Vridin

Vridin are the sentient species that inhabits the world of Tamed. As the sentient species, they've developed technology similar to our Bronze Age, with simple writing and both smelting and shaping of softer metals. With their druids, technology, and determination, Vridin have created civilizations with rich culture, writing, and architecture. They come in a number of variants, which mostly depends on the biome that they inhabit, as they've developed different nations in various biomes, namely the desert, mountains, forest, coast, plains, and boreal biomes of the supercontinent they reside on, Xanglu.

Appearance: Vridin stand at around 107cm (3'6") to 122cm (4') tall. Coming in a wide variety of colours, they can be more neutral colours such as browns or greys, or more vibrant colours, such as greens and blues, depending on their gender and region. They are furred, with beak-like mouths at the end of their snouts. Their hands and feet are clawed, and they have digitigrade legs, with their body naturally leaning forward, with their tails acting as a counterweight. Their tails are particularly fluffy compared to the rest of their body, with muscles that allow some motion along the length of their tails.

Physical Properties: Their clawed hands and feet make them adept climbers, while their lighter frame makes them more nimble, with their shorter stature making hiding spots easier to find and use. Vridin have very good eyesight, being able to focus on small details across long distances, and can even see well in the dark. Their claws can be used as weapons, though properly crafted weapons are much more effective, both due to their durability and their reach. Their tails help them keep their balance even in precarious positions, such as clinging to a branch, often assisted by the claws on their feet.

Reproduction: Vridin reproduce sexually, as is common with most animals. Once a vridin reaches maturity, they are capable of reproducing year-round, rather than being restricted to a specific heat cycle. Courtship varies by culture, but generally, women are the more active initiators. After fertilization, the mother’s gestation period lasts about two months, after which she lays one or two eggs. Following the laying, the father typically assumes responsibility for the eggs, caring for them for approximately three months until they hatch. Once the offspring are born, the father is most often the primary caregiver.

Gender Ratios and Gender Dimorphism: Vridin have an even gender ratio, with a roughly 50/50 split between males and females. It's rather easy to distinguish between males and females, as there are many distinct differences. Firstly, male Vridin are significantly more vibrantly coloured than females, often sporting blues, greens, reds, and anything more vibrant. Meanwhile, females tend to be far more neutrally coloured, often browns and greys instead of the vibrant colours of the males. Secondly, male Vridin are significantly shorter than females, averaging around 107cm (3'6"), while female Vridin are around 122cm (4') tall on average. Finally, female Vridin are much more inherently muscular and powerfully-built than males, which resulted in them taking on a role as hunters while males are pushed into roles of servants, scribes, caregivers, and entertainers.

Racial Groups

Boreal: Boreal Vridin, found in the boreal forest and tundra areas, typically have thinner snouts, with more distinction between their snouts and their faces. They are the tallest on average of the various varieties of Vridin, with the females being around 127cm (4'2"), while the males average around 112cm (3'8"), and they have a slower metabolism, meaning that they store fat easier, causing a rounder figure on average. Their fur is longer and thicker than other varieties, and they have down fur, a secondary coat to insulate against the cold, and the males typically are blue with pink and purple and rarely green highlights, while the females are typically white, often with pale blue highlights on their paws and/or head feathers.

Coast: Along the coasts north of the mountains, coast Vridin are known particularly for their meticulously groomed, oily, water resistant fur. The males are typically a lighter blue colour, often with aquamarine or green underbellies and highlights, while the females are a sandy tan colour with grey or white highlights, often with other coloured tips on the highlighted fur.

Desert: Found in the desert to the east of the mountains, desert Vridin have a typical build, with average height for the species. Their fur is notably thinner, shorter and waxier, allowing for better heat ventilation, while still protecting their skin from sunburn to some extent. The males are typically yellow-green with blue underbellies, with yellow accents on the tips of their head feathers and coming up from their paws, and occasionally burgundy or teal highlights. The females are primarily black or dark brown, with a tan underbelly and tan highlights.

Forest: Forest Vridin, which live in the mega forest west of the mountains, stand notably shorter than average, with their females standing at around 117cm (3'10"), while their males stand around 102cm (3'4"). Males typically have light green fur with tan and light brown underbellies, with pink-tipped head feathers and purple and blue highlights. Their females are typically shades of brown or mahogany with a slightly lighter underbelly and green tail-tips, feather-tips, and paws.

Hill: South of the plains, forest, and mountains, the hill Vridin live in the dry foothills and in the plains further south. They stand around average height for Vridin. The males typically have bright red fur, with more pale underbellies and purple highlights, while their females are a light brown-red, with a notably paler underbelly, and white feather-tips.

Mountain: Living primarily in the large mountain range in the center of the continent, mountain Vridin can still be found rarely in the plains and forest, typically as traders. They have an average build. Their males have a vibrant blue fur, with gold highlights and feather-tips, as well as navy blue towards their feet, becoming close to black, while their bellies are a lighter blue. Their females, meanwhile are a reddish-brown, with a light red-brown underbelly, with reddish-white highlights, and brownish-yellow feather-tips.

Plains: Plains Vridin live on the West side of the continent, traveling the sprawling plains. They typically stand a bit shorter than most Vridin, with an average height of 104cm (3'5") for males, and 119cm (3'11") for females. They have larger ears than average, and their noses are more pronounced than other Vridin. Their males are a vibrant lime green with yellow highlights and slightly more yellow underbellies, while their females are primarily a brown with faded yellow feather-tips, paws, and highlights, the same colour as winter grass.

Swamp: Between the coast and the forest, the swamp Vridin share some of the coast Vridin distinct fur traits, particularly being slightly oily and relatively water-resistant. Their males typically have red fur with a yellow-green underbelly and yellow highlights, while their females are a muddy brown colour with brownish-green highlights and underbellies.