Post by Sparrow on Nov 30, 2008 17:35:35 GMT -5
Kagen:
At first glance, Kagan may appear rodent-like in appearance, but they are probably more closely related to rabbits and in the Lagomorpha order.
Kangaroo-like in appearance and guinea pig-like in lifestyle, Kagen are cute, furry little animals that seem to take quickly to captivity. With large hind feet, short forelegs ending in small paws, and a long, thick tail, they are built more for powerful leaps on their hind legs than running or walking (although they do manage a slow hop-walk sort of stride by falling forward onto all fours, this is usually used for grazing). Their heads are wider at the back and narrow slightly towards their round noses. Every Kagen has a set of long, thin whiskers around their nose and sprouting like extra long lashes from around their eyes. Their ears are large and tend to flop down around their cheeks. Kagen are measured from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail, and their tail can be anywhere from a third to half of their length.
Kagen are vaguely intelligent; they can communicate on a low level with fire-lizards and when they grow close enough to a human, they mentally share their emotions with Theirs. Kagen communicate mainly through body language, but will also squeak when they’re hungry or want attention, ‘hiccup’ when they’re irritated, and make a snuffling noise when they’re excited. When it comes to communicating with movement, the more relaxed their stance is, the happier they are; the more rigid, the more wary or angry. Pricking their ears is a sign of curiosity or attention, putting them back is a sign of fear or annoyance. Their tails are used mainly for balance, and although a Kagan might thump it hard when it is angry or wag it a little when really excited, it usually just drags behind the animals.
Kagen usually live in small family groups and one of the most social things they do is mutual grooming. Kagen are strictly herbivorous, and any parasites found in each other’s fur they are simply removed and smashed. In captivity, a Kagen will groom anyone it is around a lot, even fire-lizards, dragons (although they are too small to really make any difference), and their human. It’s best to try not to be too bothered by this; grooming is a way that Kagen show their attachment to family and not allowing them to do so could result in it leaving.
In the wild, a Kagen may only live to be six or seven years old, but when kept safe by humans, they will often live much longer, although just how long is as yet unknown. If they are still alive when their human dies, they won’t suicide, they will simply go live in the wild or hang around people to keep safe. Kagen do not reImpress.
Kagen usually take a single mate for life. A young female without a mate will choose hers by having a Run (perhaps a somewhat incorrect name, seeing as they leap, but it’s called a Run just the same) followed by a fight between any males left. She will usually Run in the early morning or late evening and will go for as long as she can stand. If there is more than one male left by the time she finishes the first part of her mating ritual, then she will have them fight (often to the death, there are many more males than females so it’s not a huge loss when one dies) between each other. Whichever one wins will be her mate. Once a mate is chosen, he will be her only mate unless he happens to pass away; then the female will choose a new one. If the female passes away, a male will also simply try for a new mate. In captivity, this is little different, except that the fights at the end of a Run are less vicious; a Kagen will not sacrifice itself for a mate when they also have a human. Kagen females simply Run when they are in heat and the lust that might be shared between them and the human that Impressed them will be weaker even than a fire-lizard Flight. Once she has a mate, the female will still have a Run- but only her mate will chase- before mating.
The usual Kagen gestation period is about four sevendays, and then both Kagen parents are constantly busy fetching food for their young (unless the babies get Impressed by humans, then the parents happily go back to normal life). Although young are born pretty-much as a smaller version of their adult form (fully formed and able to care for themselves), it takes about a week for the babies to dare leave the nest and try foraging for themselves. It takes two seasons for a Kagen to become mature enough to mate, but a female’s first Run rarely leads to young and a male’s first win often ends just as unsuccessfully. The new mates never seem to mind though, and simply mate again when the female comes in heat. Young are never born in winter, if a female comes in heat at a time that her young would be due then (although they usually don’t), the Run ends without the female becoming successfully pregnant. Having young Impressed or not becoming pregnant does not affect a female’s heat cycle.
An odd thing about Kagen is that after Threadfall, they all go out, no matter the orders of their owner, and lick all the plants they can. Just why is unknown, but they seem to feel it their duty in life to lick things after Thread has made an attempt at ravaging the landscape. When they come upon something that got a bit scored by ashes or some Thread that was missed, they usually eat the victim of the parasite. They avoid Thread itself, always allowing those who have a way of dealing with it to get it, but seem to think of themselves as a cleanup crew for the ruins.
Kagen come in several different colors, and each color shows up more or less often and carries different traits. All females are able to reproduce, although the smaller ones rarely give birth to more than one or two young at a time. To Impress a Kagen, you must find the batch of young while the mother (Kagen don’t nurse their young) is gathering her young’s first food. You must remove whichever baby it is you decide you want and feed it yourself to first get it attached to you, and to fully Impress a Kagen you have to keep it with you and feed it for the first week of its life to ensure that it grows completely attached. Naturally, these are wild creatures and they do not seek out Impression, but when it occurs, they seem to take to it quite well. After the first week, your Kagen will feed themselves (mostly, they just graze) follow you about, sometimes riding in your pocket (if you have one, and it’s large enough, anyways) or carried, but otherwise hopping alongside you.
Colors:
Roan
Roans are the largest of the Kagen, ranging between 50 and 60 cm (20-24 inches) in length. Their fur is always a dim red color and speckled with blacks, whites, and dark browns. Overall, their coloring is similar to the strawberry roan coloring in equines. Occasionally a mutation will pop up where their fur is more of a steely blue and specked with the same colors, more of a blueberry roan, but that is rare. Roans tend to be more aggressive and feel a need to protect everything they value, especially their human or mate. Roans are always male.
Sand
Sands are the second largest Kagen, ranging between 53 and 40 cm (about 21-16 inches), and with larger ones being more common than smaller ones. As the name suggests, they are the color of sand. Their hide is usually a light tan shade and specked with blacks, browns, and grays. They often have dark points (ears, muzzles, feet, tail-tip) and a white spot on their chest. Usually very lean and slender, Sands tend toward longer features and more graceful movements. Sands tend to be moody and spend a lot of time cleaning themselves, but seem to enjoy grooming those in their company just as much. Always female, Sands are very devoted mothers and usually give birth to between 3 and 6 young at time. They come in heat twice a year, usually once in summer and once in winter so that their young are born in fall and spring.
Gravel
Gravels are the third largest Kagen, ranging between 45 and 33 cm (about 18-13 inches) and tend towards smaller to middle sizes. Their hide is gray and, like most other Kagen, speckled with blacks, browns, and whites. Tending towards bulkier builds, Gravel Kagen are not the fastest but they are usually the strongest and often have the most endurance. Despite their strength, Gravels prefer not to fight and usually lose Sands to the more aggressive Roans. They are probably the males that breed least simply because they lack the drive to catch a mate, and females usually prefer more fiery partners. Gravels prefer to listen to others and do what they say rather than thinking for themselves, but are always very steadfast in what they do. Gravels are always male, and when they do get a mate, they are usually the most devoted fathers.
Powder
Powders are the fourth largest (third smallest) Kagen, ranging between 42 and 30 cm (about 17-12 inches) in length, but tending towards larger sizes. They are also the rarest of the Kagen, seeing as their pure white coloring makes it hard for them to hide from predators. Powders are very rarely born and even more rarely live long enough to mate. Their young are just as rare to end up as Powders too. Powders can be male or female, and neither gender is more or less likely. They are the shiest of all Kagen and even when they are fed and cared for like any other color, they have a good chance of not Impressing on a human. They prefer to keep to themselves and are always trying to hide.
Flame
Flames are the second smallest Kagen, ranging from 38 to 27 cm (about 15-11 inches) in length. Their hide is usually a deep, sullen shade of orange and specked with dry reds, yellows, and whites. They occasionally bear faded stripes of dark brown or black. Flames seem to have very thick fur and when they are angry they puff it out further; it’s not hard for a Flame to make itself seem larger than it really is, and their coloring also helps make them seem intimidating. Usually the most mischievous of the Kagen, Flames love to joke and play little pranks on the other Kagen. They are also usually shameless flirts, even gaming with the Sands even though they never catch even the smallest of these females. Flames are always male and the most likely mates to get themselves killed since their color tends to stand out and they would rather fight than run.
Peach
Peaches are the smallest Kagen, ranging from 35-23 cm (about 9-14 inches) and tend towards smaller sizes. Their hide is usually a peachy red-pink shade, speckled with browns, tans, yellows, and whites. They often have splotches of dark red or very pale pinks here and there, and their fur tends to be the softest of all the Kagen. Sometimes Peaches will be more yellow than anything else, although that doesn’t occur often. Small and dainty, Peaches are usually a little vain and very easily flattered. The best way to Impress one of these little girls is to be constantly convincing her of her beauty (don’t try this with Sands though, they won’t believe you and will be offended). Peaches are always female, Run up to four times a year, and usually give birth to between 1 and 3 young. They are careful mothers, but if trouble arises, they won’t fight for their young, they will run.
Image and information are © Sparrow
At first glance, Kagan may appear rodent-like in appearance, but they are probably more closely related to rabbits and in the Lagomorpha order.
Kangaroo-like in appearance and guinea pig-like in lifestyle, Kagen are cute, furry little animals that seem to take quickly to captivity. With large hind feet, short forelegs ending in small paws, and a long, thick tail, they are built more for powerful leaps on their hind legs than running or walking (although they do manage a slow hop-walk sort of stride by falling forward onto all fours, this is usually used for grazing). Their heads are wider at the back and narrow slightly towards their round noses. Every Kagen has a set of long, thin whiskers around their nose and sprouting like extra long lashes from around their eyes. Their ears are large and tend to flop down around their cheeks. Kagen are measured from the tip of their nose to the tip of their tail, and their tail can be anywhere from a third to half of their length.
Kagen are vaguely intelligent; they can communicate on a low level with fire-lizards and when they grow close enough to a human, they mentally share their emotions with Theirs. Kagen communicate mainly through body language, but will also squeak when they’re hungry or want attention, ‘hiccup’ when they’re irritated, and make a snuffling noise when they’re excited. When it comes to communicating with movement, the more relaxed their stance is, the happier they are; the more rigid, the more wary or angry. Pricking their ears is a sign of curiosity or attention, putting them back is a sign of fear or annoyance. Their tails are used mainly for balance, and although a Kagan might thump it hard when it is angry or wag it a little when really excited, it usually just drags behind the animals.
Kagen usually live in small family groups and one of the most social things they do is mutual grooming. Kagen are strictly herbivorous, and any parasites found in each other’s fur they are simply removed and smashed. In captivity, a Kagen will groom anyone it is around a lot, even fire-lizards, dragons (although they are too small to really make any difference), and their human. It’s best to try not to be too bothered by this; grooming is a way that Kagen show their attachment to family and not allowing them to do so could result in it leaving.
In the wild, a Kagen may only live to be six or seven years old, but when kept safe by humans, they will often live much longer, although just how long is as yet unknown. If they are still alive when their human dies, they won’t suicide, they will simply go live in the wild or hang around people to keep safe. Kagen do not reImpress.
Kagen usually take a single mate for life. A young female without a mate will choose hers by having a Run (perhaps a somewhat incorrect name, seeing as they leap, but it’s called a Run just the same) followed by a fight between any males left. She will usually Run in the early morning or late evening and will go for as long as she can stand. If there is more than one male left by the time she finishes the first part of her mating ritual, then she will have them fight (often to the death, there are many more males than females so it’s not a huge loss when one dies) between each other. Whichever one wins will be her mate. Once a mate is chosen, he will be her only mate unless he happens to pass away; then the female will choose a new one. If the female passes away, a male will also simply try for a new mate. In captivity, this is little different, except that the fights at the end of a Run are less vicious; a Kagen will not sacrifice itself for a mate when they also have a human. Kagen females simply Run when they are in heat and the lust that might be shared between them and the human that Impressed them will be weaker even than a fire-lizard Flight. Once she has a mate, the female will still have a Run- but only her mate will chase- before mating.
The usual Kagen gestation period is about four sevendays, and then both Kagen parents are constantly busy fetching food for their young (unless the babies get Impressed by humans, then the parents happily go back to normal life). Although young are born pretty-much as a smaller version of their adult form (fully formed and able to care for themselves), it takes about a week for the babies to dare leave the nest and try foraging for themselves. It takes two seasons for a Kagen to become mature enough to mate, but a female’s first Run rarely leads to young and a male’s first win often ends just as unsuccessfully. The new mates never seem to mind though, and simply mate again when the female comes in heat. Young are never born in winter, if a female comes in heat at a time that her young would be due then (although they usually don’t), the Run ends without the female becoming successfully pregnant. Having young Impressed or not becoming pregnant does not affect a female’s heat cycle.
An odd thing about Kagen is that after Threadfall, they all go out, no matter the orders of their owner, and lick all the plants they can. Just why is unknown, but they seem to feel it their duty in life to lick things after Thread has made an attempt at ravaging the landscape. When they come upon something that got a bit scored by ashes or some Thread that was missed, they usually eat the victim of the parasite. They avoid Thread itself, always allowing those who have a way of dealing with it to get it, but seem to think of themselves as a cleanup crew for the ruins.
Kagen come in several different colors, and each color shows up more or less often and carries different traits. All females are able to reproduce, although the smaller ones rarely give birth to more than one or two young at a time. To Impress a Kagen, you must find the batch of young while the mother (Kagen don’t nurse their young) is gathering her young’s first food. You must remove whichever baby it is you decide you want and feed it yourself to first get it attached to you, and to fully Impress a Kagen you have to keep it with you and feed it for the first week of its life to ensure that it grows completely attached. Naturally, these are wild creatures and they do not seek out Impression, but when it occurs, they seem to take to it quite well. After the first week, your Kagen will feed themselves (mostly, they just graze) follow you about, sometimes riding in your pocket (if you have one, and it’s large enough, anyways) or carried, but otherwise hopping alongside you.
Colors:
Roan
Roans are the largest of the Kagen, ranging between 50 and 60 cm (20-24 inches) in length. Their fur is always a dim red color and speckled with blacks, whites, and dark browns. Overall, their coloring is similar to the strawberry roan coloring in equines. Occasionally a mutation will pop up where their fur is more of a steely blue and specked with the same colors, more of a blueberry roan, but that is rare. Roans tend to be more aggressive and feel a need to protect everything they value, especially their human or mate. Roans are always male.
Sand
Sands are the second largest Kagen, ranging between 53 and 40 cm (about 21-16 inches), and with larger ones being more common than smaller ones. As the name suggests, they are the color of sand. Their hide is usually a light tan shade and specked with blacks, browns, and grays. They often have dark points (ears, muzzles, feet, tail-tip) and a white spot on their chest. Usually very lean and slender, Sands tend toward longer features and more graceful movements. Sands tend to be moody and spend a lot of time cleaning themselves, but seem to enjoy grooming those in their company just as much. Always female, Sands are very devoted mothers and usually give birth to between 3 and 6 young at time. They come in heat twice a year, usually once in summer and once in winter so that their young are born in fall and spring.
Gravel
Gravels are the third largest Kagen, ranging between 45 and 33 cm (about 18-13 inches) and tend towards smaller to middle sizes. Their hide is gray and, like most other Kagen, speckled with blacks, browns, and whites. Tending towards bulkier builds, Gravel Kagen are not the fastest but they are usually the strongest and often have the most endurance. Despite their strength, Gravels prefer not to fight and usually lose Sands to the more aggressive Roans. They are probably the males that breed least simply because they lack the drive to catch a mate, and females usually prefer more fiery partners. Gravels prefer to listen to others and do what they say rather than thinking for themselves, but are always very steadfast in what they do. Gravels are always male, and when they do get a mate, they are usually the most devoted fathers.
Powder
Powders are the fourth largest (third smallest) Kagen, ranging between 42 and 30 cm (about 17-12 inches) in length, but tending towards larger sizes. They are also the rarest of the Kagen, seeing as their pure white coloring makes it hard for them to hide from predators. Powders are very rarely born and even more rarely live long enough to mate. Their young are just as rare to end up as Powders too. Powders can be male or female, and neither gender is more or less likely. They are the shiest of all Kagen and even when they are fed and cared for like any other color, they have a good chance of not Impressing on a human. They prefer to keep to themselves and are always trying to hide.
Flame
Flames are the second smallest Kagen, ranging from 38 to 27 cm (about 15-11 inches) in length. Their hide is usually a deep, sullen shade of orange and specked with dry reds, yellows, and whites. They occasionally bear faded stripes of dark brown or black. Flames seem to have very thick fur and when they are angry they puff it out further; it’s not hard for a Flame to make itself seem larger than it really is, and their coloring also helps make them seem intimidating. Usually the most mischievous of the Kagen, Flames love to joke and play little pranks on the other Kagen. They are also usually shameless flirts, even gaming with the Sands even though they never catch even the smallest of these females. Flames are always male and the most likely mates to get themselves killed since their color tends to stand out and they would rather fight than run.
Peach
Peaches are the smallest Kagen, ranging from 35-23 cm (about 9-14 inches) and tend towards smaller sizes. Their hide is usually a peachy red-pink shade, speckled with browns, tans, yellows, and whites. They often have splotches of dark red or very pale pinks here and there, and their fur tends to be the softest of all the Kagen. Sometimes Peaches will be more yellow than anything else, although that doesn’t occur often. Small and dainty, Peaches are usually a little vain and very easily flattered. The best way to Impress one of these little girls is to be constantly convincing her of her beauty (don’t try this with Sands though, they won’t believe you and will be offended). Peaches are always female, Run up to four times a year, and usually give birth to between 1 and 3 young. They are careful mothers, but if trouble arises, they won’t fight for their young, they will run.
Image and information are © Sparrow
