[tawnycatz]

i did not forgor about my little project im just not good at finishing things. or writing

One of the rarest species on Kannuar, or at least suspected to be; finding them is a difficult task due to their location and aggression.

Spiny cave dragons are, as one may suspect, found in caves. Some areas of Kannuar are rockier than others, the stone not worn into tiny sand particles. It is here that 'caves' can be found, usually more aptly described as sinkholes or fissures. These structures are not commonly formed by water (as there is not much of it).

These dragons sleep for long periods of time in hibernation or, at least, this is suspected to be the case. Their hides are thick and rough, with overgrown scales, and typically matches the coloration of local stone (leading to great variety in coloration). The scaly overgrowths largely only appear on the back of the dragon. These help the dragon blend into the rocky, uneven terrain, and possibly serves as protection. What they could be protecting themselves from is unclear, as spiny cave dragons are currently the top known apex predator.

All encounters with spiny cave dragons are when the beasts are in a deep sleep, and usually discovered with one walking on their backs. Their highly aggressive nature when awake makes it... unclear... how many encounters happened under such circumstances.

Ulavakh warn others not to go into caves for obvious reasons. Just in case. I mean, do YOU want to fight this thing?!

Spiny cave dragons have tough, dry meat no matter how it is cooked, and it tastes oddly salty. You eat this thing for the prestige of having successfully hunted one, not because it tastes good.

[Kenjaku]

I love this series, all of the lore and thought put into it. I can totally see these being a menace to cave explorers and putting back the hobby because do you really wanna risk it? Also love the tidbit about them not tasting very good, but being eaten as a symbol of bringing down such a beast!

[tawnycatz]

I love this series, all of the lore and thought put into it. I can totally see these being a menace to cave explorers and putting back the hobby because do you really wanna risk it? Also love the tidbit about them not tasting very good, but being eaten as a symbol of bringing down such a beast!

ahh, thank you so much !!! :D worldbuilding is one of my favorite things to do, even if I don't do anything with that worldbuilding. i prefer it to actual stories, lol. and Kannuar in particular has been slowly cooking away off to the side for a while.

I like picking a few basic starting points and going from there. maybe not to the extent of some specbio people, i like getting silly with it but, yknow. for Kannuar, it was "dragon desert world." what animal colors and patterns would arise from such a world? sand comes in a surprising variety of colors, what can we do with that? DRAGONS???

The greater universe (which I call Wellwicke, the situation is..complex) that Kannuar is attached to is heavy on.. food.. and dishes, because of a specific character i was really developing who has access to all these different worlds. and a lot of fun and fantastical and silly ingredients!

which led me to thinking about how one-off plants and animals i made across these several planets and worlds (only one i have here is Kannuar) would actually work in regards to the planets they're from, as opposed to just being an interesting ingredient elsewhere. like, my original notes on drought basilisks was just "tastes spicy and is everywhere on home planet. which is a desert" and i did not elaborate further on their actual role in said world save for some quick sketches. i think i also mentioned that they were sand-colored lol. and i came back to it a few months later like "but i want to know MORE."

from there i thought about what role they play in their Actual World (Kannuar) as a part of an ecosystem and cultural relation to the main alien race (ulavakh) on the planet. i'm not getting super deep, i don't think, but i like playing with ideas. A desert planet of wildlife with a lot of things that are technically dragons, or dragon-y. like how horses and deer and buffalo are all ungulates and you can tell that but they feel different.

ILL STOP TALKING NOW LOL