Female Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Opaline Xhimrau
Birthday: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Owner: Kestrad
Element: Neutral 
Young xhimrau live with one of their parents, usually their mother, a mere week before the parent abandons them to fare on their own in the depths of the caves. Researchers aren't sure why xhimrau hatchlings are pushed away so early, nor why their parents keeps them close for that first week, but some hypotheses have floated around the Keep's halls. The favored idea is that the caves are too sparse in food for an adult xhimrau to find food for its hatchling and itself for long, but that their one week together is necessary for a young xhimrau to learn how to find food. Xhimrau certainly seem surprisingly precocious compared to other mammalian creatures, and occasionally wander away from their parents willingly if they find sufficient food before their typical week of dependency is over.
Xhimrau are bizarre denizens of the Caves of Nareau, rarely seen above the surface except in the company of magic users. They have surprisingly good vision for creatures that spend most of their time in caves, often using the bioluminescence of other organisms and inorganic materials in the caves to navigate. As the caves have sparse inhabitants, a xhimrau may have to go hungry for months before they find a decent meal, but their keen sense of smell leads them to the high-energy food sources they need to survive. Opaline xhimrau favor crystalwing eggs, using their strong, nimble paws to pry them open. If the eggs prove too tough for the opaline xhimrau, they will often throw them repeatedly against sharp crystals, and if they're truly desperate, they may throw the eggs away entirely and go after crystalwing hatchlings.
Sprite art: Tekla (hatchling) | Description: PKGriffin