Stone Lion
Spoiler
Creature Descriptions
General: The stone lion is believed to be the first magi-created creature. A powerful mage and sculptor gave life to the twin statues outside his keep to fend off intruders. They stand as tall as a man's mid-thigh and sport a coat of solid stone instead of fur and skin. Despite their heavy composite, they are able to chase trespassers with great agility; no one has been able to outrun an angered stone lion. Ironically, lion statues were made to look like lions guarding the keep, while the stone lion's greatest ability is to appear like a lion statue. The last creature a thief would expect to be attacked by is the one that does not look like a living creature at all. Designed to be guardians even when they were sculpted instead of born, stone lions protect their homes at all cost.
Egg: This egg looks more like a smooth stone than a living egg.
Hatchling: The hard egg breaks open like a geode to produce a small, gray, lion cub. It lies motionless next to the rocky shell for several minutes, and you wonder if it is even breathing. As you stroke the cub's small body, you find that is it slick and solid rather than soft and furry. Eventually, it sits up, becoming more aware of its surroundings. It sniffs you hand carefully, then licks it, which feels like coarse sand against your skin. It spends most of the day sitting perfectly still on the steps to your keep, but should anyone approach other than yourself, the young feline pounces without warning at the stranger, hook-like claws extended. After a few moments, you are able to remove the baby lion from your friend's leg, and it becomes calm and still once again.
Adult: Fully grown, your stone lion is a magnificent creature to behold. With its strong and unyielding figure, it could easily be mistaken for a statue sitting just outside your keep. As a cub, it learned the scent of your closest acquaintances, who are able to enter in peace. Those who are unfamiliar to the fierce creature and try to enter without you learn the hard way that the power of a lion with the weight of a boulder behind ten sharp claws and a mouth of razor-like teeth is a deadly combination. There is no doubt that you are safe in your keep when a stone lion is guarding the door.
Physical Descriptions (for spriters)
Egg: nothing fancy, something similar to this: http://www.wildearthproducts.com/catalo ... CASO-A.jpg
Hatchling: Stone lions do not move much, so an action pose would not be appropriate. I pictured the texture of the stone to be smooth, like a marble statue. Not sure if this would change the sprite, but I thought I should mention that. Here's a good pic of a pose, but the stone is too light: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... ioncub.jpg
Adult: the adult pose is pretty simple, they look like lion statues, such as this: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... nadult.jpg I could not find a lioness statue, but the pose should be the same.
Size comparison:
General: The stone lion is believed to be the first magi-created creature. A powerful mage and sculptor gave life to the twin statues outside his keep to fend off intruders. They stand as tall as a man's mid-thigh and sport a coat of solid stone instead of fur and skin. Despite their heavy composite, they are able to chase trespassers with great agility; no one has been able to outrun an angered stone lion. Ironically, lion statues were made to look like lions guarding the keep, while the stone lion's greatest ability is to appear like a lion statue. The last creature a thief would expect to be attacked by is the one that does not look like a living creature at all. Designed to be guardians even when they were sculpted instead of born, stone lions protect their homes at all cost.
Egg: This egg looks more like a smooth stone than a living egg.
Hatchling: The hard egg breaks open like a geode to produce a small, gray, lion cub. It lies motionless next to the rocky shell for several minutes, and you wonder if it is even breathing. As you stroke the cub's small body, you find that is it slick and solid rather than soft and furry. Eventually, it sits up, becoming more aware of its surroundings. It sniffs you hand carefully, then licks it, which feels like coarse sand against your skin. It spends most of the day sitting perfectly still on the steps to your keep, but should anyone approach other than yourself, the young feline pounces without warning at the stranger, hook-like claws extended. After a few moments, you are able to remove the baby lion from your friend's leg, and it becomes calm and still once again.
Adult: Fully grown, your stone lion is a magnificent creature to behold. With its strong and unyielding figure, it could easily be mistaken for a statue sitting just outside your keep. As a cub, it learned the scent of your closest acquaintances, who are able to enter in peace. Those who are unfamiliar to the fierce creature and try to enter without you learn the hard way that the power of a lion with the weight of a boulder behind ten sharp claws and a mouth of razor-like teeth is a deadly combination. There is no doubt that you are safe in your keep when a stone lion is guarding the door.
Physical Descriptions (for spriters)
Egg: nothing fancy, something similar to this: http://www.wildearthproducts.com/catalo ... CASO-A.jpg
Hatchling: Stone lions do not move much, so an action pose would not be appropriate. I pictured the texture of the stone to be smooth, like a marble statue. Not sure if this would change the sprite, but I thought I should mention that. Here's a good pic of a pose, but the stone is too light: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... ioncub.jpg
Adult: the adult pose is pretty simple, they look like lion statues, such as this: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... nadult.jpg I could not find a lioness statue, but the pose should be the same.
Size comparison:
Spoiler
Creature Descriptions
General: Supercrocs are primarily recognized by their size, secondarily by their incredible jaws, thirdly by their powerful tails, and fourthly by the very distinctive ridges along the underside of their jaw. Though, if you get to see the ridges, you probably have already gotten too close. The gargantuan size of is possible because of the added support granted by their armor-like scales. Even when taken in and raised by magi, these creatures are never truly tamed. Getting an egg from one of these beasts is a difficult and potentially deadly task, especially if you attempt your theft from the nest of a wild one. Due to the dangers involved with these creatures, few magi dare to keep them.
Egg: This egg has a soft, leathery shell and a little tooth sticking out.
Hatchling: The egg-tooth creates a hole in the egg. A gleaming, amber-colored eye peeks out at you, then the egg breaks open to reveal a small crocodile. It already looks like a miniature version of an adult. The young reptile watches you with wide yellow eyes and a deceiving grin. A tiny row of pointed teeth around its jaw is already visible. Suddenly, it zips toward the stream and dives in, already a superb swimmer. The juvenile croc snaps at any passing koi and even some young leviathans. From this, you decide to approach it only after feeding time. It grows in size and length substantially each day, and shows no signs of slowing down. In the cool of the morning, the reptile can be found sunning on the stream banks, mouth agape, revealing the powerful jaws that allow it to already take down prey twice its size.
Adult: Your Supercroc has never stopped growing since it hatched. It is now easily comparable in terms of size and strength to dragons. It does not rely on you for much, but it will protect you from any dangerous creature that might attack, if that means an easy lunch. All who see you with a Supercroc do not take their eyes off it. At first, you thought they were just impressed by your amazing creature, but you learned they were fearing an attack. Though you have taught it stay clear of the creatures of fellow magi, there is always the possibility of conflict with this giant reptilian. It is very strong-willed, and you must always be aware of what may agitate it. You have seen what the Supercroc can do to a full-grown Narwal, and you don't want to imagine the damage it could do with something as small as a human.
Physical Descriptions (for spriters)
Egg: a creamy-white egg with a little dark green bump sticking out, like the egg in the pic diagonal from the one with the head sticking out: http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/rt_t ... 14_ssh.jpg
Hatchling: There aren't any pictures of supercroc hatchlings, so it's best to base this one off a normal crocodile: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... chling.jpg
Adult: Here is where the supercroc is different from a normal croc. I want to stress the mouth's shape: the majority is thin but the end is large and rounded: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... cadult.jpg
Size comparison and close-up of head:
General: Supercrocs are primarily recognized by their size, secondarily by their incredible jaws, thirdly by their powerful tails, and fourthly by the very distinctive ridges along the underside of their jaw. Though, if you get to see the ridges, you probably have already gotten too close. The gargantuan size of is possible because of the added support granted by their armor-like scales. Even when taken in and raised by magi, these creatures are never truly tamed. Getting an egg from one of these beasts is a difficult and potentially deadly task, especially if you attempt your theft from the nest of a wild one. Due to the dangers involved with these creatures, few magi dare to keep them.
Egg: This egg has a soft, leathery shell and a little tooth sticking out.
Hatchling: The egg-tooth creates a hole in the egg. A gleaming, amber-colored eye peeks out at you, then the egg breaks open to reveal a small crocodile. It already looks like a miniature version of an adult. The young reptile watches you with wide yellow eyes and a deceiving grin. A tiny row of pointed teeth around its jaw is already visible. Suddenly, it zips toward the stream and dives in, already a superb swimmer. The juvenile croc snaps at any passing koi and even some young leviathans. From this, you decide to approach it only after feeding time. It grows in size and length substantially each day, and shows no signs of slowing down. In the cool of the morning, the reptile can be found sunning on the stream banks, mouth agape, revealing the powerful jaws that allow it to already take down prey twice its size.
Adult: Your Supercroc has never stopped growing since it hatched. It is now easily comparable in terms of size and strength to dragons. It does not rely on you for much, but it will protect you from any dangerous creature that might attack, if that means an easy lunch. All who see you with a Supercroc do not take their eyes off it. At first, you thought they were just impressed by your amazing creature, but you learned they were fearing an attack. Though you have taught it stay clear of the creatures of fellow magi, there is always the possibility of conflict with this giant reptilian. It is very strong-willed, and you must always be aware of what may agitate it. You have seen what the Supercroc can do to a full-grown Narwal, and you don't want to imagine the damage it could do with something as small as a human.
Physical Descriptions (for spriters)
Egg: a creamy-white egg with a little dark green bump sticking out, like the egg in the pic diagonal from the one with the head sticking out: http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/rt_t ... 14_ssh.jpg
Hatchling: There aren't any pictures of supercroc hatchlings, so it's best to base this one off a normal crocodile: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... chling.jpg
Adult: Here is where the supercroc is different from a normal croc. I want to stress the mouth's shape: the majority is thin but the end is large and rounded: http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu70 ... cadult.jpg
Size comparison and close-up of head:
Lassie guards my babies! Collie by Munin
I chose this creature before it was announced that non-mythical creatures would be allowed. So I'm hoping my next entry, the one I wanted to do in the beginning, will be even better.
