This is the write-up for the new species I have been working on. I still need to clean this up a little bit as well as get the sketch page done of the species. Please let me know if you have any questions about the species. It will help me fill them out. They came to me as I was falling asleep one night and only now got the write up done. As of right now they will be a closed species since they are still a work in progress. They may remain closed only because I am not sure I would be able to trust people to remain within the color restrictions of the two subspecies. Last thing I need to see is a neon blue Obruo. The gate referred to in this write up looks somewhat like this.

I don't expect many people to really show interest in having one of these.

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Species: Ponderan

Subspecies: Aevum & Obruo

Note: The personalities mentioned in here are a generalization of the species. You can find either of the species behaving differently or outside their morality. Those that do tend to be shunned or attacked by their own if they go to the extreme. An example of an extreme is an Aevum imprisoning their charge against their will.

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Aevum
Mentality:
Aevum have been compared to guardian angels as they have been known to watch over a person or place. They can bond themselves to an individual to allow for a low mental connection and awareness of the health and condition of the individual they are protecting. They can even achieve this bond with an inanimate location like a building or a temple, whatever they would deem to require protecting. Because of this, they are very in tune with the nature of an object and can even feel that an object is a living thing while others may just observe it as a building.

If anything happens to the object or person they are guarding, they have a possibility of dying. Due to their connection with the person or place, premature destruction of it will result in a shock to the Aevums system. There have been Aevum who have survived guarding multiple people or places, and some that have perished after their first duty. Regardless of this, it is rare to find an Aevum without a charge (guarding a person or place). Without locating a charge, they are left with an empty feeling within them, almost a depression. Though they cannot just link up with any random object or person, they have to feel that connection to fill that void. This means, they can’t pick up a random rock, and bond to it, to make sure they stay safe from the possible destruction of their charge. Unless that rock actually called to them… Which I doubt. It is typically a living soul (person) or a site that people may revere as holy or historic.

An Aevum can only link to one person/place at a time. They cannot link to another Aevum or an Obruo. Both species function with a one way output link and cannot receive an input link. Once they are linked they are in it for the long haul. There have been attempts to break a connection, but if they felt the call that filled the void, it is unbreakable. Those who have tried to break the connection perished due to the connection being made through their souls energy and literally bleeding their soul out. It has been known that an Aevum has fallen in love with their charges before. After all they are literally linking a piece of themselves to that individual. It can be mistaken for a feeling of love or being a soul mate. Many Aevum, treat this more as a feeling of maternal/paternal protection, a parent protecting a child.

Only one person can be connected to an Aevum at any given time just as an Aevum can only connect to one person or place at a time. This is due to a person’s soul being more confined and condensed. There just isn’t room for multiple Aevum to connect. Though, a location can have multiple connections and multiple protectors. As an example, a stone temple in the deep forest can have several guardians. This temple could have been revered by thousands of individuals in the past, giving their lives, souls, and hearts to it in worship. Some of those individuals, being devout enough could have provided a link to this location. It is unlikely that a location can have thousands of links as only someone who truly puts their lives into a location can make a connection available. Older structures have more potential for a connection as their have likely been individuals devoting themselves to that location over time.

Also, an Aevum that is linked with an individual or place is not required to stay by that individual’s side constantly. They do what they see as ‘fit’ to make sure their bonded partner is safe. After all, it is their lives that are dependent on these individuals or places staying safe. If they feel periodic check ins are adequate, then that is their decision.
If anything were to happen to an Aevum guarding a location or a person (aka death), then that spot would open for a new individual to take that place. If anything were to befall an Aevum, the soul shock would have no repercussions on the charge as it would if something were to happen to the charge. The connection is one way. An Aevum will stretch a piece of their essence around the charge they chose. If that charge dies then the piece of their essence would shoot back causing that system shock of the piece making a sudden return. But if an Aevum dies, then the piece connected to the charge just fades away with the Aevum.

Physical Attributes:
A gate runs around their neck much like an oversized collar. For a female, individual spines (gate posts which are cylindrical poles that are tipped with what appears to be an arrow tip) run down the center of their back to their tail ending in what looks like a miniature gate fanned at their tail tip. In a few cases, females can actually have a full gate on their backs down the middle of their spine. Males have two mini gates running down each shoulder blade that meet at the base of the tail to run down to the tip, no mini gate at the end of the tail. Heights of the gates can vary. Posts can be placed anywhere a dragon would have horns: top of head, forehead, jawline, shoulders (would be particularly shorter there), and elbows. A gate cannot be removed from a creature as it is interlinked with their skeletal system. Removing a gate would be equivalent to ripping their spine out.

The muzzle is a softer squarer version of a dragon’s muzzle. There are no protruding nostrils, just slits near the front above the mouth. Environment plays a big part in their diet, so both canines and grinding teeth are provided, making them omnivores, though they tend to adopt the eating habits of the regions they are in. Most of their ears appear to be wing shaped in design. In rare instances, they can actually have wings for ears. The ears are typically long enough and mobile enough to be able to cover most of their faces with their ears. They typically do this in a sign of embarrassment. They have serpent like tails that are thicker near the base and thin out to a tip as it nears the end of its length. With practice an Aevum can learn to pick things up with their tails but it is a bit awkward and precise motions cannot be achieved while holding an object in their tail. It is mostly used for holding something while their hands are busy or to poke at someone playfully. The tail starts from the tailbone of their back and runs down to the ground for its length. As normal, the length of a tail can vary Aevum to Aevum.

Their legs have thicker upper thighs which go down to a knee joint, and then down to very tiny feet. It would appear to most that these feet would be impractical to walk on but due to their ability of perfect flight without wings, they can stand upright with them. Those who have adapted to living within society will mimic walking while they glide above the ground, only brushing their toes to the surface. Those in the wilds tend to dispose with social expectations of how one should walk and float with their feet unmoving just above the ground through the terrain.

Glowing runes will appear on one of five locations on the body; wrist(s), ankle(s), or collar bone. These runes vary in color and meaning. Some Aevum will actually have them located in all five locations. In rare instances the runes can be located elsewhere.

Their bodies are normally very androgynous but they have learned to shape them to fit in with the species they tend to follow around. So if they are in a city location, it is more likely the males would be a bit more broad and taller, while the females would be shorter with curves and breasts. An Aevum in the wild would most likely appear fairly androgynous, leaving the gates and posts on their backs to be the only indicator of whether they are male or female.

Colors for the Aevum tend to run along creams, off-whites, and the cool spectrum of the color wheel. Their gates can come in any metallic color variety. Aevum tend to socket gemstones or place trinkets onto or into their gates in a sign of pride and significance. Certain cultures revered certain gemstones as a sign of wealth or beauty. Aevum, wanting to fit into a specific culture may use that information to incorporate into their gates. In some cases an Aevum took pride in a specific region and may have lined their gate with that cultures stones. Another Aevum, may have traveled a lot, giving them an appreciation of the world, leading to them socketing many kinds of gems into their gates. In very rare instances there have been a few that have gates that are made completely of gemstone. It is only a form of decoration and has no bearing on their abilities.

Special Abilities:
The special abilities of Aevum vary depending on their charges. But their universal abilities include wingless flight. It is limited how high they can go as they are still dependent upon oxygen and not freezing to death. Too high of an altitude means a lack of oxygen and a colder temperature. The ability to manipulate their souls is a requirement to know or else they would not be able to bind themselves to another individual, driving them into a deep depression. Rapid adaptation. Evolution takes centuries to occur, but since they travel around to find someone to link themselves to, they have to be able to pass through many environments. Their body will allow for minor adaptions to tolerate hot or cold a little better, and even see a bit better in the dark. These attributes can be enhanced if an Aevum is linked to an individual living in these environments, which would allow an Aevum to stay with their charge no matter where they are. This occurs due to the shroud of soul they place over their charge attempting to mimic the soul beneath it. While it does not change an Aevum’s appearance (except for maybe adding a little extra fluff over time for cold areas or slitted eyes for light and dark places), it will grant them the same genetic adaptations to live in a specific environment. Individuals who link themselves to a person, typically gain a minor form of healing, allowing them to keep their charge safe and healthy. Those who watch over places typically gain a minor form of telekinesis which would allow them to float objects to make minor repairs or even defend the spot.

Birth and Death:
Aevum are born side by side with a twin, an Obruo. The cosmic force of balance, indicates that one is born another of the opposite is born. These two are not physically or mentally connected. If one dies the other does not (unless they both happen to be in circumstances that could lead to both of their deaths). They are born fully formed as an adult onto a world. The feeling of the void within them does not start immediately. It typically takes several months for the feeling to build, giving them time to explore and understand the world they were placed on, and look for something to tie themselves to that they feel is calling to them. Aevum are practically immortal but are typically brought low by an Obruo or a premature death of their charge. If the death of a charge happens naturally, like a building slowly crumbling over time due to age or a person dying due to old age, an Aevum’s connection will loosen and let them loose slowly rather than the harsh snap of them passing suddenly. Due to the connection an Aevum has with a person or place, their souls subconsciously know that the end is coming and that it is time to say goodbye and find another to assist. When an Aevum does pass, they fade into a collection of lights and float away, leaving their primary gate behind to sit and rust and weather. It is believed that after the gate of a passed Aevum has deteriorated long enough it vanishes to be given to a new born Obruo, whom have worn, tattered, rusted, broken, and twisted gates, unlike their siblings.

Sex and Reproduction:
Relationships between a male and female Aevum and Obruo will never result in a child as their species is created from the, Essence of Balance, which is an unknown creative force(s) that spawns them. That is the only way a ‘true’ Aevum or Obruo can be created. As mentioned previously, there have been some prior situations of romance between an Aevum and a charge, which has resulted in child. The children in most cases tend to look like the non Aevum parent with the exception of glowing runes in one of the five specified locations. Other than that, their genes are pretty recessive. In rare cases there has been a child that had their ears or their muzzle, but usually it doesn’t get passed on. The term to carry a child will always mimic the species of the non-Aevum parent. Children have seemed to only be produced between the individual that an Aevum is linked to at the time. In rare cases if the non-Aevum parent is hyper fertile or magic methods are used, a child can be produced outside of a link. It is believed that due to the link, mimicking species biology to adapt to an area is what allows an Aevum to produce offspring with other species. And that species ability to cross breed will also play a factor into whether an Aevum would be able to breed outside of a bond.

The actual process to reproduce is relevant to the species that the Aevum is linked with. If the Aevum is linked to a species with odd genitals, then they will adopt the gender appropriate (male if the Aevum is male and female if the Aevum is female) genitals of their linked hosts species. This does not mean the Aevum will switch genders to accommodate what their link desires, the Aevum are already male or female. In the case of a location, their genitals will be linked to the species that created the link point through devotion to the location.
Before an Aevum has bonded to an individual or place, their genitals are not quite set, more appearing like a Barbie doll or Ken doll with no discerning attributes. If an Aevum has bonded previously, but is currently in the process of locating a new connection, then they can hold on to their previous adaptations until a new connection is found, where they will then adapt to the new charge, or they can revert to their neutral state of genderless. When in a genderless state, the Aevum’s form of intercourse is through tactile sensation (touching each other) which allows their souls to touch another’s resulting in extreme pleasurable or painful stimulation depending on how they are touching one another. Even a non-Aevum can participate in this activity without being bonded to the Aevum and still experience the sensations of having their soul caressed. This equivalent form of intercourse for them cannot result in children.

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Obruo
Mentality:
Obruo have been compared to corrupted guardians as they have been known to watch over a person or place but tend to take things to an extreme. They can bond themselves to an individual to allow for a low mental connection and awareness of the health and condition of the individual they are guarding. They can even achieve this bond with an inanimate location like a building or a temple, whatever they would deem to require protecting. Because of this, they are very in tune with the nature of an object and can even feel that an object is a living thing while others may just observe it as a building. But while their twins actually guard an object an Obruo may twist this by locking the person they bind to in a tower, “for their own good”. Or in other instances, the may run ahead and murder possible threats to the object or person they have decided to guard.

If anything happens to the object or person they are protecting, they have a possibility of dying. Due to their connection with the person or place, premature destruction of it will result in a shock to the Obruos system. There have been Obruo who have survived guarding multiple people or places, and some that have perished after their first duty. Regardless of this, it is rare to find an Obruo without a charge (guarding a person or place). Without locating a charge, they are left with an empty feeling within them, almost a depression. Though they cannot just link up with any random object or person, they have to feel that connection to fill that void. This means, they can’t pick up a random rock, and bond to it, to make sure they stay safe from the possible destruction of their charge. Unless that rock actually called to them… Which I doubt. It is typically a living soul (person) or a site that people may revere as holy or historic. Though unlike an Aevum, an Obruo can temporarily fill that void by disrupting the equilibrium of the world. This includes causing general mischief to wreaking havoc. This is only a temporary fix that will fade within a day or so depending on the level on unbalance they caused. If they unbalance an Aevum, the void fix tends to last a little longer, which is why Aevum are typical targets of the Obruo.

An Obruo can only link to one person/place at a time. They cannot link to another Aevum or an Obruo. Both species function with a one way output link and cannot receive an input link. Once they are linked they are in it for the long haul. There have been attempts to break a connection, but if they felt the call that filled the void, it is unbreakable. Those who have tried to break the connection perished due to the connection being made through their souls energy and literally bleeding their soul out. It has been known that an Obruo has fallen in love with their charges before. After all they are literally linking a piece of themselves to that individual. It can be mistaken for a feeling of love or being a soul mate. Obruo have misinterpret this connection as a feeling of ownership over the one they are bonded to.

Only one person can be connected to an Obruo at any given time just as an Obruo can only connect to one person or place at a time. This is due to a person’s soul being more confined and condensed. There just isn’t room for multiple Obruo to connect. Though a location, can have multiple connections and multiple protectors. As an example, a stone temple in the deep forest, can have several guardians. This temple could have been revered by thousands of individuals in the past, giving their lives, souls, and hearts to it in worship. Some of those individuals, being devout enough could have provided a link to this location. It is unlikely that a location can have thousands of links as only someone who truly puts their lives into a location can make a connection available. Older structures have more potential for a connection as their have likely been individuals devoting themselves to that location over time.

Also, an Obruo that is linked with an individual or place is not required to stay by that individual’s side constantly. They do what they see as ‘fit’ to make sure their bonded partner is safe. After all, it is their lives that are dependent on these individuals or places staying safe. If they feel periodic check ins are adequate, then that is their decision.

If anything were to happen to an Obruo guarding a location or a person (aka death), then that spot would open for a new individual to take that place. If anything were to befall an Obruo, the soul shock would have no repercussions on the charge as it would if something were to happen to the charge. The connection is one way. An Obruo will stretch a piece of their essence around the charge they chose. If that charge dies then the piece of their essence would shoot back causing that system shock of the piece making a sudden return. But if an Obruo dies, then the piece connected to the charge just fades away with the Obruo.

Physical Attributes:
A twisted or broken gate runs around their neck much like an oversized collar. For a female, individual corroded spines (gate posts which are cylindrical poles that are tipped with what appears to be an arrow tip) run down the center of their back to their tail ending in what looks like a miniature broken gate fanned at their tail tip. In a few cases, females can actually have a full deteriorated gate on their backs down the middle of their spine. Males have two ruined mini gates running down each shoulder blade that meet at the base of the tail to run down to the tip, no mini gate at the end of the tail. Heights of the gates can vary. Posts can be placed anywhere a dragon would have horns: top of head, forehead, jawline, shoulders (would be particularly shorter there), and elbows. A gate cannot be removed from a creature as it is interlinked with their skeletal system. Removing a gate would be equivalent to ripping their spine out.

The muzzle is a softer squarer version of a dragon’s muzzle. There are no protruding nostrils, just slits near the front above the mouth. Environment plays a big part in their diet, so both canines and grinding teeth are provided, making them omnivores, though they tend to adopt the eating habits of the regions they are in. Most of their ears appear to be wing shaped in design. In rare instances, they can actually have wings for ears. The ears are typically long enough and mobile enough to be able to cover most of their faces with their ears. They typically do this in a sign of embarrassment. They have serpent like tails that are thicker near the base and thin out to a tip as it nears the end of its length. With practice an Obruo can learn to pick things up with their tails but it is a bit awkward and precise motions cannot be achieved while holding an object in their tail. It is mostly used for holding something while their hands are busy or to poke at someone playfully. The tail starts from the tailbone of their back and runs down to the ground for its length. As normal, the length of a tail can vary Obruo to Obruo.

Their legs have thicker upper thighs which go down to a knee joint, and then down to very tiny feet. It would appear to most that these feet would be impractical to walk on but due to their ability of perfect flight without wings, they can stand upright with them. Those who have adapted to living within society will mimic walking while they glide above the ground, only brushing their toes to the surface. Those in the wilds tend to dispose with social expectations of how one should walk and float with their feet unmoving just above the ground through the terrain.

Glowing runes will appear on one of five locations on the body; wrist(s), ankle(s), or the waist/hip area. These runes vary in color and meaning. Some Obruo will actually have them located in all five locations. In rare instances the runes can be located elsewhere.

Their bodies are normally very androgynous but they have learned to shape them to fit in with the species they tend to follow around. So if they are in a city location, it is more likely the males would be a bit more broad and taller, while the females would be shorter with curves and breasts. An Obruo in the wild would most likely appear fairly androgynous, leaving the gates and posts on their backs to be the only indicator of whether they are male or female.

Colors for the Obruo tend to run along dark greys and blacks, and the warm spectrum of the color wheel. Their gates can come in any metallic color variety. Obruo tend to socket gemstones or place trinkets onto or into their gates in a sign of pride and significance. Certain cultures revered certain gemstones as a sign of wealth or beauty. Obruo, wanting to fit into a specific culture may use that information to incorporate into their gates. In some cases an Obruo took pride in a specific region and may have lined their twisted gate with that cultures stones. Another Obruo, may have traveled a lot, giving them an appreciation of the world, leading to them socketing many kinds of gems into their gates. In very rare instances there have been a few that have bent and broken gates that are made completely of obsidian. It is only a form of decoration and has no bearing on their abilities.

Special Abilities:
The special abilities of Obruo vary depending on their charges. But their universal abilities include wingless flight. It is limited how high they can go as they are still dependent upon oxygen and not freezing to death. Too high of an altitude means a lack of oxygen and a colder temperature. The ability to manipulate their souls is a requirement to know or else they would not be able to bind themselves to another individual, driving them into a deep depression. Rapid adaptation. Evolution takes centuries to occur, but since they travel around to find someone to link themselves to, they have to be able to pass through many environments. Their body will allow for minor adaptions to tolerate hot or cold a little better, and even see a bit better in the dark. These attributes can be enhanced if an Obruo is linked to an individual living in these environments, which would allow an Obruo to stay with their charge no matter where they are. This occurs due to the shroud of soul they place over their charge attempting to mimic the soul beneath it. While it does not change an Obruo’s appearance (except for maybe adding a little extra fluff over time for cold areas or slitted eyes for light and dark places), it will grant them the same genetic adaptations to live in a specific environment. Individuals who link themselves to a person, typically gain a minor form of healing, allowing them to keep their charge safe and healthy. A few Obruo have found a way to warp the healing gift to harm individuals. Those who watch over places typically gain a minor form of telekinesis which would allow them to float objects to make minor repairs or even defend the spot.

Birth and Death:
Obruo are born side by side with a twin, an Aevum. The cosmic force of balance, indicates that one is born another of the opposite is born. These two are not physically or mentally connected. If one dies the other does not (unless they both happen to be in circumstances that could lead to both of their deaths). They are born fully formed as an adult onto a world. The feeling of the void within them does not start immediately. It typically takes several months for the feeling to build, giving them time to explore and understand the world they were placed on, and look for something to tie themselves to that they feel is calling to them. Obruo are practically immortal but are typically brought low by an Aevum or a premature death of their charge. If the death of a charge happens naturally, like a building slowly crumbling over time due to age or a person dying due to old age, an Obruo’s connection will loosen and let them loose slowly rather than the harsh snap of them passing suddenly. Due to the connection an Obruo has with a person or place, their souls subconsciously know that the end is coming and that it is time to say goodbye and find another to assist. When an Obruo does pass, they fade into a collection of dark orbs and float away, leaving their primary gate behind. It is believed that the gate of a passed Obruo returns back to the creative force, known as the Essence of Balance, to be melted down to create a new gate for an Aevum.

Sex and Reproduction:
Relationships between a male and female Aevum and Obruo will never result in a child as their species is created from the, Essence of Balance, which is an unknown creative force(s) that spawns them. That is the only way a ‘true’ Aevum or Obruo can be created. As mentioned previously, there have been some prior situations of romance between an Obruo and a charge, which has resulted in child. The children in most cases tend to look like the non Obruo parent with the exception of glowing runes in one of the five specified locations. Other than that, their genes are pretty recessive. In rare cases there has been a child that had their ears or their muzzle, but usually it doesn’t get passed on. The term to carry a child will always mimic the species of the non- Obruo parent. Children have seemed to only be produced between the individual that an Obruo is linked to at the time. In rare cases if the non- Obruo parent is hyper fertile or magic methods are used, a child can be produced outside of a link. It is believed that due to the link, mimicking species biology to adapt to an area is what allows an Obruo to produce offspring with other species. And that species ability to cross breed will also play a factor into whether an Obruo would be able to breed outside of a bond.

The actual process to reproduce is relevant to the species that the Obruo is linked with. If the Obruo is linked to a species with odd genitals, then they will adopt the gender appropriate (male if the Obruo is male and female if the Obruo is female) genitals of their linked hosts species. This does not mean the Obruo will switch genders to accommodate what their link desires, the Obruo are already male or female. In the case of a location, their genitals will be linked to the species that created the link point through devotion to the location.

Before an Obruo has bonded to an individual or place, their genitals are not quite set, more appearing like a Barbie doll or Ken doll with no discerning attributes. If an Obruo has bonded previously, but is currently in the process of locating a new connection, then they can hold on to their previous adaptations until a new connection is found, where they will then adapt to the new charge, or they can revert to their neutral state of genderless. When in a genderless state, the Obruo’s form of intercourse is through tactile sensation (touching each other) which allows their souls to touch another’s resulting in extreme pleasurable or painful stimulation depending on how they are touching one another. Even a non- Obruo can participate in this activity without being bonded to the Obruo and still experience the sensations of having their soul caressed. This equivalent form of intercourse for them cannot result in children.