#cheskel

Basic Traits/Requirements

Fur Collar/Mane around neck (cannot be feathers)

Shoulders

Elbows

Forearms

Center of Chest

Down Back/Along Spine

Anywhere on Tail

Calves

Lower Legs

Ankles

Hips

Cheskel are semi-humanoid in appearance, with androgynous builds and simple humanoid faces. Their legs and arms are humanoid, but they have more ratlike hands and feet. They prefer to walk flat-footed rather than on their toes, making them appear shorter. They are normally bipedal, but can walk on all fours as well. They have human-like noses, but the nostrils are more rabbit-like, giving their noses a rounded button-like appearance. Large eyes, with slitted pupils and irises. Omnivorous dentition. They generally have a long, tapered, prehensile tail that is roughly the length of their body.

Feathers

A Cheskel's feathers are made of highly concentrated magic. They are what give the Cheskel their unique breeding ability, as well as many other benefits. They are vital, and removing a Cheskel's feathers will result in severe illness or death. The feathers give Cheskel very long lifespans (up to 120 years) and minor control of magic.

The feathers can come in any shape, size, or color. Every Cheskel has at least an ear crest, but many have them as accents in other places; such as the tip of the tail.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the defining traits of a Cheskel. Because of their magic and unique eggs, Cheskel can breed with any other species under the correct conditions. A Cheskel will lay 1-7 eggs every month. If they have a particular suitor, they will offer the eggs to them. If not, they will hide eggs all around the surrounding vicinity (hence the nickname 'Easter Egg Monsters'). The eggs are extremely hardy and tough, and unless broken they will not rot or spoil.

The eggs are roughly tennis ball shaped when laid. Each egg has a unique pattern that corresponds to the layer in some way. The eggs will not mature and hatch unless very close to another being (held or within arms' reach). If the egg is cared for properly and kept close enough for roughly 2 weeks, the egg will hatch into a baby Cheskel, with traits from the layer and the caretaker who imprinted on the egg.

All Cheskel have the same genitals, and could potentially make eggs the traditional way, but this is very taboo and stigmatized. However, if done this way, a clutch is laid in about a week and hatch automatically in 2 weeks. Unfortunately, this led to serious overpopulation and other problems, which is why it is so taboo now.

Magic

A Cheskel's feathers are made of concentrated strands of magic, which grants them longevity, fertility, and minor magical abilities. The amount of magic a Cheskel has and can control is directly linked to the amount of feathers they have. If a Cheskel only has ear feathers, they might only be able to grow a small plant, produce a small flame, heal a cut, etc. One with ear feathers and many feather accents might be able to levitate objects, cast fireballs or start larger fires, etc. Very rarely, a Cheskel will have a full mane of feathers. These individuals are able to produce such things like tsunamis, tornadoes, and other catastrophic forces. They are extremely rare and are often highly revered.

Cheskel magic is similar to pure life energy, like mana. It crystallizes in strands and then links together in the form of feathers. The feathers themselves act as generators and batteries for the magic, storing the magic within the strands and slowly replenishing more by absorbing ambient heat, light, and water. The magic then flows through the Cheskel's blood, spreading it through their body and rejuvenating them and giving them the resources to perform magic. Because their magic is like life essence, it has no specific type or affinity, so Cheskel can channel it to be any type.

Diet

Omnivorous. They prefer foods like fish, vegetables, fruits, and berries, but will almost anything that isn't inedible or highly toxic. They will cook their food, and certain regions/communities have their own specialized recipes.

Intelligence

Cheskel are fairly smart creatures with an intelligence similar to humans. They are very curious and playful, and love to learn. They are very handsy, loving to touch and try different things just to see the result. Cheskel are able to create things, cook, use languages, plan, and plenty of other things that civilized beings do.  They are especially proficient at anything acrobatic or creative, making them excellent craftspeople, athletes, hunters, thieves, etc.

Cheskel do not have their own language, but will pick up on the nearest neighboring language. They are quick learners, however, and with a little patience can learn just about any language. Cheskel natively can make chirps, trills, coos, growls, beeps, and screeches, and will often use these alongside gestures and body language.

Subspecies

Feral

Feral Cheskel are purebred Cheskel. They most often live in the wild, either in communities or as loners. Feral Cheskel can live anywhere so long as it is hospitable, but prefer very secluded/isolated locations for their homes. Cheskel that live in communities function very much like a tribe, with many Cheskel all living and working together as a group. This is most common since they are very social creatures. More bold and adventurous individuals may become loners and leave, sometimes forming small bands with others.

Because Ferals are normally wild, they tend to look more natural. Ferals will almost always have natural colors and patterns, most commonly some shade of brown, yellow, white, or black. In addition, because Ferals are purebred (or at least have mostly Feral ancestors), they only have longer fur or feathers for accents. Almost all Ferals have longer tails to help with climbing or balance. Occasionally, a Feral will have a distant non-Cheskel ancestor and might have an extra feature like nubby horns, antlers, different pupils, etc., but this is not the norm.

Feral Cheskel have the strongest magic because of their undiluted bloodline. Feral magic is approximately three times more powerful than their Domestic cousins.

Domestic

Domestic Cheskel are Cheskel with at least one non-Cheskel parent or grandparent. Domestic Cheskel came about due to hunting from other species and selective breeding. Due to the unique nature of their eggs, one could put a Cheskel egg near the species with the desired trait, which often produced very beautiful results. This made Cheskel very popular as pets and thus Domestic Cheskel were made. Despite their history, Cheskel are more like housemates or citizens than pets due to their intelligence and language-learning capabilities.

Domestics have the same basic appearance as Ferals, but their non-Cheskel ancestor gives them much more varied appearances. Domestics typically have brighter colors, even unnatural colors and patterns. Depending on the species of the ancestor, they could have anything from fangs to scales, to small wings or horns, or even crystals. The more non-Cheskel ancestors one has, the traits it could possibly have. However, no matter how many non-Cheskel ancestors one has, Domestics are still Cheskel and always will be because of their eggs. They can never hatch into anything other than a Cheskel and must always have the basic traits/requirements.

They normally live in populated areas, but some Domestics long for the wild and head out on their own. Domestics are also far more likely to be fluent in local languages and wear clothes. Some even attend schools or read books for further education. Others have their own homes and jobs, just like any other citizen. It depends on the situation of the individual.

One thing that Domestics lack in comparison to their Feral brethren is magic. Domestic magic is very weak compared to Ferals, and only Domestics with many feathers have any sort of substantial magic. The more diluted the bloodline, the weaker one's magical abilities is. This does not affect their lifespans or eggs, however.

****** The information below is an optional guide. Cheskel are meant to be very open, and fit in in just about any world or stories *******

Social

Disposition

Each Cheskel is one of a kind, with their own beliefs, quirks, strengths, and personalities. As a whole, however, Cheskel have some generalized traits. Most Cheskel are curious and playful, with a small concept of personal space. They are very handsy, as they use touch to learn more about things, and are very nosy. Cheskel are normally quite peaceful and generous, most choosing to flee rather than fight, and more than inclined to help someone in need.

Communities/Groups/Loners

Cheskel are a very social species and love to be around others. That is why most Cheskel choose to live in small groups or in larger communities. Some Cheskel may venture off on their own and become loners but it is not as common.

Cheskel that live in small groups are usually a part of a family group or a party/group/guild. Family groups normally consist of Cheskel and their mate, a poly group, platonic families, and any children or others that are considered part of the family. These groups can be any size, from a pair to a large blended family.

Communities

Communities are a bit more complicated. They can be anywhere from less than 50 individuals to almost 3,000, but communities larger than that are rare. Communities are very much like small towns or tribes, with most members knowing one another and contributing to the communities in some way. Communities also have loose ranks within them to make sure that everyone's needs are met and everything runs smoothly. The ranks are as follows:

The Chief is a Cheskel with an exceptional amount of feathers or physical strength. They are noticeably more powerful than others in the community, but hold no authority unless the other Cheskel elect them to have it. This often means that the Chief must have built up trust within the group, be well-liked, and demonstrated their loyalty and power. If Cheskel suspect that their Chief is undesirable or would make a bad leader, they will not elect them or will banish them. Not every community will have a Chief.

The most common ruling class among Cheskel. The council is a group of Cheskel who are highly regarded among their peers for their knowledge, compassion, strength, or other traits. Cheskel are normally voted into the council, and can be voted to be removed or replaced by others. The council is normally between 3 and 20 members.

Hunters/Foragers

Farmers

Smiths and Crafters

Elders

Scholars (like researchers and scientists)

Youngins

Guards/Mercenaries

Loners

Loners are Cheskel who have chosen to live by themselves. Sometimes they have been banished from a larger group, while others just like to go their own way. Loners may be adventurers looking to travel and explore, or may live off by themselves like hermits. Each one has their own reasons and motives.

Habitats

Biomes