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I've been playing around a lot with new beasts, and I think these guys will stick. Born of my love of succulents and monsters.
ECHES [eck-eez]
Origins
Eches, also known as "dayseekers" are a semi-intelligent reptilian lifeform from Ee, a large, inhospitable desert planet with long, scorching days and deadly, frigid nights. Ee's rotation is such that you can actually watch the encroaching darkness of night creep across the landscape. Night is tolerable for short periods, but deadly at length; anything localized to one area would die of cold and starvation as it passed through the dark side of the planet. Plants and food are scarce.
As such, native lifeforms have evolved to be nomadic, existing in a state of constant migration across the sunward side of Ee. Eches are no exception to this; being reptilian, they rely on the light and heat of day and would quickly wither during the long night. Many smaller creatures manage to survive on this barren world, but the dayseekers thrive here. Their secret is the symbiotic relationship with the plantlife of Ee.
Symbiotes
Plants, too, rely on the sun's bounty for survival, but unlike the fauna of Ee, they cannot flee the ever-encroaching night. In the course of their evolution, Eches have developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the sun-loving plantlife of their world. Each Eches is host to a single species, which grows across their back, neck, and tail. The plants are kept out of the clutches of night by the reptile's migration, and the dayseekers receive nutrients from their partner's photosynthetic process (and sometimes protection as well). This is vital, as food on Ee is scarce, and they cannot linger to hunt or wait for a meal that may never come; it won't sustain an Eches indefinitely but this combined with fat reserves stored in the tail can keep an adult on the move for months before needing prey.
Biology & Behavior
Standing fully erect, most Eches are about 7ft in height--5.5ft when in their typical relaxed crouch/walking stance--and are 8-10ft long from nose to tail. There are no external differences between males and females. Eches are a semi-intelligent species, able to comprehend commands and problem solve. They cannot speak, but are highly verbal when around a species that can, communicating with purrs, clicks, and throaty vocalizations. Dayseekers also posses bio-luminescent patches on their skin, which they use to communicate with each other. Patches tend to be used in situations of heightened emotion, be it stress, interest, or enjoyment.
Eches are eyeless and blind, but have a keen sense of smell and hearing. Their primary mode of navigation, however, is a system of highly sensitive photo- and electroreceptors in their skin. Their ability to detect light keeps them moving toward the sun and avoiding obstacles, and their ability to detect electric fields facilitates hunting.
When an Eches is ready to breed, their plant will bloom. They reproduce sexually with successful matings followed by a long gestation and a single well-developed egg. The egg is carried in a ventral egg pouch, which is possed by both males and females. While the hatchlings can walk mere hours after birth, they spend their first months riding on the backs or tails of their parents. Young hatch out plant-less and must be propagated by their parents, a process aided by the carrying behavior. A plant-less eches would not survive long on it's native world, but are occasionally kept as pets offworld where scarcity isn't an issue. Due to their constant movement they are not territorial creatures, but move in small, tight-knit family groups who's members are fiercely protective of each other. For this reason, they make excellent guard animals when raised for the task.
Outliers
Rarely, exceptionally large and robust individuals hosting two or more plant species are encountered. Averaging 10-15ft in height, these individuals are colloquially known as "daystriders", and normal Eches tend to congregate around them to form small herds. It is unknown whether environmental factors can cause an Eches to develop into a daystrider, or if it is a genetic anomaly.
Even more scarce--nearly legendary in rarity--is the Eches megaforme, the "lifebringer". These massive creatures walk on all fours and are said to be 200ft in length and far broader than their smaller kin. These extraordinary creatures carry an entire ecosystem on their backs; a wandering oasis bursting with life on an otherwise desolate world. As with daystriders, it is unknown where these enormous beasts come from, or how many exist (if any).
Keeping
Despite it's inhospitable landscape, Ee is home to a small population of intelligent nomadic humanoids. A favored companion of these caravans, Eches eggs are robbed from their parent's bellies and the hatchlings imprinted on a humanoid companion. These young are then seeded with fruiting plants, medicinal herbs, or valuable spices; a living, migrating farm. The adults are also used to pull the vardo wagons. A small herd of domesticated Dayseekers is practically essential for the survival of these caravans. Though many are poached from the wild, the Eches are venerated and well-treated-- a part of the family. It is a taboo to kill these creatures, and parents who's eggs were taken are "paid" with tributes of food, jewelry, or garments.
Offworld, Eches can be kept as pets or "guard dogs". Even first generation captive dayseekers are exceptionally tame if raised from the egg, and bond strongly with their family, regardless of species. Wild-caught young and adults are far less amenable to being kept, but can be swayed if impressed by their prospective companion. Wild dayseekers are often extremely restless in their early days off-world, accustomed to a life of movement. This desire to wander may never fade.
Tamed offworld Eches can be wild harvested or captive bred. Interestingly, they are often kept plant-less; so long as the newborn Eches is prevented from acquiring propagation or seed, the skin will thicken as it ages and make it more difficult for flora to bond. This is often accompanied by supplementing the food with a mild herbicide. As long as the diet is rich and varied, there will be no negative effect on the Eches, although they may exhibit the curious habit of stealing garments or objects with which to drape themselves in. A bonded Eches cannot be separated from it's plant partner without dire consequences; they will wither slowly despite any food offered, becoming listless and depressed until the plant grows back or--if the symbiote was removed entirely--eventually waste away and die.
Many do choose to keep their Eches in a natural state, however, and may select exotic varietals from any number of worlds to compliment the reptile's natural coloration. Bonsai Eches or living gardens are a popular cultivar in certain circles: these tend to be smaller, as their plants are pruned and carefully maintained. Cutting the plant does not harm them, so long as enough remains to keep both plant and Eches healthy. It take a great deal of trust for an Eches to let anyone cut their flora so these bonsai companions tend to have strong bonds with their keepers and are exceptionally placid.
A great concern in bringing a dayseeker out of their natural environment is their need for light and heat. Eches are partially warm-blooded, but will need access to a warm place for several hours each day. For worlds with decent levels of technology or magic, grow lamps and light spells provided as basking areas are sufficient. A wild-caught Eches will have difficulty navigating a new world with their lack of vision, and may become fearful--even frantic-- when night falls. Eches cannot be kept in humid or moist environments as they are susceptible to being colonized by fungi, which are parasitic to them and can spread uncontrollably, overtaking both reptile and symbiote. A serious infection can kill a dayseeker. Baths or swimming is fine, so long as the dayseeker is allowed to dry fully afterwards.
In Conclusion
Eches are a fascinating species bridging the lines of flora and fauna. They make excellent companions, but are intelligent enough to communicate in their own right and lead interesting lives of their own. They are good, soft monster boys and give A+ cuddles. Also they could probably rip you in half if they wanted to. Which they don't. But they could.
This took forever to type out, and if you're still here, I hope you enjoyed it. If there is interest, I plan on having a photo/palette adopt event for these guys soon (to pay for the damage I did at the annual succulent sale down in the city whoops). Each dayseeker will have unique art, which will probably have clean lineart unlike the sketches above.
Side note: the eches pictured above might be available as-is. Make me an offer.
ECHES [eck-eez]
Origins
Eches, also known as "dayseekers" are a semi-intelligent reptilian lifeform from Ee, a large, inhospitable desert planet with long, scorching days and deadly, frigid nights. Ee's rotation is such that you can actually watch the encroaching darkness of night creep across the landscape. Night is tolerable for short periods, but deadly at length; anything localized to one area would die of cold and starvation as it passed through the dark side of the planet. Plants and food are scarce.
As such, native lifeforms have evolved to be nomadic, existing in a state of constant migration across the sunward side of Ee. Eches are no exception to this; being reptilian, they rely on the light and heat of day and would quickly wither during the long night. Many smaller creatures manage to survive on this barren world, but the dayseekers thrive here. Their secret is the symbiotic relationship with the plantlife of Ee.
Symbiotes
Plants, too, rely on the sun's bounty for survival, but unlike the fauna of Ee, they cannot flee the ever-encroaching night. In the course of their evolution, Eches have developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the sun-loving plantlife of their world. Each Eches is host to a single species, which grows across their back, neck, and tail. The plants are kept out of the clutches of night by the reptile's migration, and the dayseekers receive nutrients from their partner's photosynthetic process (and sometimes protection as well). This is vital, as food on Ee is scarce, and they cannot linger to hunt or wait for a meal that may never come; it won't sustain an Eches indefinitely but this combined with fat reserves stored in the tail can keep an adult on the move for months before needing prey.
Biology & Behavior
Standing fully erect, most Eches are about 7ft in height--5.5ft when in their typical relaxed crouch/walking stance--and are 8-10ft long from nose to tail. There are no external differences between males and females. Eches are a semi-intelligent species, able to comprehend commands and problem solve. They cannot speak, but are highly verbal when around a species that can, communicating with purrs, clicks, and throaty vocalizations. Dayseekers also posses bio-luminescent patches on their skin, which they use to communicate with each other. Patches tend to be used in situations of heightened emotion, be it stress, interest, or enjoyment.
Eches are eyeless and blind, but have a keen sense of smell and hearing. Their primary mode of navigation, however, is a system of highly sensitive photo- and electroreceptors in their skin. Their ability to detect light keeps them moving toward the sun and avoiding obstacles, and their ability to detect electric fields facilitates hunting.
When an Eches is ready to breed, their plant will bloom. They reproduce sexually with successful matings followed by a long gestation and a single well-developed egg. The egg is carried in a ventral egg pouch, which is possed by both males and females. While the hatchlings can walk mere hours after birth, they spend their first months riding on the backs or tails of their parents. Young hatch out plant-less and must be propagated by their parents, a process aided by the carrying behavior. A plant-less eches would not survive long on it's native world, but are occasionally kept as pets offworld where scarcity isn't an issue. Due to their constant movement they are not territorial creatures, but move in small, tight-knit family groups who's members are fiercely protective of each other. For this reason, they make excellent guard animals when raised for the task.
Outliers
Rarely, exceptionally large and robust individuals hosting two or more plant species are encountered. Averaging 10-15ft in height, these individuals are colloquially known as "daystriders", and normal Eches tend to congregate around them to form small herds. It is unknown whether environmental factors can cause an Eches to develop into a daystrider, or if it is a genetic anomaly.
Even more scarce--nearly legendary in rarity--is the Eches megaforme, the "lifebringer". These massive creatures walk on all fours and are said to be 200ft in length and far broader than their smaller kin. These extraordinary creatures carry an entire ecosystem on their backs; a wandering oasis bursting with life on an otherwise desolate world. As with daystriders, it is unknown where these enormous beasts come from, or how many exist (if any).
Keeping
Despite it's inhospitable landscape, Ee is home to a small population of intelligent nomadic humanoids. A favored companion of these caravans, Eches eggs are robbed from their parent's bellies and the hatchlings imprinted on a humanoid companion. These young are then seeded with fruiting plants, medicinal herbs, or valuable spices; a living, migrating farm. The adults are also used to pull the vardo wagons. A small herd of domesticated Dayseekers is practically essential for the survival of these caravans. Though many are poached from the wild, the Eches are venerated and well-treated-- a part of the family. It is a taboo to kill these creatures, and parents who's eggs were taken are "paid" with tributes of food, jewelry, or garments.
Offworld, Eches can be kept as pets or "guard dogs". Even first generation captive dayseekers are exceptionally tame if raised from the egg, and bond strongly with their family, regardless of species. Wild-caught young and adults are far less amenable to being kept, but can be swayed if impressed by their prospective companion. Wild dayseekers are often extremely restless in their early days off-world, accustomed to a life of movement. This desire to wander may never fade.
Tamed offworld Eches can be wild harvested or captive bred. Interestingly, they are often kept plant-less; so long as the newborn Eches is prevented from acquiring propagation or seed, the skin will thicken as it ages and make it more difficult for flora to bond. This is often accompanied by supplementing the food with a mild herbicide. As long as the diet is rich and varied, there will be no negative effect on the Eches, although they may exhibit the curious habit of stealing garments or objects with which to drape themselves in. A bonded Eches cannot be separated from it's plant partner without dire consequences; they will wither slowly despite any food offered, becoming listless and depressed until the plant grows back or--if the symbiote was removed entirely--eventually waste away and die.
Many do choose to keep their Eches in a natural state, however, and may select exotic varietals from any number of worlds to compliment the reptile's natural coloration. Bonsai Eches or living gardens are a popular cultivar in certain circles: these tend to be smaller, as their plants are pruned and carefully maintained. Cutting the plant does not harm them, so long as enough remains to keep both plant and Eches healthy. It take a great deal of trust for an Eches to let anyone cut their flora so these bonsai companions tend to have strong bonds with their keepers and are exceptionally placid.
A great concern in bringing a dayseeker out of their natural environment is their need for light and heat. Eches are partially warm-blooded, but will need access to a warm place for several hours each day. For worlds with decent levels of technology or magic, grow lamps and light spells provided as basking areas are sufficient. A wild-caught Eches will have difficulty navigating a new world with their lack of vision, and may become fearful--even frantic-- when night falls. Eches cannot be kept in humid or moist environments as they are susceptible to being colonized by fungi, which are parasitic to them and can spread uncontrollably, overtaking both reptile and symbiote. A serious infection can kill a dayseeker. Baths or swimming is fine, so long as the dayseeker is allowed to dry fully afterwards.
In Conclusion
Eches are a fascinating species bridging the lines of flora and fauna. They make excellent companions, but are intelligent enough to communicate in their own right and lead interesting lives of their own. They are good, soft monster boys and give A+ cuddles. Also they could probably rip you in half if they wanted to. Which they don't. But they could.
This took forever to type out, and if you're still here, I hope you enjoyed it. If there is interest, I plan on having a photo/palette adopt event for these guys soon (to pay for the damage I did at the annual succulent sale down in the city whoops). Each dayseeker will have unique art, which will probably have clean lineart unlike the sketches above.
Side note: the eches pictured above might be available as-is. Make me an offer.
Category Adoptables / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 800 x 698px
File Size 651.2 kB
Comments