The Most Basic of Bitches

some people don’t deserve fanfics, much less for free.

also even if authors didn’t tag any specific warnings but they used the “creator chose not to use archive warnings” tag, then that is your warning.

Fae Prince

Suddenly finished rendering Venn — I missed him a lot. The wings still aren’t quite where I want them to be, but it’s definitely better than just a sketch, so I’m counting it as a win 😤

Vintage Magazine Cover | Austroraptor

Despite it being one of the largest phraxai species, the igniphrax is also one of the most elusive due to being located in volcanically active areas below the surface of the earth. Where most animals would perish, they thrive.

Igniphrax are largely solitary creatures that spend most of their lives hibernating. When they awaken, the ground shakes and destruction follows. They are a highly specialised creatures adapted to the very peculiar environment created by the equally bizarre dandefire. The dandefire has been key to the evolution of the igniphrax, to the point where this flower has formed a symbiotic relationship with the larger creature. Lining the body of the igniphrax are large penklatory glands that act as greenhouses for the plant. The dandefire provides vital nutrients for the igniphrax by breaking down the materials in ash while the igniphrax provides much needed warmth and protection from creatures looking to eat the dandefire.

The igniphrax possesses head folds used as protection from extreme heat and the rocky earth when tunnelling. During flight, the igniphrax opens up these protective folds to act as funnels, channelling the ash from burning organic matter into the penklatory glands where the plants reside. Typically an igniphrax will rely on volcanic eruptions or forest fires to do the burning work for it, but when neither are available the igniphrax will start controlled fires. All phraxai have both an igniter and inhibiter to start and stop whatever chemical reaction they specialise in creating.

Furthermore, the dandefire is what allows such a massive creature to fly. The energy created by the dandefire gives the igniphrax buoyancy and the slow release of hot gas from a specialised vent protruding from the wing's elbow allows forward motion. The only major downside to their mode of propulsion is how painfully slow and sluggish they are in flight. A positive - if it can be called that - is how they inspired the design of the greenhouse airship. It is rumoured that one of the earliest prototypes used living parts from an igniphrax.

When igniphrax are low on dandefire crops, they will take a more proactive approach to feeding and either lie in wait for other breeds of phraxai and other magical creature to come too close, or they will use their magma-like excretions to cook their prey to death.

Sadly as is the case with all magical creatures, the collapse of the food chain that once supported the igniphrax for centuries has created an environment that is too hostile even for a creature built for a very hostile environment. It is theorised that most igniphrax have migrated to the most distant and dangerous volcanic locations on the planet in order to avoid human interference.

The closest living relative of the igniphrax is the cetaphrax.