Nadur
by Kay
Singular: Nadur (Nah-duhr)
Plural: Naduir (Nah-do-ear) Group: Ciorcal of Naduir Communication - Mindspeech Size Range -- By Rank Colorations – Natural colorations, rarely green hues; natural shades of markings; Pixi are the exception Naming Convention -- A secret name known only to the Nadur, their mother, and a Bonded; Otherwise they use a Public name. No conventions otherwise. Earliest Age for Bonding -- 12 hours from birth |
Description
Long before the truth of them was made known, there would be stories of hunters who would venture out into the woodlands and forests, only to come back with tales of entire herds of deer that seemingly danced out of the way of their arrows, showed cunning far above natural beasts, and in some cases the lost and injured mysteriously found bundles of healing herbs on leaves, or were led out by quiet, yet undeniably powerful stags. So goes the early tales of the Naduir. Superficially, they resemble small deer with delicate builds, cloven hooves, and triangular heads. Males stand no taller than four feet at the top of the head and carry sweeping antlers – typically with a prong arcing forward and one longer one arcing back, with a couple of branches curving gracefully off to either side though exceptions due to rank exist – while females are slightly smaller in height and no antlers. Their eyes are very expressive, regardless of the emotion they are displaying, and their fur is quite soft and velvety to the touch. They show up in all ranges of natural colors, from creamy tan to golden to deep brown, white to black and all shades of gray in between, and rarely even green hues will mix in. Their markings also fall into the natural shades, and can take all manner of forms native to hoofed creatures. Okapi, stripes, paint, socks, blazes, and Oryx are just a few examples of marks that can appear. By and large, the Naduir are a species that is in utter harmony with the natural world. They knows its secrets and have traversed its deepest recesses, and only of late have they appeared to people and allowed themselves to Bond, leaving their homes for life in the more civilized lands. In some cases, this has been a harmonious transfer, though in the case of a particular caste of Naduir, this has been considerably more unpleasant. Regardless, their knowledge of all things of the untamed world is unrivaled except by the most wise of the goodly dragons and unicorns (and only if they fancy such things to bother learning about them). It's simply a part of who they are. Needless to say, the Naduir are quite intelligent, able to mindspeak well though when they are fawns they sometimes struggle with verb tense and other grammatical things much as any young child will. Bonding: When a female Naduir is about to birth her young, regardless of where she calls home she will retreat to a hidden natural location for the actual event, isolating herself from everyone save her Bonded and if possible the father of the fawn or fawns. After the birth, the young learn to stand quickly and even mindspeak (though their grammar may need assistance), and it is normal for them to bond within twelve hours of birth. Because of this it is useful for potential bondmates to have warm milk on hand or at least at their homes because like any young they will need nourishment, and a lot of it! They grow fast, as by the time a young Naduir is a month old they will be able to eat grasses and other plant materials. During the Ceremony of Bonding, it is considered polite to bring a small token, something of nature or representing nature, to gift to the mother or to the Naduir themselves if they are above Fawnhood. What this is can be up to the candidate, as what may attract a Naduir or be considered acceptable to the mother is utterly up to personal preference. Even 'improper' gifts won't be refused however as long as they are given with the right thought in the heart. Of Note: When young Naduir are born, their mother will whisper to them a special, secret name that only they, and their Bondmate, will know. Not even another shiny who shares the Bonded will know it. As part of the bonding, the Naduir will whisper this name to their Bonded, signaling that they are the one whom the deer-like shiny chooses. ((These names, for those hosting Bondings, should be either put into Spoiler tags or PM'd to the participant. IC they are supposed to be a secret, sacred thing.)) A Bonded Nadur will then have a public name to go by. Chases: Naduir chases are sacred things, deeply personal to the Naduir who initiates it. Either males or females may start a chase. Held deep in the forest when there is a blanket of mist upon the ground, the initiator will find a fallen log and with their front hooves tap out a rhythm to signal potential partners that they are looking for a mate. When enough potential suitors have assembled, the chase begins with the initiator asking a single question of each of the candidates. This can be any question, and may vary from candidate to candidate, but often will reveal something about the candidate’s personality. When this is complete, the next phase will commence with each candidate creating and presenting a knotwork creation to the initiator. This can be done with artwork, such as painting or drawing or woodcarving, or can be an actual knot made with cord or vine. These knots are always intricate and seem to never end, should one try to follow it from one point around. This can take several hours to complete, but no one is ever rushed in their efforts. After this, the initiator will judge the knotwork creations, occasionally even asking questions of the creator, and decide whom is the favored of the chase. What criteria are used is up to the initiator, though the answers from the first part and the knotwork are both factored in. When the decision is made, and sometimes there is even more than one victor, they will slip into the mists together, emerging when the dawn breaks to return to their homes. Ranks: Dryad 5* These Nadur queens – the only gender specific rank among the Nadur - rarely ever venture into civilized lands; they are uncomfortable in them for any length of time though they Bond as well as others and will come if there is a need for them. They much more prefer to live in the wild, deep in the forests and in hidden places of the planes, coves by the sea and even in the sheltered oasis of the desert. Where there are secret places of nature, that is where they make their royal hall and hold court. Their connection to the natural world is second to none in all of the Naduir. No natural animals will harm them, no roots will trip up their steps nor thorn pierce their flesh. Flowers bloom at their touch and will if possible bear fruit at their command. Rivers surge and trees shake, and it is said that if three or more of them gather together even the wind and the rain itself will heed their call. But these are powers they use only rarely, in times of great need. They are more than content to be in harmony with nature, little more intrusive than a passing breeze. Standing around five feet tall, sometimes Dryad Nadur are called 'Gilded Dryads' for their coats, always a shade of gold from deep honey to bright and burnished. Any markings they have will appear in cream or white hues and will never overtake the gold color in majority. Aside from one noted exception that looked dipped half and half in white, their marks are usually delicate and subtle (dappling, brindling, thin lines, socks, etc). After a dance she will always bear only one fawn. Ent 4* The Ents are the warrior lords of the wildlands. Powerful, noble creatures, they oftentimes patrol the land to defend their territory from dangers and those who would spoil the perfection of the wilderness, and ensure that those who enter with 'good intentions' maintain those intentions. When a Dryad is born and does not bond, she will oftentimes have at least one and more traditionally two Ent warriors at her side at all times to protect her. Why this is so is something the Ents never speak of, though rumor suggests a belief that should all the Dryads die, some great unbalancing in nature would occur. Protective souls, anyone who bonds them will find them loyal and dedicated. Anger them, however, and you won't have just their own fury to contend with but that of the very trees themselves, as all Ents have the ability to call forth these arboreal allies, making them lift their roots from the ground and stride forward with branchy arms swinging. They try not to use this ability except in the most dire of circumstances, though, as it puts the trees they cherish so into great danger of destruction. Tallest of their kind at between five and a half and six teen tall, males and females both sport the most extensive antlers often with multiple prongs on the back sweeping segment, and some even have a thick mane around their necks. They tend towards the brown spectrum like tree bark, mostly to help them blend in with the woodlands that they often appear, though rarely an Ent will be born with pale pelts. Their markings, when they have any, oftentimes give them a 'wood' appearance, like dark or golden striation and whorls, short stripes, and even ovular spots like knots. When female Ents take leave from their duties to birth offspring they usually bear between two and four at a time. Knook 3* Lesser Lords, these Nadur are both males and female and are quite talented animal speakers. Not that they can read into an animal's expressions and body language: they actually can speak, and any natural creature will understand them and what's more be able to communicate back. They consider themselves the Voices of the Animals, their caretakers and stewards, and oftentimes will appear when conflict between people and animals is imminent, hoping to quell any violence before it gets started. In civilized lands they do their best to stamp out animal cruelty, and teach others the best way to handle their furry neighbors for while they can understand that mankind is in governance over animal-kind, there is no need to be mean about it is there? (Plus, if the horse pulling the plow is happy, then it'll pull better now won't it?) One thing they are known for, aside from their animal handling, is the loud, clear whistles they can make, used to command and communicate with animals at a distance as well as communication between themselves. Knooks, visually, are probably the most varied in their coloration. Each one of them will mimic a natural animal's colors, whether it's golden and spots like a leopard, black and white stripes like a zebra, or even orange and white of a clownfish. This appearance doesn't alter their animal speak abilities, but it can make identifying them at a distance rather easy. Males' antlers rise from their heads before splitting into two branches, with the forward branch having no further deviations and the back splitting into two more forks that sweep backwards and up. Typically, Knooks won't surpass four feet tall, and female Knooks can potentially have up to five offspring at a time, quite a 'litter!' Fawn 2* These 'lesser' Nadur are the dancers of the Naduir. They have always been keenly curious about civilization and what it entails, and were very pleased when the Dryads finally allowed the Naduir to show themselves. On that day, these were the first to come dancing out of the woodlands and right up to people. Like children they will take to any new thing with curiosity, but nothing holds their attention quite like music and dancing and will willingly join in to either with grace and skill. For them to cause someone physical harm is hard to comprehend, though if pressed back to the wall they will do their best to defend those they love. Fawns run the gamut of natural shades, and green hues join the typical marking colors. Unlike many of their species their markings can be much more whimsical, such as whirls, spirals, and zig-zags in addition to the normal markings. An average Fawn will stand around three to four feet at the head, and the antlers of the males are notably the smallest, a single short curving branch forward and one back with no side branches, always rounded over and covered in velvet that is never shed to make them soft to the touch. Sometimes, if their Bonded or a kindly soul can acquire it for them, they will happily wear garlands or leg-wraps with bells, so they make music with each step. Female Fawn will bear at most three young at a time, though two is more common. Pixi 2* Considered by some to be the trickster answer to the Fawns, the Pixi are the little sparkling lights of the Naduir. These deer have a hard time taking anything seriously, believing life is one great game that we all play and why be so serious at it? To this end, they are notorious pranksters, seeking to lighten the ill-in-mood with their games and fun little tricks even if said tricks are less-than-happily received, and when they do feel slighted tricks are their typical response. Curiously, any creature of an equine nature will naturally earn consideration from a Pixi, and will never be a target of their tricks. Much as the Fawns will wear bells, Pixi prize colorful ribbons and sashes, and will wear them continually if able to acquire them Pixi's are, as their name might suggest, the smallest of the Naduir at barely three feet at the head. Whether they are male or female they are dainty and the males only have tiny nubs for antlers making them seem even smaller. They tend to show up in creams, soft grays, whites, and soft tans, though it isn't uncommon to see them appear in any pastel shade of the rainbow, and their markings are much the same. When offspring are born, females will welcome into the world two or three fawns. Naiad 1* Like the bubbling brook, with its cool, refreshing waters, the Naiads bring relief and healing to the world. Both male and female in gender, these Naduir are skilled in the location and use of medicinal plants to ease the suffering of others be they animal, shiny, or man, and even in mixing poultices and droughts despite some thinking their hooves would hinder them in this. Many an injured hiker has had their life spared by the timely intervention of a Naiad bringing herbs to mend their wounds. Though possessing a soft touch for the wounded they can be much like the water and strike out when they or more importantly their patients are in danger. Hovering around the four foot mark at the head give or take an inch, males have smooth, single-branching light-colored horns and both males and females are somewhat strong for their build, able to carry a much greater load than their frames might suggest (though neither can bear the weight of a grown adult alone). They come in any natural color, though their markings are almost always lighter than their base and tend to form ripples like sunlight on water, speckles, and occasionally blanket-like irregular splotches like frothing waves. A Naiad will have around three fawns in a birth. Blight 1* These either-gendered Naduir are preservation of nature taken to its darker extremes. While most others of their species are willing to either work with civilization for some kind of harmony, or at the least live and let live, these deer will find a facet of civilization to fixate on and seek to derail, undermine, or even actively destroy it in the case of extreme personalities. For example, say one decides that his particular angst against civilization is the domestication of animals. If his personality is mild he may protest against a farmer's treatment of his animals, try to convince others of cruelty to get the animals removed, or give others a myriad of reasons to not do business with him. If he is of a more severe personality he might actively sneak in at night to 'free' the animals, break farm equipment related to their 'enslavement' such as yokes and saddles, or even attack the farmer if pushed hard enough. Thankfully, aside from this one facet they will almost ignore all other ilk against the natural order, believing unshakably that their personal crusade is somehow more vital than all others. Be afraid, however, should two meet who share goals: they will be a force to be reckoned with! One might wonder what a Blight would do if faced with someone who genuinely shared their viewpoint; thus far if they have, they aren't telling. Blights come in any natural color much as other Naduir do, though black and gray appear more often than it does in the others and their markings have a tendency to be dark (though there are exceptions) and sharp-edged. There's little subtle about them, either in form or behavior. Standing on average of five feet tall, males' horns have no set sweep or pattern but are alarmingly sharp-tipped, capable of drawing blood. Female Blights are the most prolific at birth rates, having four or five fawns at a time (though thankfully not all are born Blights). |