Entry 1: Platypus
General:
The platypi hail from the coastal rivers and estuaries near Voltare. Solitary creatures, raising their eggs in pairs and never larger groups, shy and suspicious preferring to vanish from sight when humans are about, be they Magi or not. When they are found it is typically in the low-tide estuaries where they use their wide, flat bills to root about for worms and mollusks in the soft soil. About the size of a small terrier, these creatures would seem natural victims, save for their poisonous claws. The poison is not typically deadly to a human but is persistent and has the side effect of damping the ability to use magic. in the wild this helps defend them against the more magically oriented predators of their region. When raised by magi their poison can be sampled in small quantities; Herbalists will use these tiny amounts in potions to help blunt out of control gifts. While the wild ones are shy, those raised by Magi are more social, though they will tend to be proprietary about the mage they consider theirs. They are clever enough to be quite useful in river settings, being small enough to get into and out of very tight spaces, and strong enough to carry a usefully sized item out.
Egg
This egg is leathery, with two clawed flippers clutching one side.
Hatchling
The leathery shell peels away, rather than fracturing like most of the others you've seen, and a fuzzy, fluffy hatchling rolls out. Bright eyes take you in, and the rubbery duck-like bill nudges you and then nibbles at you, not hard, but just to see what you taste like. Once you are classified as 'not tasty' the hatchling platypus flips itself around and swats you with its tail, before slipping into the lake. That tail fans out doubling as rudder and extra paddle. The platypus dives down to the bottom and digs a little with its bill, and surfaces, coming up to you in an odd sort of waddling strut before proudly presenting you with a very disgruntled snail. In the evenings it is quite willing to curl up nearby in a nest of pillows, which this reserved hatchling promptly buries itself in when you have company.
Adult
Less playful than the hatchling, a platypus adult contents itself with bringing you occasionally found treasures, and curling up on or near your bed at night. It's fuzzy fur has smoothed down to a thick glossy coat. It will willingly retrieve any underwater item you can point out, though is still readily startled by the unfamiliar. They prefer to stay in one place unless with you, and will quickly find a preferred nesting spot, they will tolerate the presence of other platypi nearby, but not in their own nest, unless it is their mate or offspring. They guard their eggs fiercely, and the wild adults will do their best to take their egg with them if they must flee a human. Their relatively small size works against them and occasionally platypus eggs will appear in hands other than Magi's and be sold for exorbitant prices in the markets of Voltare.
Concept Sketches:
General:
Ti'mae Karu are native to the Alasre Mountains, and appear almost over the entire range. Their name translates to 'Tree Bear' or 'Tree Spirit' if you ask the local peoples near Arkene. They are playful tree-dwelling creatures, about the mass of a large cat, considered good luck by the peoples who know them, for their ability to spot poisons and traps and their unnatural speed. Their fur ranges from a cream and grey base to an oaken russet, but it is streaked and tipped in colors that change with the season, lush green in the summer, dusty reds in the summer, white in the winter, and fresh golden green in the spring. Their tails are semi-prehensile, not quite capable of fine gripping, they are useful for a little extra balance, either shifting the Ti'mae Kara's center of gravity, or hooking on a convenient branch.
Egg
A single fuzzy ear and tail protrude impudently from this mottled egg.
Hatchling
Long and lean, with a thick double coat of fluff, this hatchling practically bounces its way out of its shell, and is immediately into everything. It's bear like face doesn't seem to have a pointy enough nose to get in all the places it initially gets stuck (which requires a little help with the extraction.) Once it has finished its daily inspection of the where, it inspects you from top to bottom, pouncing and playing if you attempt to resist, though it seems to understand instinctively that using it's claws is bad. When hunting any random objects in your room, including the flies and your fuzzy slippers which it will stuff it's head into after 'killing,' the hatchling stretches itself out to its full startling length. When one of your other pets startles it, it compacts down and fluffs up, looking all together bear like.
Adult
Adult Ti'mae Karu, are every bit as playful as the younger members of their species, but they have learned to pace themselves, and the joys of long, luxurious naps. Wild ones are often seen, never caught. Your Ti'mae Kara typically finds three ways to When a Ti'mae Kara decides a human Mage is worthy, said mage will simply wind up with an egg sitting next to his head. When raised the Ti'mae Karu's clever four fingered hands and knack for trouble come in quite handy. They can get into and out of places that otherwise seem impossible. Around you they rarely compact and enjoy riding with their forepaws and head on your shoulder and their hind feet dug into the back of your clothing. Magi with Ti'mae Karu quickly take to wearing heavy vests to protect themselves from the sharp claws.
Concept sketches:
