LEARN ABOUT US | thedrekkubusden

Art featured (on page) by Jessie Clarey-Berthiaume

WHAT'S IN A MASK?:

Drekkubus have the ability to summon and dismiss a mask made of bone that they wear on their face. Stemming from their dragon-ancestors’ magic, Drekkubus can summon and dismiss (by waving a paw over the face) a boney skull mask. The eyes of the Drekkubus disappear when the mask is on and become flame will-o-the-wisps, and the mask is unremovable unless the Drekkubus dies or removes it themselves. This mask is feline-like, always. The mask can have sprouted horns, bumps, decorations, gems, etc, but must remain extremely similar to the image above, and always a cat-like skull.

(Note: Previously it was a rule that Behemoth Drekkubus could not dismiss the mask and had to carry it at all times. This is no longer valid information, we've long since dismissed that rule.)

MALE VS. FEMALE VS. SEXLESS

Male Drekkubus: Male drekkies are called Drakes (singular Drake) and do not average any larger or smaller in size than their female counterparts. Drakes have a penis that retracts within a sheath, as well as two testicles, which sit at the very base of the tail joining the abdomen. Drake genitals are well hidden when not in use, so much that it's almost difficult to tell a Drake from a Fae by appearance.

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Female Drekkubus: Female drekkies are called Faes (singular Fae) and do not average any larger or smaller in size than their male counterparts. Faes have a vagina that is positioned between the hind legs, and well hidden by fur, so much that it's almost difficult to tell a Drake from a Fae by appearance. Female Drekkubus have 6 or 8 rows of nipples, due to adaptations over time, only the top two teats fill with milk to feed the young. Thus, the only time a female Drekkubus has breasts is when it is feeding whelps. (Note: Teats are not considered a sexually offensive, or sexually arousing organ in the species.)

Faes can either be oviparous (egg-bearing) or viviparous (live-young bearing.)

The restrictions for OVIPAROUS FEMALES are as follows:

1. Only small faes (under 4' tall) can be oviparous

2. Only standard faes can be oviparous (not lessers or behemoths)

3. Oviparous females will only lay one egg at a time

4. Oviparous females can produce an egg once every 7 months

5. Eggs take approximately 2 months to hatch

The restrictions for VIVIPARIOUS FEMALES are as follows:

1. All behemoth and lesser, and most standard females are viviparous (live birth)

2. Faes commonly birth 1 whelp, sometimes 2, RARELY (almost never) 3

3. Faes gestation period is 7 months from conception to birth

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Sexless Drekkubus: A genderless Drekkubus, which we will now refer to as an Agender Drekkubus, is a called a Drae. Draes are Drekkubus that do not have a biological sex, they may personally identify as female or male for preferential sakes, but do not have genitals or the desire to mate. They choose partners for the sake of company and safe travels, and the enjoyment of building a platonic relationships amongst their clan and family members. They can experience love and romantic feelings, but always platonically.

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You MAY however choose any terminology to associate with your Drekkubus, regardless of its gender, just remember that our gender pronouns and associations do not typically apply the same way to a Drekkubus as they would to a human, as Drekkubus are animals and not a humanoid race.

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Sexuality:

Drekkubus can be any sexuality you want them to be. Remember that, genetically speaking, the majority of the species is probably heterosexual in order to carry on their genes. But since in Beryl Shad they are the dominant species, and because we can do what we what, you can choose any sexuality for your character.

Drekkubus are not "bullied" or looked down upon for their taste in gender. In fact, they're so fine tuned to it, that their horns secrete a hormone at the base that often allows the correct sex to know what sex the other is seeking. (Built in gaydar. How nifty.)

BABIES, BABIES, BABIES!

Whelps tend to be born as a result of the rut (see below) but with mated drekkie pairs, or drekkies who just felt like getting groovy at another time of year, they can really be born any time. Most whelps though, rut whelps we call them, are born in the Summer in June or July.
They open their eyes at 1 week, and are able to hear at 1 week.
They begin to crawl at 1 month.
They begin to walk at 3 months.
Teeth come in at 3-4 months.
Adult teeth at 6+ months.
Whelps are weaned from milk at 6 to 8 months of age.
Whelps begin to learn their affinities at about 6-7 years of age.

LIFESPANS

Drekkubus tend to be considered whelps until about 15-18 years of age.
Adolescents are (15/18)-(25/30) years.
Adulthood can run all the way up to 100 years.
Being "Elderly" usually begins at age 100-125 and up, but it can vary.
The average lifespan is 150.

THE RUT

Females would begin nesting (cleaning the living space, etc) and males will become slightly more aggressive or driven, and will occasionally even butt heads over females! Females begin hoarding more food. (Note: The gender roles can be reversed or different here, but it tends to always be young adult males.)
As males grow older, this hormone response dies down and goes away. Tensions in young males and females are high, but rarely do drakes engage in murder or over the top physically aggressive tendencies. The Rut occurs in Autumn, usually October 1st and ending in November 30th.
General Courting: Is about the male (all genders can do it, this is general) peacocking and showing off a little, and trying to impress the female. They can occasionally display rut-like tendencies. They will groom more often and bring gifts to those they are courting.

SOUNDS & COMMUNICATION

Drekkubus speak a language known as Shad.
For our purposes, we generally express it as English to understand it. But they don't speak English.
Modern Drekkubus can speak any language you want them to speak, but they almost always retain some knowledge of how to speak Shad.
They can squeak, squeal, chirp, purr (happy), bugle (expressive), bark (alerted), or rattle their tail joints (threatened/alerted), sneeze/cough/hiccough (scared), growl, snarl, and yowl (angry, threatened.)
Regional dialects do exist, but all Drekkubus speak Shad.
Body language:
Ears tend to remain parallel to the sides or pulled back behind the shoulders in the default potion when in a relaxed state. Droop, rotate back when sad. Rotate back and raise when angered. Raise and remain parallel when happy.
Tail may wag slowly when pleased. Tail may wag slowly when angered. If you're a Drekkie, it's easy to tell the difference in the wag. Tails may caress another when walking beside them for comfort or for love. (Or...alternatively I guess...whack the shit out of them if they're angry...)
Nostrils and ear skin may flush with blood and create and darker color when embarrassed or angry. So when a Drekkie blushes, he blushes...in his nose.
Horns are often lightly butted in the way people shake and grasp hands with a very good friend. They may say something like "Brother! Good to see you!" And bow and tap horns, before engaging in a conversation. All genders of Drekkubus do this, and mated pairs do this too, the difference being that they run the horns together, and for longer. Some elderly mated pairs have flat surfaces on the fronts of their horns from many happy years of greeting their family and partner. Horns are also butted in anger at times, the difference in horn butting is easily recognizable though.
Muzzles are pressed together, Drekkies don't kiss like you and I do, rather they show intimacy in a similar way by pressing the muzzle together and sharing breaths. (Disclaimer, you can have your drekkies kiss if you want to, no one's gonna stop you.) This is an action parents do with whelps and partners do with each other, but friends and family do not share this action.
Hair is raised when suspicious or angry, with a huge mane like Drekkies posses, they can get...incredibly poofy.

TERMS

Fae - a female Drekkie
Drake - a male Drekkie
Drae - a sexless Drekkie
Apar - a Drekkubus mount
Beryl Shad - the Drekkubus canon world
Shad - the drekkubus language
Brunty - another sentient predator in the Beryl world
Strider - a huge prey mammal in the Beryl world
The Rut - see "The Rut" section above

DIET

Drekkubus are omnivores. They can live off an almost entirely carnivorous diet, but they do require some essential nutrients from fruits and vegetables at least on occasion. An entirely meat-eating Drekkubus would become very unhealthy and die, and the same for a vegetarian Drekkubus. For this reason, the species has developed hand-like paws to help them gather food, plant seeds, dig fields to grow food, and hold weapons and craft nets to catch wild prey. Theory has it that this is why they have developed pawpads on their hands, to give them better grip and ability to use the hands.
Drekkies can prefer any food over one another, they all can have a different favorite food.
All Drekkubus LOVE cheese, and they're not lactose intolerant. This really began as a joke, but the species experienced a sudden huge growth spurt and it flew out of control, so now it's become widely known and canon that for some freakin' reason, all Drekkies ADORE cheese.
Yes, Drekkubus eat Apar. But not the same subspecies that they use as mounts!
Regional food differences are common.

ABILITIES AND MAGIC

Being a descendant of a dragon has its benefits. One of those being, Drekkubus are magic, in a way. All Drekkubus can perform a type of magic called Affinities. Each Drekkie can only use ONE type of affinity. But it can learn to master this affinity, and become really talented with it!
An affinity is exactly what it is called -- an affinity for one particular element. That means that if your Drekkie has a fire affinity, it can use fire in some way, shape, or form.
If your Drekkie has an Earth affinity, it can manipulate the earth in a way. For instance, they might manipulate the bacteria in soil to rapidly decompose a corpse. (This is a current power, no stealing!) Maybe they can move vines. Maybe it can move small rocks, or shape stone.
Remember: Affinities do not always have a purpose. They are magic, nothing more.
Drekkubus can only have 1 affinity, by can be trained by other same-affinity users to perform their talent affinity! (Cool, huh?)
This is to say: if two Earth Affinities meet, and one can move stones and the other can move soil, they can teach each other that talent. But they cannot learn anything to do with water, fire, or the other elements.
Your Drekkie's special ability is called a Talent. Talents are not always unique.
Mutations and affinities are not the same thing.
Accepted Affinities include: Ice/Water, Fire, Energy, Earth, Air, Light, Dark/Shadow, Lightning, Plant

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