Sqwaguls Mystic

Playable Species

Sqwaguls are a distant descendant of dragons. You'd probably not think that, though, they look to be pint-sized birds covered in fluffy fur.

Fierce ancestry in a tiny package!

Sqwaguls are small, birdlike creatures. They are magical creatures who live inside hollowed out trees, or inside burrows. They are very social, intelligent, and magical beings with their own system to communicate with others.

Anatomy

Sqwaguls are very small, dainty creatures that, on average, stand at ~1ft. They're covered in soft, downy fur all over, aside from the feet and inside the ears. Their tails are long and complemented by a tuft of fur at the ends, and serve to balance the sqwagul.

Sqwaguls are typically drawn stylized with no nostrils, but you are allowed to give them some if you wish.

Teeth and Mouth

Sqwaguls typically only have six sharp teeth, only on the bottom of the mouth. Mutations sometimes occur where the mouth is full of teeth again, mimicking their old ancestry.

Sqwaguls typically have very short, small snouts that are almost beaklike. There is great variety between face shapes, but they never appear muzzle-like, as it does not coincide with their diets.

Eyes

A Sqwagul's eyes are very large and adept at picking up light. They have very expressive eyes, though their mouths are unequipped to create proper expressions, they still do show a good deal of emotion with their eyes.

The pupils are typically shaped in very abnormal ways, from stars, to hearts, to even flowers. It is unknown what functional purpose these serve, but people often hypothesize about this.

Sqwagul eyes can be drawn in two ways: with full sclera and a pupil, or sclera, an iris, and pupil. Either way, sqwagul scleras are usually colored, and it's uncommon for them to be white or off-white.

Ears

Sqwaguls don't really have ear rarity or much ear variety. Anything beyond a simple rounded medium ear just isn't allowed unless if you have an Unusual trait essence or Unusual MYO.

Click here to see the rules behind common sqwagul ears.

Wings

Sqwaguls are flightless (without magic), and do not typically have wings. If they end up having them, they are very small and vestigial, kind of like a chicken. They cannot fly even with these.

Wings tend to be covered in downy fluff rather than feathers, which especially makes the idea of flying an impossibility. However, they may have a kind of "proto-wing" with very small feathers, which may be compared to a feathered theropod. More often than not, they simply have wing tufts, or no wings at all!

Horns

Sqwagul horns are typically singular and extend out like a unicorn's horn. It is rare to see anything else. Their horns are heavily tied to their magic. (More about horns and magic under the "magic" section.) To rip the horn off a Sqwagul is invariably fatal, and strictly forbidden in fights. The cores of their horns are directly connected to the brain, and are a very important organ in the body.

Feet

Sqwagul feet are like that of birds. They are bare of fur, unless if given the fluffy feet trait. Feet can still have markings and patterns, so long as they are not depicted as having fur or fluff.

Social

Sqwaguls make their homes usually by burrowing into a tree. There are some which live underground in burrows as well, or some even live within tree branches, weaving complex nests within them.

From their complex cities is created an even more complex society. The societies in each "town" can vary greatly between towns, but overall hold the same structure and values. Sqwaguls don't enjoy negativity and bickering, and enjoy mainly to create gatherings of like-minded individuals that will discuss their interests with them.

Sqwaguls are overall very peaceful and kind creatures. They love to have fun and gather in groups with each other. Sqwagul families are very tight-knit. Everyone knows each other! The most extreme of sqwagul families could even be considered unbearable to humans, with some towns numbering in the hundreds, and their complex homes being full of families, friends, and relatives all bundled together within one suffocating gathering.

Sqwaguls are very inquisitive, they have their own beliefs that don't stem from religion but mostly revolve around myth and rumor. Sqwaguls live for the unseen, the paranormal, the unreal. Strange being that they are magic based! Though, the idea of magic itself takes most hold.

Of course, there can be exceptions to the norm, however. Your Sqwagul character does not have to align with the typical values.

Behavior

Naturally curious and friendly, Sqwaguls often like to charge head-first up to even the most fearsome of beings to communicate with them. A Sqwagul's bravery tends to baffle those who are unprepared... "why is something over thrice the size of me so willing to make friends" is a common sentiment to those who have a first encounter with a sqwagul.

Relation to Other Species

Due to the nature of sqwagul behavior, they're often liable to get along with any species they encounter. Here are some examples of sqwagul interactions, and you're not required to follow them. Individual characters obviously influence encounters greatly.

Relation to Humans

Interaction with humans is not required, you can simply pretend they don't exist if you like. The lore below is simply to describe the potential relationship and consequences of interactions.

Humans and sqwaguls can get along very well with each other. Sqwaguls are naturally friendly and willing to befriend anyone, so humans aren't much different to them!

Relationships don't have to always be friendly. Some malicious humans have been known to try and take the horns of sqwaguls for their magical properties.

Relation to Dragawii

Dragawii are a cousin species of sqwaguls, and one of the descendants of the old-age dragons. Over the years, they have become completely unrecognizable in shape and size. The two species regularly have rivalries due to their opposing views, but friendships between them can and do exist.

DRAGAWII

- prefer physical tasks, use less magic
- aggressive, blunt, defensive
- prefer to stay alone

SQWAGULS

- prefer magical tasks, are less active physically
- friendly, nosy, helpful
- gather in groups

Relation to Khludeu

Sqwaguls and khludeu are the most magical of the known sentient species. This can often lead to them butting heads when it comes to magical feats. Their magical competition is usually for more fun than anything, but more intense rivalries have been found.

It's often common (and encouraged) for sqwaguls and khludeu to practice their magic together and develop their powers.

Relation to quigars

Quigars are a sqwagul's best friend. These guardians are willing to protect any species, and sqwaguls are no exception. While their hulking size frightens some sqwaguls to some degree, they understand that most of them are harmless and are a benefit to their communities.

Quigars often will defend sqwaguls that are thrown into peril, and may often be enlisted to do heavy-lifting that sqwaguls simply cannot handle on their own.

Sqwaguls often try to return the favor in kind, offering their protectors bits of food, found trinkets, and other objects.

Towns

A town is the name for a gathering of sqwaguls that have chosen to live with each other. They call them towns because they can hold quite a number of Sqwaguls inside, up to the 100s if the town is big enough! Towns are often different in theme depending on where they are located.

Click here to visit the list of towns, and even make your own!

Homes

Sqwaguls commonly form their homes around trees, but nests within burrows are also common. Some towns are formed through a combination of all three, and don't have to be mutually exclusive housing.

Treehouse

Some sqwaguls prefer a more aerial approach and nest within tree branches. These sqwaguls will often weave together homes with materials available, such as twine, threads, leaves, and branches. Minimal homes are often common and preferred for smaller family groups, as the size of trees can often limit how many live in the upper branches. This a more sustainable option for the rare sqwagul who decides to live solo.

Tree Burrow

Tree burrows are a pretty handy way to keep a sqwagul protected. Aside from a little hole in the tree, the indication of a dwelling isn't very easy to see, and most other species can't really get in. These are usually more permanent options, and often lead into ground burrows as the sqwaguls pick away at the soil and roots under the tree. Living trees are harder to work with, so most sqwaguls select trees that are dead or dying.

Ground Burrow

Ground burrows are the ultimate option for families or towns who want to take things up a notch. Elaborate passageways can be made out of dirt and formed to the sqwaguls' liking. Sqwaguls often create many rooms, all dedicated to particular needs of the sqwaguls within. These homes are also very difficult to break into, meaking them another favored permanent home option.

Magic

Click to see Sqwagul Innate Magic

Diet

Sqwaguls are herbivorous. Their primary diet consists of fruits and berries, but they are willing to snack on other parts of plants, such as leaves, seeds, stems, etc.

Sqwaguls have been known to create gardens for their families or towns, with both above and underground farms being found.

Identity, families, babies

Read about sqwaguls' gender identities, families, babies, and more here!

Injuries

Read about sqwaguls' injuries here!

History

Historically, the Sqwagul and Dragawii are from a similar ancestry. There difference is an evolution of their problem solving capabilities: Sqwaguls learned to solve their problems with magic, leading them to evolve into smaller forms, where their magic could evolve to become more potent and useful for their future generations. The Dragawii evolved in opposition to this: growing stronger and solving problems with brute strength. The Sqwagul, in their evolvution, moved above ground primarily and became more sociable than their dragon-cousin counterparts. While the two look entirely different, genetics between the two sometimes still mutate into one another, continuously reminding them of their ancestral roots.