specialized and adapted repot-avians.

This combustable creature has spawned countless myths and legends due to its unique pyro adaptation.

Their feathers are light yet hard, scale like, forming an almost impenetrable armor which protects them from their environment and also their burning adaptation. The Infernal Aves live exclusively along volcanic terrain. Without it they would be incapable of combustion. It is the combination of sediment/minerals from the environment and the combustible enzymes produced and secreted from it’s body that ignite the flaming bird  They also use the ambient heat of it’s environment to incubate a single egg that is buried and abandoned. This form of parenting, or lack there of, lead to the belief that the phoenix dies and is reborn from a single egg. This form of nesting is seen across all species.

While all Infernal Aves are fire capable each species has varying degrees of it.

Despite folklore phoenixes do not remain ablaze for extended periods of time, it is largely a last ditch escape effort. Or in some cases part of mating displays in males. While their bodies are relatively fire resistant it is not entirely, continued fires will ear away at its protective coating that covered their feathers.

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The Fire Phoenix is neither fire breather nor a phoenix, but rather a drake. It gets its name from it's flashy appearance. It’s body is speckled in bioluminescence and males grow large, impressive boney crests that are also pitted with light. These warm red lights, paired with it’s unique call can give the illusion of a combusting beast when in motion which lead some to believe it was a member of the infernal avians 

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Took a step back into the world of dragons for one last drake to round out the year. 

The Black Lace Wyvern, a delicate, nimble winged dragon found within subtropical forests. This little drake is most known for its impressive, flowing leg membranes. These growths are only found on the males of the species and are used in mating displays. However these impressive growths come at a cost, as males are far more susceptible to predation.

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The true ruler of the Kuzconian Empire…and she made sure of it…

This really could of been for day 11, villain or day 17, Emperors New Groove, either way Yzma is taking center stage.

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Its been a hectic couple of days of ups and downs so I wasn’t sure If I’d even finish this dynamic duo. Technically they are a day late but did you really expect Pain and Panic to be on time or do anything to plan?

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Day 6 of Disember: Treasure Planet. Of course I went with a creature to spotlight this largely underrated Disney film (in my opinion). If you haven't seen it, I think it's worth a watch! Now this isn't a one to one painting of the original Orcus Galacticus seenin the movie. I went with a slightly more alien redesign while still keeping true to the overall feel..for the most part.

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Hopping on the #Disember sleigh for this post. I love a good prompt list and @whitneypollett, @theanimatedlife and @lb.illustrates delivered. The prompt was “snow” which immediately made me think of the fairies in Fantasia for some reason. Not sure how many of these I’ll do but it’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing. 

[vcreatures]

The Meleagris Drake is a large, robust dragon widely distributed across upland forests. 

The Meleagris Drake’s mimicry of the North American turkey serves a purpose and extends beyond convergent evolution in regards to camouflage, The Meleagris drake s a member of the brood parasitism class of dragons. A female will lay a single egg within a turkey’s brood, The parasitic chick will typically hatch a couple days in advance, making one of it’s nest mates it’s first meal. 

(This guy is a bit late to the party but I thought it was still fine to share.)