#arredus

im adding Loongs (Chinese dragons) to Arredus right, cuz they look cool, are cool, and i refuse to be euro-centric in my fantasy worlds

problem, the way i want to go about it is ruining my life (hyperbole), see part of Arredus is to have implied speculative evolution to back up the speculative biology, and Loongs are making that really hard

lets examine this depiction, scales are seen along side whiskers on the snout, spikes along the back, (presumed) feather coverage on the tale and face, and ears

this creates some issues, see the scales assert that this is a reptile of some kind, the (presumed) feathers make it likely that this is a dinosaur, but thats a guarantee, maybe lizards on Arredus have feathers, maybe its in the class of true dragons, or maybe those arnt feathers at all, and are instead real weird scales, tho considering all the more detailed art ive seen depicts it as fluffy-

-like this, <sidenote, there is so much ai slop of eastern mysticism out there> and while i acknowledge this is a modern piece of art, it appears to be representative of wat ppl think Loongs look like

<another sidenote, some art depicts the dragon with horns but this is inconsistently done so whether its s thing is up in the air>

one more thing b4 i begin speculating is that this project has no respect for modern preconceptions of the fantasy u know and love, only science and even thats a vague impression, so if that means making pegasus a dragon that convergently evolved to look like equines with wings, so be it

with that said lets get into my ideas for how to get this thing to exist at all, firstly lets talk environmental pressures, Loongs are suppose to be water gods of some sort and closely tied to alligators, turtles, and fish, so it is semi-aquatic, and being from china in our world, its likely accustomed more specifically to lush jungle environments

next lets talk niche, every animal in an ecosystem has a niche, wats this guys, well clearly its an apex predator, i dont think this needs much elaboration

next is its behaviors, and again i think its fairly intuitive to say Loongs are ambush predators, like cats and alligators, also most likely making it a solitary animal

finally for the hard part ive been procrastinating on all post, wat friggin animal is this at all, the first thots are obviously a reptile of some kind, if the non scaly bits are feathers, than its a dinosaur, most likely a dragon, however his native land is in Lushia, a continent with very little reptiles at all

another option is to make the Loong a mammal of some kind, maybe a monotreme, which would make it fairly distinct and also give me more freedom to be creative, or a feline, very similar in lifestyle of a jaguar (reminder that these nightmare animals are not only good but happy swimmers)

the issue i run into repeatedly is that no answer makes me happy, while a feline is my fave of the choices, it raises more questions for me, why is its snout so long, is the "scales" just fur pattern? or did this feline specifically evolve armadillo fur, if so why, if its a monotreme, wat does that mean at all, its a neat idea and allows it to lay eggs still but is that all that important? do all monotremes have beaks? does the Loong? is it bioluminescent like platypuses? if its a reptile, why is it one of the few on this continent? it didnt fly over like the dragons did, unless this is a dragon who lost its wings, if so why? why not evolve fin like wings to help swim like sea serpents? if its not a dragon, wat reptile is it? it has to be a dinosaur of some kind thats where feathers are from, but its clearly not any other dino other than a dragon, which circles us bacc around, and wat about them ears, are they false ears like the horns on a horned owl? if so why did it evolve that other than to look cool? does it even look that cool?

in short the Loong is making me tear loong strainds of hair out of my head, so here poll, decide ur thots and please tell me more in the replys/notes/watever else you wanna use to communicate with me

Barrenlands

-A small archipelago of active volcanic islands, covered by a massive ice sheet. This barren winter hellscape is a cold and foreboding place that harbors some of the toughest life on the planet.

Auroria

-A large archipelago that is the result of very unique tectonic interactions and erosion, creating a strange and beautiful winter wonderlandscape. Due to the region's placement at the south pole it is gifted with the vision of the Aurora Borealis.

Pantheon Isle

-A tropical continent dominated by bizarre life and unique geography.  To the north a coast wide mountain range, to the south shattered beaches and archipelagos stretching into the sea. Streams and rivers pouring down from the arid mountains water the tropical jungles, swamps, and savannahs, and drain out into the sea.

Mount Fey

-Making up the northern coast of Feywild, these arid peaks are home to some dangerous creatures. Their tall stature allows for the collection of water which feeds the west and east rivers.

West Siluel

-A winding river from the mountains that serves as the border between the jungle and the savannah. This river feeds straight into the ocean.

East Siluel

-A winding river from the mountains that feeds into the wetlands, which in turn drains into the sea.

Wetlands

-The lowlands in the south east, the wetlands are a collection of swamp, bog, and lakes, making this area very lush while not being too dense.

Fey Isles

-The result of a strange mixture of tectonic and volcanic activity has given these islands their strange geography and make up as well as being chock full of valuable nutrients that make them very friendly to plantlife.

North Reptia

-A largely temperate continent, with arctics to the north and deserts to the south. North Reptia is split in half by mountains. On the east side of the mountains is vast grasslands, forests, and a long coastal swamp, as well as the Reptian Arctic to the north. To the west of the mountains is a large desert and shrublands, as well as the Shattered Isles. This continent is home to a diverse range of wildlife, dominated by Reptilians.

Shattered Isles

-The result of centuries of erosion, these isles are home to very unique geography that has given host to a unique ecosystem.

Tyrant Peaks

-Stretching from the bottom to the top of the continent, this mountain range is the oldest in the world, and thus one of the shortest. The mountain ranger supports a boreal environment.

Princepia

-A giant crescent shaped island chain of large islands spanning the western coastline of North Reptia, separated by a strait. This island chain supports a mix of desert and tropical environments.

Oasis Lake/River

-A giant freshwater gulf near the north of the Reptian Desert. It serves as a valuable source of water in an otherwise harsh environment. This lake breaks off into a river that flows out into the Princepian Strait.

Cera River

-A long winding river leading from the mountains in the arctic down into the southern swamps and flowing out into the Gulf of Reptia. The Cera River forms a delta at its mouth, creating many little swampy islands.

South Reptia

-A largely tropical continent, volcanic mountains span the southwest and northeast coasts, creating a vast valley through the center of the continent. Desert to the northwest and swampland to the southeast tips of the continent, dense and lush jungle covering the volcanic mountains, and savannah cutting through the valley.

Fire Mountains

-The western mountain range, and home to the mighty Phoenix. These mountains are covered foothills to peaks in dense lively Jungle that serve as home to a thriving ecosystem, nourished by the energy from the volcanoes

Titan Mountains

-The eastern mountain range, and breeding grounds for the mighty Titanopod. These mountains are covered foothills to peaks in dense lively Jungle that serve as home to a thriving ecosystem, nourished by the energy from the volcanoes

Phoenix Valley

-Vast arid grasslands, cut through by winding rivers. Once every 12 years the newly adult generation of Phoenixes come down and scorch the valley, killing dead weight and making way for new life in the valley, before mating and going back into hiding for 12 more years.

Phoenix Valley River

-A series of rivers that flow down from the mountains and through the center of the continent down into the swamp, forming deltas.

Spinus Islands

-A small Island chain at the southern tip of the continent that serves as the home to the Spinosaurus. Once this was a frozen land bridge to Auroria, but now that ice has melted, separating the landmasses.

-A supercontinent consisting of 2 subcontinents, Lushia and Homia. It is host to a wide range of environments and ecosystems, from the Taigas in the north, the temperate regions in the west, the tropics in the east, and the arids in the south. The continent is split up by 2 mountain ranges, one separating Lushia from Homia, and another dividing the northern alpines of Lushia from the rest of the subcontinent.

Lushia

-Home to most of Mamerrias bio-diversity, having environments ranging from taigas to temperate regions to tropics. The subarctic region is separated from the rest of the continent by the mountains. The tropics extend up from the southeast, which is characterized by its powerful storms. The temperate region extends down from the northwest.

The Black Mountains

-A volcanic Mountain range stretching a short distance around the top of Lushia, cutting off a small subarctic region in the north. These mountains and the beasts that live on and behind them are known for their horrific demeanor.

The Great Lakes

-A large cluster of lakes in the southeast of Lushia. They are the largest lakes in the world and a hotspot of ecological activity.

The Black River

-The river system stretching from the Black Mountains down to both The Great Lakes and Lind Lake.

The Great River

-The river stretching from the Minos Mountains to The Great Lakes.

The Long River

-The river stretching from The Great Lakes down to the Long Isles, ultimately ending in a delta.

Long Isles

-The archipelago to the southeast of Lushia. It extends off the coast far into sea, and is home to the currently endangered Long Cat.

Centos Islands

-A crescent shaped island chain off the northwest coast of Lushia, separated from the mainland by a strait.

Lind Lake

-A small oblong lake on the edge between the tropical and temperate regions of Lushia. This lake is home to the illusive Lindwyrm.

Centos River

-The river stretching from Lind Lake to the ocean.

Tempia

-A sole large volcanic island off the eastern coast of Lushia, with a lush tropical environment, and a strange and unique wildlife.

Homia

-A largely arid subcontinent of Mamarria, separated from Lushia but the tallest mountain range in the world. Homia is characterized by its vast deserts and grasslands, as well as the gulf cutting into the continent. The harsh landscape has given way to some tough wildlife.

Minos Mountains

-The result of tectonic plates colliding rapidly, This mountain range serves as the bridge between Lushia and Homia, and is the tallest mountain range in the world. Stretching to surround northern Lushia’s southern shores and southern Lushias western shores.

Minos Lake

-A large basin sits near the center of the Minos mountains, and serves to feed the Minos and Great rivers. It is refilled by rainfall from the gulf of Homia as well as melting ice from the peaks of the Minos Mountains.

Minos Falls

-The great waterfall that brings water from Minos Lake to the Minos River at the foot of the mountain.

Minos River

-A great winding river that feeds into the swamplands and eventually the Gulf of Homia.

Swamplands

-A lush swamp by the southern shores of the Gulf of Homia. This land is home to most of the continent's biodiversity, and serves as an oasis of sorts in the otherwise harsh arid continent.

Border Islands

-A series of connected tropical islands created by erosion enclosing the Gulf of Homia.